The Form Of The Comet NEOWISE, Which Will Appear Again After 6,800 Years

Portrait of Comet NEOWISE (Instagram @Lapan_RI)

JAKARTA - This evening the Indonesian sky is still being presented with the most historic natural performances, namely the comet NEOWISE or called C / 2020 F3. This is the rarest sight that can be enjoyed once in a lifetime, because the comet NEOWISE can only be seen again after 6,800 years to be in its closest position to Earth.

The National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) said Indonesians could still watch this comet until Saturday, July 25th. To observe this space object, LAPAN stated that the comet NEOWISE could be seen in the northwest direction and would look good when the sun had set.

"After dusk, our sky had 'wandering' guests coming from the outer solar system," LAPAN wrote in its official Instagram account, Friday, July 24.

Although it is possible to see it with the naked eye, LAPAN urges the Indonesian people to use tools to observe the comet NEOWISE. To observe it, you can use a telescope, binocular, or digital camera.

"Currently the comet is in the constellation Ursa Mayor (Big Dipper), around the northwest at dusk. We can use a sky map to help find the position of the constellation," explained LAPAN.

The best locations to watch this comet can be done in Bandung, Tanjungsari, Pameungpeuk, Watukosek, Pontianak, Kototabang, Tomohon, Pare-Pare, Tilong, and Biak. In observing the comet NEOWISE, LAPAN recommends it in a field with minimal light.

After that, this comet will slowly disappear from Earth's line of sight. Because the astroid is a celestial body with a parabolic orbit that moves backward or retrograde, so that it is away from the sun.

This means that the comet captured by the Hubble telescope on March 20 will take 6,800 years to circle the sun. The name NEOWISE is taken from the term Near Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer or space objects approaching Earth.

Comet NEOWISE adds a growing list of astronomical events that have occurred in July, including the brightness of the peaks of Jupiter and Saturn (July 14 and 20, respectively) and multiple meteor showers at the end of the month.