Comet 220P/McNaught: "Outburst with Shockwave" | View from Namibia

Comet 220P/McNaught: "Outburst with Shockwave" | View from Namibia

Astrophotographers Gerald Rhemann & Michael Jäger: "Comet in outburst with shockwave."

220P/McNaught, is a Jupiter-family comet with a 5.5-year orbit around the Sun. It is one of several comets discovered by Australian astronomer, Robert H. McNaught. It reached perihelion on June 14, 2026, two weeks after a large outburst in which the comet brightened as much as 8,000 times. In August 2026 there was a second outburst brightening by a factor of about 600. 

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the northeast, approximating a quadripoint, Zimbabwe lies less than 200 meters (660 feet) away along the Zambezi River near Kazungula, Zambia.

Image Credit: Gerald Rhemann & Michael Jäger 

Image Details: front Telescope: ASA Astrograph 12" f3.6 Camera: ZWO ASI 6200 MM Pro Exp.Time: LRGB 23/9/9/9 min.
Location: Farm Tivoli, Namibia

Date: Aug. 8, 2026

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