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Photographer:

Mike Olason

Location of Photo:

Tucson, Arizona

Date/Time of photo:

2026 February 28, 1245UT

Equipment:

50mm f/5 Refractor and IMX462 camera

Description:

Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) is now rising in morning twilight which makes it hard to observe the full extent of the comet's coma. In these images from the morning of 2026 Feb 28 the comet coma observable was about 1 arc minute wide, the calculated magnitude was 10.7 as the comet was at an altitude of 3.6 degrees. Yesterday morning at an altitude of 4.3 degrees but in much brighter twilight skies calculated a magnitude of 11.1 also with a coma 1 arc minute wide. Thus, it appears the comet has brightened nicely since my last magnitude calculation of magnitude 13.3 on February 9 in bright evening twilight skies. The comet will be at perihelion on April 19 and make its close approach to the Earth on April 26, some predictions suggest it may become a naked eye comet.