THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
July 23, 2020 at 15:53 JST
KITA-KYUSHU, Fukuoka Prefecture--Skywatchers here were treated to a heavenly view of Comet NEOWISE in the night sky, a sight that won't be seen by humans for more than 5,000 years.
Astronomy buffs witnessed the comet, displaying a long white and faint tail, in the northwestern sky on July 20 and 21, according to the city’s children’s museum for culture and science. NEOWISE, discovered by NASA, is now dimming in brightness as it travels farther from the sun.
According to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, images of the comet were first taken by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) mission on March 27.
It passed closest to the sun on July 4.
The next time NEOWISE will travel near the sun in its long orbit and be visible to the naked eye is estimated to be in 5,000 years or more.
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Comet NEOWISE is seen in the skies above Kita-Kyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, on July 20. (Shoma Fujiwaki)
