Comet NEOWISE

The COVID-19 pandemic made 2020 a very challenging year, but over the summer there was at least one beautiful bright spot. Comet NEOWISE, short for C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE), was discovered in late March 2020 by astronomers using the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) space telescope as part of NASA’s NEOWISE mission. Comet NEOWISE provided a pleasant diversion as it was visible in North American skies throughout much of July. Dr. Joseph Izen, professor of physics at UT Dallas, photographed the comet in southeast Oklahoma.