A Heavenly Visitor
Jul 13, 2020
South Dakota stargazers have turned their attention to a new addition in the night sky: Comet NEOWISE, first discovered on March 27 and now streaking across the heavens. It’s the brightest visible comet since Hale-Bopp in 1997 and should remain visible through July. In the morning, the comet appears low on the northeastern horizon and shifts to the northwestern horizon in the evening. “Find the big dipper, line up the two stars that make the bottom of the dipper and let them point you to the comet,” says photographer Christian Begeman, who traveled the state and recorded NEOWISE from several rural locations.
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Comet NEOWISE as seen from the parking area of Benton Lutheran Church near Crooks. -
Comet NEOWISE over Benton Lutheran. -
NEOWISE over Sioux Falls in the early morning sky (upper left). -
A first glimpse of the comet in the sunset sky. -
NEOWISE above Ravinia (note the lightning bug photobombers). -
St. Procopius Church of rural Brule County (also called the Red Lake Church) under the Milky Way and a bit of green airglow high in the atmosphere just before 1 a.m. on July 12. -
NEOWISE rising beyond an abandoned prairie house in rural McCook County. -
Close-up of NEOWISE. -
NEOWISE with a prairie windmill. -
NEOWISE after sunset as clouds roll into northwest Sioux Falls.
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Comments
Thank you for publishing these lovely and astonishing photos.