Comet NEOWISE photographed shining bright in predawn sky over Aguni

Comet NEOWISE photographed shining bright in predawn sky over Aguni

Comet NEOWISE and its tail shining bright over the north fishing port in Aguni Island, photographed by Masayoshi Shikata at 4:45 a.m. on July 12.


July 16, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Tomoe Oshiro

On July 12, Aguni-jima resident Masayoshi Shikata, 50, succeeded in photographing Comet NEOWISE (C/2020/F3).

Comet NEOWISE was discovered on March 28 (Japan time) through NASA’s infrared observation satellite NEOWISE. The comet revolves around the sun in an elliptical orbit and will approach the sun again in approximately 6,800 years. Comet NEOWISE was closest to the sun on July 4; it is currently observable low in the northeastern skies before sunrise.

Comet NEOWISE will continue to be observable in the northwestern skies before sunset beginning mid-July and will be closest to earth on July 23.

Shikata said, “I will track the comet until late July, and I hope to show it to the children of Aguni-jima if possible—they won’t get a chance to see it again.”
　
The comet is expected to visually fade by late July and by end of August the comet will be unobservable by the naked eye.

(English translation by T&CT and Monica Shingaki)

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