This comet was often called Comet K2, although its full designation is C/2017 K2. It was discovered by the Pan-STARRS facility at the University of Hawaii in 2017, when it was still beyond the orbit of Saturn. It did not reach perihelion (its closest approach to the Sun) until December 19, 2022, when it was about magnitude 8. This made it a difficult target for binoculars but it could be easily seen with small telescopes.

This video shows the movement of Comet K2 over a period of about 100 minutes. At the time, the comet was passing through the constellation Ophiuchus, about 170 millions miles from Earth.

Image details: 43 images, each 120 seconds, taken with a Canon T6i camera and a 14-inch Meade LX850 telescope.

July 3, 2022