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Analysis of Comet Apparitions


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2P/Encke

2020


During the apparition 2020 (perihelion passage on June 25) the comet could only be observed from southern locations and only after perihelion.

Based on 89 observations from 11 observers the brightness estimates show only a small amount of scatter and can be well described by the formula

m = 11.3 mag + 5×log D + 10.0×log r

resulting in a maximum brightness of 6.9 mag around the date of perihelion. In early August the comet had already faded to 10.0 mag.

Total Brightness and Coma Diameter

The estimates of the coma diameter are less consistent. Close to perihelion they indicate a coma diameter of only 0.8' (40.000 km). By July 20 it had increased to short of 4' (110.000 km), but decreased thereafter, reaching short of 1' (40.000 km) by the end of August.

The coma was strongly condensed at perihelion (DC 8), but got rapidly more diffuse thereafter (DC 1 in mid-August). The narrow gas tail, typical for this comet, was not seen visually, but could be well documented by photographers.

Andreas Kammerer


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