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Photographer:

Mike Olason

Location of Photo:

Tucson, Arizona

Date/Time of photo:

2026 June 6, 1028UT

Equipment:

SeeStar S50

Description:

After the major eruption at the end of May that increased its brightness by some 7000 times, Comet 220P/McNaught is now starting to fade as the effects from the eruption subside, resulting in a smaller coma and a longer dust tail. On June 6 the comet had faded to magnitude 9.2 with a brownish red dust tail now 5 arc minutes long. The approaching 65% illuminated Moon only 41 degrees to the WSW of the comet on this morning is starting to impact the visibility of the coma and the tail.