Observation by Mike Olason: C/2017 K2 Panstarrs

Uploaded by

Mike Olason

Observer

Mike Olason

Observed

2017 Jun 02 - 08:13

Uploaded

2017 Jun 04 - 08:46

Objects

C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)

Equipment

11" SCT f/6.4
STF-8300M CCD Camera

Exposure

6x300s

Location

Denver Colorado

Target name

C/2017 K2 Panstarrs

Title

C/2017 K2 Panstarrs

About this image

A calm night for this collection of images which show no star movement because the comet is only moving 9"/hour in Earth's night sky. Currently the comet is expected to slowly brighten to magnitude 14 over the next 5 years before reaching magnitude 5 in 2023. Of course, it is a fairly bright new comet 1.5 Billion miles from Earth so no one really knows for sure.

Of course, shortly after this image was submitted there was another Orbital Update. The comet will now come to perihelion in April 2023 and have it's close approach to Earth of about 165 Million miles at about the same time. The magnitude at close approach is still expected to be about magnitude 5. Naturally there will be many more orbital updates in the next 6 years and some good debates about the expected magnitude in 2023 as the composition of the comet is determined. Interestingly, the comet only has an orbit of about 358 years according to the latest update.

Files associated with this observation

2017K2_20170602_0913_molason.jpg (110.0 kB)

Like this image

David Basey, Andy Wilson, Jeremy Shears, Denis Buczynski, Peter Carson

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