The Comet NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) is currently on view in our sky, and will be for the rest of the month, in what NASA calls a once-in-a-lifetime event. The "cosmic snowball" was only discovered right as the United States was hit with the coronavirus pandemic in March, and has dazzled humans of earth all month. It's the brightest comet we'll have seen since Comet Hale-Bopp, which came by in 1997, and once it's gone, it won't be back for another 6,800 years.
While New York City is not big sky country, and "find a spot away from city lights" is the first thing on NASA's list of how to see the comet, some have some luck seeing it in our bright lights metropolis.
That's not saying we can't improve the viewing situation for New Yorkers. Mayor Bill de Blasio, consider dimming the lights for a night. Comets are quiet, unlike fireworks, and we could pocket the savings for the rainy day we're going to be living in for a while.
Click through for a look at the comet — which is visible to the naked eye (but binoculars will help) — in other parts of the world.
Companion viewing: Now's The Time To Watch Interstellar & Learn What You Can From The Black Hole
