Comet C/2018 W2 (Africano) (Molly Wakeling)

Celestial hemisphere: Southern · Constellation: Aquarius (Aqr) · Contains: Solar system body or event

Comet C/2018 W2 (Africano), Molly Wakeling

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Comet C/2018 W2 (Africano)

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Comet C/2018 W2 (Africano)

I don't currently have a light pollution filter, but I threw my color camera on the scope anyway with a luminance filter to help block un-focused UV & IR light. I haven't had success doing a double-process to have both comet and stars steady yet, but I'll keep playing with it and see what I can get! Not bad for imaging from the city without a light pollution filter! I'll also be making a GIF of it moving across the stars when I get a chance.

Currently it is in the constellation Aquarius, and was magnitude +10.0 when I imaged it.

Discovered last November by B.M. Africano at the Mt. Lemmon Observatory, the closest it drew to the sun was 1.5 AU (Earth-Sun distance) in early September. On Saturday night, it was moving against the background of stars at 6.9 arcminutes per hour, or the width of a full moon every 4.3 hours. It's on a hyperbolic trajectory, meaning that this is the last time it will visit the inner planets, having passed Earth at just under 0.5 AU away.

Broadband under Bortle 7/8/9

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Status	Advanced failed
Started	...
Astrometry.net job	3546586
PixInsight job	IK0LACSW37OUEA8026AVB5M0VX4US7I7
PixInsight queue size	n/a
PixInsight stage	PLATE_SOLVING_IMAGE

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Comet C/2018 W2 (Africano)

Comet C/2018 W2 (Africano)

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Comet C/2018 W2 (Africano)

Comet C/2018 W2 (Africano)

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