Archive: this guide describes the July 2020 appearance of Comet NEOWISE.

Comet NEOWISE passed approximately 64 million miles (103 million kilometres) from Earth at its closest approach on 22–23 July 2020, depending on time zone.

NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission discovered Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE on 27 March 2020. NASA estimated its next return to the inner Solar System would be in roughly 6,800 years.

How the comet was observed in July 2020

In mid-July 2020, NASA advised looking in the north-west after sunset, below the Plough. Binoculars could help observers see the comet and its tail.

  • Observers were advised to choose a dark location with a clear view of the horizon.
  • The Plough, also called the Big Dipper, is an asterism within the constellation Ursa Major.
  • Binoculars offered a wider view of the comet’s tail than many telescopes.
The stars of the Plough outlined above silhouetted trees
The Plough, or Big Dipper, is part of Ursa Major.

What is a comet?

A comet has an icy nucleus containing frozen gases and dust. Many orbit the Sun, while some, such as 3I/ATLAS, come from interstellar space.

As a comet approaches the Sun, its ices can turn to gas, forming a cloud called a coma and sometimes tails of dust and gas that extend millions of kilometres.

Many Solar System comets originate in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune or in the more distant Oort Cloud.

The Perseid meteor shower occurs each summer and typically peaks in August. See NASA’s skywatching guide for current observing information.