Newly found comet MASTER (C/2015 G2) is currently brightening sufficiently that it should reach naked eye brightness from southern and equatorial latitudes soon. When discovered on April 7th by astronomers using the MASTER-SAAO telescope at the South African Astronomical Observatory near Sutherland it shone at magnitude +10.7. The following week it had already brightened to 9th magnitude and is now on course to reach magnitude +5 during the middle of May.
Location and star chart
Comet MASTER spends most of April moving through Aquarius on a south-easterly trajectory. On April 20th it passes 0.5 degrees north of planetary nebula NGC 7293, the Helix Nebula. At magnitude +7.3, the Helix isn't visible to the naked eye but is still the sky's brightest planetary nebula. However, it's a large object with a low surface brightness and therefore not as easy to spot as it's magnitude suggests. For example, the Dumbbell Nebula (M27), a slightly fainter but more compact planetary is much easier to see.
The comet then cuts through a corner of Piscis Austrinus on April 27th when it's located 5 degrees north and slightly east of the constellations stand out star, Fomalhaut (α PsA - mag. +1.2). After spending only a few hours in Piscis Austrinus it then moves into faint Sculptor where it remains for the rest of the month.
At the end of April, MASTER is predicted to have brightened to magnitude +6.8. On May 13th it reaches closest point to Earth at 70 million kilometres or 44 million miles distant. The comet should continue to brighten before peaking at magnitude +4.9 on May 15th. It then reaches perihelion on May 23rd when it's located 115 million kilometres (72 million miles) from the Sun.
From southern and equatorial latitudes, MASTER is currently well placed for observation and is visible towards the east before sunrise during April. From northern temperate locations the comet is not observable until September when it will be extremely faint. Of course, comets are unpredictable and anything could happen, so keep watching!
The finder chart below shows the positions of comet MASTER from April 17 to May 5, 2015.
Comet MASTER (C/2015 Q2) Finder Chart from April 17th to May 5th, 2015 - pdf format
C/2015 G2 (MASTER) Data (at epoch April 8, 2015)
| Name | C/2015 G2 (MASTER) |
|---|---|
| Type | Comet |
| Discoverer | MASTER telescope at the South African Astronomical Observatory |
| Discovery date | April 7, 2015 |
| Perihelion (AU) | 0.77972 |
| Eccentricity | 1.00000 |
| Orbital period (years) | Unknown |
| Inclination (degrees) | 147.631 |
| Longitude of ascending node (degrees) | 110.020 |
| Perihelion | May 23rd, 2015 |
Comet (C2015/G2) MASTER Data Table
| Date | Right Ascension | Declination | Mag. | Distance from Earth (AU) | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01-Apr-2015 | 21h 46m 31s | -14d 09m 60s | 11.0 | 1.701 | Capricornus |
| 02-Apr-2015 | 21h 48m 02s | -14d 22m 42s | 10.9 | 1.670 | Capricornus |
| 03-Apr-2015 | 21h 49m 35s | -14d 35m 57s | 10.8 | 1.638 | Capricornus |
| 04-Apr-2015 | 21h 51m 12s | -14d 49m 46s | 10.6 | 1.605 | Capricornus |
| 05-Apr-2015 | 21h 52m 52s | -15d 04m 11s | 10.5 | 1.573 | Capricornus |
| 06-Apr-2015 | 21h 54m 36s | -15d 19m 14s | 10.4 | 1.540 | Capricornus |
| 07-Apr-2015 | 21h 56m 24s | -15d 34m 57s | 10.3 | 1.507 | Capricornus |
| 08-Apr-2015 | 21h 58m 16s | -15d 51m 25s | 10.1 | 1.474 | Capricornus |
| 09-Apr-2015 | 22h 00m 13s | -16d 08m 38s | 10.0 | 1.440 | Aquarius |
| 10-Apr-2015 | 22h 02m 15s | -16d 26m 41s | 9.9 | 1.407 | Aquarius |
| 11-Apr-2015 | 22h 04m 23s | -16d 45m 37s | 9.7 | 1.373 | Aquarius |
| 12-Apr-2015 | 22h 06m 37s | -17d 05m 29s | 9.6 | 1.339 | Aquarius |
| 13-Apr-2015 | 22h 08m 58s | -17d 26m 21s | 9.4 | 1.304 | Aquarius |
| 14-Apr-2015 | 22h 11m 27s | -17d 48m 19s | 9.3 | 1.270 | Aquarius |
| 15-Apr-2015 | 22h 14m 04s | -18d 11m 25s | 9.2 | 1.236 | Aquarius |
| 16-Apr-2015 | 22h 16m 51s | -18d 35m 46s | 9.0 | 1.201 | Aquarius |
| 17-Apr-2015 | 22h 19m 48s | -19d 01m 26s | 8.9 | 1.166 | Aquarius |
| 18-Apr-2015 | 22h 22m 56s | -19d 28m 32s | 8.7 | 1.131 | Aquarius |
| 19-Apr-2015 | 22h 26m 18s | -19d 57m 09s | 8.6 | 1.097 | Aquarius |
| 20-Apr-2015 | 22h 29m 54s | -20d 27m 25s | 8.4 | 1.062 | Aquarius |
| 21-Apr-2015 | 22h 33m 46s | -20d 59m 25s | 8.2 | 1.027 | Aquarius |
| 22-Apr-2015 | 22h 37m 56s | -21d 33m 18s | 8.1 | 0.992 | Aquarius |
| 23-Apr-2015 | 22h 42m 26s | -22d 09m 10s | 7.9 | 0.958 | Aquarius |
| 24-Apr-2015 | 22h 47m 20s | -22d 47m 10s | 7.8 | 0.923 | Aquarius |
| 25-Apr-2015 | 22h 52m 40s | -23d 27m 24s | 7.6 | 0.889 | Aquarius |
| 26-Apr-2015 | 22h 58m 29s | -24d 09m 58s | 7.4 | 0.855 | Aquarius |
| 27-Apr-2015 | 23h 04m 53s | -24d 54m 58s | 7.3 | 0.821 | Piscis Austrinus |
| 28-Apr-2015 | 23h 11m 55s | -25d 42m 26s | 7.1 | 0.788 | Sculptor |
| 29-Apr-2015 | 23h 19m 42s | -26d 32m 22s | 6.9 | 0.756 | Sculptor |
| 30-Apr-2015 | 23h 28m 19s | -27d 24m 39s | 6.8 | 0.724 | Sculptor |
| 01-May-2015 | 23h 37m 54s | -28d 19m 04s | 6.6 | 0.693 | Sculptor |
| 02-May-2015 | 23h 48m 35s | -29d 15m 11s | 6.4 | 0.663 | Sculptor |
| 03-May-2015 | 00h 00m 31s | -30d 12m 21s | 6.2 | 0.634 | Sculptor |
| 04-May-2015 | 00h 13m 51s | -31d 09m 33s | 6.1 | 0.607 | Sculptor |
| 05-May-2015 | 00h 28m 44s | -32d 05m 20s | 5.9 | 0.581 | Sculptor |
| 06-May-2015 | 00h 45m 19s | -32d 57m 44s | 5.7 | 0.557 | Sculptor |
| 07-May-2015 | 01h 03m 42s | -33d 44m 14s | 5.6 | 0.536 | Sculptor |
| 08-May-2015 | 01h 23m 55s | -34d 21m 44s | 5.5 | 0.517 | Sculptor |
| 09-May-2015 | 01h 45m 52s | -34d 46m 44s | 5.3 | 0.500 | Fornax |
| 10-May-2015 | 02h 09m 19s | -34d 55m 42s | 5.2 | 0.488 | Fornax |
| 11-May-2015 | 02h 33m 55s | -34d 45m 34s | 5.1 | 0.478 | Fornax |
| 12-May-2015 | 02h 59m 06s | -34d 14m 21s | 5.0 | 0.472 | Fornax |
| 13-May-2015 | 03h 24m 16s | -33d 21m 36s | 5.0 | 0.471 | Fornax |
| 14-May-2015 | 03h 48m 49s | -32d 08m 45s | 5.0 | 0.473 | Fornax |
| 15-May-2015 | 04h 12m 13s | -30d 38m 45s | 4.9 | 0.479 | Eridanus |
| 16-May-2015 | 04h 34m 05s | -28d 55m 40s | 4.9 | 0.489 | Eridanus |
| 17-May-2015 | 04h 54m 11s | -27d 03m 57s | 5.0 | 0.502 | Caelum |
| 18-May-2015 | 05h 12m 26s | -25d 07m 47s | 5.0 | 0.519 | Lepus |
| 19-May-2015 | 05h 28m 52s | -23d 10m 46s | 5.1 | 0.538 | Lepus |
| 20-May-2015 | 05h 43m 35s | -21d 15m 40s | 5.1 | 0.561 | Lepus |
| 21-May-2015 | 05h 56m 43s | -19d 24m 26s | 5.2 | 0.585 | Lepus |
| 22-May-2015 | 06h 08m 25s | -17d 38m 18s | 5.3 | 0.611 | Lepus |
| 23-May-2015 | 06h 18m 51s | -15d 57m 58s | 5.4 | 0.639 | Canis Major |
| 24-May-2015 | 06h 28m 11s | -14d 23m 41s | 5.5 | 0.669 | Canis Major |
| 25-May-2015 | 06h 36m 31s | -12d 55m 28s | 5.6 | 0.700 | Canis Major |
| 26-May-2015 | 06h 43m 59s | -11d 33m 06s | 5.7 | 0.731 | Canis Major |
| 27-May-2015 | 06h 50m 43s | -10d 16m 17s | 5.8 | 0.764 | Monoceros |
| 28-May-2015 | 06h 56m 46s | -09d 04m 39s | 5.9 | 0.797 | Monoceros |
| 29-May-2015 | 07h 02m 15s | -07d 57m 48s | 6.0 | 0.831 | Monoceros |
| 30-May-2015 | 07h 07m 13s | -06d 55m 22s | 6.1 | 0.865 | Monoceros |
| 31-May-2015 | 07h 11m 45s | -05d 56m 59s | 6.3 | 0.899 | Monoceros |
| 01-Jun-2015 | 07h 15m 52s | -05d 02m 17s | 6.4 | 0.934 | Monoceros |
| 02-Jun-2015 | 07h 19m 39s | -04d 10m 57s | 6.5 | 0.969 | Monoceros |
| 03-Jun-2015 | 07h 23m 06s | -03d 22m 41s | 6.6 | 1.004 | Monoceros |
| 04-Jun-2015 | 07h 26m 18s | -02d 37m 14s | 6.7 | 1.039 | Monoceros |
| 05-Jun-2015 | 07h 29m 14s | -01d 54m 21s | 6.9 | 1.074 | Monoceros |
| 06-Jun-2015 | 07h 31m 57s | -01d 13m 48s | 7.0 | 1.109 | Monoceros |
| 07-Jun-2015 | 07h 34m 28s | -00d 35m 25s | 7.1 | 1.143 | Monoceros |
| 08-Jun-2015 | 07h 36m 49s | 00d 00m 60s | 7.2 | 1.178 | Canis Minor |
| 09-Jun-2015 | 07h 39m 01s | 00d 35m 35s | 7.3 | 1.212 | Canis Minor |
| 10-Jun-2015 | 07h 41m 03s | 01d 08m 30s | 7.5 | 1.247 | Canis Minor |
| 11-Jun-2015 | 07h 42m 58s | 01d 39m 52s | 7.6 | 1.281 | Canis Minor |
| 12-Jun-2015 | 07h 44m 46s | 02d 09m 48s | 7.7 | 1.314 | Canis Minor |
| 13-Jun-2015 | 07h 46m 28s | 02d 38m 24s | 7.8 | 1.348 | Canis Minor |
| 14-Jun-2015 | 07h 48m 04s | 03d 05m 46s | 8.0 | 1.381 | Canis Minor |
| 15-Jun-2015 | 07h 49m 35s | 03d 31m 59s | 8.1 | 1.413 | Canis Minor |
| 16-Jun-2015 | 07h 51m 01s | 03d 57m 08s | 8.2 | 1.446 | Canis Minor |
| 17-Jun-2015 | 07h 52m 23s | 04d 21m 16s | 8.3 | 1.478 | Canis Minor |
| 18-Jun-2015 | 07h 53m 42s | 04d 44m 28s | 8.5 | 1.509 | Canis Minor |
| 19-Jun-2015 | 07h 54m 56s | 05d 06m 47s | 8.6 | 1.540 | Canis Minor |
| 20-Jun-2015 | 07h 56m 07s | 05d 28m 16s | 8.7 | 1.571 | Canis Minor |
| 21-Jun-2015 | 07h 57m 16s | 05d 48m 59s | 8.8 | 1.602 | Canis Minor |
| 22-Jun-2015 | 07h 58m 21s | 06d 08m 57s | 9.0 | 1.632 | Canis Minor |
| 23-Jun-2015 | 07h 59m 24s | 06d 28m 15s | 9.1 | 1.661 | Canis Minor |
| 24-Jun-2015 | 08h 00m 25s | 06d 46m 53s | 9.2 | 1.691 | Canis Minor |
| 25-Jun-2015 | 08h 01m 24s | 07d 04m 54s | 9.3 | 1.719 | Canis Minor |
| 26-Jun-2015 | 08h 02m 21s | 07d 22m 20s | 9.4 | 1.748 | Cancer |
| 27-Jun-2015 | 08h 03m 16s | 07d 39m 13s | 9.6 | 1.776 | Cancer |
| 28-Jun-2015 | 08h 04m 09s | 07d 55m 34s | 9.7 | 1.803 | Cancer |
| 29-Jun-2015 | 08h 05m 01s | 08d 11m 26s | 9.8 | 1.830 | Cancer |
| 30-Jun-2015 | 08h 05m 52s | 08d 26m 49s | 9.9 | 1.857 | Cancer |
See also
Comet MASTER (C/2015 G2) still on course to reach naked eye brightness in May 2015