People are turning to the skies to catch a glimpse of a new comet discovered by the NEOWISE telescope in March of this year. Because the comet has such a long elliptical orbit, this is a once in 6,800 year opportunity.

What You Need To Know

  • The NEOWISE Comet will pass closest to Earth on Wednesday
  • To see it, looking for the Big Dipper and to the Northwest
  • Stellarium can help one spot the comet
​

"An interesting thing about comets is that they've always been seen in folklore as a harbinger of doom, and you think about this comet and it's here and you think about what's going on right now. It's almost like the doom came first and then the comet showed up," says Tim Collins, of Williamsville Space Lab Planetarium.

NEOWISE is traveling through our solar system and on Wednesday, it will pass closest to Earth. Astronomers say the last comet this visible in the Northern Hemisphere dates back to 1997. The comet has nearly 13 million gallons of water in it, and should be able to be viewed throughout July, and maybe into August.

To spot the it, go to a dark location, look for the Big Dipper and to the Northwest. This week, it's said that the best time to view the comet in Western New York is about 10-11:30 p.m.

"It's really important to allow not just astronomers, but anyone who is interested to come and observe this. You don't always need an expensive telescope," says Holly Cohen, of the Buffalo Museum of Science.

Stellarium is a planetarium software that can be used to simulate the night sky from wherever someone is and help them find the comet. For more information, visit https://stellarium.org/