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Photographer:

Mike Olason

Location of Photo:

Tucson, Arizona

Date/Time of photo:

2026 February 18, 1228UT

Equipment:

50mm f/5 Refractor and IMX462 camera

Description:

Comet C/2026 B2 (Sun-Gao) appears to have reached its peak brightness this past week as it continues to move away from the Sun and Earth. The comet made its nearest approach to Earth on January 30 and was at perihelion in its orbit on January 9. The comet brightened to magnitude 12.7/12.6 on February 14/16 but on February 18 was magnitude 13.2 in these images. The green comet coma was about 1 arc minute wide, no tail was visible in any of the images. Of course, this is a comet so one never knows what it might do.