Comet LOVEJOY C/2013 R1

C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) is a long-period comet discovered on 7 September 2013 by Terry Lovejoy using a 0.2-meter (7.9 in) Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope.C/2013 R1 crossed the celestial equator on 14 October 2013 becoming a better northern hemisphere object.

By 1 November 2013 the comet was seen by the naked eye. As of early November 2013 it was more impressive than comet ISON. The comet could be seen near the Beehive Cluster (M44) half way between Jupiter and Regulus. In binoculars, the comet has the appearance of a green unresolved globular cluster.

C/2013 R1 made its closest approach to Earth on 19 November 2013 at a distance of 0.3967 AU (59,350,000 km; 36,880,000 mi). The comet reached an apparent magnitude of about 4.5. On 27 November 2013 the comet was in the constellation of Canes Venatici near the bottom of the handle of the Big Dipper. From 28 November until 4 December 2013, the comet was in the constellation Boötes. On 1 December 2013 it passed the star Beta Boötis.

From 4 December until 12 December 2013, the comet will be in the constellation Corona Borealis. On 14 December 2013 it will pass the star Zeta Herculis. The comet will come to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 22 December 2013 at a distance of 0.81AU from the Sun.