Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) shines in the sky above the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge near Othello, Washington, casting its reflection onto McManamon Lake. Comet NEOWISE is a long-period comet and its current orbital path will take about 6,800 years to complete. Its nucleus is about 3 miles (5 kilometers) across and is covered with sooty, dark particles left over from its formation near the birth of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago.