Three-tailed Comet Q1 PanSTARRS Lights Up Southern Skies

universe today ^ | July 16, 2015 | Bob King

[BenLurkin]

Call it the comet that squeaked by most northern skywatchers. Comet C/2014 Q1 PanSTARRS barely made an appearance at dawn in mid-June when it crept a few degrees above the northeastern horizon at dawn. Only a few determined comet watchers spotted the creature.

Two weeks later in early July it slipped into the evening and brightened to magnitude +4. But decreasing elongation from the Sun and bright twilight made it virtually impossible to see. Now it’s returned — with three tails!

After taunting northerners, it’s finally come out of hiding, climbing into the western sky during evening twilight for observers at low and southern latitudes. C/2014 Q1 peaked at about 3rd magnitude at perihelion on July 6, when it missed the Sun by just 28 million miles (45 million km). The comet is now on a collision course with the Venus-Jupiter planet pair. Not a real collision, but the three will all be within about 7° of each other from July 21 to about the 24th. A pair of wide-field binoculars will catch all three in the same view.

[BenLurkin]

Comet C/2014 Q1 PanSTARRS looks pretty against pink dusk seen from Swan Hill, Victoria, Australia on July 15. The comet is quickly moving up from the western horizon into a darker sky. Credit: Michael Mattiazzo

[BenLurkin]

ping

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BenLurkin, extra to APoD.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Bump. Thanks! I’ll be watching. Took some great shots of the Venus/Jupiter/Moon a few weeks back. :)

[Jemian]

Thanks. I might go out and try to see it.