Comet 13P/Olbers

 Comet 13P/Olbers is a periodic comet (hence the "P") similar to Halley's Comet.  It has a 69-year period and was discovered in 1815 by German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers.  In its four recorded appearances it has never been brighter than the threshold of naked-eye visibility.  It is currently low in the western sky during twilight.  I was able to capture an image of the comet against the fading sky just before it set over Bristol Head.

E-M5iii + Rokinon 135mm f/2.  ISO 800, 30 s.  9:46 pm MDT, 5 June.

 

Olbers also discovered the second asteroid, (2) Pallas, and the fourth, (4) Vesta.  Pallas is currently visible high in the late evening sky near the constellations Corona Borealis and Hercules.

The white circle marks the position of Pallas on 2 June.  Sigma 30mm lens + softon filter.

 

A close-up crop from the previous image.

Pallas currently shines at magnitude 9.1.  It is the third largest asteroid behind (1) Ceres and (4) Vesta.  At the time of its discovery in 1802 it was considered to be a new planet.