Oort Cloud Comet C/2013
US10 Catalina.  Closest to
the Sun on 15-Nov-2015

Comet Catalina was discovered on 31 October 2013 by the Catalina Sky Survey with their 0.68 meter Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.

The comet has an estimated orbital period of several million years. The comet will reach perihelion on 15 November 2015 at a distance of 0.82 AU.

Through August and September the comet has been around 7th Magnitude but may reach Magnitude 4 or 5 at the end of November and may be visible in the dawn sky.

At perihelion, it will have a velocity of 46.4 km/s (104,000 mph) with respect to the Sun.  That's slightly greater than the Sun's escape velocity at that distance, which means this is its last or only visit to the sun: it's on an ejection trajectory.

Image Credit: Chris Marriott's SkyMap software