Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) - July 20, 2020

This information was originally noted in the RASC Halifax Centre discussion List.

Just after midnight, I looked out our bedroom window to determine the status of cloud cover. Stars could be seen from the W-NW horizon all the way over to Saturn and Jupiter. Just had to go out to look for NEOWISE! Grabbed my clipboard and 10x42 image-stabilized binoculars to hopefully catch one last glimpse of the comet before it disappeared from our view.

NOTE: This comet had been discovered on March 27, 2020 and was an 18th-magnitude object located 2 AU from the Sun and 1.7 AU from the Earth. Its closest approach to Earth occurred on July 23, 2020, 01:09 UT, (3 days from now) at a distance of 0.69 AU while still in Ursa Major. It was 2nd-magnitude in mid-July.

Knowing where it had been in the previous two evenings, I began my search under the Big Dipper handle. Starting with Alcor-Mizar, I slowly made my way down towards the horizon, zigzagging short sweeps across the sky. It was about 20˚ above my horizon, nestled as it were  between 57 Uma and 55 Uma on the right and slightly above the line formed by 61 Uma and HR 4536, HR 4452 and HD100235. The nucleus was very fuzzy compared to the clearly defined entity it was earlier in the week, and the tail was greatly diminished in size visually (perhaps 1˚-2˚ in length?). Location #6 now on my tracking star map for the comet!

It was 30 minutes very well spent looking at the comet and staring at the night sky to determine the star field around it. And then another 30 minutes re-sketching it with the appropriate labels for the stars observed and writing it up in my log book.

Response from Dr. Roy Bishop: Judy, there is no hope for you! Anyone who would write a report like that has been totally captured by the night sky. Normal people (99%+ of your fellow citizens) pay no heed to it. You should make an appointment with a psychiatrist.