Comet Update C/2020 F3

Yet another comet approaches and has already been promoted as an “eyes only” event.  Not by me, of course – because I have learned the hard way that comets almost always disappoint – mostly because astronomy nerds are too quick to get excited about such things.

It is called C/2020 F3 and is approaching from the southern part of the Solar System.  I include (figure 1 below) a diagram  (made with JPL’s Small Body Orbit Diagram Utility and appropriately annotated by your Humble Narrator.)

As before, I have calculated the expected change of brightness due to distance alone (green curve on the graph below) and plotted the observed brightness (blue dots) for the comet. See figure 2 below.

I will be watching this one as well.  Updates as they occur.

No, you can’t see it yet and neither can I.

Hasta Luego,

Steve

• astronomy
• comets