Comet C/2006 A1 Pojmanski

Closest to Sun: 2006 Feb 22 at 0.55AU
Closest to Earth: 2006 March 4 at 0.77AU
Maximum magnitude 5.0 in late Feb  2006.
Orbital Period 65,000 years


Comet C/2006 A1 Pojmanski on 2006 February 28.78UT.
2x2 minute exposure. Canon 300D digital camera + 90mm telephoto lens.
Note the ion tail is at least 8 degrees long. Alpha and Beta Capricorni are to the right.

Grzegorz Pojmanski, Warsaw University Astronomical Observatory, reported his discovery of a diffuse comet
with a coma diameter of 1' on 3-min CCD frames taken on 2006 Jan. 1 and 4 with a 180-mm-focal-length f/2.8 telephoto lens
 in the course of the All Sky Automated Survey at Las Campanas.

In January 2006, the comet could only be seen from the Southern Hemisphere and was well placed for viewing in the southern evening sky. 
It brightened rapidly from magnitude 10 to 7 as it traversed the constellations of Pavo and Indus.
By the start of February 2006, the comet swung over into the morning sky and brightened further during the month
from magnitude 7 to 5 as it headed northwards.
It traversed the constellations of Telescopium, Sagittarius and Capricornus.

Comet C/2006 A1 Pojmanski on 2006 February 28.78UT.
2x2 minute exposure. Canon 300D digital camera + 200mm telephoto lens. Field of View 4 degrees high.
The comet shone at magnitude 5.4 with a coma diameter of 5' and tail >5 degrees in 25x100mm binoculars.

By the start of March 2006, the comet was rapidly lost to the Southern hemisphere as it continued its northward trek.
 

Below are my visual observations in ICQ format

2006A1 2006 01 06.52 S 10.5 TK 20 L 6 50 3.0 4 ICQ nn MAT08
2006A1 2006 01 23.50 S 7.9 TK 10 B 25 3.0 5 ICQ nn MAT08
2006A1 2006 01 28.48 S 7.3 TK 5 B 7 3.0 5 ICQ nn MAT08
2006A1 2006 01 29.48 S 7.2 TK 5 B 7 3.0 5 ICQ nn MAT08
2006A1 2006 02 07.76 S 6.1 TK 10 B 25 4.5 6 50m 205 ICQ nn MAT08
2006A1 2006 02 28.77 S 5.4 TK 10 B 25 5.0 6 5.0 260 ICQ nn MAT08
2006A1 060128.48 low elevation [MAT08]
2006A1 060228.77 photo reveals >8 degree tail [MAT08]