Posted on 06/30/2022 2:05:43 PM PDT by BenLurkin
You can see it now, and the view could be getting better in the next two weeks.
The comet is called Comet C/2017 K2 and was discovered using the telescope called PanSTARRS. The comet was spotted just five years ago in May 2017...
C/2017 K2 is heading toward the sun, and coming closer to Earth. The comet will make its closest approach to Earth on July 14.
The comet can now be seen with binoculars in the southern sky after dark. The best viewing is done out in the countryside, away from city lights.
NASA adds that C/2017 K2, “is on its maiden voyage to the inner Solar System from the dim and distant Oort cloud.” When the comet was discovered, it was the most distant active inbound comet ever found. It was discovered when it was around 1.5 billion miles from the sun, and between Uranus and Saturn. The Hubble Space Telescope indicates the large snowball is about 12 miles across. The tail you will see in binoculars is about 180 million miles away.
(Excerpt) Read more at mlive.com ...
Question is ?
How many more of these comets are in orbits that we haven’t a clue about ? 16,000 years of them to come.
Hoping for decent weather down here in Florida (HA!) to get a view.
Closest approach is in two weeks and should be easily seen anywhere with a decently clear southern sky.
bkmk
Won’t you run come see St. Judy’s Comet
Roll across the skies
And leave a spray of diamonds in its wake
It doesn’t, we do.
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