Photograph of Comet Ikeya-Zhang

	Comet C/2002 C1 Ikeya-Zhang Photographs by Matthew T. Russell
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Object: Comet C/2002 C1 Ikeya-Zhang Constellation: Pisces Distance from Earth: .86 Astronomical Units Distance from Sun: .51 Astronomical Units Visual Magnitude: 4.2	Click here to view the full size image. Click here to view an animation of the movement of this comet. Click here to see this comet on 6/7/02.	Date Taken: 3/16/02 Location: Crosslake, MN Equipment: Takahashi FSQ-106n SBIG 10E, NABG SBIG CFW-8 Exposure Specs: 9 minutes total Red: 3 x 1 min Grn: 3 x 1 min Blu: 3 x 1 min Processed with: MaximDL v3.0 Adobe Photoshop v6.0
Photograph Description Discovered 2002 by Kaoru Ikeya and Daqing Zhang. Professional Astronomers believe this is the same unnamed comet as one recorded in 1661, meaning it is returning after a 341-year orbit. Throughout the Northern Hemisphere, Comet Ikeya-Zhang is visible low in the western sky just after sunset (March 2002). In early April 2002, it will appear in the predawn sky as it begins to loop past Earth on its return trip out of the solar system.

Comet C/2002 C1 Ikeya-Zhang