Although pulling away and slowly fading, Comet NEOWISE is still in our night sky.

Comet NEOWISE is now fading as it moves away from both the sun and Earth.

The feedback Im getting from friends and online comments tells me that while being the brightest and easiest to see comet for northern hemisphere observers in 23 years, the comet eluded some folks entirely. Some who did spot it were clearly disappointed.

In 1997, Comet Hale-Bopp remained at naked eye brightness for more than a year, allowing most anyone anywhere to glance upward and see this large bright comet.

But Comet NEOWISE was more challenging to see by comparison.

I understand fully the range of impressions Comet NEOWISE generated. Over the past month, Ive viewed and photographed the comet from suburban locations, local darker sky locations and in beautifully clear skies over a mountain in western North Carolina. Ive also checked it out when it was barely above the horizon and again when it rode higher in the evening sky.

NEOWISE looked different from each location and each changing position in the sky.

How much difference did my observing location play in how impressive the comet appeared?

It made ALL the difference.

From brightly lit suburban locations I never saw Comet NEOWISE with my eyes alone, but using a pair of 7X50 binoculars it was obvious. I couldnt imagine anyone in the center of Fayetteville seeing the comet naked eye, and it would have been tough with binoculars.

The view became more rewarding from a darker site I often use northeast of Fayetteville. There, I could see the comet naked eye although it wasnt an obvious evening sky object. Binoculars, however, revealed a very "cometlike" fuzzy object with a tail.

My best view came under the best weather conditions from the darkest sky location.

On July 18, I observed and photographed NEOWISE from Grandfather Mountain in western North Carolina. After obtaining special permission to be on the mountain after dark, I wasnt able to work from the top of Grandfather in the visitors center parking lot. The large rock face to the north obscured the view of NEOWISE. I had to set up around the 4,433 foot elevation of the near 6,000 foot mountain where no obstructions blocked the part of the sky where the comet was.

From that location, under clear, haze-free skies, NEOWISE was at its best. A very comet like object was very evident to the naked eye, and a large twin-tailed comet appeared in binoculars. Photographs I made that night were far superior to any I made locally.

This greatly improved view wasnt surprising to me, but may not have been evident to the more casual observer. The clearest skies over the darkest of location are everything when looking for and seeing a comet well, even the brightest ones.

Folks who went to the trouble to scope out and travel to those locations had a memorable view, while folks who simply walked outside to an urban backyard probably wonder what all the fuss was about.

Our local weather and the time of year is also a problem when viewing NEOWISE. We need a night thats clear, following an afternoon when we have the deepest blue sky thats free of haze and clouds, like we have in October. Thats a tall order in summer in our area when late day thunderstorms are the rule.

NEOWISE still around

Although pulling away from us and slowly fading, Comet NEOWISE is still in our conveniently timed evening sky. To make things better, its getting higher in the western sky and is observable for a longer period of time each evening.

But the bright moon, which becomes full in early August, is also in our evening skies now, the light from which can tend to wash out the fainter comet. Starting around Aug. 5, we start to have some moon-free time during our evenings once again.

Finder charts to help you locate Comet NEOWISE in the evening sky and additional information about the comet can be found on Sky and Telescope magazines website at https://skyandtelescope.org/ and the site http://www.space.com.

Although the comet is fading, the unpredictable nature of comets could mean a sudden increase in brightness or a dramatic and rapid fading.

Its all the more reason to get ourselves into the best position possible to see this visitor from the outer solar system, one that wont return again for 6,800 years.

If you have a question about astronomy send it to Backyard Universe P.O. Box 297, Stedman, NC 28391 or email jhorne@fayobserver.com.

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Backyard Universe: Comet NEOWISE thrills some, a yawn to others - The Fayetteville Observer