Monday’s Comet Tracker: How To See Two Comets Close To Bright Stars
There are two comets currently observable in binoculars — the brightest, Comet Lemmon, before sunrise and after sunset in the northern sky and Comet SWAN after sunset in the southwestern sky. Because of its far-northern path, Comet Lemmon now appears on both sides of the northern sky between dusk and dawn.
The best time to view both comets in one session is 90 minutes after sunset. However, Comet Lemmon can also be seen 90 minutes before sunrise.
You’ll need a pair of binoculars to see either comet, with 8x42 and 10x50, or similar, the best option. Both comets will appear as small, diffuse patches in a pair of binoculars, changing position slightly each day. Those observing in dark sky places far from streetlights and urban light pollution will have the best views of both comets.
A good way to find the location of the comets in your sky is to use the finder charts at In-The-Sky.com or stargazing apps such as Sky Guide, Stellarium and SkySafari.
