Panaji: Comet Neowise, which is passing by earth, may be visible from Goa very low on the horizon. Owing to the monsoon conditions, the skies may not be very clear, due to which the comet cannot be witnessed by the naked eye but the comet should be visible through binoculars or a telescope, the Association of the Friends of Astronomy (AFA) said. The comet will be closest to earth on July 23 and will pass at about 103 million km from the Earth.
“For us in Goa, the comet apparition was unlucky mainly because the days that the comet was supposed to put up its best show was overshadowed by some of the heaviest clouded skies of the monsoon and incessant rain all over the state,” AFA president Satish Nayak said.
He said that the main days of visibility have already passed but hopes are still intact to sight it on Thursday. The astronomical photography team of the AFA has attempted to capture the comet on camera but has not been able to see it owing to poor visibility.
“We haven’t managed to catch a single glimpse of the elusive visitor since the past two days,” Nayak said.
The astronomers are worried that there may be no more chance of seeing the comet in Goa if the weather conditions over the west coast continue to be overcast.
“The comet is in a very low northwesterly alleviation which is impossible for us to catch from here. As days pass, it will rise higher but it will be dimmer,” Nayak said.
Comet Neowise was spotted for the first time by NASA in March this year with the help of its Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) telescope. The comet is estimated to be about 4.6 billion years old. It’s now fading slightly as it exits the sSolar system.