Welcome to my Southern Comets Website

Here you will find information, finder charts and images of Comets - past, present and future,
plus other astronomical observations of interest.

This page was last updated on 05-Jan-2025

Newcomers should read this important Guide to Observing and Imaging Comets

Click on comets for observing guides, charts, images and observations.

This website is updated periodically.
Also follow my "Southern Comets Homepage" on Facebook where I post regular updates, images and observations of comets.
https://www.facebook.com/michael.mattiazzo2/
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AURORA AUSTRALIS ANIMATIONS OCT 11 2024 HERE

Current Comets: A BRIGHT comet may reach magnitude -3 in January 2025

C/2024 G3 ATLAS


Animation of C/2024 G3 ATLAS between Dec 27 and Jan 4 showing outburst commencing on Jan 2.
image credit: Terry Lovejoy.

2024 was a great year for comet observing with 2 comets reaching naked eye visibility in rural skies
 

C/2024 S1 and THE KREUTZ FAMILY OF SUNGRAZING COMETS

C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS page
This comet peaked at  -4 magnitude on 2024 October 9, and is now fading as it recedes from Earth and Sun.

C/2023 A3 ANIMATIONS page.

C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS on 2024 October 19
To the naked eye, the comet appeared of corrected magnitude 3.7 with a naked eye tail 15 degrees long in PA 73, towards Alpha and Beta Ophiuchii.
An estimate using 8x40mm binoculars was 3.9 (corrected for atmospheric extinction) with a moderately condensed 10' coma and 18 degree dust tail in PA 73.
comet altitude 6 degrees. comp stars lambda oph 4.2, sigma serpensis 4.8. no moon

12P Pons-Brooks page
This "once in a lifetime" Halley type comet (71 year orbirt) reached 4th magnitude in April 2024.



other comets:
13P Olbers
the other "once in a lifetime comet" reached magnitude 6 in July 2024 but was restricted to northerners from May to July.



 

In March 2024, I presented a talk "All About Comets", discussing what they are,
as well as prospects for the bright comets in 2024. (12P Pons-Brooks and C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

https://fb.watch/rSSM13G2tF/

2024 comet observing planner, listing comets brighter than magnitude 14.
New discoveries occur throughout the year and will be updated on the list.
These are predicted magnitudes. Comets can appear significantly brighter or fainter than listed.
This is why they are so interesting to watch. The lower the number, the brighter the comet.
Typically naked eye comets are brighter than mag 6, binocular comets are mag 6-9, telescopic comets are fainter than mag 9 
Yellow indicates visibility restricted to northern hemisphere.
Blue indicates visibility restricted to southern hemisphere.
Red indicates solar conjunction. Orange indicates twilight.

Other Highly Recommended Sources of Comet Information

Gideon van Buitenen's website http://astro.vanbuitenen.nl/comets
listing all comets that are expected to become brighter than magnitude 15 in the coming 3 months
Weekly comet information by Seiichi Yoshida http://www.aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html
providing the most accurate and up to date light curve analysis of all comets down to magnitude 18
COBS website provides up to date magnitude estimates of comets  https://cobs.si
The Sky Live. This page provides a comprehensive list of the bright comets currently visible in the sky.
This list is updated with new information several times per day https://theskylive.com/comets

GREAT COMETS
What a privilege it is to observe a great comet. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_comet
They are one of natures finest sights in the night sky.
On average, a Great Comet is seen about once every 10 years.
I have a tally of 4, since I began observing comets in 1986.
Click on links for photos and information.

C/1996 B2 Hyakutake (Great comet of 1996)
C/1995 O1 Hale-Bopp (Great comet of 1997)
C/2006 P1 McNaught (Great comet of 2007)
C/2011 W3 Lovejoy (Great comet of 2011)

THE DOUBLE COMET SHOW OF MARCH 2013
Was one of my lifetime observing highlights when 2 fine comets
C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS and C/2012 F6 Lemmon
were simultaneously visible to the unaided eye, during the evenings of early March 2013

Comet C/2012 F6 Lemmon at top left, comet C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS at lower right in twilight

A good comparison between a dusty comet vs a gassy comet.

Comet C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS page
Comet C/2012 F6 Lemmon page

Send comments to Michael Mattiazzo : mmatti at westnet dot com dot au
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