C/2021 S3 (PANSTARRS)

Type: Periodic Perihelion date: 14 February 2024 Perihelion distance (q): 1.3 Aphelion distance (Q) : 23,988 Period (years): 1,313,678 Eccentricity (e): 1.00 Inclination (i): 58.5 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve PanSTARRS 2 discovered a 20th magnitude comet in images taken with the 1.8m Ritchey-Chretien on 24 September 2021. The comet could come into visual range in the middle of 2023 and reach about 7th magnitude around the time of perihelion. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 30-Sep-22 16.8 0.4 02-Oct-22 16.8 0.4 19-Oct-22 16.8 0.4 27-Oct-22 16.7 0.4 03-Nov-22 16.6 0.4 21-Jun-24 13.0 1.7 22-Jun-24 13.3 1.1 27-Jun-24 12.8 3.4 28-Jun-24 13.1 1.9 10-Jul-24 12.9 2.6 17-Jul-24 13.6 1.5 31-Jul-24 13.8 1.5 07-Aug-24 13.8 1.7 10-Aug-24 14.1 1.1 29-Aug-24 13.7 2.1 05-Sep-24 13.9 2.1