From the September 2013 issue

Photogenic comets of the 21st century

Just because of a comet isn’t “Great” doesn’t mean it isn't worthy of observation.
By | Published: September 23, 2013 | Last updated on May 18, 2023
Since 2001, observers have witnessed only one “Great Comet”: Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1), which peaked at magnitude –5.5 in early 2007. But that doesn’t mean we haven’t been able to view plenty or other visitors from the outer solar system. Even if they didn’t make the arbitrary list of “Greats,” many were still fascinating enough for imagers to capture them in all their glory. Here are just a few.