Chasing Comets: How Terry Lovejoy Became a Legendary Comet Hunter

Discovering a comet takes skill, patience, and dedication. Today, most comets are found by large research-grade sky surveys like ATLAS or Pan-STARRS, making it rare for an individual to discover even one comet—let alone multiple comets. And yet, backyard astronomer Terry Lovejoy has had a hand in a whopping 17 comet discoveries. Using amateur equipment, he has discovered six comets that bear his name. By analyzing data from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), he identified an additional 11 comets that bear the name SOHO. From his home in Australia, Lovejoy has shown that amateur astronomers can still make a profound impact.

The six comets that bear Lovejoy’s name are:

 

 

Discovering and Capturing Comets: The Early Days

Terry Lovejoy’s journey into comet hunting began in the late 1990s when he used images from SOHO to search for new comets. At that time, the internet was still in its infancy, and few people used online resources for comet discovery. In July 1999, Lovejoy made his first significant find—a small sungrazing comet that disintegrated as it collided with the Sun. Over the years, he discovered 11 comets using this method, although none were visible from the ground. As more people joined the hunt, the competition grew, making comet discovery increasingly challenging.

In 2003, the release of the Canon 300D—a groundbreaking digital camera—made large-sensor imaging more accessible to amateur astronomers. With this new technology, Lovejoy made two ground-based comet discoveries: C/2007 E2 (Lovejoy) and C/2007 K5 (Lovejoy). These early successes fueled his passion for comet hunting and set the stage for future discoveries.

 

The Shift to Celestron Telescopes

After two successful discoveries with his Canon 300D DSLR, Lovejoy upgraded to a Celestron C8 telescope paired with a Hyperstar system, significantly enhancing his ability to capture comets with greater detail and precision. His first significant find with this setup was the renowned “Great Christmas Comet of 2011,” also known as C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy).

Notably, C/2011 W3 was the first Kreutz sungrazer comet discovered from the ground since 1970, as most of these comets are identified by space-based observatories like SOHO.

When asked which comet discovery was his favorite, Lovejoy didn’t hesitate to name C/2011 W3. “It had an amazing tail and was even seen in daylight,” he said, emphasizing the comet’s unique brilliance and its lasting impression on him.

Lovejoy’s passion for comet hunting continued with significant discoveries in 2013 and 2014. Using his Celestron C8 with Hyperstar, he discovered C/2013 R1, a long-period comet visible to the naked eye that quickly became a popular target for astronomers. A year later, he made another notable find: C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy), which delighted observers during the 2014-2015 holiday season. These discoveries further solidified his reputation as one of the most successful amateur astronomers in the field.

In 2017, Lovejoy made his final comet discovery, C/2017 E4 (Lovejoy), using a Celestron C14 telescope with a Hyperstar system. Although he has stepped away from active comet hunting, he still owns his C14 and C8 telescopes.

 

Lovejoy’s Approach to Comet Hunting

In a Space.com interview, Terry Lovejoy described his method for discovering the Kreutz sungrazer using his Celestron C8 with a Hyperstar and a monochrome CCD camera. “The telescope is automated, so it takes a series of images of different parts of the sky, which then get processed,” he shared. “The following night, I looked through the images for unusual objects. This was the 27th of November. It was quite easily visible—just a little smudgy ball. I take photographs of the same part of the sky about 10 minutes apart...Anything like a comet or an asteroid will be clearly visible, moving between the images. You can’t see them moving in real-time; you need a time gap to see the movement. By looking at the images quickly, I can see an object moving, and that’s how I discovered this one.”

 

Memorable Moments and Challenges in Comet Hunting

Lovejoy emphasized how critical careful observation is in comet hunting. He recounted nearly missing the discovery of C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy), almost dismissing it because of glare from a nearby bright star. Similarly, he described the frustration of capturing pre-discovery images of Comet C/2006 M4 but missing the opportunity to claim it as his own. Both experiences illustrate how easy it is to overlook a comet. It’s a fine line between success and missed opportunities in this meticulous work.

 

How It Feels to Have Comets Named After You

Lovejoy remains modest when asked about the experience of having comets named after him. “I’m not sure I’ve got used to the idea, to be honest,” he admitted. His older sister often reminds him that the comets are not truly his—they are just named after him—keeping him humble in a lighthearted way.

 

Advice for Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

With interest growing around Comet C/2023 A3, Lovejoy shared advice for observing the comet visually and capturing images of it. The comet is already bright enough to be recorded with a handheld smartphone, but he suggests that a digital camera with a high-quality lens will yield much better results. For a close-up view, binoculars like Celestron’s Cometron 7x50 are ideal due to their large 50mm objective lenses that gather ample light. These binoculars make it easy to scan the sky, locate the comet, and enjoy a wide-angle view of its tail.

 

A Comet Hunter’s Extraordinary Journey

Terry Lovejoy’s evolution from casual stargazer to globally recognized comet hunter demonstrates the incredible power of passion and perseverance. His six comet discoveries—many made using Celestron telescopes—show that amateur astronomers, armed with dedication and the right equipment, can still make meaningful contributions to science.

Reflecting on his achievements and the future of comet discovery, Lovejoy said, “The ten or so SOHO comets and six Lovejoy comets were a good effort. With more professional surveys now, my contributions might seem redundant, but I could still find more—it would just take more effort and darker skies.”

For those who dream of following in his footsteps, Lovejoy stresses that individuals can still play a role in comet discovery, even in this new era. His message is clear: be patient, stay persistent, and remember that the thrill of discovering a new comet and watching it grow from a faint smudge to a brilliant spectacle is worth every moment of effort.