C/2012 K1 PANSTARRS

Closest to Sun on 27 August 2014 at 1.05AU
Closest to Earth on 1 November 2014 at 0.95AU
Maximum magnitude 6.5 in October 2014

Was dynamically new comet arriving at perihelion on 2014 August 27 at a distance of 1.05AU from the Sun. Alas, It was on the solar far side at perihelion.
However, since the orbit was retrograde, it made an Earth pass on November 1 at 0.95AU which saw the comet reach magnitude 6.5 for us southerners.

C/2012 K1 PANSTARRS and NGC 3726
2014 May 20.43 UT: Canon 60Da camera and 300mm zoom lens cropped. 5x1 minute stack.
Visual magnitude m1=8.5, Coma Diameter=5', DC=3...25x100mm binoculars

At the start of June, the comet was situated in Ursa Major, low in the North-Western evening sky, suffering from moonlight interference until the 15th.
On the evening of the 16-17th, the comet was situated very close to 21 Leo Minoris, about 14 degrees elevation at 6:30pm.
On the 23rd, the comet moved into Leo. The strongly condensed object appeared magnitude 8.0 with a short dust tail in telescopes.

July was the last opportunity to observe it prior to perihelion, before being lost in evening twilight.
At the start of the month, the comet was situated in Leo, low in the North-Western evening sky, at 10 degrees altitude around 6:45pm.
Viewing suffered from moonlight interference and by the time it disappeared on the 14th, the comet was only 4 degrees above the horizon at end
of astronomical twilight at 6:45pm

The comet reached Solar Conjunction on August 10.

September 2014 morning

At the start of September, comet PANSTARRS reappeared low in the eastern dawn skies in the constellation of Hydra.
It appeared strongly condensed, shining at magnitude 7.5 with a short dust tail in telescopes.
Images revealed that the ion and dust tails were well separated, as shown in the photo at top of page.
Moonlight interfered from the 8th until 21st.
After this, observing conditions improved as it slowly trekked southwards, becoming well situated for southerners during October and November.


October 2014 morning

At the start of October, comet PANSTARRS could be seen in the eastern morning sky in the constellation of Hydra.
It appeared well condensed, shining at magnitude 7.0 with a short dust tail in telescopes.
It crossed into Puppis on the 4th.
Moonlight interfered from the 6th to 16th.
Although best observed in the morning sky, the comets southerly motion enabled it to be observable from late evening by the 18th, when it rose at midnight.
It was a degree from Pi Pup on the nights of Oct 22-23 and Nu Pup on Oct 27.
By October 30, the comet rose at 8pm and appeared brightest at magnitude 6.5, but moonlight once again started to interfere in the evening sky

November 2014 evening

At the start of November, comet PANSTARRS was at its brightest, situated in Pictor, some 5 degrees north of Canopus.
Moonlight interfered until November 9. On this evening, the now magnitude 7 comet was situated in Dorado,
adjacent to the galaxy group of NGC 1566, 1549 and 1553 as seen below

On November 14, it was 1 degree south of globular star cluster NGC 1261 in Horologium. 
On November 23, the comet was 5 degrees North of Achenar in Eridanus, located high in southern evening skies.
By December 1, the now magnitude 9 comet was situated in Phoenix, 1.5 degrees south of Beta Phe.
It had a close approach to edge on galaxy NCG 55 on the night of December 18 as seen in the image below.