Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS)

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Photographer:

Mike Olason

Location of Photo:

Tucson, Arizona

Date/Time of photo:

6 May 2021, 1038 UT

Equipment:

11" SCT and STF-8300M CCD Camera

Description:

In these images Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) was magnitude 17.5, had a 10 arc second wide coma with a tail at least 0.002 degrees long (the tail is lost in the glare of the bright star) at a position angle of 15 degrees from the coma and was 641 million miles from the Earth. This comet will not reach perihelion in it's orbit until May 2023 when it will be 285 million miles from the Sun. The comet will makes it's close approach to Earth in June 2023 at 229 million miles when it may brighten to magnitude 11.