SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
Mike Olason
Location of Photo:
Tucson, Arizona
Date/Time of photo:
7 June 2021, 0806 UT
Equipment:
11" SCT and STF-8300M CCD Camera
Description:
In these images Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) was only 10 degrees above the light polluted southern horizon over Tucson. The comet was magnitude 16.9, had a coma and showed a short very faint tail at a position angle of about 45 degrees from the coma. The comet was 363 million miles from Earth. Comet C/2017 T2 is best remembered for brightening to magnitude 8 at perihelion in it's 144,754 year orbit back in May 2020 when it was 149 million miles from the Sun. The comet made it's close approach to Earth back in December 2019 at 140 million miles.
