At the beginning of this year, countries throughout the southern hemisphere will be able to see comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS), which already stood out in late December last year. At this time, it made its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion), which was crucial for it to shine in the coming months.
Surprisingly, only 12% of the world’s population lives in the southern hemisphere, a region where phenomena like this cannot be observed. With the naked eye, the comet cannot be seen, but only binoculars or a small telescope are needed to allow us to see it.
Apparently, the comet’s magnitude is 6, which theoretically could be seen without equipment. However, according to the Aerith website, the correct number is 8, which is impossible to see with the naked eye.
Tips for observing Comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS)
The forecast is that in March, the comet can already be seen by the inhabitants of the southern hemisphere. To see it well, the recommendation is to give preference to a dark sky, and it is worth remembering that the more stars there are in the sky, the easier it will be to find it.
It is important to note that comets are unpredictable, that is, the ideal is to try to observe them as early as possible, since with each passing week, they gradually lose their brightness, but on the other hand, they gain height.
An interesting point is that when using equipment such as binoculars or telescopes, it is possible to see a point of brightness in the form of “smoke”, which is located around the comet, being called a coma, which consists of a small atmosphere created as a result of the proximity to the Sun.
