COMET THROUGH BINOCS: This is my “artist’s depiction” of the view of Comet NEOWISE as seen through binoculars. It was visible with the unaided eye, but we were viewing over water and mist was forming.
To spot this comet in the evening, get to a very flat horizon, free of trees, buildings or mountains. Look to the northwest, at least a handspan to the right of the sunset. The comet was about 5 degrees (three fingers) above the horizon at 10:30PM.
The comet will move higher in the evening sky over the coming weeks, and will likely be brighter and larger as it makes its closest approach to the Earth on July 22. We’ll share more information as we have it! Basic rules of thumb: Visible comets are very rare and unpredictacle. This one is moving quickly from night to night, so if you have a clear evening, don’t wait! Be flexible! Don’t put it off to the next night! You may get a stretch of cloudy weather and then the comet will be gone. And you may not see another this good in your lifetime!
