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Can't find comet NEOWISE in the sky? This app helps

The approach of the Earth surprised astronomers and sky watching enthusiasts, who want to take the opportunity to see the comet with the naked eye. Observation is possible until the end of the month, but today it is one of the most propitious dates, like NEOWISE to make the closest passage to our planet, at a distance of about 100 million kilometers.

There is no shortage of indications on how to position yourself for observation, and SAPO TEK has also given the guidance to follow, but if you are afraid of getting lost, between the Moon and the stars, you can use the appSkEye that has a specific version for oNEOWISE , and free.

After configuring the location, manually or giving access to the cell phone data, just point to the sky and follow the directions to locate the comet, but also other stars.

Check, however, that the compass of the smartphone is well calibrated and that it is in an area of ​​wide visibility and with little light pollution, in order to achieve the best observation.

The app is available for download from the Google Play store and is free.

The stunning images of NEOWISE seen from Earth

ONEOWISE is a comet of retrograde orbital movement, with a possible origin in the Oort cloud, in the confines of the solar system, as explained by the Lisbon Astronomical Observatory (OAL). It is estimated that the diameter of its core is around 5 kilometers. The comet follows an almost parabolic trajectory with a very long period, about 6,800 years.

NEOWISE managed to survive entry into the perimeter, the point of the route that is closest to the Sun, and from June 3, astronauts Bob Behnken, who recently arrived on the SpaceX Crew Dragon International Space Station, and Ivan Vagner were the first to register the unique moment from Space.

But they were not the only ones: in addition to the timelapse created by artist Sen Doran from a collection of images from NASA archives, several ground observers managed to capture the passage of the comet a little throughout the northern hemisphere and even SpaceX was not. indifferent to the phenomenon.

Click on the gallery to see some of the best NEOWISE images

How to follow the passage of NEOWISE?

The OAL explains that, at this moment, NEOWISE has a magnitude of 2.5, making it possible to observe it with the naked eye. The comet is now in the constellation of Ursa Maior and, later, travel to the constellations of the Hairdresser of Berenice, Virgem and Boieiro.

Consult the tables for visibility of NEOWISE from Lisbon, Funchal and Ponta Delgada

In Portugal, fans of astronomy will be able to watch it at dusk. According to the OAL, the best time to see it is at 10 pm in the northwest direction and, until the end of the month, the comet will be visible higher and higher in the night sky.