Comet Chasing in March


Comet chasing is the visual observation of telescopic comets.  Jump to:  Observing synopses    Summary data

News


There is one comet visible in binoculars, and two comets visible in small telescopes this month. Many more are visible in larger instruments. See the Observing Synopses for which comets are visible from your latitude, the best dates and the time of night.
  • Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks has had a small outburst on February 29. After the larger outburst on January 20, images captured the reappearance of the the now familiar notch and horns. This well-documented comet, perhaps observed as early as the year 245, experienced a large unexpected outburst in late July, catapulting from a magnitude of 16.6 to 11.6 in a single day. Afterward it displayed an unusual coma shape, characterized by a distinctive 'notch' and a pair of 'horns' that persisted for weeks. The same pattern has repeated, except in recent outbursts the 'horns' have become longer and crived. As it continues its journey towards perihelion on April 21, 2024, this Halley-like comet will be worth keeping an eye on. Here is a link to a video with an animation of the July outburst aftermath 

  • C/2021 S3 (PANSTARRS) passed perihelion in mid February 2024. It is predicted to obtain a maximum brightness of magnitude 9.7 in early March. 

  • C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) has the potential to be a bright naked eye comet in the fall. It will reach perihelion on September 28, 2024.

  • 13P/Olbers will reach perihelion in late June. It is predicted to obtain maximum brightness of magnitude 6.3 in early July.

  • 62P/Tsuchinshan passed perihelion in late December. In late January 2024, this comet passed within 0.5 AU of the earth. 

  • 144P/Kushida passed perihelion in late January 2024. In January magnitude estimates were about 1.5 magnitude brighter than previous. It appears that visual estimates have come in brighter than the estimates based on images, which is fairly common. Regardless, we are estimating it to be brighter now and in reach of a 10-inch telescope. This comet has an orbital period of 7.5 years and is now on its way out of the inner solar system.  It will next reach perihelion in late July 2031.

  • C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) was discovered by H. Nishimura in images taken on Aug. 11 UT, at Gomyo, Kakegawa, Japan with a digital camera.This comet put on a pre-dawn show in September, especially in images, but has passed into a part of the sky that made it very difficult to observe, very low on the horizon. It has since faded and become a southern-hemisphere only comet.

  • 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann has frequent outbursts, typically resulting in a brightening of 0.5 - 1.0 magnitudes, which occur roughly every 59 days, typically taking 5-10 days to subside. Up to three subsequent outbursts may occur 5-10 days afterward, each typically smaller than the last, although on some occasions they can be even brighter than the first. These outbursts make 29P one of the most interesting comets to follow, both visually and scientifically. 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann has a 14.8-year orbital period, and last passed perihelion in early March 2019. It varies in its distance from the Sun from 5.8 AU (at perihelion) to 6.3 AU (at aphelion), which is an unusually small variation for a comet, and remains quite far from the sun at all times. This means that it can be observed more or less continuously.

  • C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) is an interesting Oort cloud comet that was reported as a result of the Dark Energy Survey. Soon after it was made public, images showed a cometary coma. Discovery credit goes to Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein. This is a remarkable comet that was at 29 AU in 2014, with a perihelion of 10.9 AU in 2031. Its orbit extends out to 40,000 AU! It was unusually bright for its distance. Recent HST obsrvations that isolate the nucleus estimate the diamter to be between 120 and 140 km, making this possibly the largest comet nucleus yet measured. Because of its distant perihelion, this comet is not expected to become bright enough to be visually observed except in large instruments, and not until the end of the decade, but it is likely going to be the subject of intense scientific scrutiny. 

Comets that have apparently disentegrated: CC/2022 S3 (PANSTARRS), C/2021 P4 (ATLAS), C/2020 Q1 (Borisov), C/2020 P1 (NEOWISE), and C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS). Beware that various other sources often fail to keep track of whether or not a comet still exists!

Comet Visibility in the Eyepiece

This page uses code developed for SkyTools to predict the visibility of a comet in the eyepiece.  Predicting how much aperture is required to see a comet is a very complex task.  Have a look for yourself: a comparison of the predictions below (such as "visible in small telescopes") to the magnitude of each comet shows just how poor an indicator the magnitude alone really is. When you read below that a particular aperture is required to see a comet you can have a reasonable degree of confidence that the comet can in fact be seen in the eyepiece. But always remember, comets are like cats. They both have tails and do what they want, and not always what we expect. This is one of the things that makes comet chasing interesting! A Country site is Bortle 4, outside of town. 

Observing Synopses for March


Explanation of Comet Synopses and charts (read this if you have questions)

12P/Pons-Brooks: A northern hemisphere evening comet visible in binoculars
This comet begins the month in Andromeda at magnitude 6.7. Look for a 7.5' coma, condensation is a diffuse spot in coma center; moderately condensed. It should brighten rapidly, moving into Aries by month's end. This comet is likely going to remain small in binoculars, so we recommend a telescope instead. Be sure to try higher magnification and inspect the nucleus for interesting features, such as the dark notch, jets, and fountains, especially in the days after an outburst. The most recent (small) outburst was on: February 29.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:20 Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:30 Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:40 Low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:50 Low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~20:00 1-
40o N Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:10 Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:10 Low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:20 Low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:20 Low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:30 1-
Equator Not visible Not visible Not visible Very low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~18:50 Very low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~18:50 13-
30o S Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible  

C/2021 S3 (PANSTARRS): A morning comet visible in small telescopes
This comet begins the month in Serpens Cauda at magnitude 9.7. Look for a 2' coma, diffuse condensation at center. It should fade slowly, moving into Vulpecula by month's end.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N Fairly high in the southern sky during morning twilight at ~05:00 Fairly high in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~04:40 Fairly high during morning twilight at ~04:20 Fairly high during morning twilight at ~04:10 High during morning twilight at ~03:40 1-
40o N Fairly high during morning twilight at ~05:10 Fairly high during morning twilight at ~05:00 High during morning twilight at ~04:40 High during morning twilight at ~04:40 High during morning twilight at ~04:20 1-
Equator High during morning twilight at ~05:00 High during morning twilight at ~05:00 High during morning twilight at ~05:00 High during morning twilight at ~05:00 High during morning twilight at ~05:00 1-
30o S High during morning twilight at ~04:40 Fairly high during morning twilight at ~04:40 Fairly high during morning twilight at ~04:50 Fairly high during morning twilight at ~05:00 Fairly high during morning twilight at ~05:00 1-

13P/Olbers: An evening comet visible in small telescopes at a dark site, or a 6-inch (15 cm) under a country sky
This comet begins the month in Cetus at magnitude 12.9. Look for a 40" coma, diffuse condensation at center. It should brighten rapidly, moving into Taurus by month's end.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:20 Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:40 Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:50 Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~20:00 Low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~20:20 1-
40o N Fairly high during evening twilight at ~19:20 Fairly high during evening twilight at ~19:20 Fairly high during evening twilight at ~19:30 Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:30 Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:40 1-
Equator High during evening twilight at ~19:20 High during evening twilight at ~19:20 Fairly high during evening twilight at ~19:10 Fairly high during evening twilight at ~19:10 Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:10 1-
30o S Fairly high during evening twilight at ~19:40 Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:30 Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:20 Fairly high in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:10 Low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:00 1-

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS): An evening comet visible in small telescopes at a dark site, or a 8-inch (15 cm) under a country sky
This comet begins the month in Libra at magnitude 12.6. Look for a 1' coma, condensation is a diffuse spot in coma center; moderately condensed. It should brighten by about 1.0 magnitudes, moving into Virgo by month's end. Visibility from a country site will require an 8-inch telescope and will be at the very end of the month, starting on the evening of March 30. Prior to that it will be visible from dark sites in a six-inch (15 cm) telescope starting on the evening of the 4th until the end of the month.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N Fairly high in the southern sky at ~04:20 Fairly high in the southern sky at ~03:50 Fairly high in the southern sky at ~03:10 Fairly high in the southern sky during morning twilight at ~03:50 Fairly high in the southern sky at ~02:00 1-
40o N High in moonlight at ~04:00 High at ~03:50 High at ~03:10 Fairly high during morning twilight at ~04:40 High at ~00:40 1-
Equator High in moonlight at ~04:20 High at ~03:50 High at ~03:10 High during morning twilight at ~05:00 High at ~23:00 1-
30o S High in moonlight at ~04:20 High at ~03:50 High at ~03:10 High during morning twilight at ~04:50 High in moonlight at ~01:20 1-

144P/Kushida: An evening comet visible in an 8-inch (20 cm) telescope at a dark site, or a 10-inch (25 cm) under a country sky
This comet begins the month in Taurus at magnitude 10.7. Look for a 3' coma, center much brighter than edges, though still diffuse. It should fade rapidly, moving into Gemini by month's end.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N High at ~19:40 High during evening twilight at ~19:50 High during evening twilight at ~20:10 Not visible High during evening twilight at ~20:30 1-
40o N High at ~19:30 High at ~19:30 High in moonlight at ~19:40 Not visible High during evening twilight at ~19:50 1-
Equator High at ~19:30 High at ~19:30 High in moonlight at ~19:20 Not visible High at ~19:20 1-
30o S High during evening twilight at ~19:50 High during evening twilight at ~19:40 High in moonlight at ~19:40 Not visible High during evening twilight at ~19:20 1-

29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann: An evening comet visible in an 18-inch (46 cm) telescope at a dark site, or a 24-inch telescope under a country sky
This comet begins the month in Cancer at magnitude 12.2. Look for a 1.5' coma, center much brighter than edges, though still diffuse. It should fade slowly.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N High at ~21:20 High at ~21:00 High in moonlight at ~20:30 High during evening twilight at ~20:10 High during evening twilight at ~20:40 1-
40o N High at ~21:20 High at ~21:00 High in moonlight at ~20:40 High during evening twilight at ~19:30 High at ~20:00 1-
Equator High at ~21:20 High at ~21:00 High in moonlight at ~21:00 High during evening twilight at ~19:10 High at ~19:30 1-
30o S Fairly high at ~21:20 Fairly high at ~21:00 Fairly high in moonlight at ~20:50 Fairly high during evening twilight at ~19:20 Fairly high at ~19:30 1-

62P/Tsuchinshan: A morning comet visible in a 24-inch telescope
This comet begins the month in Virgo at magnitude 11.4. Look for a 4' coma, center much brighter than edges, though still diffuse. It should fade rapidly.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N High at ~01:50 High at ~01:20 Not visible Not visible Not visible 1-11
40o N High at ~01:30 High at ~01:10 Not visible Not visible Not visible 1-14
Equator High at ~00:00 High at ~01:20 High at ~00:40 Not visible Not visible 1-16
30o S High in moonlight at ~01:20 High at ~01:20 Not visible Not visible Not visible 1-13

C/2022 E2 (ATLAS): An evening comet visible in an 18-inch (46 cm) telescope at a dark site, or a 24-inch telescope under a country sky
This comet begins the month in Gemini at magnitude 13.0. Look for a 45" coma, center much brighter than edges, though still diffuse. It should fade slowly.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N High at ~20:50 High at ~20:10 High in moonlight at ~20:10 High during evening twilight at ~20:10 High during evening twilight at ~20:40 1-
40o N High at ~20:50 High at ~20:10 High in moonlight at ~19:50 High during evening twilight at ~19:30 High during evening twilight at ~19:50 1-
Equator High at ~20:50 High at ~20:10 High in moonlight at ~19:40 High during evening twilight at ~19:10 High at ~19:20 1-
30o S Fairly high at ~20:50 Fairly high at ~20:10 Fairly high in moonlight at ~19:50 Fairly high during evening twilight at ~19:20 Fairly high in the northern sky during evening twilight at ~19:10 1-

C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS): An evening comet visible in a 24-inch telescope
This comet begins the month in Orion at magnitude 13.9. Look for a 1' , diffuse coma with definite brightening toward center. It should fade by about 0.5 magnitudes by month's end.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N Fairly high during evening twilight at ~19:30 Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible 1-8
40o N High during evening twilight at ~19:20 High during evening twilight at ~19:30 Not visible Not visible Not visible 1-15
Equator High at ~19:30 High during evening twilight at ~19:20 Not visible Not visible High during evening twilight at ~19:10 1-15, 26-
30o S High during evening twilight at ~19:50 High during evening twilight at ~19:40 Not visible Not visible Not visible 1-15

207P/NEAT: An evening comet visible in a 24-inch telescope
This comet begins the month in Lepus at magnitude 14.0. Look for a 1' coma, diffuse condensation at center. It should fade rapidly, moving into Hydra by month's end.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible  
40o N Fairly high at ~19:20 High at ~19:50 Not visible Not visible Not visible 1-15
Equator High at ~19:30 High at ~19:50 High in moonlight at ~21:00 Not visible Not visible 1-16
30o S High at ~19:50 High at ~19:50 High in moonlight at ~21:30 Not visible Not visible 1-17

C/2022 L2 (ATLAS): A southern hemisphere morning comet visible in a 24-inch telescope
This comet begins the month in Centaurus at magnitude 14.3. Look for a 60" coma, diffuse condensation at center. It should brighten slowly. The best visibility is mid-month as seen from the southern hemisphere.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible  
40o N Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible  
Equator High in moonlight at ~03:40 High at ~03:10 High at ~02:20 Fairly high in the western sky during morning twilight at ~04:50 High at ~22:40 2-23, 28-
30o S High in moonlight at ~03:50 High at ~03:10 High at ~02:20 High during morning twilight at ~04:50 High at ~21:30 2-23, 27-

C/2023 P1 (Nishimura): A southern hemisphere evening comet visible in a 24-inch telescope
This comet begins the month in Vela at magnitude 14.0. Look for a 55" coma, virtually invisible. It should fade by about 0.8 magnitudes, moving into Puppis by month's end. The best visibility is early in the month as seen from the southern hemisphere.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible  
40o N Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible  
Equator Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible  
30o S High at ~22:00 High at ~21:20 High at ~22:00 Not visible Not visible 1-16

C/2021 G2 (Atlas): A southern hemisphere evening comet visible in a 24-inch telescope
This comet begins the month in Centaurus at magnitude 14.4. Look for a 35" coma, condensation is a diffuse spot in coma center; moderately condensed. It should brighten slowly. The best visibility is late in the month as seen from the southern hemisphere.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible  
40o N Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible Not visible  
Equator High at ~00:00 High at ~01:00 High at ~00:30 High in moonlight at ~01:10 High at ~22:30 1-
30o S High at ~23:00 High at ~01:00 High at ~00:30 Fairly high at ~04:40 High at ~21:30 1-

32P/Comas Sola: An evening comet visible in a 24-inch telescope
This comet begins the month in Taurus at magnitude 14.3. Look for a 25" coma, diffuse condensation at center. It should remain constant.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N High during evening twilight at ~19:30 High during evening twilight at ~19:50 High during evening twilight at ~20:00 High during evening twilight at ~20:10 Fairly high during evening twilight at ~20:30 1-
40o N High during evening twilight at ~19:20 High during evening twilight at ~19:30 High during evening twilight at ~19:30 High during evening twilight at ~19:40 High during evening twilight at ~19:50 1-
Equator High during evening twilight at ~19:20 High during evening twilight at ~19:20 High during evening twilight at ~19:20 High during evening twilight at ~19:10 Fairly high during evening twilight at ~19:10 1-
30o S Fairly high in the northern sky during evening twilight at ~19:40 Fairly high in the northern sky during evening twilight at ~19:30 Fairly high in the northern sky during evening twilight at ~19:20 Low in the northern sky during evening twilight at ~19:10 Low in the northern sky during evening twilight at ~19:00 1-

103P/Hartley: An evening comet visible in a 24-inch telescope
This comet begins the month in Monoceros at magnitude 14.4. Look for a 25" coma, center much brighter than edges, though still diffuse. It should fade by about 1.4 magnitudes, moving into Hydra by month's end.  FINDER CHART
Latitude Visibility March 2 Visibility March 9 Visibility March 16 Visibility March 23 Visibility March 30 Nights Visible
55o N Fairly high at ~21:20 Fairly high at ~20:50 Fairly high in moonlight at ~20:30 Not visible Fairly high during evening twilight at ~20:40 1-18, 25-
40o N High at ~21:20 High at ~20:50 High in moonlight at ~20:30 Not visible High at ~20:00 1-18, 25-
Equator High at ~21:20 High at ~20:50 High in moonlight at ~20:50 Not visible High at ~19:40 1-18, 25-
30o S High at ~21:20 High at ~20:50 High in moonlight at ~21:30 Not visible High at ~19:40 1-19, 25-

Summary Data for This Month's Telescopic Comets


Comets brighter than 16th magnitude.  This table is updated as necessary. The last column indicates the date of the last observation used to compute these values.  The constellation listed is where the comet was on the first of the month.
Comet Constellation

March 1st

March 15th

March 31st

Observations as of (UT)
Mag Diam Mag Diam Mag Diam
12P/Pons-Brooks Andromeda 6.7 7.5' 5.9 7.7' 5.2 7.8' 2024 March 1
C/2021 S3 (PANSTARRS) Serpens Cauda 9.7 2.1' 9.8 2.1' 10.0 2.1' 2024 February 20
144P/Kushida Taurus 10.7 2.9' 11.6 2.6' 12.7 2.2' 2024 February 29
62P/Tsuchinshan Virgo 11.4 4.3' 12.7 3.9' 14.4 3.3' 2024 February 21
29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Cancer 12.2 1.7' 12.2 1.6' 12.3 1.6' 2024 February 27
C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) Libra 12.6 55" 12.2 1.0' 11.6 1.2' 2024 February 24
13P/Olbers Cetus 12.9 41" 12.1 41" 11.2 41" 2024 February 28
C/2022 E2 (ATLAS) Gemini 13.0 49" 13.1 47" 13.2 44" 2024 February 28
479P/Elenin Canis Minor 13.5 2.1' 13.1 2.2' 12.8 2.2' 2024 February 16
C/2020 V2 (ZTF) Phoenix 13.7 1.4' 13.8 1.4' 14.0 1.4' 2024 January 10
C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) Orion 13.9 1.1' 14.1 1.0' 14.4 57" 2024 February 28
207P/NEAT Lepus 14.0 1.0' 14.6 57" 16.0 38" 2024 February 20
C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) Vela 14.0 55" 14.4 51" 14.8 46" 2024 February 4
32P/Comas Sola Taurus 14.3 27" 14.3 26" 14.3 24" 2024 February 26
C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) Centaurus 14.3 51" 14.1 56" 14.0 1.0' 2024 February 20
103P/Hartley Monoceros 14.4 23" 15.0 20" 15.8 16" 2024 February 27
C/2021 G2 (Atlas) Centaurus 14.4 34" 14.3 35" 14.3 36" 2024 February 20
C/2019 U5 (PANSTARRS) Vela 14.8 31" 15.1 30" 15.3 28" 2024 February 13
C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) Reticulum 15.1 42" 15.2 41" 15.4 40" 2024 February 16
C/2023 S3 (Lemmon) Sagittarius 15.1 1.3' 16.4 1.5' 17.7 1.9' 2024 February 13
C/2019 T4 (ATLAS) Hercules 15.2 1.1' 15.3 1.1' 15.3 1.1' 2024 February 1
227P/Catalina-LINEAR Lynx 15.4 34" 15.6 31" 16.0 28" 2024 February 16
C/2019 L3 (ATLAS) Vela 15.5 1.3' 15.6 1.3' 15.6 1.3' 2024 February 9
C/2023 H2 (Lemmon) Phoenix 15.5 44" 15.9 42" 16.3 41" 2024 February 5
C/2023 V4 (Camarasa-Duszanowicz) Cetus 15.6 56" 15.2 55" 14.7 56" 2024 February 12
C/2023 C2 (ATLAS) Triangulum Australe 15.6 35" 15.3 37" 15.0 40" 2024 February 7
*In solar conjunction and generally not visible 

For information about specific comets see Gary W. Kronk's Cometography 

Further reading: see Comet Chasing, Sky & Telescope, April 2005, pg. 83.

Make your own visual observing custom charts for your location and telescope/binoculars: Software for visual comet observing 

Select comets that are appropriate for your imaging system, and plan when they are best imaged: Software for comet imaging 
 

Links

Skyhound's Guide to Comets
Skyhound's Guide to Finding Comets
BAA Comet Section
Weekly Information About Bright Comets
Cometography