612), which took place under mediocre viewing geometry, one additional "companion" comet appeared which for a time was brighter than the primary component. Even at the most recent return, in 2017 (no. 385) when it passed within 0.08 AU from Earth and I detected three discrete "companion" comets in addition to the primary one, and over 60 nuclear fragments were detected with large telescopes. Various fragments have been seen at most of its returns since then, including in 2006 (no. 202) its nucleus split into four discrete fragments as the comet itself underwent a dramatic outburst to 5th magnitude. We may, or may not, have been seeing the break-up of this comet over the past couple of decades. We will just have to wait and see what happens over the coming months.ĬOMET 73P/SCHWASSMANN-WACHMANN 3 (Perihelion 2022 August 25) The potential for a bright display certainly exists, although it is also entirely possible that it could brighten slowly and become a relatively unimpressive object, and conceivably could even disintegrate as it approaches and passes through perihelion. As is always true for newly-discovered long-period comets, brightness predictions for the time during and after perihelion are problematical, and this comet's behavior will likely depend on such factors as to whether or not it is a "new" comet making its first visit from the Oort Cloud and also its dust content - none of which are known at present. The comet appears at a maximum phase angle of 136 degrees just before the end of April and is nearest Earth (0.60 AU) a week and a half later.Īt this time Comet PANSTARRS is a very faint object between 19th and 20th magnitude. By that time it is in northern circumpolar skies, and it reaches a peak northerly declination of +82 degrees shortly before the end of May. At that time it will be in the evening sky at an elongation of 17 degrees, and although the elongation remains between 15 and 17 degress through the end of April, the comet is moving northward, with the elongation increasing to 30 degrees by the end of the first week of May and to 45 degrees by the middle of that month. The "long-range" comets listed at the end of this page are, as implied, mentioned here primarily for long-range planning purposes.ĬOMET PANSTARRS C/2021 O3 (Perihelion 2022 April 21)Īccording to preliminary orbital calculations this recently-discovered long-period comet passes through perihelion at a heliocentric distance of 0.29 AU. I don't intend this list to be exhaustive, but instead will focus on those comets that are worthy of attention from sky-watchers and other interested people (including, certainly, students) who would not normally be considered "comet astronomers." I plan to update this page every one to two months and/or as necessary. It’s also possible that the comet could brighten to the extent that it will be visible to the naked eye in dark sky areas that are free of light pollution.īe sure to stick with IGN to stay up to date with all of the biggest and most beautiful developments in the world of science.For planning purposes, on this page I will list the incoming comets that are expected to become moderately bright or otherwise notable within the next one to two years, and which I expect to add to my tally (if I haven't already). During these times, the wanderer should be easily recognizible through small telescopes and binoculars as a small milky smudge in the night sky. Later in February, the comet will also make an appearance to stargazers in the southern hemisphere. In early 2023, the comet will be most visible during the predawn hours in the northern part of the sky below the Big Dipper (for viewers located in the northern hemisphere). Read the full guide: /fsZRYxU0vm- NASA December 30, 2022 Plus, the bright winter constellations are a nightly treat for stargazers. What’s Up in January? □ Throughout the month, a new comet may be seen gliding across the sky towards the northwest. When it next slips from view and makes its exit from the inner solar system, it won’t be seen again until long after we, and potentially our entire race, is gone.Ĭ/2022 E3 (ZTF) is set to make its closest approach to the Sun on January 12 before making a flyby of Earth on February 1 at a distance of 26.4 million miles (42.5 million km). The last time C/2022 E3 (ZTF) appeared in the night sky our planet was locked in a global ice age, and our ancient neanderthal ancestors roamed the land. According to, C/2022 E3 (ZTF) only visits the inner solar system roughly once every 50,000 years, making January's opportunity to spot it with the naked eye an incredibly rare opportunity.
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