NASA

The Neowise comet will not be seen from Earth again for nearly 7,000 years.

Arizonans can still see the comet Neowise before it heads out to the far reaches of the solar system. 

Astronomers spotted the comet in March as it neared Earth. The mass of rock and ice has a three-mile nucleus, but researchers still feared that it might broil under the sun's heat as it approached our part of the solar system. But it did not, and now it's headed back to cooler parts of space.  

Neowise is visible in the northwestern sky, just below the Big Dipper. University of Arizona professor Amy Mainzer, NASA’s Neowise principal investigator, recommends finding a place without trees, buildings or mountains and a dark sky to see the comet. She said those who want to see the comet should do so soon.  

“Right now the best time to see it is roughly an hour after local sunset," Mainzer said. "So you want to get out there and my advice would be to get into position just as the sun is setting so you can find your footing and you’re not, you know, stumbling around in the dark. And then just relax and enjoy the sunset and wait for those stars to come out.” 

As the comet heads away from Earth, it will be harder to see. 

“Now is a very good time to catch this comet because it’s going back out to the outer parts of the solar system and it’s not going to be back around again for another 6 or 7,000 years,” she said.