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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report through July 24th, 2020. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.
Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) has moved to the evening sky. It may be spotted through binoculars by about 9:15 p.m., and conditions are best for observing it when the sky fully darkens at about 9:40 p.m. Because the comet is moving away from the sun, it starts each evening higher in the sky than on the previous night, and can be seen for a longer time, night by night. It sets at 11:15 p.m. on the 17th, and at 12:17 a.m. on the 24th.
The comet is steadily fading, as was expected, so see it at your earliest opportunity. It may be visible faintly to the unaided eye through the 24th, and its tail should be obvious through binoculars. The comet is more easily seen from dark wilderness locations, in the mountains or deserts, far from the interference created by urban light pollution.
The comet is above the northwest horizon, and below the seven stars of the Big Dipper. The comet moves in front of the southern portion of the sprawling constellation Ursa Major the Great Bear, of which the Big Dipper is the most recognizable part.
Conditions for viewing the comet are best before the moon moves into the evening sky on the 24th. The moon arrives just as the comet is expected to become too faint to be easily found without binoculars.
See the new Griffith Observatory Comet Corner web page for finder charts and other information that may aid you in finding comet NEOWISE.
The giant outer planets, Jupiter and Saturn, make an eye-catching pair of objects that are visible throughout the night. Jupiter is the brightest of the two, and is to the west ̶ to the right ̶ of Saturn as the planets slowly arc through the southern sky. Jupiter was at opposition, or directly opposite the sun, on the 13th, as Saturn will be on the 20th. They are visible together above the southeast horizon shortly after sunset. Jupiter and Saturn cross the meridian within half an hour of each other around 1:00 a.m., and set in the west-southwest at about sunrise.
The orange gleam of the planet Mars is high enough above the horizon to appear brighter than Saturn by 1:00 a.m. It then becomes noticeable low in the eastern sky. Mars ends up high in the south-southeast sky at dawn.
The brightest planet, Venus, can be seen shortly after its rising above the east-northeast horizon at about 3:45 a.m. It is attractively positioned beneath the bright stars of the constellation Taurus the Bull.
The planet Mercury might be observed at about 5:00 a.m., just above the east-northeast horizon and to the lower left of Venus. On the 19th, binoculars may help you to find the slender crescent moon, only 30 hours from new, midway to the horizon to the lower left of Mercury.
Because of measures in place that are intended to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 Corona virus, Griffith Observatory remains closed until further notice. Consequently, all public telescopes are closed, and all public events have been cancelled. Please check the Griffith Observatory homepage for current information and continued updates of the situation.
Follow The Sky Report, All Space Considered, and Griffith Observatory, on Twitter for updates on astronomy and space-related events.
From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook, and I can be reached at Anthony.Cook@lacity.org.