Analysis of past comet apparitions

43P/Wolf-Harrington

1997


With large amateur telescopes it was possible to observe comet 43P/Wolf-Harrington during the last weeks. The analysis indicates a time-dependent brightness behaviour: m = 11m + 5×log D + 0.01×|t-T|. However, the published estimates are also plausible with the formula m = 9m + 5×log D + 10×log r. According would indicate a further brightening during the next weeks. The diameter of the coma is 1', which is equal to 70.000 km; the degree of condensation is in the order of DC 3-4.

Total Brightness and Coma Diameter

On photographs of Michael Jäger, taken in mid-September, the comet showed a condensed coma with a short tail. Contrary to this, on Sep. 14/15 Walter Kutschera could only detect a small nebula without any condensation visually, which he could only identify as the comet due to its movement. According to AFZ 521 the current perihelion distance of comet Wolf-Harrington will only stay for about 100 years. In the year 1936 the comet passed Jupiter in a distance of only 0.13 AU. Prior to this passage the perihelion distance was 2.4 AU. Another near passage of Jupiter (0.06 AU) in March 2019 will increase the perihelion distance again to 2.5 AU and a further one in the year 2140 to 3.4 AU.

Andreas Kammerer

FG observations


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