May 27, 2020: C/2020 F8 (SWAN), or Comet SWAN, is an Oort cloud comet that was discovered in images taken by the Solar Wind Anisotropies (SWAN) camera on March 25, 2020, aboard the Solar Heliospheric Observer (SOHO) spacecraft. (Supplied: NASA)Once it has swung around the Sun on May 27, people in the northern hemisphere will get their best view. (Supplied: NASA)Once it has swung around the Sun on May 27, people in the northern hemisphere will get their best view. It remains unclear whether it will survive the close encounter, but if it does, it will become even more visible in the northern hemisphere, but this time in … By mid-May it settled back down to magnitude 5.5-6.0 and became visible from the northern hemisphere. According to the calculation of the comet's orbit, C/2020 F8 (SWAN) will make the closest approach to our planet at a distance of 52 million miles (84 million km) on May 12, 2020. Around May 27, 2020, the comet is expected to reach perihelion (closest approach to the Sun), when it will be 40 million miles (64.4 million km) distant. The comet… The comet reportedly visits the inner solar system once every 11,597 years, and will reach its closest point to the sun, the so-called ‘danger zone,’ on May 27. Comet SWAN makes its closest approach to Earth on May 13, 2020, at a distance of 85 million km (53 million miles); its closest approach to the Sun, called perihelion, will happen on May 27, 2020. In the glare of twilight, Comet SWAN is difficult to find with 50mm binoculars even though it is still near the theoretical range of naked eye visibility. Cometary luminosity is very hard to predict and no guarantees, as seen by what’s happened to Comet Atlas. Reply. In the glare of twilight, Comet SWAN is difficult to find with 50mm binoculars even though it is still near the theoretical range of naked eye visibility. Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) has unexpectedly plummeted in brightness down past 6th or 7th magnitude, instead of brightening to the 3rd magnitude as was predicted for its approach to its May … How to See Comet SWAN in Night Skies Fresh from the outer solar system, the cosmos offers us a show that’s trailing a 10 million-mile tail. Thank you Joann for guiding us with your experience & love.

Rather than brighten as it moved towards a May 27 perihelion at 0.43 au, the comet started a slow fade. Between January 2013 and December 2100 the closest approach of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) to Earth happens on Wed May 13 2020 at a distance of 0.55595801 Astronomical Units, or 83,170,135 kilometers: Comet SWAN is expected to reach perihelion, its closest point to the sun, around May 27, 2020 — two weeks after its closest approach to Earth. Comet SWAN has come in from the very margins of our solar system. Closest approach of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) to Earth.

C/2020 F8 (SWAN), or Comet SWAN, is an Oort cloud comet that was discovered in images taken by the Solar Wind Anisotropies (SWAN) camera on March 25, 2020, aboard the Solar Heliospheric Observer (SOHO) spacecraft. Comet SWAN peaked around magnitude 5 in early May after a ~1.5 magnitude outburst.

Like Liked by 1 person. Comet SWAN has come in from the very margins of our solar system. The Comet SWAN C/2020 F8 seen on May 2. Astronomers expect comet SWAN continues to become brighter as it moves towards the Sun (perihelion – on May 27, 2020 at 0.43 Astronomical Units); and more visible as it approaches closest to Earth on May 13, 2020 at 0.57 Astronomical Units, or 85,065,197 km.