NEOWISE Breaks the Drought

“Comets are like cats: they have tails, and they do precisely what they want.” ― David H. Levy

While they are not as infrequent as Venus transits, a showy comet is pretty rare based on my experience. And hands down they are the biggest tease that the solar system has to offer. From Kohoutek (1974) to this year's PANSTARRS (C/2020 K1) comets often show promise of putting on a show only to either massively under perform or occasionally just crumble into pieces. Even the most famous of comets, Halley, was a bit of a dud for northern hemisphere observers on its last visit in 1986.

In my half century of sky gazing I've seen 3 comets that fit the archetype of a comet: Bennett (1970), Hyakutake (1996), and the grand Hale-Bopp (1997). There are likely some I missed when I was less active but most comets that I've viewed are small fuzzies that need a scope or binoculars to see well and resemble a Manx rather than a Persian feline. They make you appreciate why Messier, fooled by the faux comets of nebulae and galaxies, started his catalog.

I had adopted a "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude towards NEOWISE C/2020 F3 when the initial assessments were that it could be a winner. No Lucy, this Charlie Brown wants to know that football isn't going to be pulled away at the last moment! And by the way - I know we need these robotic scopes to efficiently catch incoming asteroids and comets for our safety, but their comet names are so sterile. And it takes away one of the best lotteries in amateur astronomy - the glory of finding a great comet and having your name slapped on it. If I were in charge I'd say that the robots have to keep quiet - report their finding to a secret database but then wait for some lucky amateur to stumble upon it and get the naming honor. Bring back awesome comet names like Ikeya-Seki! Sigh - but I digress...

Once NEOWISE had completed its rendezvous with the Sun the reports - and images - started coming in with good news. There appeared to be a naked-eye visible tail, even from suburban venues. Excited with the prospect of ending the long drought of a fine comet I waited for a break in the normal Baltimore July weather pattern - hazy, warm, humid. Finally the weather sites agreed that Sunday morning was likely to be a good opportunity. While many HAL members were planning to assemble at Carrs Mills I opted for a closer spot with good horizons at Dulaney Springs park. 

I pulled into the parking lot with camera, binoculars, and face mask (just in case) at about 4:15. A last quarter Moon hung high above, and Venus gleamed adjacent to Aldebaran. To the left was Capella, and farther to the left should be roughly where NEOWISE ought to be hanging out. I thought with averted vision I could catch a shaft of light extending above the tree line, and the binoculars confirmed it. Moving out onto the field to shift the comet's apparent position into a break in the trees revealed a glowing nucleus and nearly 2° tail.

NEOWISE's Tail Above Treeline

Setting up the camera I worked on getting some shots of NEOWISE as it ascended above the treeline. As I'm taking one of the shots I notice a bright object moving nearby. First impression was that it was the ISS starting a pass but then it winked out, pretty suddenly. Odd - did it just enter the Earth's shadow that quickly? Something didn't seem quite right so I noted the time in order to check later as to what was in the area. As it turned out Jim Johnson captured it and properly identified it as a meteor. It was likely quite distant given the appearance in both our shots is pretty similar while separated by some 25 miles.

NEOWISE Crests Treeline and Greets Meteor

As NEOWISE gained altitude it became a fine sight! To the naked eye it had perhaps a 1^st magnitude coma gradually fading into a delicate gossamer tail. In the 7x50 binoculars the head was a compact, bright white with the tail streaming upward like a jet contrail. The tail had more yellowish-gold tones compared to the whiter coma, making a beautiful impression. The tail also seemed to be a bit stronger on its edges, as though the coma had active jets on each side. I drank in the experience of this celestial visitor to our neighborhood, knowing that the creeping dawn would soon overwhelm its presence. By 5 a.m. I headed back home, eager to see my digital images on a laptop screen.

A Sight to Behold

So now NEOWISE heads back out to the icy depths of the solar system and we'll get to see it in a more convenient evening sky. Hopefully it will continue to delight as it gradually recedes from view over the summer months.