I've always loved looking up at the stars. When I was a kid, I had fun trying to point out the various constellations. The Big Dipper and the Small Dipper were always the easiest to find.

My friends and I loved camping out under the stars when I was living at home, staring up at the sky seeing who could pick out the constellations the fastest. But what I was really looking to see, was for meteor showers to occur or watching the occasional comet pass by our earth. And if there was a NASA space craft orbiting the earth, it was a treat or even a passing satellite or space station.

There's some exciting stuff happening right now with a comet named NEOWISE, according to NASA. Well, the official name is Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWIS, if that matters at all to you. NASA reports that currently, the comet is able to be seen close to the horizon in the northeastern part of the United States about an hour or two before sunrise.

It's been about 6800 years since this comet has flown by the earth. On July 11th, the comet should be visible in the evening sky a bit after sunset. It is a once in a lifetime event, and one not to be missed. You should be able to see it with the naked eye or a pair of binoculars.

Any chance of seeing something pass by our earth that is a one time viewing is always intriguing to me, although getting up that early may be a challenge. I love my beauty sleep.

You can find more information on the NASA website devoted to the NEOWISE Comet. Happy comet watching!

via NASA NEOWISE and NASA.gov

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

The Oddest Sounding Road Names in the Southern Tier

More From 99.1 The Whale