Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Leo Minor (LMi)
Comet C/2012 K1 PANSTARRS, kerrywaz1
Comet C/2012 K1 PANSTARRS
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Comet C/2012 K1 PANSTARRS

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Description

Comet C/2012 K1 PANSTARRS fluoresces green as it nears its closest approach to the sun in August 2014. The comet's vivid green atmosphere or "coma" is a sign of the presence of diatomic carbon and cyanogen, two gases that grow green when illuminated by sunlight in the near-vacuum of space.

The comet started 2014 as a northern hemisphere object and will cross the celestial equator on September 15, 2014, becoming a southern hemisphere object. It is predicted to reach its peak magnitude of ~6 in mid-October 2014 when it will have an elongation of around 75 degrees from the Sun.

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Comet C/2012 K1 PANSTARRS, kerrywaz1