TODAY IS MANHATTANHENGE: Twice a year at sunset, the concrete canyons of New York City turn into an urban simulacrum of an ancient astronomical observatory. Instead of Stonehenge, New York has Manhattanhenge. Today is one of those days. On July 11th at 8:30 pm EDT, the setting sun will beam directly down Manhattan's east-west streets. Got a picture? Submit it here.
COMET NEOWISE IN THE EVENING SKY: Observers of Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3), by far the finest comet in years, have had just one complaint. You have to wake up at the crack of dawn to see it! Not anymore. NEOWISE is now visible in the evening sky, too. Paolo Bardelli photographed it today after sunset in Sumirago, Italy:
"Thanks to clear skies, I was able to see the comet very low in the north-northwest," says Bardelli.
At the moment "Evening Comet" NEOWISE is still a horizon-hugger, low and hard to see. However, it will climb higher in the sunset sky as the week ahead unfolds. After July 15th, sunset will be the time and place to see the comet as it rockets northward toward the Big Dipper. Stay tuned! Sky maps: July 12, 13, 14, 15.
Realtime Comet NEOWISE Photo Gallery
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COMET NEOWISE HAS A SUPER-SIZED NUCLEUS: Now we know why Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) is so bright. Its nucleus is huge. Researchers working with NASA's NEOWISE spacecraft have analyzed infrared emissions from the comet's core, shown here in discovery images from March 2020:
The glow is proportional to the size of the nucleus--the nugget of dust and frozen gas at the heart of the comet. "From its infrared signature, we can tell that [the nucleus] is about 5 kilometers across," says Joseph Masiero, NEOWISE deputy principal investigator at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
"5 km is extremely large for a comet approaching this close to the sun (think Comet McNaught-sized), which explains its high activity," says Qicheng Zhang, a PhD student in planetary sciences at Caltech.
On July 3rd, Comet NEOWISE passed by the sun near the orbit of Mercury. The oversized nucleus helped it survive the encounter, which some comets would have found too hot to handle. Now NEOWISE's sun-heated core is spewing massive amounts of dust and gas, creating a worldwide sensation.
"This morning, July 11th, I got a great view of Comet NEOWISE," says Vincent Phillips of Hale village near Liverpool UK. "It was very easy to spot in the NNE before sunrise." And that's not all...
"Then came along a beautiful bank of bright noctilucent clouds," says Phillips. "It was the best view of a comet in my life!"
For Comet NEOWISE, the future looks bright. Its large nucleus is a reservoir of dust and gas that should continue to fill the comet's double tail with visible material for weeks to come. Observing tips: Wake up about 90 minutes before sunrise, find a place with a clear horizon, and look northeast. The comet is visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy patch with a tail. Binoculars are recommended for full effect. Sky maps: July 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.
Realtime Comet NEOWISE Photo Gallery
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NEED BABY YODA, YOU DO: Baby Yoda has been to the stratosphere. The future Jedi left Earth on May 21st aboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray balloon. Here he is floating Force-free 107,611 feet above Earth's surface:
You can have Baby Yoda for $119.95. The students are selling these adorable bobbleheads to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. They make great birthday, Christmas, and graduation gifts. Each one comes with a greeting card showing Yoda in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
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