Comet C/2020 S3 Erasmus
Taken by Michael Mattiazzo on November 14, 2020 @
Swan Hill Victoria, Australia
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Details:
Comet C/2020 S3 Erasmus on 2020 November 14 at 17:30UT.
My visual estimate through 15x70mm binoculars was magnitude 7.6, with a strong disk shaped coma 5' across.
No tail was observed visually but there is an ion tail 2 degrees long photographically in PA 280 using a C11 RASA f/2.2 and Canon 6D for a 5 minute exposure.
The comet is developing quite nicely and reminiscent of C/2020 F8 SWAN.
Although the orbit of S3 Erasmus looks promising, with a perihelion distance of 0.40AU on 2020 Dec 12,the comet will be too close to the Sun at and beyond perihelion.
However, it could put on a reasonable showing pre-perihelion over the next couple of weeks as it brightens to 5th magnitude, low in the eastern morning sky.
The galaxy in the field of view is NGC 4050, a 12th magnitude spiral in Corvus.
Photographer's website:
https://www.facebook.com/michael.mattiazzo2
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