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NASA astronaut captures view of rare bright comet Neowise from ISS

A Russian cosmonaut also snapped a gorgeous ISS photo of comet C/2020 F3 Neowise.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
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 NASA's Bob Behnken, one of the Crew Dragon Demo-2 astronauts, snapped this view of comet Neowise, circled in red.

NASA/Bob Behnken/Red circle by Amanda Kooser/CNET

Meteors are bright but brief. Asteroids are fun and fascinating. But there's something about a comet and its showy tail that adds an extra layer of excitement to skywatching. 

Astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station are being treated to a view of comet C/2020 F3 Neowise (let's just call it "Neowise") as it has come into view of Earth.

NASA astronaut Bob Behnken and Roscosmos cosmonaut Ivan Vagner both shared images of the comet over the weekend as seen from the ISS.

Behnken posted four views of the comet early on Sunday, saying "Last night's fireworks, for real. Because Science." You'll have to blow up the images and take a close look to spot Neowise, which is near the center of the photos and just outside of the bright curve of the Earth.

Vagner's view gives us a nice clear look at the comet and its tail. The cosmonaut called it the brightest comet seen over the last seven years.

Space fans are hoping Neowise will become easily visible to the naked eye for all of us down here on Earth. Observers have already been able to snap some impressive views of the object. Astrophotographer Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn shared a stunning shot over the Toronto skyline.

It's been a year of hope when it comes to comets as astronomers have been rooting for several contenders to light up our skies. Neowise is now our best bet for a cosmic comet show in 2020.

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