Comet H2 Lemmon Brightens in Early November Ahead of Expectations.
Discovered earlier this year, Comet C/2023 H2 Lemmon is performing above expectations and is currently well-placed in the dusk sky. It may even approach naked-eye brightness this month.
Comet H2 Lemmon was discovered on April 23rd, 2023, by the Mount Lemmon Survey, part of the Catalina Sky Survey. It is a long-period comet, meaning that it takes more than 200 years to orbit the Sun.
Comets are icy bodies that originate in the Oort Cloud, a spherical cloud of icy objects that surrounds our solar system. As comets approach the Sun, they warm up and begin to release gas and dust. This creates the comet's coma and tail.
Comet H2 Lemmon is currently about 100 million miles from the Sun and is moving closer. It will reach its closest approach to the Sun on November 10th, at a distance of about 27 million miles.
The comet is currently at magnitude +8, which means that it is visible with a small telescope. By the time it reaches its closest approach to the Sun, it may brighten to magnitude +6, which would make it visible to the naked eye under dark skies.
The best time to see Comet H2 Lemmon is in the dusk sky, just after sunset. It is located in the constellation Boötes.
To find Comet H2 Lemmon, you can use a stargazing app such as Stellarium or SkySafari. These apps can show you the comet's current position and path.
Once you have found the comet, you can use a telescope to get a closer look. If you don't have a telescope, you can still see the comet with your naked eye, but it will appear as a faint smudge of light.
Comet H2 Lemmon is a beautiful and exciting object to see. It is a reminder of the wonders of the universe and the fragility of our planet.