Although Comet Ikeya-Zhang is approaching our planet, it is also fading as it recedes from the Sun. Astronomer Clay Sherrod reports on April 18 that "Ikeya-Zhang is just visible to the naked eye and has dimmed almost one-half magnitude since April 12." Nevertheless, there's still time to see the comet before it vanishes. Get up before dawn any morning this week or next and look north near the W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia; the comet is a fuzzy blob about as bright as a 4th magnitude star.

Spaceweather.com wishes to thank all those who submitted to the Comet Ikeya-Zhang gallery! The comet is now fading, and the gallery is now closed to submissions.

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Unless otherwise stated, all images are copyrighted by the photographers.

	Photographer, Location, Date	Larger images	Comments
	Jimmy Westlake, Rocky Mountains, USA March 9	#1, #2, #3	Jimmy Westlake: "What is it about the month of March which attracts bright comets?... Saturday night was spectacular here in the Rockies." Jimmy's dazzling images were taken on March 9th, using Kodak 400 film.
	Thad V'Soske, near Pine Valley, CA, USA March 9	#1, #2, more	T. V'Soske: "Despite the light pollution from San Diego, the Zodiacal light, and thin layers of clouds, this comet was eye-popping in binoculars and spectacular through a large refractor!" Photo details: Fuji Superia Extra 800 film and a zoom lens at 200mm and f/3.5. 3 to 5 minute exposures.
	Igor Smolic and Krsta Gosic, Wooden Observatory, Yugoslavia March 9	#1	Photo details: March 8.74, 2002; 71x10sec unfiltered exposures; S-C, D= 0.28m, f/6.5 + SBIG-ST7 camera; field: 12.8 x 8.4arcmin
	Dr. P. Clay Sherrod, Arkansas Sky Observatory, Arkansas, USA March 8	#1, more	Clay Sherrod: "Ikeya-Zhang has brightened significantly in the past two days and has changed from its distinct spiked tail near the broad head to the very diffused fan tail shown in the larger image."
	David Brown , Bournemouth, UK March 7	#1	David Brown: "I live in Dorset, England (UK) and the comet was about 7 degrees above the horizon. It is a combination of 10, 10 second exposures using a Starlight Express MX916 CCD camera on an Orion 8" f/4 Schmidt Newtonian. The images were acquired on 2002-03-07 at 20:26UT."
	Dr. P. Clay Sherrod, Conway, Arkansas, USA March 6	#1, more	Clay Sherrod: "The comet was only 7 degrees off the western horizon when my wife, Patsy and I got this shot." Photo details: 30 second exposure with a STV CCD camera on a Meade LX 200 8" telescope at f/3.75.
	Jimmy Westlake, Yampa, Colorado, USA March 4	#1, #2	J. Westlake: "In binoculars or a small telescope, you can see up to 5 degrees of tail! It is immersed in the very bright zodiacal light which cuts down on the contrast, but the view is still excellent."
	Rolando Ligustri, Circolo Astrofili Talmassons Observatory, Italy. March 4	#1	Photo details: Newtonian reflector telescope (350 mm diameter f/5); CCD Sbig ST9E; Integration time: 120 seconds. Resolution: 2.5"/pixel.
	Anton Spenko and Rok Palcic, Rezmon Observatory, Slovenia March 4	#1, #2	Photo details: Meade 10'' LX 200 telescope, f/4, MX9 CCD camera.
	Gerald Rhemann, Germany March 3	#1, more	Click for photo details.
	Aletti Andrea and Di Filipo Simone, Varese, Italy March 3	#1	Click for photo details.