One of the most distant active comets observed is getting closer to Earth next week, and you can see it live….and of course, it’s fairly large.
Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS), or K2 for short, was first discovered by the Hubble Observatory in 2017, and it was the most distant active comet discovered when it was observed in the outer solar system. That record was smashed by giant comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein earlier this year, but comet K2 has been steadily making its way toward us for the past five years. It is now scheduled to approach 270 million kilometers past Earth on July 14 as it continues its path through the inner solar system.
The size of the comet’s icy nucleus is not certain, but current estimates suggest it ranges from 18 to 160 kilometers. In both cases the comet is large – but if its nucleus is at the higher end of estimates, it is one of the largest known comets yet, along with the comets Bernardinelli-Bernstein and Hell-Bopp. Its close pass next to Earth will help astronomers narrow this margin.
Reading @phbernardinelli“s tweets this morning I was trying to get my head around just how big Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein (aka C/2014 UN271) is.
So here’s a graphic I’ve just made to show an (edited) @NOIRLabAstro illo of it in comparison to some other Solar System objects. pic.twitter.com/sx9MWkavxv
— Will Gater (@willgater) September 22, 2021
On the other hand, the tail of comet K2 is certainly huge. Again, estimates vary, but we estimate it to be between 130,000 and 800,000 km in length.
As it gets closer to Earth, it’s expected to be very bright, but it may still be too faint to be seen with the naked eye, but you won’t have a problem with telescopes, and you’ll be watching it for the rest of the summer.
Comet 2017 K2 Panstarrs on the 17th.
Courtesy Gerald Rhemann, Farm Tivoli, Namibia. pic.twitter.com/raCWhTMMUw— Con Stoitsis (@vivstoitsis) June 18, 2022
And if you don’t own a telescope, you can watch it swing with the help of the Virtual Telescope Project, which broadcasts live from 6.15pm ET (10:15pm UTC) on July 14.
As Comet K2’s path continues within perihelion (which is its closest trajectory to the Sun), its behavior may change. It may become more energetic as the sun warms its icy core, it may become brighter—or it may disintegrate. What’s certain is that you can get some great photos of him from professionals and amateurs over the next few weeks, comets so big they would love to put on an unforgettable show.
iflscience
