Cometo Graphy

This page intentionally left blank
Cometography
A Catalog of Comets
Volume 4: 19331959
Cometography is a multi-volume catalog of every comet observed throughout

history. It uses the most reliable orbits known to determine the distances from
the Earth and Sun at the time a comet was discovered and last observed, as
well as the largest and smallest angular distance to the Sun, most northerly and
southerly declination, closest distance to the Earth, and other details to enable
the reader to understand the physical appearance of each well-observed comet.
Volume 4 provides a complete discussion of each comet seen from 1933 to 1959.
It includes physical descriptions made throughout each comets apparition. The
comets are listed in chronological order, and each listing includes complete references to publications relating to the comet. This book is the most complete and
comprehensive collection of comet data available, and provides amateur and
professional astronomers, and historians of science, with a definitive reference
on comets through the ages.
Gary Kronk has held a life-long passion for astronomy, and has been researching historical information on comets ever since sighting Comet Kohoutek in
1973/74. His work has been published in numerous magazines, and in two
previous books Comets: A Descriptive Catalog (1984) and Meteor Showers: A
Descriptive Catalog (1988). Kronk holds positions in various astronomical societies, including Coordinator of the Comet Section of the Association of Lunar
and Planetary Observers, and Consultant for the American Meteor Society. The
International Astronomical Union (IAU) named minor planet 48300 Kronk, in
honor of the extensive research Gary Kronk has done in cometography.
Cometography
A Catalog of Comets
volume 4: 19331959
Gary W. Kronk
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, So Paulo

Cambridge University Press
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK
Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521585071
G. Kronk 2009
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the
provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part
may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published in print format 2008
ISBN-13
978-0-511-50818-9
eBook (NetLibrary)
ISBN-13
978-0-521-58507-1
hardback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy

of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication,
and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain,
accurate or appropriate.
Contents
vii
Introduction
xi
Acknowledgments
Catalog of Comets
589
Appendix 1: Uncertain Objects
602
Appendix 2: Periodical and Book Abbreviations
604
Person Index
615
Comet Designation Index
Introduction
The period of 193359 brought forth several improvements in the study of

comets, which led to more discoveries and longer periods of visibility. The
greatest advances came in the area of telescopes and photography.
Comet discoveries
The USA continued its dominance in discovering comets during this period,
with amateur and professional astronomers being given official credit for 60
discoveries. Following the USA were South Africa (24 discoveries), Slovakia
(19 discoveries), Japan (9 discoveries), Russia (8 discoveries), and Finland
(7 discoveries).
The most prolific comet discoverer of this period was A. Mrkos (Slovakia),
who found 11 new comets. Next in line were M. Honda (Japan) and L. C.
Peltier (USA), who each found 7 new comets, M. J. Bester (South Africa), who
found 6, and R. Burnham Jr. (USA) and D. du Toit (South Africa), who each
found 5. Honda and Peltier were both amateur astronomers, while Burnham
discovered comets as both an amateur and a professional astronomer.
Another important point concerning comets discovered during this
period was that many were found during surveys. The most successful were
the National GeographicPalomar Observatory Sky Survey, which found 11
comets during the period of 194955, and the Skalnate Pleso binocular comet
search program, which found 19 comets during the period of 194859.
Comet observations
Several very active comet observers mentioned in Cometography volume
3 continued to observe during most, if not all, of the period covered by
this volume. The most notable include G. van Biesbroeck, H. M. Jeffers, and
M. Beyer. The most notable observers to make their first observations during
these years were H. L. Giclas, A. F. A. L. Jones, and E. Roemer.
The most common type of observation remained those that are visual.
Visual observers usually provided estimates of the total magnitude, coma
diameter, and tail length, all of which are important when studying a comets
development. Although a few photographic observers obtained exposures
that were long enough to reveal these same parameters, most obtained short
exposures that enabled a comets position to be precisely measured. This
is why the reader will notice photographic observers frequently providing
fainter magnitudes, smaller coma diameters, and shorter tail lengths for the
brighter comets than the visual observers.
Although the Bobrovnikoff method of estimating comet magnitudes
was still being used, a new method was gaining in popularity. S. K.
vii
introduction
Vsekhsvyatskij (Russia) and W. H. Steavenson (England) had independently come up with a new technique. Where the Bobrovnikoff method
had the observer defocus both the comet and the star until they were about
the same size, the VsekhsvyatskijSteavenson method had the observer
memorize the brightness and diameter of the comet and then defocus stars
until they matched the memorized parameters. In other words, the new
method compared the focused comet with defocused stars. The method
was popularized by J. B. Sidgwick in his 1955 book Observational Astronomy
for Amateurs (Faber and Faber, London) and the technique became officially
known as the Sidgwick method.
As with previous volumes of Cometography, some observers provided
magnitude estimates of the nucleus. These magnitude estimates can vary
widely from one observer to the next, because the true nucleus is not really
being observed. Instead, the observers were seeing a compact condensation,
with the compactness varying according to the telescope type, telescope size,
and magnification being used.
The reflector was making a bigger impression during this period primarily because of the invention of the Schmidt camera. Bernhard Schmidt built
the first Schmidt camera in 1930 and it was used at Hamburg Observatory
(Germany). Schmidts camera was a mirror system, similar to the usual
reflector; however, it used a correcting lens and allowed very fast focal
ratios. The result was a telescope that could take wide-field photographs,
which would reveal faint objects during rather short exposures. Observatories around the world began installing Schmidt cameras, with some of
the largest being the 122-cm Samuel Oschin Schmidt Telescope (Palomar
Observatory, California, USA) in 1948, the 61-cm Curtis Schmidt Telescope
(University of Michigans Portage Lake Observatory, USA) in 1950, and the
80-cm Hamburg Schmidt Telescope (Hamburg Observatory) in 1954.
Of course, the Schmidt cameras would not have performed as well as
they did without good photographic plates. The films of choice at many
observatories became Kodaks 103aO and 103aE during the 1940s, which
were sensitive to blue and red, respectively. When used in conjunction with
the 122-cm Samuel Oschin Schmidt Telescope at Palomar Observatory, these
photographic plates allowed astronomers to obtain images of stars down
to about magnitude 1920. Several comets were found using this telescope
during the National GeographicPalomar Observatory Sky Survey of the
early 1950s. In fact, astronomers are still finding comet images on these old
survey plates at the present time!
Astronomical periodicals
The most dominant astronomical periodicals during the period covered
by this volume were the Astronomische Nachrichten, the Monthly Notices of
the Royal Astronomical Society, and the Astronomical Journal. Each published
articles and papers concerning comets in nearly every issue.
viii
introduction
The dissemination of news concerning comet discoveries was mostly handled by the Bureau Central Astronomique Circulaire, which was published in
Copenhagen (Denmark); however, two other publications played smaller
roles. These were the British Astronomical Association Circulars (England) and
the Astronomicheskij Tsirkulyar (Russia). Most of what the British Astronomical
Association Circulars published came from the Bureau Central Astronomique
Circulaire, however, much of what the Astronomicheskij Tsirkulyar published
rarely made it to other, more accessible, publications.
The most interesting comets from 1933 to 1959

Although this period enjoyed several naked-eye comets, exceptionally
bright comets did not appear until the 1940s. So, during the 1930s, observers
had to be content with C/1936 K1 (Peltier), C/1937 N1 (Finsler), and C/1939
H1 (JurlofAchmarofHassel), all of which peaked at magnitude 3.03.5.
C/1940 R2 (Cunningham) raised the hopes of observers when early calculations revealed the comet might attain a maximum magnitude of 2.6;
however, the comets rate of brightening began slowing about a month
before perihelion and it peaked at only magnitude 3.5, or about 6 magnitudes fainter than predicted!
Comet C/1941 B2 (de KockParaskevopoulos) became the brightest
comet since 1931. It was discovered about 2 weeks prior to passing closest to the sun and Earth. Several observers reported magnitudes around 2.5
during late January, while the maximum tail length attained 56.
The dearth of spectacular comets finally ended in the late 1940s and during
the next decade no less than four comets appeared that attained a maximum
brightness of 1 or possibly brighter.
Comet C/1947 X1 (Southern Comet) was independently discovered by
many people in the Southern Hemisphere during 1947 December 7 and 8. It
was then in evening twilight, about 14 from the sun. Magnitude estimates
ranged from 5 to +2, with most around 1, while the tail length eventually
reached 2530.
During the total solar eclipse of 1948 November 1, people located in Africa
saw a comet 2 from the sun with a tail pointing toward the horizon. Following the few minutes of totality, the comet remained hidden in the suns
glare for the next three days before it finally emerged in the morning sky.
The magnitude estimates at this time ranged from 4 to 2 and after a few
more days the tail attained a length of 1520.
The most spectacular comet discussed in this volume has to be C/1956
R1 (ArendRoland). The comet was discovered 5 months prior to passing
perihelion. Following the comets passing just 5 from the sun on 1957 April
16, it passed closest to Earth on April 20. During the next couple of days,
observers reported the magnitude was near 1, while the main tail extended
at least 15. Most interesting was the appearance of a sunward-pointing tail,
or anti-tail, that was about 1015 long. Photographs revealed an even more
ix
introduction
impressive display with the main tail 2530 long and the anti-tail about
15 long.
The last really bright naked-eye comet of the 1950s was C/1957 P1
(Mrkos). Appearing barely 3 months after the spectacular appearance of
C/1956 R1 (ArendRoland), there were numerous independent discoveries
around the time the comet was passing perihelion. The maximum brightness was then generally estimated as between magnitude 1 and 2. Maximum
visual tail lengths were around 25, while photographs revealed a tail at
least 16 long.
Periodic comet 7P/PonsWinnecke deserves attention, not because of a
bright naked-eye appearance, but because of an especially close approach to
Earth of 0.11 AU on 1939 July 1. Most visual observers reported a maximum
magnitude around 8 and a coma diameter of 34 during late June and
early July, using binoculars and telescopes; however, M. Beyer (Germany)
used a wide-field telescope to determine a maximum magnitude of 7 and a
maximum coma diameter of 10 , while F. de Roy (Belgium) saw the comet
with the naked-eye at magnitude 6 and noted a coma 2124 across.
Cometography
The format of this volume of Cometography is essentially the same as with
volume 3, except for one alteration. As mentioned in volume 3, a change was
going to be made in terms of how the full moon dates would be handled for
the annual comets. Although I had stated that a limit would be placed on
these dates, I opted to just not calculate them at all for these comets because
it really served no point. The comets affected included 29P/Schwassmann
Wachmann 1 and 39P/Oterma. As a couple of amateur and professional
astronomers pointed out, these two comets generally remained faint so that
observations were generally never made when the moon was in the sky.
Something that I have neglected to explain in previous volumes was how
I chose the orbits to display for each comet. The selection was simple, as
I tended to use either the most recent orbit or the one with the smallest
residuals. I converted all of the orbits to equinox 2000.0 myself. In looking
through B. G. Marsdens various editions of his Catalogue of Cometary Orbits,
I noticed that, in a few cases, he adjusted the orbit calculated by another
astronomer to a standard epoch. Since I was not interested in competing
with Marsdens excellent work, I decided not to include the epoch dates
in Cometography. Consequently, all of the orbits presented are as originally
published, with the exception of the conversion to equinox 2000.0.
Acknowledgments
I would like to express my gratitude to those individuals who played important roles in helping me finish this fourth volume of Cometography.
Thanks go to the librarians who assisted me at Linda Hall library (Kansas
City, Missouri, USA), Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois, USA),
St. Louis University (Missouri, USA), and Washington University (St. Louis,
Missouri, USA).
Thanks go to several people who helped me acquire sources. Antonio
Giambersio and Giovanni Sostero (Italy), Jonathan Shanklin (England),
Sebastian F. Hoenig, Gernot Burkhardt, and Wolfram Kollatschny
(Germany), Alex Scholten (Netherlands), Junichi Watanabe (Japan), Krisztian Sarneczky (Hungary), Kazimieras Cernis (Lithuania), Klim I. Churyumov (Kiev, Ukraine), Lucy Yeko (South African Astronomical Observatory,
South Africa), and Brian Skiff (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA).
Special thanks go to Reiner Stoss (Astronomisches Rechen-Institut,
Heidelberg, Germany) for copying and sending many important issues of
the IAU Circulars and the Astronomicheskij Tsirkulyar.
Special thanks go to Syuichi Nakano, who has promptly answered every
question I have ever sent to him and quite unexpectedly photocopied and
mailed a couple hundred issues of the Nakano Notes to me from the 1970s
and 1980s!
Special thanks go to Shireen Davies, librarian at the South African Astronomical Observatory. Over the last few years, Shireen e-mailed scans of
documents that I needed to properly cover the contributions made by both
the Union and Royal Observatories in South Africa. Sometimes, the answer
to my questions involved her prying into the observing logs of the Royal
Observatory.
Special thanks go to Maik Meyer, an amateur astronomer in Germany.
Maik was able to acquire numerous articles that I needed in order to fill
in key points within the manuscript. Our correspondence also proved very
valuable when evaluating observations and dates. He also translated several
key articles from German to English, as well as Russian to English.
Special thanks go to my friend Eric Young and the members of the River
Bend Astronomy Club for occasionally pulling me away from this very
time-consuming project for a few hours of relaxation doing what we all
enjoy as a group stargazing. This was the original inspiration for my
desire to learn more about comets, and it was always a nice break to bring
things back into perspective. Eric also continues to provide the cover art for
Cometography.
Of course, my most heartfelt thanks go to my family. My wife, Kathy,
never stops encouraging me in everything I do. My teenage sons, David
xi
acknowledgments
and Michael, never stop keeping my life interesting. My step-daughters,

Laura Davis and Mary Teissier du Cros, are two wonderful ladies who
have accepted me into their lives as if I was their father. I now sort of
know what it is like to have daughters and it is great! In addition, Mary
is a translator working in Bordeaux (France) and provided many excellent
French translations for me!
xii
Catalog of Comets
C/1933 D1 Discovered: 1933 February 16.1 ( = 0.60 AU, r = 1.01 AU, Elong. = 75)
(Peltier) Last seen: 1933 April 14.21 ( = 1.52 AU, r = 1.49 AU, Elong. = 68)
Closest to the Earth: 1933 February 23 (0.5575 AU)
1933 I = 1933a Calculated path: CEP (Disc), CAS (Feb. 17), PER (Feb. 23), TAU (Mar. 8), ORI
(Mar. 18)
L. C. Peltier (Delphos, Ohio, USA) was involved in a routine cometsweeping session on 1933 February 16.1, when he came across an object of
magnitude 8.6 at = 22h 48m , = +62. He immediately wired G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) for confirmation, but cloudy
skies were prevalent. Peltier sent a telegram to Harvard College Observatory (Massachusetts, USA) the next morning announcing his discovery.
Confirmation came on February 17.05, when van Biesbroeck detected the
comet in hazy skies. He described it as 9th magnitude, with a round centrally
condensed coma 5 across. H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
independently confirmed the comet with the 30-cm refractor on February
17.23. He estimated the magnitude as 9, and said the centrally condensed
coma was 2 across, but contained no stellar nucleus. Additional confirmation came on February 17.81, when R. Carrasco (Madrid Observatory,
Spain) estimated the photographic magnitude as 8. The comet attained its
most northerly declination of +62 on February 17. The comet was discovered a few days after it had passed perihelion, but was approaching
Earth.
On February 18, the magnitude was given as 8.6 by Peltier, 8.7 by van
Biesbroeck, 9 by P. Chofardet (Besancon, France), and 9.0 by M. Mundler
(Konigstuhl
Observatory, Heidelberg, Germany). Van Biesbroeck added

that the coma was 6 in diameter and extended mostly to PA 10. Chofardet said the centrally condensed coma was 1.5 across. On the 19th, the
magnitude was given as 8.1 by Peltier, 9 by C. D. Boyd and L. E. Cunningham (Harvard College Observatory, Massachusetts, USA) and Jeffers, 9.4
by van Biesbroeck, 10 by H. E. Burton (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA), and 10.0 by F. C. A. Schwassmann (Hamburg Observatory,
Bergedorf, Germany) and F. Kaiser (Wiesbaden, Germany). Jeffers said the
centrally condensed coma was 2 across, but contained no stellar nucleus.
Burton described the comet as diffuse. Kaiser noted a coma about 30 across.
On the 20th, the magnitude was given as 10.5 by R. R. E. Schorr (Hamburg
1
catalog of comets
Observatory) and 11 by Mundler.
Schorr noted the coma was 3 across,

while Mundler
estimated the nuclear magnitude as about 13. On the 21st,

the magnitude was given as 8.8 by Peltier and 10.5 by van Biesbroeck. Van
Biesbroeck said the coma was 30 across. On the 22nd, the magnitude was
given as 8.8 by Peltier and 9.4 by van Biesbroeck. Van Biesbroeck added that
the coma was 4 across and contained a well-condensed starlike nucleus of
magnitude 13. On February 23, the magnitude was given as 10 by B. Meyermann (Gottingen,
Germany) and 10.5 by H. Krumpholz (Vienna University

Observatory, Austria). Jeffers observed with the 30-cm refractor and noted
that the brightness was only slightly less than on the 19th. Krumpholz said
the coma was 2 across, with a distinct condensation. Jeffers added that the
The comet was moving away from both the sun and Earth for the remainder of its apparition. On February 24, the magnitude was given as 8.4 by
van Biesbroeck, 8.7 by Peltier, 910 by Chofardet, and 11.0 by E. J. Delporte
(Uccle, Belgium). Burton said the comet was diffuse and barely visible in a
13-cm finder. Chofardet said the coma was 1.5 across, with a central condensation. Van Biesbroeck noted that the coma had expanded to 6 , while
a stellar nucleus shone at magnitude 13. On the 25th, the magnitude was
given as 10 by Chofardet and 10.5 by Kaiser. Chofardet said the nucleus was
poorly defined. Kaiser said the coma was 3 across, with a central condensation. On the 27th, M. Beyer (Hamburg, Germany) determined the magnitude
as 8.73. He said the coma was about 2 across. On February 28, the magnitude was given as 8.80 by Beyer, 9.2 by van Biesbroeck, 9.5 by Peltier and
Schwassmann, brighter than 10 by E. Warmbier (Poznan, Poland), and 11
by Krumpholz. Jeffers observed with the 30-cm refractor and noted that
the brightness was only slightly fainter than on the 19th. Beyer said the
nuclear magnitude was 11.8 and the coma diameter was 2.2 . Krumpholz
said the coma diameter was 1.5 . Warmbier noted a coma 3 across. He saw
no nucleus, but did see a faint central condensation. Jeffers added that the
Moonlight interfered with observations during the first half of March. On
March 1, the magnitude was given as 8.98 by Beyer, 9.5 by Peltier, and 10 by
van Biesbroeck. Beyer noted the coma was about 2 across and exhibited a
nuclear magnitude of 12.3. Van Biesbroeck simply described the comet as a
well-condensed coma. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of
82 on March 7. On the 13th, the magnitude was given as 9.97 by Beyer, 11
by Krumpholz, and 12 by Schwassmann. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude
was 12.7 and the coma was about 2 across. Krumpholz said the coma was
2 across, with little condensation. On March 15, the magnitude was given
as 10.5 by van Biesbroeck and 12 by Chofardet. Biesbroeck said the round
coma was 2 across and contained a nearly stellar nucleus of magnitude 13.
Chofardet said the nucleus was uncertain.
The comet seemed to fade more quickly during the last half of March.
On March 17, the magnitude was given as 10.2 by Peltier and 10.5 by van
2
catalog of comets
Biesbroeck. On the 20th, Beyer determined the total magnitude as 10.54 and
the nuclear magnitude as 13.0. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as
10.35 and Chofardet gave it as 12. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was
13.0 and the coma diameter was about 3 . On the 22nd, the magnitude was
given as 10.48 by Beyer, while photographic magnitudes of 13 and 14.5 were
provided by Jeffers and Schorr, respectively. Beyer said the coma diameter
was 2.5 . Jeffers said the comet was round and somewhat condensed in
the middle. On the 24th, the magnitude was given as 10.78 by Beyer, 12
by van Biesbroeck, and 13.0 by Kaiser. Krumpholz was no longer able to
see the comet in the 30-cm refractor. Beyer said the coma diameter was 1.8 .
Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 1 across and contained a sharp nucleus.
Kaiser noted the halo was about 30 across. On the 25th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 11.06 and noted a coma 1.6 across. On the 26th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 11.00. He said the nuclear magnitude was brighter
than 13.2, while the coma was 1.7 across. On the 27th, Beyer gave the visual
magnitude as 11.48, while Schorr provided a photographic magnitude of 14.
Beyer said the coma was 1.4 across. On March 28, van Biesbroeck estimated
the magnitude as 13.5. He said the round coma was 50 across and contained
a well-defined nucleus.
The last two detections of the comet came on April 14.18 and April 14.21,
when Jeffers obtained 30-minute exposures with the 91-cm Crossley reflector at Lick Observatory. He gave the position on the latter date as = 5h
59.6m , = 1 28 . Jeffers estimated the magnitude as 16.
The first orbits were published on February 20. C. M. Anderson Jr. and
A. B. Wyse used precise positions obtained on February 17 and 18, and
found a perihelion date of 1933 February 7.63. At the same time F. L. Whipple and L. E. Cunningham used three precise positions obtained between
February 17 and 19, and revealed a perihelion date of February 9.19. C.
Bergen used the same positions as the Harvard astronomers and found a
perihelion date of February 9.22. M. Davidson and A. C. D. Crommelin independently took positions from February 17, 18, and 19, and determined perihelion dates of February 6.98 and February 6.96, respectively. Among all of
these, the orbit by Davidson and Crommelin was closest. J. Lindgren calculated three orbits that gave perihelion dates ranging from February 6.49 to
February 6.77.
The only astronomers to use positions spanning the entire period of visibility were Anderson and Wyse. They took seven positions, reduced them
to three Normal places, and determined the perihelion date as February
6.70. This orbit is given below.
T
1933 Feb. 6.6990 (UT)
135.9874
(2000.0)
312.4663
i
86.6786
q
1.000691
e
1.0
absolute magnitude: H0 = 9.9, n = 3.39 (Beyer, 1933); H10 = 10.2 (V1964)

full moon: Feb. 10, Mar. 12, Apr. 10, May 9
catalog of comets
sources: H. M. Jeffers, C. M. Anderson Jr., and A. B. Wyse, LOB, 16 (1933), p. 114,
11718; L. C. Peltier and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 257 (1933 Feb. 17); C. M.
Anderson Jr., A. B. Wyse, F. L. Whipple, and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 258
(1933 Feb. 20); R. Carrasco, G. van Biesbroeck, C. D. Boyd, L. E. Cunningham, and
C. Bergen, HAC, No. 259 (1933 Feb. 20); L. C. Peltier, R. Carrasco, M. Mundler,
F. C. A. Schwassmann, C. M. Anderson Jr., and A. B. Wyse, BZAN, 15 (1933 Feb.

21), p. 12; C. Bergen and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 260 (1933 Feb. 23); C. M.
Anderson Jr. and A. B. Wyse, AN, 248 (1933 Feb. 24), p. 77; M. Mundler,
F. Kaiser,
R. R. E. Schorr, B. Meyermann, and H. Krumpholz, BZAN, 15 (1933 Feb. 27),
p. 13; C. M. Anderson Jr. and A. B. Wyse, HAC, No. 261 (1933 Feb. 27); L. C.
Peltier, G. van Biesbroeck, C. M. Anderson Jr., and A. B. Wyse, PA, 41 (1933 Mar.),
pp. 1656; L. C. Peltier, M. Davidson, A. C. D. Crommelin, C. M. Anderson Jr.,
and A. B. Wyse, The Observatory, 56 (1933 Mar.), p. 101; E. J. Delporte, F. Kaiser, M.
Beyer, F. C. A. Schwassmann, and E. Warmbier, BZAN, 15 (1933 Mar. 8), p. 15; M.
Beyer and F. C. A. Schwassmann, BZAN, 15 (1933 Mar. 20), p. 17; M. Beyer and
F. Kaiser, BZAN, 15 (1933 Mar. 30), p. 22; L. C. Peltier and G. Van Biesbroeck, PA,
41 (1933 Apr.), p. 217; H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 266 (1933 Apr. 3); R. R. E. Schorr,
BZAN, 15 (1933 Apr. 5), p. 24; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 43 (1933 Jun. 22), pp. 18,
21, 24; J. Lindgren, AN, 249 (1933 Aug. 12), p. 307; M. Beyer, AN, 250 (1933 Nov.
4), pp. 23346; P. Chofardet, JO, 17 (1934 Mar.), pp. 49, 51; H. Krumpholz, AN,
251 (1934 Mar. 3), pp. 199202; R. R. E. Schorr, AN, 251 (1934 Mar. 5), p. 212; H. E.
Burton, AJ, 50 (1942 Aug. 13), p. 26; V1964, p. 72.
7P/Pons Prerecovery: 1933 February 18.33 ( = 1.12 AU, r = 1.58 AU, Elong. = 97)
Winnecke Recovered: 1933 March 24.12 ( = 0.76 AU, r = 1.32 AU, Elong. = 97)
Last seen: 1933 September 22.92 ( = 1.01 AU, r = 1.90 AU, Elong. = 140)
1933 II = 1933b Closest to the Earth: 1933 May 14 (0.5416 AU)
Calculated path: SER (Pre), HER (Feb. 25), OPH (Mar. 9), AQL (Apr. 6), DEL
(Apr. 27), AQR (May 2), CET ( Jun. 12), SCL (Jul. 26), FOR (Aug. 5), SCL
(Aug. 16)
Using an orbit computed for the 1927 apparition, A. C. D. Crommelin
applied perturbations by Jupiter and integrated the comets motion forward. He predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1933 May
18.21. He noted an approach to within 0.5 AU of Jupiter. V. Guth also started
with the 1927 orbit and predicted the comet would arrive at perihelion on
May 19.00. Using Guths ephemeris, R. R. E. Schorr (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) photographed the comets predicted position on
March 2, but found nothing near it.
A. A. Wachmann (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) recovered this comet on 1933 March 24.12. He gave the position as = 17h 44.0m ,
= +9 27 , and estimated the magnitude as 14. The recovery was confirmed
on March 25.09, when F. C. A. Schwassmann and D. Werner-Starke (Hamburg Observatory) photographed the comet at magnitude 14.5. Shortly
after the announcement, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) rechecked his photographic plates exposed in his search for this
comet and identified an image far from the center of a plate exposed on
4
catalog of comets
March 24.45. The magnitude was 14.5. In addition, he found images near
the corner of plates exposed on February 18.33 and February 18.35. The
magnitude was then 15. The comet was found a little less than 2 months
from perihelion and its closest approach to Earth.
Van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector on
March 28. He gave the magnitude as 14.5 and noted a round coma about
15 across. On April 26, the magnitude was given as 13.0 by G. Adamopoulos
(National Observatory, Athens, Greece) and 14.5 by R. R. E. Schorr (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany). Schorr also gave the magnitude as
14.5 on the 27th and 14 on the 28th. On April 29, van Biesbroeck estimated
the photographic magnitude as 13 using the reflector. He said the coma was
described as well condensed and round.
The comet passed closest to both the sun and Earth during May. On
May 4, van Biesbroeck obtained a photographic magnitude of 12 using
the reflector. He said the coma was round with a central condensation. On
May 22, the comet reached a minimum elongation of 85. On the 23rd, van
Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 11. He said the coma
was diffuse and 2 across, while the nucleus was well defined and exhibited
a jet extending 1 in PA 40. On May 27, E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) photographed the comet using the 25-cm
FranklinAdams Star Camera and estimated the magnitude as 10.0.
The comet was moving away from both the sun and Earth as June began.
On June 2, van Biesbroeck gave the visual magnitude as 11 using the 102-cm
refractor. The coma was very diffuse and contained a nucleus measuring
more than 10 in diameter. On the 21st, van Biesbroeck found the comet
diffuse with a photographic magnitude of 10. On the 23rd, Johnson gave the
photographic magnitude as 9.5. He wrote that the comet was large, round,
diffuse with no stellar nucleus. On June 27, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 11.5, and said the coma was diffuse with hardly
any condensation.
The comet steadily faded during the remainder of its apparition. On July
3, van Biesbroeck photographed it using the 61-cm reflector and gave the
magnitude as 12. He also noted that the coma was faintly visible to a diameter of 2 , while the nucleus was very poorly defined and about 20 across.
On the 3rd and 17th, Johnson gave the photographic magnitude as 10.0. On
July 22, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 13. He said the
coma was very poorly defined and about 20 across. Johnson gave the photographic magnitude as 11.0 on August 2 and 13.0 on August 21. On August
25, Adamopoulos estimated the magnitude as 13.0. He said the comet was
30 across and exhibited ill-defined edges. On September 16, Johnson gave
the photographic magnitude as 13.5.
The comet was last detected on September 22.92, when Johnson estimated
the magnitude as 13.5. He gave the position as = 0h 59.8m , = 37 15 .
Both Crommelin and Guth used the early positions to correct their predicted orbits. Crommelin gave the perihelion date as May 18.68 and the
5
catalog of comets
period as 6.09 years. Guth gave the perihelion date as May 18.27. During October and November, Crommelin deduced orbits based exclusively
on positions obtained during this apparition. These gave perihelion dates
between May 18.78 and May 18.81, and periods between 6.10 and 6.16 years.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by B. G. Marsden (1968),
L. Y. Ananeva and E. A. Reznikov (1974), and Reznikov (1978). These
included perturbations by all nine planets. They gave the perihelion date as
May 18.7818.79 and the period as 6.09 years. Marsdens orbit is given below.
The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.01 and A2 = +0.0024 by
B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973).
T
1933 May 18.7803 (TT)
(2000.0)
169.2593
97.5377
i
20.1146
q
e
1.101818 0.669664
absolute magnitude: H10 = 10.4 (V1964)

full moon: Feb. 10, Mar. 12, Apr. 10, May 9, Jun. 8, Jul. 7, Aug. 5, Sep. 4, Oct. 3
sources: A. C. D. Crommelin, BAA Handbook for 1933 (1932), p. 26; V. Guth, AN,
247 (1933 Feb. 8), p. 443; V. Guth, IAUC, No. 422 (1933 Feb. 14); V. Guth, The
Observatory, 56 (1933 Mar.), p. 102; R. R. E. Schorr, BZAN, 15 (1933 Mar. 8), p. 15;
A. A. Wachmann, F. C. A. Schwassmann, and D. Werner-Starke, BZAN, 15 (1933
Mar. 27), p. 21; A. A. Wachmann, HAC, No. 265 (1933 Mar. 27); A. A. Wachmann, The Observatory, 56 (1933 Apr.), p. 136; G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 266
(1933 Apr. 3); A. C. D. Crommelin and V. Guth, IAUC, No. 434 (1933 Apr. 8);
R. R. E. Schorr, BZAN, 15 (1933 Apr. 27), p. 27; R. R. E. Schorr, BZAN, 15 (1933
May 10), p. 32; The Observatory, 56 (1933 Jul.), pp. 2423; G. van Biesbroeck, PA,
41 (1933 Aug.Sep.), p. 405; G. Adamopoulos, IAUC, No. 450 (1933 Sep. 10);
A. C. D. Crommelin, The Observatory, 56 (1933 Oct.), p. 319; E. L. Johnson, BZAN,
15 (1933 Oct. 27), p. 68; A. C. D. Crommelin, JBAA, 44 (1933 Nov.), p. 39; E. L.
Johnson, UOC, No. 91 (1934 Jan. 29), p. 10; A. A. Wachmann, G. van Biesbroeck,
and A. C. D. Crommelin, MNRAS, 94 (1934 Feb.), pp. 3267; G. Adamopoulos,
JO, 17 (1934 Mar.), pp. 512; R. R. E. Schorr, AN, 251 (1934 Mar. 5), p. 212; G.
van Biesbroeck, AJ, 44 (1934 Aug. 31), pp. 1, 3, 5; V1964, p. 72; B. G. Marsden,
AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 3701; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31415;
B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), p. 214; L.
Ya. Ananeva and E. A. Reznikov, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4523, 459; E. A.
Reznikov, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88.
21P/Giacobini Recovered: 1933 April 23.08 ( = 1.64 AU, r = 1.51 AU, Elong. = 65)
Zinner Last seen: 1933 October 18.44 ( = 1.59 AU, r = 1.63 AU, Elong. = 74)
Closest to the Earth: 1933 June 30 (1.2365 AU)
1933 III = 1933c Calculated path: PEG (Rec), AND (May 31), PSC (Jun. 8), TRI (Jun. 19), ARI
(Jun. 28), TAU (Jul. 9), ORI (Aug. 6), TAU (Aug. 9), ORI (Aug. 11), MON
(Aug. 20), CMi (Sep. 4), MON (Sep. 13), HYA (Oct. 3), PUP (Oct. 14), HYA
(Oct. 15)
The comets recovery during this apparition began with a prediction by
F. R. Cripps (1932). He applied perturbations by Jupiter to a previously
6
catalog of comets
published orbit and predicted the comet would next reach perihelion on
1933 July 16.33. R. R. E. Schorr (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
recovered the comet on 1933 April 23.08. He gave the position as = 21h
34.1m , = +15 18 , and estimated the magnitude as 15.5. Schorr confirmed
the recovery on April 26.06, when he again estimated the magnitude as 15.5.
Calculations showed the comet was 1 day earlier than predicted by Cripps.
The comet was 2 months from its closest approach to Earth and nearly
3 months from perihelion.
On April 29, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
obtained a 5-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector and simply described
the comet as quite vague. On May 21, Schorr gave the magnitude as 15. On
the 23rd, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 13.5. He described the
coma as round and noted a faint tail extending 3 in PA 255. On the 25th, van
Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 13.5 and saw a slender tail extending
4 in PA 260. On May 28, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 13.
On June 1, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 13.5. He noted a
small, ill-defined nucleus and a narrow tail extending over 5 in PA 262.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +28 on June 17. On
the 21st, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 12.5. He said the coma was
25 in diameter and contained a fairly well-condensed nucleus. A faint tail
extended over 5 in PA 265. On the 27th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude
as 12 and observed a well-defined nucleus. On June 28 and 30, H. M. Jeffers
(Lick Observatory, California, USA) visually observed the comet using the
91-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 12.5. He said the coma was 0.3
across and well condensed, but with no stellar nucleus. Jeffers added that
the coma extended about 2 toward the west.
On July 3, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 11.5. He added that there
was a sharp nucleus and the very faint tail extended toward PA 265. On
the 22nd, Jeffers observed with the 91-cm refractor and said the comet was
slightly brighter than in June. He noted the coma was 0.3 across and well
condensed, but with no stellar nucleus. Jeffers added that the coma extended
about 2 toward the west. The comet attained a minimum elongation of
51 on July 24. On July 25 and 26, P. Finsler (Zurich,
Switzerland) visually
estimated the magnitude as 12.
On September 18, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 16.5. The
coma was quite diffuse, and the tail extended 1 in PA 270. On the 21st,
Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and
gave the magnitude as 15.5. He said the well-condensed coma was about
0.3 across, with a small extension toward the west. On September 21 and
23, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 17. He said the coma was round
and 15 across, while the tail was hardly visible.
The comet was last detected on October 18.44, when van Biesbroeck photographed it with the 61-cm reflector at Yerkes Observatory. The comet
appeared as a tiny round coma of about magnitude 18. Van Biesbroeck
initially said that identity with this comet was somewhat doubtful,
7
catalog of comets
but orbital calculations proved this was definitely an observation of

P/GiacobiniZinner. The position was determined as = 8h 29.2m , =
12 36 .
Using positions from April and July, A. C. D. Crommelin calculated an
approximate elliptical orbit which gave the perihelion date as July 15.15
and the period as 6.60 years.
Calculations using multiple apparitions and planetary perturbations
were published by Y. V. Evdokimov (1956, 1958, 1972) and Yeomans (1972,
1986). These revealed a perihelion date of July 15.15 and a period of 6.60
years. Yeomans orbit is given below. Yeomans (1972) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.06584 and A2 = +0.010911. In the 1986 book
ESA Proceedings of the 20th ESLAB Symposium on the Exploration of Halleys Comet, Yeomans gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.4090 and
A2 = +0.0324.
T
1933 Jul. 15.1475 (TT)
(2000.0)
171.7655 196.9463
i
30.6777
q
e
0.999529 0.715984

full moon: Apr. 10, May 9, Jun. 8, Jul. 7, Aug. 5, Sep. 4, Oct. 3, Nov. 2
sources: F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1933 (1932), p. 28; R. R. E. Schorr, HAC,
No. 269 (1933 Apr. 26); R. R. E. Schorr, BZAN, 15 (1933 Apr. 27), p. 27; R. R. E.
Schorr, IAUC, No. 435 (1933 Apr. 27); R. R. E. Schorr, The Observatory, 56 (1933
May), p. 169; The Observatory, 56 (1933 Jun.), p. 204; R. R. E. Schorr and G. van
Biesbroeck, PA, 41 (1933 Jun.Jul.), p. 323; P. Finsler, BZAN, 15 (1933 Jul. 27),
p. 47; P. Finsler, BZAN, 15 (1933 Aug. 18), p. 52; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 17 (1934),
p. 5; R. R. E. Schorr, F. R. Cripps, and A. C. D. Crommelin, MNRAS, 94 (1934
Feb.), pp. 3267; R. R. E. Schorr, AN, 251 (1934 Mar. 5), p. 212; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 44 (1934 Aug. 31), pp. 1, 3, 56; Y. V. Evdokimov, MNRAS, 116 (1956), pp. 226
7; Y. V. Evdokimov, MNRAS, 118 (1958), pp. 3967; V1964, p. 72; Y. V. Evdokimov
and D. K. Yeomans, IAUS, No. 45 (1972), pp. 173, 185; D. K. Yeomans, ESA Proceedings of the 20th ESLAB Symposium on the Exploration of Halleys Comet. Volume
2: Dust and Nucleus (1986), p. 424; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116.
14P/Wolf Recovered: 1933 July 25.27 ( = 2.00 AU, r = 2.85 AU, Elong. = 140)
Last seen: 1934 December 11.36 ( = 2.21 AU, r = 3.09 AU, Elong. = 148)
1934 I = 1933e Closest to the Earth: 1933 August 17 (1.9497 AU)
Calculated path: SGE (Rec), AQL (Sep. 1), DEL (Oct. 31), EQU (Nov. 24), AQR
(Nov. 29), PEG (Jan. 19), PSC (Jan. 28), ARI (Apr. 29), TAU (Jun. 21), ORI
(Aug. 11), ERI (Dec. 7)
Using an orbit computed by G. Merton and A. C. D. Crommelin for the
1925 apparition, W. P. Henderson and J. D. McNeile applied perturbations
by Jupiter and Saturn and predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1934 February 28.63. They wrote that the comet would be too close
to the sun for observations after January 1934. M. Kamienskis extensive
8
catalog of comets
investigations in the orbital motion of this comet predicted a perihelion

date of February 27.86.
Using an ephemeris calculated by Kamienski, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on 1933 July 25.27, at = 20h 07.9m , = +20 40 . He described the
comet as not quite stellar with a magnitude of about 18.5. Additional exposures on July 25.36 and July 25.43, confirmed the recovery. Jeffers obtained
another photographic observation on July 29.35, and again noted a magnitude of about 18.5. The indicated correction to Kamienskis prediction was
0.1 day.
On August 25, Jeffers successfully photographed the comet with the
91-cm Crossley reflector, and N. U. Mayall determined the magnitude
as 18.4 0.2, based upon a comparison with the polar sequence. Jeffers
obtained additional photographs of the comet on September 16, November
10, and November 11, before it moved into the glare of the sun. The comet
attained a southerly declination of +2 on December 23, before turning
northward.
The comet passed slightly over 2 from the sun on 1934 April 9 and
attained a northerly declination of +13 on June 21, before once again beginning its trek southward. Following its conjunction with the sun, the comet
was recovered on September 7 and confirmed on September 10, when Jeffers
obtained exposures ranging from 65 to 70 minutes using the 91-cm Crossley reflector. Jeffers obtained another photograph on September 14, from
which Mayall was able to determine the magnitude as 19.1, using the polar
sequence. A 60-minute exposure by Jeffers on October 15 also showed the
comet.
The last two detections of the comet were on December 11.30 and December 11.36, when Jeffers obtained 80-minute exposures with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. He gave the comets position as = 5h 05.0m , = 8 49 .
Jeffers noted that conditions were unusually favorable and described the
comet as round and about 3 across.
Kamienski and M. Bielicki (1934) calculated a revised orbit for this comet
based on Jeffers observations and found the perihelion date to be February
27.77. They added that the fact that the comet was 2 magnitudes fainter than
expected suggested it was undergoing dissipation and would possibly not
be observed at many more returns.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by Kamienski (1959),
D. K. Yeomans (1975, 1978), and E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya (1977, 1978,
1982) and these revealed a perihelion date of February 27.76 and a period of
8.33 years. Yeomans (1975) and Kazimirchak-Polonskaya (1977) said nongravitational effects were apparently no longer active. Yeomans orbit is
given below.
T
1934 Feb. 27.7593 (TT)
(2000.0)
160.8108 205.1150
i
27.2575
q
e
2.450275 0.403654
catalog of comets
full moon: Jul. 7, Aug. 5, Sep. 4, Oct. 3, Nov. 2, Dec. 2, Dec. 31, 1934 Jan. 30,
Mar. 1, Mar. 31, Apr. 29, May 28, Jun. 27, Jul. 26, Aug. 24, Sep. 23, Oct. 22, Nov.
21, Dec. 20
sources: G. Merton and A. C. D. Crommelin, MNRAS, 86 (1926 Feb.), p. 226;
W. P. Henderson and J. D. McNeile, BAA Handbook for 1933 (1932), p. 29; H. M.
Jeffers, HAC, No. 272 (1933 Jul. 26); H. M. Jeffers, BZAN, 15 (1933 Jul. 27), p. 47;
M. Kamienski, BZAN, 15 (1933 Aug. 1), p. 48; H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 273 (1933
Aug. 7); M. Kamienski, AN, 249 (1933 Sep. 11), p. 419; H. M. Jeffers, PA, 41 (1933
Oct.), p. 440; H. M. Jeffers and N. U. Mayall, PASP, 45 (1933 Oct.), pp. 2601;
H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 17 (1934), p. 6; H. M. Jeffers and M. Kamienski, The Observatory, 57 (1934 Jan.), p. 38; M. Kamienski and M. Bielicki, BZAN, 16 (1934 Jan. 5),
p. 1; M. Kamienski and M. Bielicki, MNRAS, 94 (1934 Feb.), pp. 3267; H. M.
Jeffers, PASP, 46 (1934 Apr.), pp. 11011; M. Kamienski, The Observatory, 57
(1934 Apr.), pp. 13940; H. M. Jeffers and N. U. Mayall, HAC, No. 310 (1934
Sep. 24); H. M. Jeffers, BZAN, 16 (1934 Oct. 11), p. 61; H. M. Jeffers, PA, 42 (1934
Nov.), p. 508; H. M. Jeffers, The Observatory, 57 (1934 Nov.), p. 351; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 17 (1935), p. 123; M. Kamienski, MNRAS, 95 (1935 Feb.), pp. 3867;
M. Kamienski, AcA, 9 (1959), pp. 6672; V1964, p. 73; D. K. Yeomans, PASP,
87 (1975 Aug.), pp. 6356; E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, SvA, 21 (1977 Jan.
Feb.), pp. 10712; D. K. Yeomans and E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, QJRAS, 19
(1978 Mar.), pp. 523, 57; E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, CCO, 4th ed. (1982),
pp. 20, 52.
36P/1933 U1 Discovered: 1933 October 15.27 ( = 1.64 AU, r = 2.54 AU, Elong. = 149)
(Whipple) Last seen: 1935 March 28.30 ( = 3.47 AU, r = 4.04 AU, Elong. = 119)
Closest to the Earth: 1933 November 3 (1.5913 AU)
1933 IV = 1933f Calculated path: TAU (Disc), CET (Oct. 26), TAU (1934 Feb. 11), ORI (Apr. 14),
TAU (May 22), ORI (May 29), GEM (Jun. 19), CMi (Aug. 12), CNC (Aug.
20), HYA (Nov. 3), CNC (1935 Feb. 10)
F. L. Whipple (Harvard College Observatorys Oak Ridge Station, Massachusetts, USA) discovered this comet on the edge of a photograph exposed
with the 41-cm Metcalf telescope on 1933 October 15.27, at a position of
= 3h 25.3m , = +10 02 . The magnitude was estimated as 13, while a
tail was 3 long. He confirmed the comet on October 21.12 and October
21.40. Whipple estimated the magnitude as 13 and noted a tail 3 long on
all of these photographs. At the time of the discovery, the comet was over 2
months past perihelion, but was nearing its closest approach to Earth.
On October 22, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
described the comet as a small, round coma of magnitude 14, with a faint
tail extending over 3 in PA 280. F. C. A. Schwassmann and A. A. Wachmann (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) estimated the magnitude as 13.0. On the 24th, E. J. Delporte (Uccle, Belgium) noted a nucleus of
magnitude 15.0. On the 25th, P. C. Keenan (Yerkes Observatory) gave the
magnitude as 14.2. On October 31, Whipple and L. E. Cunningham gave the
magnitude as 13.5.
10
catalog of comets
As November began, the comet was passing closest to Earth and, thereafter, moved away from both the sun and Earth. On November 9, F. Kaiser
(Wiesbaden, Germany) gave the magnitude as 13.0. On November 10, the
comet attained a maximum elongation of 170. On the 11th and 13th, L. S.
Barnes and C. H. Barthelman (Harvard College Observatorys Oak Ridge
Station) gave the magnitude as 13.5. On the 15th and 16th, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 13.5 and noted the coma was round, while a tail was
still faintly visible on the preceding side. On the 18th, van Biesbroeck and
Keenan gave the magnitude as 14.5. On November 19, Kaiser estimated the
magnitude as 13.0.
The comets southward motion took it to a declination of +5 on December 16 and then it began moving northward again. On the 16th, R. R. E.
Schorr (Hamburg Observatory) gave the magnitude as 14. On the 18th, van
Biesbroeck described the comet as a round coma with a magnitude of 15.
On December 22, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 14.5 and said
the coma was 20 across, with a fairly sharp nucleus.
Only a few observatories maintained observations during 1934. On January 11, 16, and 17, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 15. The coma
was well defined, but the tail was no longer visible. On January 18, Barnes
and Barthelman estimated the magnitude as 15.0. On January 19, Barnes
and Barthelman estimated the magnitude as 15.0. On February 10 and 13,
van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 16. The coma was more diffuse
than in January and exhibited a broad extension in the fourth quadrant.
On March 5, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) estimated the
magnitude as 16.5, using the 91-cm Crossley reflector. On March 10 and
11, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 16.5, while the coma was ill
defined and 10 across. On March 16, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 17, and described the coma as round and 8 across. On March
19, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 17. The coma was simply
described as tiny, containing a central condensation. The comet attained its
most northerly declination of +16 on June 7 before turning southward. It
passed 8 from the sun on July 3. Jeffers obtained observations on October
10 and 12 and gave the magnitude as 18 on each date. On November 5 and 7,
Jeffers estimated the magnitude as about 18. The comets southerly motion
again took it to a declination of +5 by December 23.
As Earth swung around its orbit, the distance between it and the comet
decreased to 2.897 AU on 1935 January 24. The comets elongation was also
increasing and it attained a maximum of 169 on February 2.
The comet was last detected on March 28.30, when Jeffers obtained a 120minute exposure with the 91-cm Crossley reflector which showed a weak
object of magnitude 19. C. D. Swanson gave the position as = 8h 22.9m ,
= +9 55 . Jeffers obtained a 90-minute exposure of the comets position
with the reflector on April 25, but the comet was not detected.
The first orbit calculated for this comet was an elliptical one by Whipple
and Cunningham. They took three positions from October 15, 21, and 22,
11
catalog of comets
and determined the perihelion date as 1933 July 8.43 and the period as 8.23
years. A few days later, A. D. Maxwell used the same positions to determine
a perihelion date of July 2.99 and a period of 8.53 years. Using positions from
October 15, 22, and 31, Whipple and Cunningham calculated a revised orbit
with a perihelion date of August 2.59 and a period of 7.49 years. They added
that the comet had apparently passed about 0.3 AU from Jupiter in May of
1922. Their orbit proved a very good representation of the true orbit, as
shown by the orbits of M. Davidson (1934), Maxwell (1934, 1936), and C. M.
Anderson Jr. and P. S. Riggs (1934).
Multiple apparition orbits were calculated by B. G. Marsden (1968, 1969,
1986), S. Nakano (2000), and P. Rocher (2005). All of these included planetary perturbations, while those published from 1969 onwards also solved for
nongravitational forces. The result was a perihelion date of August 1.44 and
a period of 7.50 years. Marsden (1968) noted a very slight secular acceleration. Marsden (1969) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.60516
and A2 = 0.062093. Nakano (2000) gave the nongravitational terms as
A1 = +0.332 and A2 = 0.05283. Rocher (2005) gave the nongravitational
terms as A1 = +0.49054 and A2 = 0.04709. Nakanos orbit is given below.
The comets close approach to Jupiter was examined by R. N. Thomas
(1948) and K. Kinoshita (2005). Thomas said the comet passed 0.26 AU from
Jupiter on 1922 June 14, while Kinoshita said it passed 0.2519 AU from
the planet on June 20. Thomas said the comets pre-encounter orbit had a
perihelion distance of 3.9 AU and a period of 10.3 years. Kinoshita said the
pre-encounter orbit had a perihelion distance of 4.23 AU and a period of
11.01 years.
T
1933 Aug. 1.4370 (TT)
(2000.0)
190.5471 189.5088
i
10.2064
q
e
2.496923 0.348190

full moon: Oct. 3, Nov. 2, Dec. 2, Dec. 31, 1934 Jan. 30, Mar. 1, Mar. 31, Apr. 29,
May 28, Jun. 27, Jul. 26, Aug. 24, Sep. 23, Oct. 22, Nov. 21, Dec. 20, 1935 Jan. 19,
Feb. 18, Mar. 20, Apr. 18
sources: F. L. Whipple, HAC, No. 283 (1933 Oct. 21); F. L. Whipple, L. E. Cunningham, and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 284 (1933 Oct. 23); F. L. Whipple,
F. C. A. Schwassmann, A. A. Wachmann, and L. E. Cunningham, BZAN, 15 (1933
Oct. 27), p. 68; A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 286 (1933 Oct. 30); F. L. Whipple and
L. E. Cunningham, The Observatory, 56 (1933 Nov.), p. 350; F. L. Whipple and L. E.
Cunningham, HAC, No. 287 (1933 Nov. 3); F. L. Whipple and L. E. Cunningham,
The Observatory, 56 (1933 Nov.), p. 350; E. J. Delporte, BZAN, 15 (1933 Nov. 1),
p. 70; F. Kaiser, BZAN, 15 (1933 Nov. 17), p. 76; F. Kaiser, BZAN, 15 (1933 Nov. 25),
p. 78; F. L. Whipple and L. E. Cunningham, The Observatory, 56 (1933 Dec.), p. 378;
F. L. Whipple and L. E. Cunningham, AN, 250 (1933 Dec. 4), p. 363; H. M. Jeffers,
C. M. Anderson, Jr., and P. S. Riggs, LOB, 17 (1934), pp. 6, 335; G. van Biesbroeck,
PA, 42 (1934 Jan.), p. 49; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 42 (1934 Feb.), p. 86; M. Davidson, The Observatory, 57 (1934 Feb.), p. 75; G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory,
12
catalog of comets
57 (1934 Mar.), p. 106; R. R. E. Schorr, AN, 251 (1934 Mar. 5), p. 212; L. S. Barnes,
C. H. Barthelman, and H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 297 (1934 Apr. 3); H. M. Jeffers,
The Observatory, 57 (1934 May), p. 170; M. Davidson and A. D. Maxwell, The
Observatory, 57 (1934 Jun.), p. 202; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 44, (1934 Aug. 31),
pp. 1, 4, 6; H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 316 (1934 Nov. 26); H. M. Jeffers, BZAN,
16 (1934 Dec. 18), p. 76; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 17 (1935), p. 124; H. M. Jeffers, The
Observatory, 59 (1936 Jan.), p. 27; H. M. Jeffers, MNRAS, 96 (1936 Feb.), p. 345;
A. D. Maxwell, MNRAS, 97 (1937 Feb.), pp. 3345; A. D. Maxwell, MNRAS, 98
(1938 Feb.), pp. 3489; R. N. Thomas, AJ, 53 (1948 May), pp. 18891; V1964, p. 73;
B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 370, 374; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.),
pp. 7256; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 5th ed. (1986), pp. 20, 54; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS,
27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 711 (2000 May 12); personal
correspondence from P. Rocher (2005).
2P/Encke Recovered: 1934 July 6.45 ( = 1.93 AU, r = 1.43 AU, Elong. = 46)
1934 III = 1934a Closest to the Earth: 1934 August 28 (1.2481 AU)
Calculated path: TAU (Rec), AUR (Jul. 22), GEM (Aug. 11), CNC (Aug. 21),
LEO (Aug. 31)
A. C. D. Crommelin (1933) prepared an assumed set of elements for the
upcoming 1934 apparition. He predicted perihelion would occur between
1934 September 15 and 17. During the first half of 1934, L. Matkiewicz and
N. I. Idelson independently computed orbits for this comet and predicted
perihelion would occur on September 15.20 and September 15.23, respectively.
H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) tried to recover this
comet during the first half of July 1934. On 1934 July 6.45, the photographic
plate exposed with the 91-cm Crossley reflector had been fogged by moonlight and dawn, but a suspicious object was found at = 3h 34.6m , = +26
50 . This object was just visible as an uncondensed diffuse object of magnitude 16 and measured 0.2 in diameter. A plate exposed on July 9 was
centered just east of the ephemeris position and failed to show the object;
however, on July 10.44, Jeffers definitely found the comet at a position of
= 3h 48.8m , = +27 44 . The magnitude was estimated as 15, while the
coma was diffuse and measured 0.2 in diameter. Some condensation was
noted on this latter date. Another photograph was obtained by Jeffers on July
11.44, and showed the comet at magnitude 15, with a coma 0.2 across and
containing a not very sharp nucleus. Upon receiving Jeffers announcement, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) re-examined
a pair of photographic plates exposed with a 61-cm reflector on July 8.35,
and found the comet as a round diffuse coma about 15 across. The magnitude was estimated as 15.5, while only a slight trace of condensation was
noted.
Comet Encke remained at an elongation of 4047 during June 12August
13 (maximum elongation came on July 17) and it is obvious that it was
13
catalog of comets
detected almost as soon as its steadily increasing brightness permitted. On

July 15, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 15. He said the very
diffuse coma was about 25 in diameter. On the 18th, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 14.5. The coma was described as better defined (though
without a nucleus) and 20 across. On July 21, Jeffers gave the magnitude as
13 (91-cm Crossley reflector). He said the coma was 0.7 across and contained
a nonstellar nucleus eccentrically situated in the southwest portion.
The occurrence of a full moon on July 26 put a damper on observations
during the last week of July and during the first two weeks of August, but
observations resumed shortly before mid-August. The comet had attained
its most northerly declination of +31 on August 5. On August 9, D. Kotsakis
(National Observatory, Athens, Greece) described the comet as very diffuse
and irregular, with a total magnitude of 13. G. Adamopoulos (National
Observatory) observed using the 40-cm refractor and said the coma was
irregular, without a nucleus. He noted the condensation was elongated
toward the west-southwest. On the 10th, Adamopoulos gave the magnitude as 12 and noted a coma 80 across. On the 11th, Adamopoulos gave
the magnitude as 11.5 and noted it was visible in the 8-cm finder. Kotsakis
gave the magnitude as 11 on the 12th, 10.5 on the 13th, and 10 on the 14th.
He noted a distinct condensation on the 13th. On the 15th, Kotsakis said the
round coma contained a very distinct condensation. He added that from
time to time a weak nucleus was visible in the center of the condensation.
The comet continued to brighten during the last half of August. On
August 17, the magnitude was independently given as 9.5 by Adamopoulos
and van Biesbroeck. Adamopoulos said the coma was 80 across, while a
stellar nucleus was occasionally seen that was eccentric toward the westnorthwest. Van Biesbroeck described the comet as exhibiting a coma 20
in diameter, with a diffuse central condensation of magnitude 10.5, and a
broad tail extending about 3 in PA 80. On the 18th, van Biesbroeck noted the
coma was quite bright in central part, with a magnitude of 9.0, a nucleus
of magnitude 10, and a tail extending to PA 75. On the 20th, Kotsakis gave
the magnitude as 9.5. On the 21st, the magnitude was given as 8.5 by van
Biesbroeck and 9.2 by Adamopoulos. Van Biesbroeck determined the coma
diameter as 20 and said, The axis of the broad tail is in 75 degrees. The
nuclear magnitude was given as 9. Adamopoulos said the stellar nucleus
was magnitude 11.5 and eccentric toward the west-northwest. On the 22nd,
Adamopoulos gave the magnitude as 9.0 and said the coma was 70 across.
On the 28th and 29th, Adamopoulos gave the magnitude as 9.0. On the
former date, he noted a nucleus of magnitude 10.010.5. On the 30th, van
Biesbroeck found twilight too bright to allow photography, but visually saw
the comet and noted a well-defined nucleus and a magnitude that equalled
the star 79 Cancri (magnitude about 6.3). On August 31, Adamopoulos
observed using the 40-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 8.5.
The comet was last detected on September 3.19, when R. Carrasco (Madrid
Observatory, Spain) photographed it in morning twilight. He gave the
14
catalog of comets
position as = 9h 37.6m , = +18 26 . The comet was at a minimum elongation of 1 on September 17.
M. G. Sumner (1934) took positions from August 17, 23, and 29, and calculated an orbit with a perihelion date of September 15.26 and a period of
3.41 years.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by S. Y. Luchich (1958),
B. G. Marsden (1969, 1970), N. A. Bokhan and Y. A. Chernetenko (1974),
and Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1974). All of these orbits included planetary
perturbations, while those from 1969 and later also included the effects
of nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion date of September
15.28 and a period of 3.28 years. Marsden and Sekanina (1974) gave the
nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.09 and A2 = 0.01144.
T
1934 Sep. 15.2835 (TT)
(2000.0)
184.9229 335.6024
i
12.5678
q
e
0.331865 0.849813

full moon: Jun. 27, Jul. 26, Aug. 24, Sep. 23
sources: A. C. D. Crommelin, BAA Handbook for 1934 (1933), p. 20; The Observatory, 56 (1933 Dec.), p. 379; H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 304 (1934 Jul. 11); H. M.
Jeffers, BZAN, 16 (1934 Jul. 13), p. 40; H. M. Jeffers and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC,
No. 305 (1934 Jul. 16); H. M. Jeffers, AN, 252 (1934 Jul. 31), p. 387; H. M. Jeffers,
PASP, 46 (1934 Aug.), pp. 2345; H. M. Jeffers, G. van Biesbroeck, L. Matkiewicz,
and N. I. Idelson, The Observatory, 57 (1934 Aug.), p. 260; H. M. Jeffers and G.
van Biesbroeck, PA, 42 (1934 Aug.Sep.), p. 391; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 42 (1934
Oct.), p. 464; H. M. Jeffers, PASP, 46 (1934 Oct.), pp. 2834; G. Adamopoulos, The
Observatory, 57 (1934 Oct.), p. 314; M. G. Sumner, JBAA, 45 (1934 Nov.), p. 49;
G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 57 (1934 Nov.), pp. 3501; G. Adamopoulos,
JO, 17 (1934 Dec.), pp. 1956; D. Kotsakis, AN, 254 (1934 Dec. 21), pp. 634; R.
Carrasco, Boletin Astronomico del Observatorio de Madrid, 2 (1935), p. 1; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 17 (1935), p. 124; L. Matkiewicz and N. I. Idelson, MNRAS, 95 (1935
Feb.), pp. 3867; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 45 (1935 Dec. 4), pp. 1719; [Madrid
Observatory], VJS, 71 (1936), p. 46; S. Y. Luchich, MNRAS, 119 (1959), pp. 4423;
V1964, p. 73; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.), pp. 7256, 72830; B. G. Marsden,
QJRAS, 11 (1970 Sep.), pp. 2323; N. A. Bokhan and Y. A. Chernetenko, QJRAS,
15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4523, 459; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 79 (1974 Mar.),
pp. 41319.
30P/1934 V1 Recovered: 1934 November 5.41 ( = 1.52 AU, r = 2.38 AU, Elong. = 142)
(Reinmuth 1) Last seen: 1935 April 7.10 ( = 1.85 AU, r = 1.87 AU, Elong. = 75)
Closest to the Earth: 1934 December 24 (1.2243 AU)
1935 II = 1934b Calculated path: ORI (Rec), TAU (Dec. 21), ORI (Mar. 28), GEM (Apr. 2)
The recovery of this comet began when J. T. Foxell and A. E. Levin (1934)
took the orbit for the 1928 apparition, applied perturbations by Jupiter and
Saturn, and predicted the next perihelion date would occur on 1935 May
15
catalog of comets
1.42. H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet

on 60-minute exposures obtained with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on 1934
November 5.41 and November 5.45. The position on the former date was
given as = 5h 11.8m , = +11 47 . He initially estimated the magnitude
as 16, but later revised it to 15, and noted a small extension of the coma
towards the west. The recovery was confirmed by Jeffers on November
7.35. The comet was described as fairly well condensed and 6 across. The
magnitude was also initially estimated as 16, but was later revised to 15.
Foxell and Levins predicted perihelion date proved to have been 0.36 days
too early.
On November 12, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin,
USA) obtained the first of several photographs of this comet using the
61-cm reflector. He estimated the magnitude as 16.5. The coma diameter
was 12 , while there was a little indication of an extension towards the
west. On November 15, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 16.
On December 2, the comet attained its most southerly declination of +11.
Jeffers then obtained two 40-minute exposures using the 91-cm Crossley
reflector, which revealed a magnitude of 13.5. He noted that the comet was
larger and rounder than in November. A 20-minute exposure was obtained
by van Biesbroeck, using the 61-cm reflector on December 11. He estimated
the magnitude as 15.5. Van Biesbroeck added that the coma was 15 across
and fanned out toward PA 260 where a tail extended 20 .
On 1935 January 3 and 4, van Biesbroeck said the comet was very diffuse, with a coma diameter of 20 and a magnitude of 15. On January 24,
van Biesbroeck said the coma was round with a magnitude of 15.5. On January 24 and 31, Jeffers examined 20-minute exposures obtained by C. D.
Swanson, while using the 91-cm Crossley reflector. Jeffers estimated the
magnitude as 13.5 and noted the comet was larger and rounder than in
November. On February 6, R. R. E. Schorr (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) estimated the photographic magnitude as 16. On February
26, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 15, while a
faint indication of a tail was noted to PA 100. On February 27, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 15. The coma was round,
20 across, and a faint broad tail extended 1.5 in PA 110. On March 5, Schorr
estimated the photographic magnitude as 16. On March 29, van Biesbroeck
estimated the photographic magnitude as 16.
The comet was last detected on April 7.10, when van Biesbroeck obtained
a 20-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector. He described it as 12 in
diameter, with a little indication of tail in the following side. The magnitude was 16.5. The position was determined as = 6h 07.3m , = +23 09 .
The moon was full on April 18.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by S. Kanda and H. Hirose
(1936), F. R. Cripps (1949), G. Merton (1949), and B. G. Marsden (1979). The
perihelion date was given as April 29.77 by Kanda and Hirose, April 29.87 by
Cripps, April 29.91 by Merton, and April 29.90 by Marsden. Marsdens orbit
16
catalog of comets
was the first to use more than five positions from the first two apparitions,
as well as perturbations by all nine planets. His orbit is given below.
T
1935 Apr. 29.8992 (TT)
8.8400
(2000.0)
125.8266
i
8.0615
q
e
1.855917 0.503541

full moon: Oct. 22, Nov. 21, Dec. 20, 1935 Jan. 19, Feb. 18, Mar. 20, Apr. 18
sources: J. T. Foxell and A. E. Levin, BAA Handbook for 1935 (1934), p. 23; H. M.
Jeffers, HAC, No. 313 (1934 Nov. 6); H. M. Jeffers, BZAN, 16 (1934 Nov. 9), p. 68;
H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 316 (1934 Nov. 26); H. M. Jeffers, PA, 42 (1934 Dec.),
p. 593; H. M. Jeffers, J. T. Foxell, and A. E. Levin, The Observatory, 57 (1934 Dec.),
p. 391; H. M. Jeffers, BZAN, 16 (1934 Dec. 18), p. 76; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 17
(1935), p. 124; H. M. Jeffers, The Observatory, 58 (1935 Jan.), pp. 301; J. T. Foxell
and A. E. Levin, MNRAS, 95 (1935 Feb.), pp. 3867; R. R. E. Schorr, AN, 254 (1935
Feb. 14), p. 247; R. R. E. Schorr, BZAN, 17 (1935 Feb. 17), p. 11; R. R. E. Schorr, The
Observatory, 58 (1935 Mar.), p. 99; R. R. E. Schorr, IAUC, No. 524 (1935 Mar. 9);
R. R. E. Schorr, BZAN, 17 (1935 Mar. 11), p. 17; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 43 (1935
Apr.), p. 256; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 43 (1935 May), p. 306; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 45 (1935 Dec. 4), pp. 17, 19; R. R. E. Schorr, AN, 262 (1937 Mar. 8), p. 33; S.
Kanda and H. Hirose, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 1089, 112; F. R. Cripps and G.
Merton, MNRAS, 109 (1949), pp. 2545; V1964, p. 73; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 3rd
ed. (1979), pp. 24, 51; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 26 (1985 Mar.), p. 79.
31P/1934 X1 Recovered: 1934 December 11.11 ( = 2.05 AU, r = 2.76 AU, Elong. = 126)
(Schwassmann Last seen: 1936 June 10.29 ( = 2.31 AU, r = 2.87 AU, Elong. = 113)
Wachmann 2) Closest to the Earth: 1936 March 24 (1.5938 AU)
Calculated path: PSC (Rec), CET (Jan. 29), ARI (Feb. 11), TAU (Mar. 26), ORI
1935 III = 1934c (Jun. 5), GEM (Jun. 10), CNC (Jul. 30), LEO (Sep. 3), VIR (Nov. 8)
F. K. Zweck (1934) computed the perturbations for the period of 192935.
He determined the likely perihelion date as 1935 August 17.9. During 1934
November, H. Q. Rasmusen took the 1929 orbit computed by S. Kanda and
applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. He predicted the next perihelion would occur on 1935 August 31.39. P. J. Harris and J. D. McNeile (1934)
applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn to an orbit computed for the
1929 apparition and predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion on
August 24.1.
Using a search ephemeris published by Zweck, A. A. Wachmann found
an object within 2 of the predicted position on 1934 August 15.03. It was
described as stellar and, with a magnitude of 12, it was 2 magnitudes
brighter than expected. The object was confirmed by L. E. Cunningham on
August 16.32 and 17.25, who described it as perfectly stellar, with a magnitude of 11. Cunningham was at once suspicious of the object and calculated
a circular orbit based on his two positions and found a very close agreement
with the asteroid Nysa (44). A comparison with the predicted position and
17
catalog of comets
motion of that asteroid immediately confirmed this finding and the search
for P/SchwassmannWachmann 2 continued.
Using an ephemeris computed by Rasmusen, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) recovered this comet on 1934 December 11.11,
at = 1h 43.4m , = +5 22 . It was photographed with the 61-cm reflector
and was described as fuzzy, with a magnitude of 16. Van Biesbroeck
confirmed the observation on December 12.11, and described the comet
as round and diffuse, with a magnitude 16.5. The coma was 8 across. On
December 13.24, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 16. A welldefined, broad tail extended over 1 in PA 35. The comets perihelion date
ended up being 2.6 days earlier than predicted.
This was not a particularly favorable apparition for the comet as perihelion occurred on the opposite side of the sun from Earth, meaning that the
comet was lost in the suns glare when at its brightest. It therefore remained
a faint object during this apparition and was only visible to the larger telescopes in the world. Photographs by van Biesbroeck on 1935 January 3 and
4 revealed a round coma about 20 across, with a magnitude of 15.4. There
was also a faint tail extending toward PA 50. On the 24th, van Biesbroeck
obtained another image which revealed the comet was fairly well defined
and magnitude 15.5. The short tail extended toward PA 70. On January 31,
H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet
using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 14. He noted
that 20- and 30-minute exposures showed a trace of a tail extending 0.2
towards the east.
On February 6, R. R. E. Schorr (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) photographed the comet using the 100-cm reflector and estimated
the magnitude as 15. On February 27, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as
15.5. He said the round coma was about 15 across, while the tail extended
about 2 in PA 80. Van Biesbroeck considered the tail a rather unexpected
feature for so faint an object.
The comet was last observed before entering twilight on March 5.84, when
Schorr estimated the magnitude as 16.5. The comet was in conjunction with
the sun throughout the spring and summer months. It attained its most
northerly declination of +22 on June 17 and passed about 1 from the sun
on July 7. The comet finally emerged from the suns glare in November, when
van Biesbroeck photographed it on the 23rd. He said the coma was round
and magnitude 15, while the tail extended 3 in PA 300. It was photographed
by Jeffers on November 28, at which time the magnitude was given as 15
and the tail extended 23 toward the west. Van Biesbroeck again photographed the comet on December 2. He estimated the magnitude as 15.5,
and noted a short tail extending toward PA 305.
On 1936 January 24, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 16 and
said a 20-minute exposure hardly revealed the tail. On January 28, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 16 and noted a faint indication
of a tail extending to PA 310. Van Biesbroeck photographed the comet
18
catalog of comets
on February 1 and gave the magnitude as 16. He said the coma was well
defined and the tail extended 2 in PA 305. The comet attained its most
southerly declination of 5 on February 7. Van Biesbroeck photographed
it on March 18 and gave the magnitude as 15. He said the round coma was
about 20 across. On April 12, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14.5. He said the coma was 25 in diameter and extended to PA 170.
There was also a well-defined nucleus. On April 15, van Biesbroeck gave
the photographic magnitude as 14, while the coma was described as over
40 across under very transparent skies. Jeffers photographed the comet
on April 16 and gave the magnitude as 16. He said a 20-minute exposure
hardly revealed the tail. Van Biesbroeck photographed the comet on April
17 and 18 and gave the magnitude as 14.5. On the first date, van Biesbroeck
said the coma was centrally condensed, while, on the second date, he noted
the round coma was about 30 across. On April 22, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 15 and the coma diameter as 20 across. Van
Biesbroeck photographed the comet on May 14 and 17 and gave the magnitude as 16.5. On May 20, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 17.5 and the hardly measurable diffuse coma as about 30 across.
The last two observations of the comet came on June 10.26 and June 10.29,
when Jeffers obtained 30- and 40-minute exposures with the 91-cm Crossley
reflector. For the latter date, he gave the position as = 12h 52.4m , =
0 37 . Jeffers estimated the magnitude as 17.5, and described the comet as
diffuse, with a diameter of a few seconds of arc. Jeffers obtained a 1-hour
exposure with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on July 17, but the comet was
not found.
Very similar orbits have been computed by a number of astronomers
during the last few decades. While the comet was still in the sky, Rasmusen
(1935) did an elaborate investigation of the comets motion back to 1920.
He noted the comet passed only 0.179 AU from Jupiter on 1926 March 26,
but even more remarkable was the fact that the comet stayed within 2 AU
of Jupiter from 1921 March until 1928 March. Prior to this encounter the
comets orbit had a perihelion distance of 3.55 AU and an orbital period of
9.31 years. Multiple apparition orbits were computed by Rasmusen (1953),
B. G. Marsden (1968, 1969, and 1973), and G. Forti (1983), which gave the
perihelion date as August 28.63 and the period as 6.42 years. The 1973 orbit
of Marsden and that of Forti included the effects of nongravitational forces,
with Fortis terms being A1 = +0.76 and A2 = 0.1863.
T
1935 Aug. 28.6272 (TT)
(2000.0)
358.0700 126.9131
i
3.7241
q
e
2.094649 0.393889

full moon: Dec. 20, 1935 Jan. 19, Feb. 18, Mar. 20, Apr. 18, May 18, Jun. 16, Jul.
16, Aug. 14, Sep. 12, Oct. 12, Nov. 10, Dec. 10, 1936 Jan. 8, Feb. 7, Mar. 8, Apr. 6,
May 6, Jun. 5
19
catalog of comets
sources: P. J. Harris and J. D. McNeile, BAA Handbook for 1935 (1934), p. 25; A. A.
Wachmann, BZAN, 16 (1934 Aug. 15), p. 46; A. A. Wachmann, HAC, No. 306 (1934
Aug. 15); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 307 (1934 Aug. 20); F. K. Zweck and A. A.
Wachmann, The Observatory, 57 (1934 Sep.), pp. 2867; L. E. Cunningham, BZAN,
16 (1934 Sep. 6), p. 52; A. A. Wachmann and L. E. Cunningham, The Observatory,
57 (1934 Oct.), p. 313; A. A. Wachmann, PA, 42 (1934 Oct.), pp. 4645; H. Q.
Rasmusen, AN, 253 (1934 Nov. 13), pp. 42730; G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 317
(1934 Dec. 12); G. van Biesbroeck, BZAN, 16 (1934 Dec. 18), p. 76; H. M. Jeffers,
LOB, 17 (1935), p. 124; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 43 (1935 Jan.), pp. 601; G. van
Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 58 (1935 Jan.), p. 30; G. van Biesbroeck, BZAN, 17
(1935 Jan. 7), p. 1; L. E. Cunningham, G. van Biesbroeck, H. Q. Rasmusen, P. J.
Harris, and J. D. McNeile, MNRAS, 95 (1935 Feb.), pp. 3867; R. R. E. Schorr, AN,
254 (1935 Feb. 14), p. 247; R. R. E. Schorr, BZAN, 17 (1935 Feb. 17), p. 11; R. R. E.
Schorr, The Observatory, 58 (1935 Mar.), p. 99; R. R. E. Schorr, IAUC, No. 524
(1935 Mar. 9); R. R. E. Schorr, BZAN, 17 (1935 Mar. 11), p. 17; G. van Biesbroeck,
PA, 43 (1935 Apr.), p. 256; G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 355 (1935 Nov. 27); G.
van Biesbroeck, PA, 43 (1935 Dec.), p. 654; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 45 (1935 Dec.
4), pp. 1819; G. van Biesbroeck, BZAN, 17 (1935 Dec. 23), p. 74; H. M. Jeffers,
LOB, 17 (1936), p. 193; G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 59 (1936 Jan.), p. 27;
G. van Biesbroeck, BZAN, 18 (1936 Jan. 6), p. 1; H. Q. Rasmusen, MNRAS, 96
(1936 Feb.), pp. 3457; G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 59 (1936 May), p. 175;
H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 18 (1937), pp. 85; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 46 (1937 Jan. 2),
pp. 1, 35; R. R. E. Schorr, AN, 262 (1937 Mar. 8), p. 33; H. Q. Rasmusen, MNRAS,
113 (1953), pp. 3901; H. Q. Rasmusen, MNRAS, 116 (1956), pp. 2267; H. Q.
Rasmusen, QJRAS, 1 (1960 Dec.), pp. 2323; V1964, p. 73; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73
(1968 Jun.), pp. 373, 375; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31415; B. G.
Marsden, QJRAS, 10 (1969 Sep.), pp. 2523; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.),
pp. 7214; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 14 (1973 Dec.), pp. 4045; G. Forti, AAP, 126
(1983), pp. 30710.
C/1935 A1 Discovered: 1935 January 7.78 ( = 1.11 AU, r = 1.22 AU, Elong. = 70)
(Johnson) Last seen: 1935 May 24.27 ( = 1.48 AU, r = 1.71 AU, Elong. = 84)
1935 I = 1935a Calculated path: PHE (Disc), SCL (Jan. 18), CET (Jan. 28), PSC (Feb. 13), AND
(Mar. 5), CAS (Mar. 17), CEP (Apr. 9), DRA (May 4), UMi (May 16)
E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) was using
the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera for the purpose of filling some
of the remaining gaps in a series of star charts of the Southern Hemisphere.
On the evening of 1935 January 7, he exposed two photographs, one centered
at = 0h 45m , = 52, and the other centered at = 1h 15m , = 52. The
first plate was exposed for 30 minutes, while the second, being interrupted
by clouds, was exposed for 22.5 minutes. The following morning the plates
were developed and examined. Johnson discovered a short, diffuse trail on
the first photograph exposed on 1935 January 7.78. The position was given
= 0h 59.6m , = 52 05 , and the comets image appeared large and faint,
without a nucleus, and with a magnitude of 10.0. Due to some overlap
20
catalog of comets
between the two plates, the comet also appeared on the second plate, so
that the possibility of a false object was immediately ruled out. Johnson
confirmed the comet on January 8.77. It was described as diffuse, with a
magnitude of 10. He then announced the discovery to the Central Bureau in
Copenhagen (Denmark). At the time of discovery, the comet was heading
toward both the sun and Earth.
On January 9 and 12, H. E. Wood (Union Observatory) gave the magnitude as 10. He described the comet as large, rather faint, and without
a nucleus. Johnson visually saw the comet through a 23-cm telescope on
January 24 and gave the magnitude as 9. He said the comet was large,
diffuse, without a stellar nucleus. On the 30th, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) gave the magnitude as 9.7. He added that
the coma was constructed of a bright inner portion about 20 across surrounded by a much fainter outer portion measuring 34 across. There was
no nucleus or tail. On January 31, K. Graff (Arenal, Spain) gave the magnitude as 9.2. He said the comet appeared washed out, with no nucleus. He
added that the coma was 2 across.
The comet was closest to Earth near mid-February. On February 1, Johnson visually observed with the 15-cm telescope and estimated the magnitude as 9. He said the comet was large and diffuse, with no nucleus. Van
Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.8 on the 4th and noted the brighter
portion of the coma had increased to 30 , but there was still no nucleus. On
February 6, Graff gave the magnitude as 9.1, while R. R. E. Schorr (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) said the coma was 1.5 across and
contained no nucleus. On February 7, the magnitude was given as 8.5 by
van Biesbroeck and 9.0 by F. Kaiser (Wiesbaden, Germany). Van Biesbroeck
said the comet seemed more condensed. H. Krumpholz (Vienna, Austria)
said the round coma was 3 across and contained a small condensation, but
no nucleus. Kaiser said the coma was diffuse and 2 across, but exhibited
no tail. A. A. Wachmann (Hamburg Observatory) described the comet as
diffuse, 23 across, without a nucleus. Johnson saw the comet on February
8, using a 15-cm refractor. He estimated the magnitude as 8.5 and described
the comet as large and diffuse, with no nucleus. On February 9 and 11, S. I.
Beljawsky (Simeis Observatory, Crimea, Ukraine) estimated the magnitude
as 9.0. Also on the 11th, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
observed the comet in moonlight with the 30-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 10.5. He said the comet was faint, diffuse, and about 0.8 across. On
the 12th, Johnson gave the magnitude as 8.5. He said the coma was round
and more condensed, but still contained no nucleus. On February 14, A.
Schmitt (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) said the comet was diffuse, without
a nucleus, and 45 across. Schmitt gave the coma diameter as 1 on the 15th
and 17th.
The comet passed perihelion near the end of February. On February 19,
Krumpholz gave the magnitude as 9.5. He noted a distinct condensation,
but no nucleus. Schmitt said the round coma was 1 across, but contained
21
catalog of comets
no nucleus. On the 20th, G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory, Athens,

Greece) gave the magnitude as 8.7. He said the coma was round and 1 across,
while there was a central condensation, and a possible stellar nucleus. P.
Chofardet (Besancon, France) said the round coma was 2 across. J. Franz
(Bautzen, Germany) said the comet was easily visible in the 13-cm comet
seeker as a condensed nebulosity. On the 21st, the magnitude was given as
8.8 by van Biesbroeck and 9.3 by N. Rudsky (Kiev, Ukraine). Van Biesbroeck
said the coma seemed smaller and more condensed, but there was still
no nucleus. Schmitt said the round coma was 1 across, but contained no
nucleus. On the 22nd, the magnitude was given as 8.59.0 by Adamopoulos
and 9.0 by Rudsky. Adamopoulos said the coma was 1.5 across, with a
condensation 20 across. There was also a stellar nucleus of magnitude 12.0
12.5, which was eccentrically situated towards the east-northeast. Jeffers
said the comet appeared diffuse in the 30-cm refractor. On the 24th, the
magnitude was given as 8.6 by Rudsky, 9.0 by C. Fedtke (Konigsberg,
now
Kaliningrad, Russia), and 9.2 by A. D. Dubiago (University Observatory,
Kazan, Russia). The coma was described as round and 1.5 across by Schmitt
and condensed and 3 across by Fedtke. Fedtke saw no nucleus. On February
25 and 28, Adamopoulos gave the magnitude as 8.8. He said the coma was
2 across, while the condensation was 25 across. The stellar nucleus was
situated just east of the condensations center and was magnitude 11.011.5.
On the 26th, the magnitude was given as 8.4 by van Biesbroeck, 8.55 by
Graff, and 8.78 by M. Beyer (Hamburg, Germany). Beyer said the coma was
round and 3 across. On the 27th, the magnitude was given as 8.6 by van
Biesbroeck, 9.2 by Krumpholz, and 9.5 by Dubiago. Schmitt said the round
coma was 1.5 across. Van Biesbroeck said a 20-minute exposure showed a
diffuse outer coma 2.8 across, while the central, brighter part was about 1
across. A minute stellar nucleus was occasionally suspected. A threadlike
filament extended from the nucleus to PA 60. It widened at 10 from the
nucleus and was about 35 long. On February 28, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 9.0. He said the coma diameter was 2.1 , while the tail noted
on the previous night had become fainter. The nucleus was more sharply
defined to PA 60, or at the root of the tail, while it was more diffuse in
the opposite direction. He noted that this gave the nucleus a slightly pearshaped appearance.
The comet was moving away from both the sun and Earth as March began.
On March 2, the visual magnitude was given as 8.7 by van Biesbroeck,
while the photographic magnitude was estimated as 10.5 by P. Vocca. Van
Biesbroeck said the coma diameter was 1.5 . The threadlike tail extended 4
in PA 51, but instead of gradually widening or diffusing to invisibility, it
just abruptly stopped. On the 3rd, Beyer and Fedtke independently gave
the magnitude as 8.8 and the coma diameter as 3 . Beyer said the coma was
round, while Fedtke noted a strong central condensation. On the 4th, the
magnitude was given as 8.8 by Fedtke and 8.85 by Beyer. Beyer said the
coma was round and 3 across. On the 5th, the magnitude was given as 8.6
22
catalog of comets
by Fedtke, 8.77 by Beyer, and 9.0 by Dubiago. Beyer said the coma was 3
in diameter. On the 7th, the magnitude was given as 8.5 by Fedtke and 9.0
by Kaiser. Schmitt said the coma was 45 across, while Kaiser and Fedtke
noted it was 3 across. Kaiser and Fedtke both reported a strong central
condensation. On the 8th, the magnitude was given as 8.6 by Fedtke and
8.9 by Beyer. Fedtke noted the coma was 3 across, with a strong central
condensation. On the 9th, the magnitude was given as 8.6 by Fedtke, 8.79
by Beyer, 8.8 by Rudsky, and 8.9 by van Biesbroeck. The coma diameter was
given as 1.5 by van Biesbroeck and 3 by Beyer. The coma was described
as round by S. D. Tscherny (Kiev), Beyer, and Chofardet. Wachmann noted
a faint nucleus. During the period of March 920, H. Fischer (Innsbruck,
Austria) photographed the comet and estimated the magnitude as 9. He
also noted the round coma was about 1 across and exhibited no nucleus.
On the 10th, Fedtke gave the magnitude as 8.6 and noted the coma was
3 across, with a strong central condensation. On the 11th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 8.83. Jeffers observed with the 30-cm refractor and said the
comet was diffuse with a magnitude of 10.511. On the 12th, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 8.8. Jeffers estimated it as 10.511, while R. M. Aller
(Pontevedra, Spain) gave it as 11. Van Biesbroeck said the coma diameter
was 1.4 . Jeffers described the comet as diffuse. On the 13th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 8.93. He said the coma was round, with a diameter of 3 . On
the 14th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.02 and the nuclear magnitude as
fainter than 11.5. On March 15, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.3.
The comet faded more rapidly during the last half of March. On March 18,
van Biesbroeck observed in moonlight and gave the magnitude as 9.2. On
the 21st, Adamopoulos and Dubiago independently gave the magnitude as
11.0 in moonlight. Adamopoulos said it was feeble, with the condensation
situated east-northeast of the comas center. On the 23rd, Dubiago gave the
magnitude as 11.0 in moonlight. On the 24th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.7 and noted the very diffuse coma was 2.5 across. On the 25th,
the magnitude was given as 11 by Krumpholz and Chofardet, while Schmitt
said it was 12, but these probably represented the condensation. Krumpholz
said there was a small condensation, but no nucleus. Chofardet said the
round coma was 1 across. On the 26th, Chofardet gave the magnitude as
11 and the coma diameter as 2 . On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
9.70. He said the coma was round, with a diameter of 2 and a nucleus of
magnitude 11.8. On the 29th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10. He
added that the coma was less condensed, very diffuse, and about 3 across.
There was no longer a trace of a tail. Adamopoulos said the coma was 1.8
across, with an almost central condensation. On March 30, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 9.81. He said the coma was 2 in diameter, with a nucleus of
magnitude 12.0.
The comet faded rapidly during April. On April 2 and 3, Adamopoulos
gave the magnitude as 11.0. He said the coma was 1.8 across, with an almost
central condensation. On the 6th, the magnitude was given as 10.23 by
23
catalog of comets
Beyer and 10.5 by Wachmann. Beyer said the coma was 2 in diameter with
a nucleus fainter than magnitude 12. Van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude
as about 11 on the 7th and described the comet as extremely diffuse and
about 3 in diameter. On the 11th, Schmitt gave the magnitude as 13 and
said the coma was 0.5 across. On the 13th, van Biesbroeck said the comet
was poorly condensed, with a diameter of 4 and a magnitude near 12. Van
Biesbroeck described the comet as much fainter on the 21st and gave the
magnitude as 14.5. He noted the coma was diffuse and 1 across. On the
22nd, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 15. He described the comet
as very diffuse, with a round coma 45 across. On April 30, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 15. A faint central condensation was about 30 across,
while the round coma was about 1 across.
On May 4, van Biesbroeck described the comet as a hardly measurable
hazy coma, with a magnitude near 16.5. On the 6th, Kaiser gave the magnitude as 12.0 and noted a coma 2 across. He noted that the position was
over 11 from what was predicted. On May 8, the comet attained its most
northerly declination of +81. On May 11, van Biesbroeck photographed
the comet as a vague, diffuse coma of about magnitude 17.
The comet was last detected on May 24.27, when van Biesbroeck obtained
a 20-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector. The comet appeared as a
small round coma with a magnitude near 17.5. The position was given as
= 16h 14.2m , = +74 58 . Schorr reported that J. Larink obtained photographic positions on May 27.96 and May 28.98. The comet was described as
weak and diffuse, with a magnitude of 15.
S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij (Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow, Russia)
photographed the spectrum of this comet on March 6 and 14 using a 15-cm
prismatic camera. He noted strong bands of cyanogen and diatomic carbon,
as well as a weak band of triatomic carbon.
The first published orbit was calculated by J. P. Moller
and H. Q. Rasmusen. They took three positions from January 7, 9, and 12, and determined the perihelion date of the resulting parabolic orbit as 1935 March
1.08. Shortly thereafter, H. E. Wood took positions from January 8, 12, and
16, and determined the perihelion date as February 25.61. M. Davidson calculated a very similar orbit to Woods using positions from January 7, 16,
and 30. He gave the perihelion date as February 26.34.
The first elliptical orbit was calculated by A. D. Maxwell. Published on
February 21, the orbit revealed a perihelion date of February 26.51 and
a period near 750 years. Around mid-March, Maxwell revised this orbit,
giving the perihelion date as February 26.5 and the period as 896 years.
This last orbit proved an excellent representation, according to the later
calculations of Davidson (1935) and Maxwell (1936). Maxwells orbit is given
below.
T
1935 Feb. 26.4688 (UT)
24
18.3970
(2000.0)
92.4469
i
65.4250
q
e
0.811148 0.991301
catalog of comets
full moon: Dec. 20, 1935 Jan. 19, Feb. 18, Mar. 20, Apr. 18, May 18, Jun. 16
sources: H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 17 (1935), p. 125; E. L. Johnson, HAC, No. 322 (1935
Jan. 9); E. L. Johnson, BZAN, 17 (1935 Jan. 14), p. 3; J. P. Moller,
H. Q. Rasmusen,
and H. E. Wood, BZAN, 17 (1935 Jan. 30), p. 7; G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 326
(1935 Jan. 30); E. L. Johnson, The Observatory, 58 (1935 Feb.), p. 62; H. E. Wood,
BZAN, 17 (1935 Feb. 6), p. 8; H. Krumpholz and F. Kaiser, BZAN, 17 (1935 Feb.
11), p. 10; R. R. E. Schorr, AN, 254 (1935 Feb. 14), p. 247; R. R. E. Schorr, BZAN,
17 (1935 Feb. 17), p. 11; A. A. Wachmann, BZAN, 17 (1935 Feb. 21), p. 12; A. D.
Maxwell, HAC, No. 329 (1935 Feb. 21); K. Graff and M. Davidson, AN, 254 (1935
Feb. 27), p. 311; S. I. Beljawsky, J. Franz, and C. Fedtke, BZAN, 17 (1935 Feb.
28), p. 13; H. E. Wood, J. P. Moller,
H. Q. Rasmusen, A. D. Maxwell, and G. van

Biesbroeck, PA, 43 (1935 Mar.), p. 188; M. Davidson and F. Kaiser, The Observatory,
58 (1935 Mar.), pp. 989; K. Graff, BZAN, 17 (1935 Mar. 6), p. 15; P. Vocca, IAUC,
No. 524 (1935 Mar. 9); S. D. Tscherny and F. Kaiser, BZAN, 17 (1935 Mar. 11),
p. 17; M. Davidson, IAUC, No. 525 (1935 Mar. 15); S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, IAUC,
No. 526 (1935 Mar. 19); A. A. Wachmann and M. Beyer, BZAN, 17 (1935 Mar.
20), p. 19; E. L. Johnson, AN, 255 (1935 Mar. 21), pp. 1316; G. van Biesbroeck
and A. D. Maxwell, PA, 43 (1935 Apr.), pp. 2546; S. D. Tscherny, N. Rudsky,
and C. Fedtke, BZAN, 17 (1935 Apr. 5), p. 23; M. Beyer, BZAN, 17 (1935 Apr.
10), p. 25; R. M. Aller, AN, 255 (1935 Apr. 20), p. 187; A. A. Wachmann, BZAN,
17 (1935 Apr. 24), p. 26; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 43 (1935 May), p. 306; F. Kaiser,
BZAN, 17 (1935 May 11), p. 29; H. Fischer, AN, 255 (1935 May 17), p. 379; G.
van Biesbroeck, PA, 43 (1935 Jun.Jul.), p. 356; P. Chofardet, JO, 18 (1935 Jul.),
pp. 1234; G. Adamopoulos, AN, 257 (1935 Oct. 9), p. 63; E. L. Johnson and M.
Davidson, JASSA, 4 (1935 Nov.), pp. 314, 40; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 45 (1935
Dec. 5), pp. 1820; E. L. Johnson, UOC, No. 95 (1936 Jan. 25), pp. 1978; A. D.
Maxwell, AJ, 45 (1936 Jan. 31), pp. 4954; A. D. Maxwell, MNRAS, 96 (1936 Feb.),
pp. 344, 3467; H. Krumpholz, AN, 259 (1936 Jun. 25), p. 331; J. Larink, AN, 262
(1937 Mar. 8), p. 33; A. D. Dubiago, AN, 262 (1937 Mar. 16), p. 67; M. Beyer, AN,
262 (1937 Apr. 22), pp. 21728; A. D. Maxwell, MNRAS, 98 (1938 Feb.), pp. 3489;
A. Schmitt, JO, 21 (1938 Apr.), pp. 58, 60; V1964, p. 73.
C/1935 M1 Discovered: 1935 June 3.97 ( = 3.25 AU, r = 4.26 AU, Elong. = 172)
(Jackson) Last seen: 1935 August 5.1 ( = 4.19 AU, r = 4.59 AU, Elong. = 107)
Closest to the Earth: 1934 August 6 (2.7077 AU)
1934 II = 1935b Calculated path: OPH (Disc), SCO (Jul. 4), LIB (Aug. 6)
C. V. Jackson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) discovered
this comet during his regular systematic search for minor planets. He
obtained two plates of the same area of the sky on the evening of 1935 June
3 and, upon examining the plates the next day with the Zeiss Stereocomparator, he immediately noted an object moving faster than a minor planet
and nebulous in appearance. The first plate had been exposed on 1935 June
3.97, at which time the comet was at = 17h 14.0m , = 18 42 . He estimated the magnitude as 13. Due to the comets faintness, Jackson needed
additional confirmation before announcing his discovery. The comet was
25
catalog of comets
again photographed by him on June 8.06, June 11.03, and June 19.73, before
being announced as a new comet. The magnitude was estimated as 13 on
each date. The comet had passed perihelion about 9 months earlier and had
made its closest approach to Earth 10 months earlier.
Although fading, the large perihelion distance allowed the comet to be
followed for a few more months. On June 21, A. W. Recht and P. C. Keenan
(Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) estimated the magnitude as 14. On
the 24th, F. L. Whipple and L. E. Cunningham (Harvard College Observatory, Massachusetts, USA) photographed the comet and described it as diffuse, with a magnitude not brighter than 15.0. On June 26, Cunningham
and W. A. Johnson estimated the comets magnitude as 15. A total lunar
eclipse was visible across a large part of North America on July 16. G. van
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) then estimated the comets magnitude
as 16, while the round diffuse coma was not more than 10 across. The
comet was virtually unchanged when van Biesbroeck observed the comet on
July 21.
The comet was last observed on August 5.1, when van Biesbroeck
observed it low in the southwestern sky, not long after the end of evening
twilight. He described it as a small coma with a magnitude of 16. As the
comet continued moving away from the sun, it passed within 0.84 AU of
Jupiter on 1935 October 27. Around that time, S. Kanda and Simidu calculated an ephemeris for this comet covering the 2 years prior to its discovery.
They remarked that the comet would have been brighter during the summer
of 1934 than at any time during 1935 possibly as bright as 11.7. Unfortunately, no prediscovery observations were revealed.
The first orbit was calculated by Whipple. He took three positions spanning the period of June 2126 and determined a perihelion date of 1934
September 8.38. As it turned out, this date was only about 1.5 days later
than the actual date, which is quite an accomplishment considering the short
arc and the large perihelion distance of about 3.5 AU! Additional parabolic
orbits were calculated by A. D. Maxwell and H. E. Wood. A hyperbolic orbit
was calculated by M. Davidson, which gave a perihelion date of September
8.29 and an eccentricity of 1.01046. Woods orbit is given below.
T
1934 Sep. 6.9205 (UT)
124.3132
(2000.0)
74.2111
i
q
141.9494 3.485700
e
1.0

full moon: May 18, Jun. 16, Jul. 16, Aug. 14
sources: C. V. Jackson, HAC, No. 335 (1935 Jun. 20); C. V. Jackson, IAUC, No. 541
(1935 Jun. 20); A. W. Recht, P. C. Keenan, F. L. Whipple, and L. E. Cunningham,
HAC, No. 336 (1935 Jun. 25); L. E. Cunningham, W. A. Johnson, and F. L. Whipple,
HAC, No. 337 (1935 Jun. 27); A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 338 (1935 Jun. 28); C. V.
Jackson, F. L. Whipple, and L. E. Cunningham, BZAN, 17 (1935 Jun. 29), p. 39;
C. V. Jackson, AN, 256 (1935 Jul. 12), p. 187; L. E. Cunningham and W. A. Johnson,
26
catalog of comets
BZAN, 17 (1935 Jul. 19), p. 43; H. E. Wood, AN, 256 (1935 Aug. 22), p. 331; C. V.
Jackson, G. Van Biesbroeck, F. L. Whipple, L. E. Cunningham, and A. D. Maxwell,
PA, 43 (1935 Aug.Sep.), p. 454; C. V. Jackson and H. E. Wood, The Observatory, 58
(1935 Sep.), p. 27980; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 43 (1935 Oct.), p. 541; C. V. Jackson
and M. Davidson, JASSA, 4 (1935 Nov.), pp. 334; S. S. Kanda and Simidu, PA,
43 (1935 Nov.), p. 608; C. V. Jackson, UOC, No. 95 (1936 Jan. 25), pp. 1989; H. E.
Wood, MNRAS, 96 (1936 Feb.), pp. 3447; V1964, p. 73.
32P/1935 P1 Prerecovery: 1935 August 9.38 ( = 2.51 AU, r = 1.86 AU, Elong. = 40)
(Comas Sola)
Recovered: 1935 August 12.48 ( = 2.49 AU, r = 1.86 AU, Elong. = 42)
Last seen: 1936 July 16.23 ( = 3.21 AU, r = 3.04 AU, Elong. = 71)
1935 IV = 1935c Closest to the Earth: 1936 February 21 (1.3163 AU)
Calculated path: GEM (Pre), CNC (Sep. 10), LEO (Oct. 9), COM (Dec. 17), LEO
(Apr. 7), COM (Jun. 1), VIR (Jun. 4)
The recovery of this comet began with the calculations of J. M. Vinter Hansen
(1934, 1936). She calculated a definitive orbit for the 1927 apparition, applied
perturbations spanning the period of 192735, and predicted the comet
would next arrive at perihelion on 1935 October 8.38. G. van Biesbroeck
(Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) exposed search photographs using
the 61-cm reflector on 1935 August 9.38 and August 11.40. The comet was
then at a low altitude and nothing was found. H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) exposed a search photograph using the 91-cm Crossley reflector on August 10 and also failed to locate the comet. Jeffers exposed
his next photograph on August 12.48 and located the comet at a position
of = 6h 32.2m , = +25 09 . He described the comet as diffuse, with a
magnitude of 14 and a coma 0.3 across. A faint tail extended 1.5 towards
the west. Jeffers confirmed the recovery on August 13.49. L. E. Cunningham compared the comets position with that predicted by Vinter Hansen
in the 1935 Handbook of the British Astronomical Association and found the
actual perihelion date to be about 1.8 days earlier than predicted. Following the announcement, van Biesbroeck re-examined his search photographs
from the 9th and 11th and located the comet on both. On the first date, the
comet appeared as a very diffuse coma, with a magnitude of 15. The image
was better defined on the second date and exhibited a diffuse coma, with a
magnitude of 14.5.
The comet remained a rather faint object through the rest of 1935. On
August 24, van Biesbroeck described the comet as a round diffuse coma 25
across, with a magnitude of 14. On September 5 and 6, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 13.5. The round, diffuse coma exhibited a faint, broad
tail extending about 2 in PA 290. On the 24th, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 13.5. The coma was round and small, while the tail was slender
and extended to PA 300. On September 28, A. Schmitt (Alger, now al-Jazair,
Algeria) gave the magnitude as 13. Schmitt described the comet as diffuse.
The comet was moving away from the sun after October 6. On October 7,
27
catalog of comets
van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 13. The round coma was 12 across,
while the tail was narrow and extended 10 in PA 290. On October 24,
A. A. Wachmann (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) gave the
magnitude as 13.0. On November 21, Jeffers gave the magnitude as 13. He
said a 30-minute exposure using the 91-cm Crossley reflector showed a
sharp condensation and a tail extending 7 in PA 300. On November 22,
van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as not more than 13.5. There was
still a well marked tail pointing away from the sun. On December 21, van
Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as about 13.5, while a faint tail continued
to point away from the sun. On December 27, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 13. The coma was diffuse and the tail extended 10 in PA 300.
After moving southward since its recovery, the comet reached a declination
of +18 on December 28 and then began moving northward.
The comet was moving away from the sun as 1936 began, but it was still
approaching Earth. On 1936 January 20, van Biesbroeck described the comet
as a diffuse nebulosity with a magnitude of 14. A short tail extended towards
the north-preceding direction. On the 23rd, S. Kanda (Tokyo, Japan) gave
the magnitude as 12.5. On the 24th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as
13.5. He said a fairly well-defined nucleus shone at magnitude 14. Jeffers
photographed the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on that same date
and said the coma was 8 across and exhibited a tail extending 3 in PA 300.
On the 25th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 14. The coma was about
20 across and the tail was fainter. On January 28, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 14 and said the tail extended to PA 300.
On February 18, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 15, while a short
faint tail extended in the direction opposite to the sun. On the 22nd, van
Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 14.5. There was a sharp, eccentric nucleus
and the tail extended to PA 275. On February 28, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 14.5 and noted a sharp nucleus and a tail extending 1 in
PA 275.
The comet was moving away from both the sun and Earth as March began.
On March 13, F. Kaiser (Wiesbaden, Germany) gave the magnitude as 13.
On the 16th, R. R. E. Schorr (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
gave the magnitude as 13.0. On March 16 and 18, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 14. The coma diameter was nearly 1 across, but it extended
slightly eccentrically from the nucleus to PA 260, suggesting a foreshortened tail in that direction. On the 17th, Kaiser gave the magnitude
as 12.8. After generally moving northward since late December, the comet
attained a declination of +23 on March 19 and then began moving southward again. On March 20, the magnitude was given as 12.5 by Schorr, as
well as Wachmann and K. Muller
(Hamburg Observatory). On March 25,

Kaiser gave the magnitude as 13.0 and noted a coma 1 across.
The comet steadily faded in the following months. On April 9, J. O. Stobbe
(Kiel, Germany) gave the magnitude as 12.5. He described the comet as diffuse and 1 across, with a stellar nucleus of magnitude 14.5. On the 12th, van
28
catalog of comets
Biesbroeck said the coma was 20 in diameter, while the tail extended about
30 in PA 150. On the 14th, the magnitude was given as 13 by Wachmann,
Muller,
and Schorr. On the 15th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 14.5.
The tail extended to PA 160. On the 16th, Jeffers photographed the comet
with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the coma was 5 across and had
become more diffuse. On April 17, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as
14.5. On May 14, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 15.5 and said the
diffuse coma was 40 in diameter. On the 18th, Schorr gave the magnitude
as 1516. On the 19th, Schorr gave the magnitude as 15.516. On May 20,
van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 16. He said the coma was extremely
diffuse. On June 10, Jeffers gave the magnitude as 17.
The comet was last detected on July 16.23, when Jeffers found it on a 60minute exposure obtained with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. He gave the
position as = 12h 30.4m , = +6 21 . He estimated the magnitude as 18.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by B. G. Marsden (1968,
1972) and G. Forti (1983). They included perturbations by all nine planets, as
well as nongravitational effects. The result was a perihelion date of October
6.58 and a period of 8.53 years. Marsden (1968) noted a very slight secular
deceleration. Marsden, Z. Sekinina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973) gave the
nongravitational terms as A1 = +1.04 and A2 = +0.0015. Forti gave the
nongravitational terms as A1 = +1.12 and A2 = +0.0106. Fortis orbit is
given below.
T
1935 Oct. 6.5759 (TT)
38.8135
(2000.0)
66.3790
i
13.7246
q
e
1.777142 0.574447

full moon: Jul. 16, Aug. 14, Sep. 12, Oct. 12, Nov. 10, Dec. 10, 1936 Jan. 8, Feb.
7, Mar. 8, Apr. 6, May 6, Jun. 5, Jul. 4, Aug. 3
sources: J. M. Vinter Hansen, The Observatory, 56 (1933 Jul.), p. 243; J. M. Vinter
Hansen, BAA Handbook for 1935 (1934), p. 27; H. M. Jeffers, L. E. Cunningham,
J. M. Vinter Hansen, HAC, No. 341 (1935 Aug. 14); H. M. Jeffers, BZAN, 17 (1935
Aug. 16), p. 49; G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 342 (1935 Aug. 19); H. M. Jeffers,
The Observatory, 58 (1935 Sep.), p. 280; PASP, 47 (1935 Oct.), p. 286; H. M. Jeffers
and G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 43 (1935 Oct.), p. 541; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 43
(1935 Nov.), p. 608; A. A. Wachmann, BZAN, 17 (1935 Nov. 5), p. 64; G. van
Biesbroeck, PA, 43 (1935 Dec.), p. 654; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 17 (1936), pp. 1934;
H. M. Jeffers and J. M. Vinter Hansen, MNRAS, 96 (1936 Feb.), pp. 3457; G. van
Biesbroeck, PA, 44 (1936 Feb.), p. 102; G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 59
(1936 Feb.), p. 66; S. Kanda, BZAN, 18 (1936 Feb. 24), p. 15; G. van Biesbroeck,
PA, 44 (1936 Mar.), p. 151; G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 59 (1936 Mar.),
p. 102; F. Kaiser, BZAN, 18 (1936 Mar. 18), p. 20; F. Kaiser, A. A. Wachmann, and
K. Muller,
BZAN, 18 (1936 Mar. 30), p. 21; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 44 (1936 Apr.),
p. 211; G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 59 (1936 Apr.), p. 142; J. O. Stobbe,
BZAN, 18 (1936 Apr. 15), p. 25; A. A. Wachmann and K. Muller,
BZAN, 18 (1936
Apr. 24), p. 27; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 44 (1936 May), p. 268; R. R. E. Schorr and
29
catalog of comets
J. O. Stobbe, The Observatory, 59 (1936 May), p. 175; R. R. E. Schorr, AN, 259 (1936
Jul. 7), p. 361; R. R. E. Schorr and J. O. Stobbe, AN, 260 (1936 Aug. 11), p. 157;
H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 18 (1937), p. 85; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 46 (1937 Jan. 2), pp. 1,
34; J. O. Stobbe and G. van Biesbroeck, MNRAS, 97 (1937 Feb.), p. 334; R. R. E.
Schorr, AN, 262 (1937 Mar. 8), p. 33; A. Schmitt, JO, 21 (1938 Apr.), pp. 58, 60;
V1964, p. 73; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 36970; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS,
9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31415; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 13 (1972 Sep.), pp. 4301; B. G.
Marsden, Z. Sekinina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), pp. 213, 21516; G.
Forti, AAP, 126 (1983), pp. 30710.
C/1935 Q1 Prediscovery: 1935 July 3.90 ( = 3.87 AU, r = 4.83 AU, Elong. = 157)
(van Biesbroeck) Discovered: 1935 August 21.14 ( = 3.74 AU, r = 4.62 AU, Elong. = 146)
Last seen: 1938 January 26.2 ( = 6.09 AU, r = 6.49 AU, Elong. = 110)
1936 I = 1935d Closest to the Earth: 1935 August 4 (3.6988 AU), 1936 August 6 (3.6236 AU)
Calculated path: CAP (Pre), SGR (Jul. 27), AQL (Oct. 11), DEL (1936 Jan. 30),
EQU (Feb. 25), PEG (Mar. 20), CYG (May 13), CEP (1937 Feb. 15), LAC (Feb.
21), CEP (Feb. 24), LAC (Feb. 27), CEP (Mar. 4), CAS (Mar. 18), CEP (Mar.
23), CAS (Mar. 28), CEP (May 1), CAS (May 2), CAM (Jul. 14), CEP (Jul. 15),
CAM (Jul. 16), CEP (Oct. 23)
The discovery of this comet is quite interesting and begins in July 1935,
when G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) was exposing plates with the 61-cm reflector in order to detect the Trojan asteroid
Odysseus (1143). These photographs showed the presence of a faint new
asteroid. He continued to follow this object in order to secure enough positions to establish its orbit. On 1935 August 21.14, photographs continued to
show the asteroid, but they also showed a diffuse, 14th-magnitude object 8
away. This proved to be a new comet and its position was given as = 19h
41.6m , = 17 23 . The comet was confirmed on August 22.10, when van
Biesbroeck visually observed it in the 102-cm refractor. The magnitude was
estimated as 14, while a stellar nucleus shone at magnitude 15. The coma
measured about 20 in diameter.
H. E. Wood (Union Observatory, South Africa) announced that prediscovery images were found on photographic plates exposed by E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory) on July 3.90, July 22.83, July 29.83, August 5.78,
and August 5.81. On the first date the magnitude was estimated as 13.0.
On the last date, the comet had been recognized, but its magnitude of 13.5,
as well as the small scale of the photographs, caused the nebulosity to be
overlooked and it was thought to be a minor planet. The comet had attained
a maximum solar elongation of 180 on July 23.
Although the comet was found about 9 months prior to passing perihelion, it changed little in appearance during the remainder of 1935 because of
the large perihelion distance of 4.04 AU. On August 23, H. M. Jeffers (Lick
Observatory, California, USA) visually observed the comet using the 91-cm
refractor and gave the magnitude as 14.5. He said the comet was small
30
catalog of comets
and round, with a central nucleus. On the 24th, the magnitude was given
as 14 by van Biesbroeck and 14.5 by Jeffers. Van Biesbroeck said the round
coma was 25 across. Jeffers said the comet was small and round, with a
central nucleus. On the 27th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 14. On
August 29, the magnitude was given as 14 by van Biesbroeck and 14.5 by
Jeffers. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 30 in diameter. Jeffers said the
comet was small and round, with a central nucleus. On September 1
and 7, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 14.5. He said the coma was
25 across on the 1st and exhibited a central condensation on the 7th. On
September 24, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 15. He added that the
comet was well condensed centrally. On October 20, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 14.5. The coma was round, 20 across, and contained a
slight central condensation. On October 25, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 15. The central condensation shone at magnitude 15.5, while the
coma was 18 in diameter. On November 14, Jeffers photographed the comet
with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the comet was 7 across and
more diffuse. On November 23, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 15,
while the coma was 20 across. On December 20, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 15, while the diffuse round coma was about 20 across. On
December 21, van Biesbroeck obtained two 14-minute exposures of the
comet at low altitude and estimated the magnitude as 14. The comet was
then situated 36 from the sun.
The comet was lost in the suns glare as 1936 began and it passed 20 from
the sun on January 29. Van Biesbroeck recovered it on February 28, when 30
from the sun. He then gave the magnitude as 14.5 and noted a diffuse coma,
15 in diameter. Interestingly, although the comet was approaching both the
sun and Earth, it experienced a slight fading. Van Biesbroeck photographed
the predicted position of the comet on March 18, using the 61-cm reflector,
but found nothing. Longer exposures using the same telescope on March 25
revealed the comet was fainter than magnitude 16, which was 3 magnitudes
fainter than predicted. On April 16, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as
16 and noted a round coma 15 across. On April 18, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 16.5.
The comet passed perihelion on May 11, but was still approaching Earth.
On May 14, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 17 and said the coma
was hardly 10 across. On the 17th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as
16.5 and noted the coma was 15 across. On May 27 and 28, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 16. On June 15, 24, and 28, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 16 and said the coma was 20 across. On July 24 and 26, van
Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 16.
The comets distances from the sun and Earth were increasing shortly after
August began. On August 17 and 22, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude
as 15.5. The round coma was 15 across and contained a little condensation. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 113 on August 19.
On August 25, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 16 and said the coma
31
catalog of comets
was 10 across. After steadily moving in a northerly direction since its discovery, the comet attained a declination of +53 on September 3 and then
began moving southward. On September 17, Jeffers gave the magnitude as
16. His photograph using the 91-cm Crossley reflector revealed a tail extending about 0.5 toward the southeast. On September 19, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 16.5. The slightly condensed coma was 15 in diameter. On October 7, Jeffers photographed the comet with the reflector and
noted a tail extending about 0.5 toward the southeast. On December 3,
Jeffers gave the magnitude as 17.5. He noted a coma a few seconds of
arc in diameter, with a trace of tail. After generally moving southward
since September, the comet attained a declination of +49 on December
6 and then began moving northward again. On December 14, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 16.5 and noted the round coma was fairly well
defined.
On 1937 January 13, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 17. The coma
was round and was 8 across. On March 17, van Biesbroeck photographed
the comet as a quite vague image of magnitude 17. The comet attained a
minimum solar elongation of 55 on May 17. On July 17, Jeffers obtained 50and 90-minute exposures with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and described
the comet as very faint and diffuse. On August 6, 11, and 31, W. Dieckvoss and H.-U. Sandig (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) gave
the magnitude as 16. On September 10, Jeffers obtained 38- and 80-minute
exposures with the reflector and described the comet as very faint and diffuse. On October 7 and 10, Sandig gave the magnitude as 16. On October 9,
Jeffers obtained a 110-minute exposure with the reflector and described the
comet as very faint and diffuse. Dieckvoss and Sandig gave the magnitude
as 16.5 on November 2 and 17 on November 3. The comet was in opposition on November 9, with the distance from Earth then being 5.64 AU.
On November 9, 10, and 12, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 17 and
said the round coma was 10 across. The comet attained its most northerly
declination of +86 on November 18.
The final two observations of this comet were obtained by Jeffers on 1937
December 6.2 and 1938 January 26.2. In both instances, the comet was photographed with the 91-cm Crossley reflector, but the comet was so faint
that measures are scarcely worth while. The comet attained a maximum
elongation of 118 on 1937 December 19.
As the first orbits were computed it became obvious this comet had a
large perihelion distance. This made the perihelion date very difficult to pinpoint with so few observations. Using the three precise positions obtained
between August 21 and 23, van Biesbroeck computed a parabolic orbit
which gave the perihelion date as 1935 December 9.13. From the same
positions, Swanson and Popper computed a parabolic orbit showing the
perihelion date as November 25.07. L. E. Cunningham published his computations on August 28, which were based on three positions obtained between
August 23 and 27. The perihelion date was 1935 June 10.21.
32
catalog of comets
A better representation of the orbit came to light on September 16, when

Swanson and Popper published a hyperbolic orbit using three observations obtained between August 23 and September 4. The perihelion date
was given as 1936 May 26.78 and the eccentricity was 1.03101. Van Biesbroeck published an orbit on September 18, which generally confirmed the
orbit given by Swanson and Popper. He used three observations obtained
between August 21 and September 7, and found the perihelion date to be
May 12.90. Although this was a parabolic orbit, he commented that a general orbit calculation produced an eccentricity of 1.025. During the next
few months, additional orbits were calculated by H. E. Wood and van Biesbroeck, with the latter astronomer finding an eccentricity of 1.003525.
G. van Biesbroeck (1940) used 125 positions obtained between 1935 July
3 and 1937 October 10, applied perturbations by Venus to Neptune, and
computed a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of May 11.63 and an
eccentricity of 1.00197. He also applied perturbations by Venus to Neptune
and moved the orbit backwards to 1916. He found the orbit was then elliptical with a period of about 341 thousand years.
B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1973) used 107 positions obtained
between 1935 July 3 and 1937 November 10, as well as perturbations by
all nine planets, and computed a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of
May 11.64 and an eccentricity of 1.002045. This orbit is given below. The
original orbit was elliptical with a period of about 12 million years and the
future orbit is hyperbolic with an eccentricity of about 1.001136.
T
1936 May 11.6361 (TT)
44.8957
(2000.0)
300.5614
i
66.1122
q
e
4.043409 1.002045

full moon: Jun. 16, Jul. 16, Aug. 14, Sep. 12, Oct. 12, Nov. 10, Dec. 10, 1936 Jan.
8, Feb. 7, Mar. 8, Apr. 6, May 6, Jun. 5, Jul. 4, Aug. 3, Sep. 1, Sep. 30, Oct. 30, Nov.
28, Dec. 28, 1937 Jan. 26, Feb. 25, Mar. 26, Apr. 25, May 25, Jun. 23, Jul. 23, Aug.
22, Sep. 20, Oct. 19, Nov. 18, Dec. 17, 1938 Jan. 16, Feb. 14
sources: G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 343 (1935 Aug. 22); G. van Biesbroeck,
HAC, No. 344 (1935 Aug. 23); Swanson and Popper, HAC, No. 345 (1935 Aug.
26); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 346 (1935 Aug. 28); G. van Biesbroeck, BZAN,
17 (1935 Sep. 2), p. 51; Swanson and Popper, HAC, No. 349 (1935 Sep. 16); G.
van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 350 (1935 Sep. 18); G. van Biesbroeck, Swanson, and
Popper, PA, 43 (1935 Oct.), pp. 5413; G. van Biesbroeck and A. D. Maxwell, PA,
43 (1935 Nov.), p. 606; G. van Biesbroeck and H. E. Wood, The Observatory, 58
(1935 Nov.), p. 341; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 43 (1935 Dec.), p. 653; H. M. Jeffers,
LOB, 17 (1936), p. 194; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 44 (1936 Jan.), p. 51; E. L. Johnson,
UOC, No. 95 (1936 Jan. 25), pp. 199200; G. van Biesbroeck and H. E. Wood,
MNRAS, 96 (1936 Feb.), pp. 3457; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 44 (1936 Mar.), p. 151;
G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 367 (1936 Mar. 9); G. van Biesbroeck, BZAN, 18 (1936
Mar. 30), p. 21; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 44 (1936 Apr.), p. 212; G. van Biesbroeck,
The Observatory, 59 (1936 Apr.), p. 142; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 44 (1936 May),
33
catalog of comets
pp. 2689; G. van Biesbroeck, BZAN, 18 (1936 May 6), p. 29; G. van Biesbroeck,
The Observatory, 59 (1936 Jun.), pp. 2012; G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory,
59 (1936 Nov.), p. 356; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 18 (1937), p. 85; H. M. Jeffers, PASP,
49 (1937 Feb.), p. 36; W. Dieckvoss and H.-U. Sandig, BZAN, 19 (1937 Aug. 30),
p. 52; W. Dieckvoss and H.-U. Sandig, AN, 263 (1937 Sep. 6), p. 367; G. van
Biesbroeck, AJ, 46 (1937 Sep. 14), pp. 1415; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 18 (1938), p. 163;
W. Dieckvoss and H.-U. Sandig, AN, 265 (1938 Feb. 2), p. 1; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 47 (1938 Nov. 21), pp. 161, 163; G. van Biesbroeck, PYO, 8, Pt. IV (1940 Jul.),
pp. 11321; G. van Biesbroeck, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 1089, 112; V1964, p. 73;
B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 78 (1973 Dec.), pp. 111920; B. G. Marsden
and Z. Sekanina, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4523, 459.
C/1936 K1 Discovered: 1936 May 15.2 ( = 1.55 AU, r = 1.40 AU, Elong. = 62)
(Peltier) Last seen: 1936 October 22.02 ( = 1.88 AU, r = 1.95 AU, Elong. = 78)
1936 II = 1936a Calculated path: CEP (Disc), CAS (Jul. 5), CEP (Jul. 11), CAS (Jul. 12), AND
(Jul. 22), LAC (Jul. 23), PEG (Jul. 29), AQR (Aug. 3), CAP (Aug. 4), MIC
(Aug. 7), IND (Aug. 10), TEL-PAV (Aug. 13), OCT (Oct. 10), PAV (Oct. 19)
L. C. Peltier (Delphos, Ohio, USA) was routinely sweeping the sky for new
comets with his 15-cm telescope when he found this object on 1936 May 15.2,
at = 23h 59m , = +74. In a telegram immediately sent to G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) he described the comet as 9th
magnitude, with an extremely slow motion. Van Biesbroeck confirmed the
discovery on May 16.17 and estimated the magnitude as 9.8. He added that
the coma contained a well-condensed nucleus and exhibited a tail extending 5 toward PA 310. Van Biesbroeck immediately telegraphed the news
of the discovery to Harvard College Observatory (Massachusetts, USA),
where the comet was photographed by F. L. Whipple and L. E. Cunningham on May 16.34. The comet had attained its most northerly declination of
+79 on March 28. The comet was heading toward both the sun and Earth
when discovered.
On May 17, the magnitude was given as 8.9 by F. Kaiser (Wiesbaden, Germany), 9 by van Biesbroeck and A. A. Wachmann (Hamburg Observatory,
Bergedorf, Germany), and 10 by R. R. E. Schorr (Hamburg Observatory) and
H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA). Kaiser said a 40-minute
exposure revealed a coma 1 across and a tail extending 2 toward PA 335.
Van Biesbroeck said a 2-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector shows
the sharp nucleus surrounded by a diffuse coma streaming out into a tail
some 10 long in a direction nearly opposite to that of the Sun. E. Przybyllok
(Konigsberg,
now Kaliningrad, Russia) said the coma was about 3 across,

with a stellar nucleus of magnitude 1112, and a tail towards the southeast.
Jeffers said the comet was moderately condensed, with a short tail. On May
17 and 18, P. Bourgeois and E. Vandekerkhove (Royal Observatory, Uccle,
Belgium) photographed the comet and noted a nebulous nucleus of magnitude 1213. G. B. Lacchini (Triest, Italy) estimated the magnitude as 11.0.
34
catalog of comets
He noted the nucleus was elongated toward the sun. On May 18, the magnitude was given as 9.5 by S. Plakidis (National Observatory, Athens, Greece),
10 by M. Campa (Milan, Italy) and Przybyllok, and 10.5 by J. O. Stobbe
(University Observatory, Kiel, Germany). Plakidis said the coma was 1
across, with a distinct condensation and a stellar nucleus. P. S. Riggs (Lick
Observatory) obtained a 30-minute exposure and noted a faint, broad tail
extending 2.53 in PA 320. On May 18 and 19, Wachmann gave the magnitude as 9.5. On May 19, the magnitude was given as 10 by H. L. Giclas (Lowell
Observatory, Arizona, USA), A. Schmitt (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria), and
D. Kotsakis (National Observatory). Stobbe said the coma was 2.5 across
and exhibited an elongated nucleus. He noted the tail extended 3 toward
the northwest. Kotsakis said a tail extended towards the southeast, while
the nucleus was eccentrically situated towards the northwest portion of the
coma. Schmitt said the comet appeared diffuse, with a central condensation.
J. Dick (Berlin-Babelsberg Observatory, Germany) said the tail extended
2 toward PA 305.
On May 20, the magnitude was given as 9.53 by M. Beyer (Hamburg,
Germany) and 10 by Kotsakis. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 11.0,
the coma diameter was 3 , and the tail was about 1 long. Kotsakis said a tail
extended towards the southeast, while the nucleus was eccentrically situated towards the northwest portion of the coma. On May 21, the magnitude
was given as 9 by G. N. Neujmin (Simeis Observatory, Crimea, Ukraine), 9.5
by H. Krumpholz (Vienna University Observatory, Austria) and van Biesbroeck, and 10 by Przybyllok. Van Biesbroeck said the coma diameter was
1.3 , while the nucleus was elongated in the direction of the tail and measured 0.8 by 2 . The tail extended over 6 in PA 305. W. K. Green (Amherst,
Massachusetts, USA) obtained a 3-hour exposure with an 11-cm Ross lens
and found the tail to extend 5 in PA 335. He added that the tail was 4
across at its end. Przybyllok said there was a nucleus of magnitude 10.8.
Krumpholz said the condensation was distinctly elongated and a broad tail
extended to PA 310. On May 22, the magnitude was given as 9.4 by van Biesbroeck, 9.62 by Beyer, and 10 by Giclas and Stobbe. Beyer said the nuclear
magnitude was 11.5, the coma diameter was 2.5 , and the tail extended about
1 . Van Biesbroeck said the tail extended over 8 in PA 310. On May 23, N.
Rudski (Kiev, Ukraine) gave the magnitude as 9.2, while Kotsakis estimated
it as 10.5. Kotsakis said there was a distinct tail.
On May 24, K. Graff (Vienna, Austria) gave the magnitude as 8.62 and
Campa estimated it as 9.5. On May 24 and 25, F. Schembor (Vienna University Observatory, Austria) said the coma measured 4 2 , with the
longest axis directed to PA 320. The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 62 on May 25. That same night, the magnitude was given as 9.35
by Beyer and 10 by J. Stein (Vatican Observatory, Castel Gandolfo, Italy).
On the 26th, the magnitude was given as 9.4 by van Biesbroeck, 9.5 by P.
Chofardet (Besancon, France), 10 by Plakidis, and 11.2 by P. P. Parenago
(Moscow, Russia). Van Biesbroeck said the tail was fan-shaped and covered
35
catalog of comets
PA 291335. The brightest portion extended 10 in PA 303. Chofardet said

the nucleus was elongated and the tail extended 2 towards the northwest.
Plakidis said the coma was spindle-shaped. On the 27th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 9.13. He said the coma diameter was 2 , and the tail extended
3 in PA 315. Schmitt said the comet was round, with a central condensation. On the 28th, Graff gave the magnitude as 8.46 and Stobbe estimated it
as 9.5. On the 29th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.3 in moonlight.
He said the tail extended to PA 297. On the 30th, Parenago gave the magnitude as 10.4. On May 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.61. He said the
coma diameter was 2 , and the tail extended 5 in PA 331.
On June 1, the magnitude was given as 8.53 by Beyer and 9.0 by Stobbe.
Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 11.0, the coma diameter was 1.5 , and
the tail extended 4 in 319. G. R. Miczaika (Berlin-Neutempelhof, Germany)
observed using a 5-cm refractor and said the tail extended 2 toward PA 315.
On the 4th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.8. The coma contained
a stellar nucleus and the tail extended to PA 290. On the 5th, the magnitude
was given as 8.46 by Beyer and 8.5 by Stobbe. Schmitt said the coma was
slightly elongated, with a central condensation. On June 6, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 8.47. Kotsakis said the stellar nucleus was eccentrically placed
in the northwest portion of the coma. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was
11.0, the coma diameter was 1.0 , and the tail extended 2.5 in 304.
On June 8, the magnitude was given as 8.38 by Beyer, 8.8 by Stobbe and van
Biesbroeck, and 9.0 by Campa. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 11.05,
the coma diameter was 1 , and the tail extended 4 in 311. Van Biesbroeck
said, From the stellar nucleus emanates a vase-shaped bright streamer
in angle 103; it extends to about 50 where it bends back into the broad
tail some 15 . . .. The tail extended to PA 283. On the 9th, J. Franz and
F. Knappe (Bautzen, Germany) gave the magnitude as 8.6 using a 13-cm
comet seeker. They noted a short tail extending toward about PA 315. On
the 11th, the magnitude was given as 8 by van Biesbroeck and Giclas, 8.5
by S. D. Tscherny (Kiev, Ukraine), and 8.8 by G. Loreta (Bologna, Italy).
Tscherny noted a nucleus and tail. On the 12th, the magnitude was given as
7.8 by van Biesbroeck, 8 by Giclas, 8.17 by Beyer, and 8.7 by Loreta. Beyer
said the nuclear magnitude was 10.7, the coma diameter was 1.5 , and the
tail extended 4 in 302. On the 13th, the magnitude was given as 8.16 by
Beyer, 8.5 by Loreta, and 8.97 by K. Himpel (Wiesbaden, Germany). Beyer
said the nuclear magnitude was 10.5, the coma diameter was 1.5 , and the
tail extended towards 295. On June 14, the magnitude was given as 8.2 by
Rudski and 8.5 by Loreta.
On June 15, the magnitude was given as 8.0 by Kaiser, and 8.5 by Loreta,
Kotsakis, and Tscherny. Kaiser observed with an 8-cm telescope and noted
the centrally condensed coma was 3 across, while the tail extended 4 toward
PA 300. Van Biesbroeck obtained a 20-minute exposure which showed a
narrow streamer extending over 20 in PA 270. The brighter part of the
tail was shorter and extended to PA 279. On the 16th, the magnitude was
36
catalog of comets
within the range of 7.78.5, according to van Biesbroeck, Stobbe, Himpel,

Beyer, Rudski, Loreta, and Tscherny. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was
10.71, the coma diameter was 1.5 , and the tail extended 8 in 288. Van Biesbroeck said the tail extended to PA 277. On the 17th, the magnitude was
within the range of 7.68.5, according to G. Archenhold (Berlin-Treptow),
P. Ahnert (Wittgendorf, Germany), Tscherny, Himpel, Rudski, Beyer, and
Loreta. Ahnert said the tail extended 5 . Beyer said the nuclear magnitude
was 10.4, the coma diameter was 1.5 , and the tail extended 11 in 285. On
the 18th, the magnitude was within the range of 7.68.0, according to C.
Fedtke (Konigsberg,
now Kaliningrad, Russia), Loreta, Campa, and Beyer.

Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 10.3, the coma diameter was 2 , and
the tail extended 10 in 291. Fedtke noted a very diffuse elongated coma
which exhibited a tail extending 4 toward PA 305. On the 19th, the magnitude was within the range of 7.48.5, according to Loreta, Beyer, Chofardet,
Schmitt, and Himpel. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 10.0, the coma
diameter was 2 , and the tail extended 8 in 284. Chofardet said the coma
was round and 3 across. Schmitt said the coma was slightly elongated. M.
Schurer
(Berlin-Babelsberg Observatory, Germany) observed with the 65cm refractor and said a weak tail extended 2 toward PA 266. On the 20th,
the magnitude was within the range of 7.48.5, according to Stobbe, Himpel, Beyer, Loreta, Miczaika, and Franz. Beyer said the coma diameter was
2 , and the tail extended 8 in 281. On June 21, the magnitude was within
the range of 7.48.4, according to Loreta, Himpel, Beyer, and Fedtke. Beyer
said the nuclear magnitude was 9.8, and the coma was 2 across.
On June 22, the magnitude given as 7.5 by Loreta and Fedtke, 7.7 by
Rudski, and 7.9 by Franz. Fedtke noted a very diffuse elongated coma which
exhibited a tail extending 4 toward PA 305. On the 23rd, Tscherny gave
the magnitude as 8.0. On the 24th, the magnitude was within the range
of 7.28.0, according to Tscherny, van Biesbroeck, Beyer, Chofardet, Franz,
and Loreta. Van Biesbroeck estimated the nucleus as less than 0.3 across.
He added, A broad fan-shaped ejection extends from the nucleus between
position-angle 45 and 125 to a distance of 1 , where it melts away in the
head which has a diameter of 6 . The tail extends at least 30 , with the
brightest portion in PA 265. Chofardet said the round coma was 3 across,
with a well-defined central nucleus, and a tail extending 15 towards the
west-northwest. On the 25th, the magnitude was given as 7.5 by Schmitt
and Rudski, 7.6 by Franz, and 8 by Tscherny. Schmitt said the tail extended
10 in PA 270. On the 26th, the magnitude was within the range of 78,
according to Stobbe, Loreta, Beyer, Krumpholz, Rudski, Schmitt, Fedtke,
and Tscherny. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 10.30, the coma was
2 across, and the tail extended 10 in 273. Schmitt said the tail extended
10 in PA 270. On the 27th, the magnitude was given as 7.17 by Beyer and
8 by Tscherny. Tscherny noted a nucleus and a tail. Beyer said the nuclear
magnitude was 10.0, the coma diameter was 2.5 , and the tail extended 8 in
275. On the 28th, the magnitude was within the range of 78, according to
37
catalog of comets
Tscherny, Rudski, Chofardet, Fedtke, and Loreta. Rudski gave the nuclear
magnitude as 9.2. Chofardet said the round coma was 3 across, with a
central nucleus, and a straight tail pointing to the west. Van Biesbroeck
obtained a 30-minute exposure which showed the tail extending 90 in PA
252. The brightest portion of the tail extended to PA 265. On the 29th,
the magnitude was within the range of 6.88.0, according to Krumpholz,
Rudski, Beyer, Himpel, Campa, Graff, Fedtke, and Loreta. Graff noted a
distinct nucleus and a short tail. Rudski gave the nuclear magnitude as 9.1.
Krumpholz said the coma was 23 across, with a very distinct, nearly stellar
nucleus. The tail extended 20 in PA 265. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude
was 10.0, the coma diameter was 2.5 , and the tail extended 10 in 265. On
June 30, the magnitude was given as 7.0 by Loreta, 7.3 by Fedtke, and 7.89
by Himpel. Van Biesbroeck observed under hazy skies and estimated the
nuclear magnitude as 9.
On July 1, the magnitude was given as 6.8 by Loreta, 6.87 by Graff, and
7.3 by Fedtke. Przybyllok said the coma was elliptical. On the 2nd, the
magnitude was given as 6.7 by van Biesbroeck, 7.2 by Fedtke, and 7.6 by
Rudski in moonlight. Rudski said the nuclear magnitude was about 9.0.
On the 3rd, the magnitude was given as 6.51 by Beyer, and 6.6 by van
Biesbroeck and Loreta. Van Biesbroeck said the tail extended to PA 254.
Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 9.5, the coma diameter was 2.5 , and
the tail extended 10 in 264. On the 4th, the magnitude was given as 6.78
by Graff, 7.6 by Rudski, and 7.8 by A. D. Dubiago (University Observatory,
Kazan, Russia). Rudski said the nuclear magnitude was 8.1 in moonlight.
On the 5th, the magnitude was given as 6.57 by Beyer, 6.7 by Fedtke, and
6.73 by Graff. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 9.68, the coma diameter
was 3.0 , and the tail extended 14 in 255. On the 6th, the magnitude was
within the range of 6.46.6, according to van Biesbroeck, Beyer, Fedtke, and
Graff. Van Biesbroeck said the stellar nucleus shone at magnitude 8. The
tail extended to PA 245. Beyer said the coma diameter was 3.5 , and the
tail extended 13 in 254. On July 7, the magnitude was within the range of
6.46.8, according to van Biesbroeck, Rudski, Fedtke, and Graff.
The comet passed closest to the sun on July 8, but, although it moved
away thereafter, it was still approaching Earth and continued to brighten.
The magnitude was then placed within the range of 6.26.7, according to
D. N. Davis (Lick Observatory), Rudski, Beyer, Loreta, and van Biesbroeck.
Van Biesbroeck said the tail extended to PA 244. Rudski said the nuclear
magnitude was 7.2. Beyer said the tail extended 20 in 255. On the 9th, the
magnitude was given as 6.2 by van Biesbroeck and Loreta, 6.6 by Fedtke, and
7 by Chofardet and Ahnert. Ahnert said the tail was 15 long. Chofardet said
the round coma was 4 across, with a central nucleus, and a tail extending
1520 towards the southwest. On the 10th, the magnitude was given as
6.1 by van Biesbroeck, 6.31 by Beyer, and 6.5 by Campa and Tscherny. Van
Biesbroeck said the tail extended to PA 244. On the 11th, the magnitude
was given as 5.8 by van Biesbroeck, 5.90 by Beyer, 6.5 by Tscherny, and 6.6
38
catalog of comets
by Rudski. Van Biesbroeck said the tail extended to PA 243. Rudski said
the nuclear magnitude was 7.2. Beyer said the tail extended 35 in 250. On
the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.84 and said the tail extended 30
in PA 249. Van Biesbroeck said the coma diameter was 4 across, while the
tail was over 2 long. The tail covered an angle of 20 when first leaving
the coma, but it was reduced to a narrow streamer at a distance of 20 from
the nucleus. It became more diffuse further out in PA 243. On the 13th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.79 and said the tail extended 35 in PA 248.
Van Biesbroeck said the tail was broad and diffuse near the coma, with a
bright, threadlike streamer traveling up the middle for 1 in PA 236. This
streamer broadened and diffused further out from the nucleus. The coma
was 5 across. On July 14, the magnitude was within the range of 5.36.0,
according to van Biesbroeck, Graff, Beyer, and Loreta. Van Biesbroeck said
the tail extended to PA 240. Beyer reported the nuclear magnitude was
8.74, the coma was 5 across, and the tail extended 35 in PA 244.
On July 15, the magnitude was given as 5.2 by van Biesbroeck, 5.5 by
Loreta, and 5.78 by Graff. Graff said the tail was 20 long. Ahnert said the
tail extended about 40 . L. Dezso (Budapest-Svabhegy) obtained a 95-minute
exposure using the 7-cm astrocamera and noted a tail extending 30 toward
PA 235. On the 16th, the magnitude was within the range of 4.95.6, according to Loreta, Graff, Krumpholz, van Biesbroeck, Beyer, and Chofardet. Rudski said the tail extended less than 45 , while the nucleus was 23 across
and shone at magnitude 7.5. Van Biesbroeck said the tail extended to PA
238.5. Beyer said the coma diameter was 6 , and the tail extended 40 in PA
235. Krumpholz said the tail extended 1.5 in PA 230. Chofardet said the
round coma was 5 across, with a tail 2530 long. On the 17th, the magnitude was within the range of 4.95.7, according to J. Witkowski (Poznan,
Poland), Graff, Beyer, Krumpholz, Fedtke, and Loreta. Graff said the tail
was 30 long. Rudski said the nuclear magnitude was 7.5. Beyer said the
nuclear magnitude was 8.53, and the tail extended 50 in PA 239. On the
18th, the magnitude was within the range of 5.15.8, according to J. Gadomski (Warszawa, Poland), E. Buchar (Prague, Czech Republic), W. T. Gayfer
(England), Witkowski, Tscherny, Loreta, Campa, and Fedtke. Rudski said
the nuclear magnitude was 7.3. On the 19th, the magnitude was within
the range of 4.95.4, according to Gadomski, Krumpholz, Buchar, Beyer,
Tscherny, and Loreta. Rudski said the nuclear magnitude was 6.7. Beyer
said the tail extended 45 in PA 237. On the 20th, the magnitude was within
the range of 4.95.3, according to Loreta, van Biesbroeck, Buchar, Beyer, and
Gadomski. Beyer said the tail extended 65 in PA 235. Van Biesbroeck said
the tail extended to PA 222. He added, The fan-shaped emanation from
the stellar nucleus extends from position-angle 2 to 86 and has sharply
defined edges. On July 21, the magnitude was within the range of 4.75.1,
according to T. Kumon (Kwasan Observatory, Kyoto, Japan), Witkowski,
Beyer, Tscherny, and Loreta. Rudski said the nuclear magnitude was 7.0.
Beyer said the tail extended 45 in PA 238.
39
catalog of comets
On July 22, the magnitude was within the range of 4.65.5, according to T.
Takagi (Kwasan Observatory, Kyoto, Japan), Graff, Chofardet, Fedtke, and
Loreta. Chofardet said the round coma was 6 across, with a central stellar
nucleus, and a tail pointing to the southwest. On the 23rd, the magnitude
was within the range of 4.34.9, according to Loreta, Beyer, Tscherny, Przybyllok, Fedtke, and Rudski. Rudski said the nuclear magnitude was 7.6.
Beyer said the tail extended 65 in PA 221. On the 24th, the magnitude
was within the range of 4.35.0, according to Witkowski, Przybyllok, Graff,
Krumpholz, Gadomski, Fedtke, and Loreta. Van Biesbroeck said the tail
was broad and diffuse, and extended only about 1 in PA 224. The coma
was 8 in diameter. G. Peisino (Trieste, Italy) observed a distinct nucleus
and a tail about 30 long. Graff said the tail was 1.5 long. On the 25th, the
magnitude was within the range of 4.15.0, according to B. H. Dawson (La
Plata Observatory, Argentina), van Biesbroeck, Krumpholz, Beyer, Buchar,
Gadomski, and Loreta. Rudski said the tail was greater than 1 long and the
nuclear magnitude was 6.9. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 7.11, the
coma diameter was 10 , and the tail extended 75 in PA 231. On the 26th,
the magnitude was within the range of 3.94.5, according to Kamesima
(Kwasan Observatory, Kyoto), Dawson, Beyer, Rudski, Krumpholz, Graff,
Witkowski, Tscherny, Loreta, Buchar, and van Biesbroeck. Dawson said the
tail extended 45 in PA 220. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 9 across
and the broad tail extended about 50 in PA 229. Beyer said the coma was
11 across, and the tail extended 80 in PA 225. Krumpholz said the tail
extended 1. Chofardet said the round coma was 10 across, with a tail
extending towards the southwest. He added that the well-defined nucleus
was situated at the apex of a V-shaped formation within the coma, which
extended towards the northeast. On July 27, the magnitude was within the
range 3.74.2, according to van Biesbroeck, Loreta, Beyer, Tscherny, Fedtke,
and Buchar. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 7.30, the coma diameter
was 11 , and the tail extended 80 in 225.
On July 28, the magnitude was within the range of 3.24.2, according to
A. A. Wachmann (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany), van Biesbroeck, Witkowski, Graff, Tscherny, Buchar, Loreta, Parenago, and Fedtke.
Van Biesbroeck said the tail extended to PA 250. He added, The emanation
from the nucleus covers the angle between 350 and 92 but it is dissymmetrical in intensity, being brightest between 0 and 40. Chofardet said
the coma was 1015 across, with a tail 34 long.
On July 29, the magnitude was within the range of 3.34.1, according to
Dawson, Gadomski, Tscherny, Himpel, Parenago, Fedtke, and Buchar.
On July 30, the magnitude was within the range 3.14.0, according to
van Biesbroeck, Loreta, Kumon, Witkowski, Fedtke, and Beyer. Van Biesbroeck said the broad, structureless tail extended about 45 in PA 221. The
coma was measured as 22 in diameter on a 20-minute exposure, while the
emanation from the nucleus had widened and covered the angle from 351
to 100. M. Schurer
(Berlin-Babelsberg Observatory) estimated the nuclear

40
catalog of comets
magnitude as 5. Przybyllok obtained a photograph which showed a sharp

nucleus and coma extensions to PA 342, 51, and 106. Beyer said the nuclear
magnitude was 7.34, the coma diameter was 12 , and the tail extended 80
in 226.
The comet was observed in moonlight on July 31. The magnitude was
within the range 3.04.0, according to van Biesbroeck, Przybyllok, Tscherny,
Loreta, Fedtke, and Himpel. H. E. Houghton and G. E. Ensor (Pretoria, South
Africa) said the comet was barely visible to the naked eye.
The comet was probably at its brightest as August began, as it passed closest to Earth on the 4th, although moonlight was still a factor that hampered
observations. On August 1, the magnitude was within the range 2.94.1 ,
according to Loreta, van Biesbroeck, Ahnert, and Tscherny. Ahnert said the
nuclear magnitude was 6.9. On the 3rd, the magnitude was given as 3.0 by
Tscherny, 3.7 by Rudski, and 3.9 by Buchar. On the 4th, the magnitude was
given as 3.0 by Tscherny, 3.1 by Dawson, and 3.5 by Himpel. Chofardet said
the nucleus still exhibited the V-shaped formation. On the 5th, the magnitude was given as 2.9 by Dawson, 3.5 by Buchar, 3.7 by Loreta, and 3.8
by Fedtke. A. F. I. Forbes (Cape Town, South Africa) observed with a 20-cm
reflector and said the nucleus was very small, sharp, and bright, and seemed
to be surrounded by a narrow border of light which appeared to be caused
by the light of the nucleus lighting up the misty coma. He noted that the
coma was round and was of an almost uniform degree of mistiness though
at times one seemed to get a slight suggestion of lamination on the side next
to the Sun. Forbes estimated the tail length as 6. On August 6, the comet
attained a maximum solar elongation of 174. Beyer gave the magnitude as
3.46. Dawson said the tail extended to PA 326 and was 6 long in binoculars and 4.5 long with the naked eye. J. W. Hutchings (Wellington, New
Zealand) said a photograph showed an elliptical coma, with a sharp stellar
center, measuring 21 by 15 . The broad, straight tail extended about 3.5 in
PA 320.
On August 7, the magnitude was given as 3.5 by Houghton and Ensor,
3.6 by Buchar, and 4.0 by Campa. Dawson observed with the naked eye and
said the tail extended 3 in PA 339. A. W. Long (South Africa) observed
with an 11-cm refractor and reported a very large coma, with a very bright,
clear-cut nucleus, and a faint tail extending at least 5. Houghton and Ensor
said binoculars showed a broad, diffuse tail extending about 34. On the
9th, Houghton and Ensor gave the magnitude as 4. Dawson said the tail
extended 5 in PA 354 in binoculars, while it extended only 1.5 with the
naked eye. On the 10th and 11th, Dawson gave the magnitudes as 4.0 and
3.8, respectively. On the 12th, Houghton and Ensor gave the magnitude as
5. Hutchings obtained a 2-hour exposure which showed a faint secondary
tail, in addition to the primary one. On the 13th, Houghton and Ensor gave
the magnitude as 5.5 and noted the comet was hard to see with the naked
eye. On the 15th, Hutchings said the comets tail was barely 1 long, while
the coma was about 8 across. On August 16 and 17, Dawson gave the
41
catalog of comets
magnitude as 5.1. On the 17th, Houghton and Ensor gave the magnitude
as 6. Long said the comet was still visible to the naked eye. On the 18th,
R. Watson (Somerset West, South Africa) said the nucleus was bright, but
not quite stellar. Forbes saw the comet on the 19th with the naked eye,
but noted it was a difficult observation. On the 21st, Houghton and Ensor
gave the magnitude as 7. Forbes said the comet was still visible with the
naked eye, but only after first finding its position in binoculars. On the 22nd,
Dawson gave the magnitude as 5.9. On August 24, Hutchings estimated the
magnitude as 7.
On September 4, Houghton and Ensor estimated the magnitude as about
9. On September 6, Watson said the tail extended 20 and possibly even 40 .
Watson noted the tail was 17 long on the 10th. On September 19, Watson
gave the magnitude as 1011, while Houghton and Ensor estimated it as
about 11. Watson said the tail was 5 long, and about 2.5 wide.
Dawson obtained seven photographs of the comet during the period spanning October 111. He described it as a fairly compact, faint nebulosity, with
no nucleus. On October 19, the comet was photographed for the final time
by astronomers at Union Observatory (Johannesburg, South Africa) using
the 25-cm Franklin-Adams Star Camera.
The comet was last detected on October 22.02, when J. Tretter (Cordoba)
found it on a 45-minute exposure made with a 75-cm reflector. The position

was given as = 19h 30.4m , = 74 50 .
Several spectra of this comet were obtained. A. B. Wyse (Lick Observatory)
obtained a 2.75-hour exposure on May 21, using the low-disperson spectrograph and the 91-cm refractor. A weak spectrum was visible, in which the
only recognizable feature was a bright band of cyanogen. D. M. Popper
obtained a denser spectrogram on June 18, using a spectrograph attached
to the 91-cm Crossley reflector and an exposure of 1 hour. The most conspicuous molecule was cyanogen, while fainter bands of diatomic carbon
and triatomic carbon were also visible. D. Belorizky (Marseille Observatory,
France) photographed the spectrum of the comet on July 23, 25, 26, and 30.
He detected cyanogen and diatomic carbon.
The first parabolic orbits were calculated using positions from May 16, 17,
and 18. Whipple and Cunningham used Harvard photographic positions
and determined the perihelion date as 1936 July 4.85. F. Koebcke took a
different set of positions and determined the perihelion date as April 14.52.
Whipple and Cunningham added that the comet would pass close to Earth
at the end of July, so that it may be expected to attain naked eye brilliancy.
Using positions from May 16, 18, and 19, A. D. Maxwell and H. R. J. Grosch
determined the perihelion date as July 7.28. As May progressed, calculations
by M. Davidson, J. P. Moller,
P. Herget, and Whipple and Cunningham eventually established the perihelion date as July 8.9. Later parabolic orbits were
calculated by Moller
and Maxwell during early June.

The first elliptical orbit was calculated by J. Bobone. Using positions from
May 16, June 19, and July 29, he gave the perihelion date as July 8.97 and
42
catalog of comets
the period as about 2018 years. Shortly thereafter, Davidson determined the
perihelion date as July 8.96 and the period as about 1769 years.
A definitive orbit was calculated by Bobone (1947). He took 636 positions
spanning the entire period of visibility and determined the perihelion date
as July 8.96 and the period as about 1542 years. This orbit is given below.
T
1936 Jul. 8.9551 (UT)
(2000.0)
148.4754 134.9408
i
78.5447
q
e
1.099870 0.991760

full moon: May 6, Jun. 5, Jul. 4, Aug. 3, Sep. 1, Sep. 30, Oct. 30
sources: P. S. Riggs, LOB, 17 (1936), p. 196; L. C. Peltier and G. van Biesbroeck,
HAC, No. 373 (1936 May 16); L. C. Peltier, G. van Biesbroeck, and R. R. E. Schorr,
BZAN, 18 (1936 May 18), p. 33; F. L. Whipple and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No.
374 (1936 May 18); F. L. Whipple, L. E. Cunningham, A. A. Wachmann, R. R. E.
Schorr, and E. Przybyllok, BZAN, 18 (1936 May 19), p. 34; F. L. Whipple and L. E.
Cunningham, HAC, No. 375 (1936 May 19); G. van Biesbroeck, A. D. Maxwell,
and H. R. J. Grosch, HAC, No. 376 (1936 May 21); G. B. Lacchini, F. Kaiser, A. A.
Wachmann, J. O. Stobbe, and J. Dick, BZAN, 18 (1936 May 25), p. 35; G. N. Neujmin, K. Graff, and J. O. Stobbe, BZAN, 18 (1936 May 29), p. 36; L. C. Peltier, F. L.
Whipple, L. E. Cunningham, F. Koebcke, and M. Davidson, The Observatory, 59
(1936 Jun.), p. 201; L. C. Peltier, Time, 27 (1936 Jun. 1); J. O. Stobbe, K. Graff, and
G. R. Miczaika, BZAN, 18 (1936 Jun. 2), p. 38; W. K. Green, HAC, No. 377 (1936
Jun. 3); P. Herget, HAC, No. 378 (1936 Jun. 3); F. L. Whipple and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 379 (1936 Jun. 4); L. C. Peltier, G. van Biesbroeck, J. P. Moller,
P. Bourgeois, and E. Vandekerkhove, AN, 259 (1936 Jun. 9), p. 267; J. Franz, F.
Knappe, and M. Beyer, BZAN, 18 (1936 Jun. 16), p. 39; A. D. Maxwell, HAC,
No. 382 (1936 Jun. 25); F. Kaiser, G. Archenhold, G. R. Miczaika, and C. Fedtke,
BZAN, 18 (1936 Jun. 26), p. 42; F. Schembor, J. Stein, M. Schurer,
and S. D. Tscherny, AN, 259 (1936 Jun. 30), p. 347; L. C. Peltier, G. van Biesbroeck, F. L. Whipple,
and L. E. Cunningham, PA, 44 (1936 Jun.Jul.), pp. 3245; J. P. Moller
and G. van
Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 59 (1936 Jul.), pp. 2345; M. Beyer, K. Graff, J. Franz,
C. Fedtke, and S. D. Tscherny, BZAN, 18 (1936 Jul. 8), p. 44; K. Graff, BZAN, 18
(1936 Jul. 19), p. 48; L. Dezso and C. Fedtke, BZAN, 18 (1936 Jul. 22), p. 49;
L. C. Peltier, D. N. Davis, A. D. Maxwell, A. B. Wyse, and D. M. Popper, PASP, 48
(1936 Aug.), pp. 2225; W. T. Gayfer, The Observatory, 59 (1936 Aug.), p. 261; C.
Fedtke, BZAN, 18 (1936 Aug. 7), p. 53; C. Fedtke, BZAN, 18 (1936 Sep. 8), p. 60;
J. O. Stobbe, S. D. Tscherny, R. R. E. Schorr, A. A. Wachmann, M. Schurer,
and G.
Peisino, AN, 260 (1936 Aug. 11), p. 159; G. van Biesbroeck and A. D. Maxwell,
PA, 44 (1936 Aug.Sep.), pp. 38992; S. Plakidis, D. Kotsakis, and J. Bobone, AN,
260 (1936 Sep. 17), pp. 3214; T. Kumon, T. Takagi, and Kamesima, AN, 260 (1936
Sep. 30), p. 391; J. W. Hutchings, PASP, 48 (1936 Oct.), pp. 2701; G. Loreta, P.
Ahnert, K. Himpel, J. Witkowski, J. Gadomski, and E. Buchar, AN, 260 (1936 Oct.
12), pp. 4258; S. D. Tscherny, AN, 260 (1936 Oct. 19), pp. 42934; D. Belorizky
and P. Chofardet, JO, 19 (1936 Dec.), pp. 2014; E. Przybyllok and M. Campa,
AN, 261 (1936 Dec. 17), pp. 219, 225; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 18 (1937), pp. 856; G.
van Biesbroeck, AJ, 46 (1937 Jan. 2), pp. 12, 46; [Union Observatory], UOC,
43
catalog of comets
No. 97 (1937 Jan. 27), pp. 3067; M. Davidson and L. C. Peltier, MNRAS, 97 (1937
Feb.), pp. 3345; H. E. Houghton, G. E. Ensor, A. W. Long, A. F. I. Forbes, and R.
Watson, JASSA, 4 (1937 Mar.), pp. 7981; K. Graff, AN, 262 (1937 Mar. 1), p. 13;
Astrophysik, 13 (1937
R. R. E. Schorr, AN, 262 (1937 Mar. 8), p. 33; Zeitschrift fur
Mar. 9), pp. 18695; A. D. Dubiago, AN, 262 (1937 Mar. 16), p. 69; N. Rudski,
AN, 262 (1937 Mar. 19), pp. 8992; M. Beyer, AN, 262 (1937 Apr. 22), pp. 217
28; B. H. Dawson, AJ, 46 (1937 May 10), pp. 579; J. Tretter, AN, 263 (1937 Jul.
13), pp. 1636; H. Krumpholz, AN, 264 (1937 Oct. 12), pp. 214; P. P. Parenago,
AJSU, 15 (1938), pp. 1734; A. Schmitt, JO, 21 (1938 Apr.), pp. 58, 60; H. L.
Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.), p. 62; J. Bobone, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 1089, 112;
V1964, p. 73.
C/1936 O1 Discovered: 1936 July 17.49 ( = 0.98 AU, r = 0.52 AU, Elong. = 30)
(KahoKozikLis) Last seen: 1936 November 24.51 ( = 1.62 AU, r = 2.42 AU, Elong. = 136)
1936 III = 1936b Calculated path: LMi (Disc), LYN (Sep. 19), GEM (Nov. 13)
S. Kaho (Sappora, Japan) discovered this comet on 1936 July 17.49, at = 10h
03.6m , = +34 26 . He described it as magnitude 6, with a nucleus and
a short tail. S. Kozik (Ashkhabad Geophysical Observatory, Turkmanian
Republic, Soviet Union) independently found the comet nearly 7 hours later
on July 17.73, and described it as magnitude 6, with a very faint, straight, and
narrow tail extending about 1.5. W. Lis (Astronomical Station of Cracow
Observatory, Mount Lubomir, Poland) independently discovered the comet
on July 17.86, and gave the nuclear magnitude as 8.0. The comet had been
situated at a minimum elongation of about 18 from the sun on June 29
and moved out to a maximum elongation of 31 by July 14. The comet was
moving away from both the sun and Earth at the time of discovery.
On July 18, the magnitude was given as 45 by F. Quenisset (Juvisy Observatory, France), 6 by G. N. Neujmin (Simeis Observatory, Crimea, Ukraine),
and 6.0 by S. Herrick and D. N. Davis (Lick Observatory, California, USA).
T. Banachiewicz (Cracow) said the comet and tail were faintly visible to
the naked eye in twilight. The tail length was given as 1 by Banachiewicz
and over 2 by Quenisset. Banachiewicz also reported an oval nucleus of
magnitude 8 was visible in a 12-cm refractor.
On July 19, the magnitude was given as 5 by Davis and H. M. Jeffers
(Lick Observatory), 5.0 by Kozik, 5.9 by G. Loreta (Bologna, Italy), and 6
by Neujmin. Neujmin noted a nucleus and tail. Davis and Jeffers obtained
a 3-minute exposure using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the tail
extended 0.5 toward the east.
The comet faded slightly during the remainder of July. On the 20th, the
magnitude was given as 5 by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) and 6 by L. E. Cunningham (Harvard College Observatory,
Massachusetts, USA). Van Biesbroeck said the tail extended over 1. On the
21st, the magnitude was given as 5.5 by van Biesbroeck and 6.0 by Loreta.
On the 22nd, the magnitude was given as 5.0 by M. Campa (Milan, Italy), 5.5
44
catalog of comets
by E. J. Delporte (Uccle, Belgium), and 6.0 by Loreta. Delporte said the tail
was less than 1 long, while there was a central condensation. On the 23rd,
Loreta gave the magnitude as 6.3. On the 24th, the magnitude was given as
5 by H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory) and van Biesbroeck, 6.0 by Campa,
and 6.4 by Loreta. On the 25th, Jeffers said an 8-minute exposure with the
91-cm Crossley reflector showed a tail extending over 0.5 with structure
suggesting a bright central filament inside a less conspicuous envelope. On
the 26th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 5.5. On the 28th, the magnitude was given as 5.5 by van Biesbroeck, 6.5 by A. Bohrmann (Konigstuhl
Observatory, Heidelberg, Germany), and 7.0 by Campa. Van Biesbroeck said

the coma was 50 across and contained a sharp nucleus. The tail was much
fainter and extended to PA 51. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +37 on July 30, at which time van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude
as 5.8. On July 31, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 6.5, and said the
tail was no longer visible in evening twilight.
The last observation before the comets conjunction with the sun was
made by Bohrmann on August 6.85, when he gave the magnitude as 8.7.
The elongation was then 22. On August 10, the comet reached a minimum
solar elongation of 21.
The first observation of this comet following its conjunction with the sun
came on August 29.40, when van Biesbroeck found it in morning twilight
and described it as a round, centrally condensed coma, with a magnitude
of 12. The elongation was then 29.
On September 18, Jeffers gave the magnitude as 12.5, using the 30-cm
refractor. He said the comet seemed quite diffuse. The comet attained
its most southerly declination of +33 on October 6. On October 24, van
Biesbroeck described the comet as a diffuse coma 40 in diameter, with a
magnitude of 15.5. On October 26, Jeffers photographed the comet using
the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 17.5. He said a
60-minute exposure revealed the coma was moderately condensed, with
a diameter of 5 , and contained a far from stellar nucleus. After moving very slowly northward for about a month, the comet attained a declination of +34 on November 14 and then began moving southward
again.
The last two detections of this comet came on November 24.45 and
November 24.51, when Jeffers obtained two 1-hour exposures with the 91cm Crossley reflector at Lick Observatory. B. P. Riggs gave the comets position on the latter date as = 7h 11.9m , = +33 52 . Jeffers described the
comet as a mere fleck of nebulosity with a magnitude of 18. The moon
was full on November 28.
The first orbital calculation was made by F. L. Whipple and Cunningham
and was published on July 21. Using positions obtained on July 18, 19, and
20, they found a perihelion date of 1936 July 13.70. Large residuals for the
first date led them to state that the orbit was uncertain due to observational
inconsistency.
45
catalog of comets
Cunningham revised his orbital calculations using observations made up

through July 27, and published them on August 6. He found the perihelion
date was July 15.83. J. P. Moller
used a similar set of positions and determined the perihelion date as July 15.80. A. D. Maxwell and H. R. J. Grosch
published a parabolic orbit on August 28, which was based on four precise
positions obtained between July 19 and 30. The perihelion date was July
15.84. Using three observations obtained between July 18 and 30, H. Hirose
computed a parabolic orbit. The perihelion date was determined as July
15.84.
I. Nikoloff (1952) used 65 positions obtained between July 18 and November 24, and computed an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of July 15.82
and a period of about 887 years. This orbit is given below.
T
1936 Jul. 15.8203 (UT)
45.8496
(2000.0)
i
q
e
265.0062 121.9417 0.518403 0.994389

full moon: Jul. 4, Aug. 3, Sep. 1, Sep. 30, Oct. 30, Nov. 28
sources: S. Kaho, S. Kozik, and G. N. Neujmin, BZAN, 18 (1936 Jul. 19), p. 48; S.
Kaho, S. Herrick, D. N. Davis, H. M. Jeffers, S. Kozik, L. E. Cunningham, and G.
van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 383 (1936 Jul. 20); F. L. Whipple and L. E. Cunningham,
HAC, No. 384 (1936 Jul. 21); W. Lis, S. Kozik, G. N. Neujmin, G. Loreta, F. L.
Whipple, and L. E. Cunningham, BZAN, 18 (1936 Jul. 22), p. 49; S. Kaho, F. L.
Whipple, and L. E. Cunningham, The Observatory, 59 (1936 Aug.), p. 261; G. van
Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 385 (1936 Aug. 3); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 386 (1936
Aug. 6); S. Kaho, S. Kozik, W. Lis, and J. P. Moller,
AN, 260 (1936 Aug. 17),

p. 171; A. Bohrmann, BZAN, 18 (1936 Aug. 19), p. 56; A. D. Maxwell and H. R. J.
Grosch, HAC, No. 387 (1936 Aug. 28); S. Kaho, S. Kozik, F. L. Whipple, and L. E.
Cunningham, PA, 44 (1936 Aug.Sep.), p. 393; L. E. Cunningham and J. P. Moller,
The Observatory, 59 (1936 Sep.), p. 296; W. Lis and T. Banachiewicz, AN, 260 (1936
Sep. 1), p. 271; A. Bohrmann, AN, 260 (1936 Sep. 7), p. 287; A. Bohrmann, AN, 260
(1936 Sep. 17), p. 323; G. Loreta, A. Bohrmann, and E. J. Delporte, AN, 260 (1936
Sep. 30), p. 389; W. Lis, A. D. Maxwell, H. R. J. Grosch, and G. van Biesbroeck,
PA, 44 (1936 Oct.), p. 451; G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 59 (1936 Nov.),
p. 356; S. Kaho, S. Kozik, and W. Lis, PASP, 48 (1936 Dec.), p. 316; S. Kaho, S.
Kozik, W. Lis, A. D. Maxwell, and H. R. J. Grosch, PASP, 48 (1936 Dec.), p. 339;
M. Campa, AN, 261 (1936 Dec. 17), p. 225; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 18 (1937), pp. 86,
88; S. Kaho, S. Kozik, W. Lis, F. Quenisset, A. D. Maxwell, and H. R. J. Grosch,
MNRAS, 97 (1937 Feb.), pp. 3345; PASP, 49 (1937 Feb.), p. 36; G. van Biesbroeck,
The Observatory, 60 (1937 Feb.), p. 55; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 46 (1937 Sep. 14),
pp. 141, 1435; H. Hirose, JJAG, 15 (1938), p. 24; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.),
p. 62; I. Nikoloff, MNRAS, 112 (1952), pp. 3423; V1964, p. 73.
58P/1936 S1 Prediscovery: 1936 September 9.92 ( = 0.48 AU, r = 1.49 AU, Elong. =
(JacksonNeujmin) 173)
Discovered: 1936 September 15.86 ( = 0.48 AU, r = 1.48 AU,
1936 IV = 1936c Elong. = 167)
46
catalog of comets
Last seen: 1936 November 5.27 ( = 0.68 AU, r = 1.51 AU, Elong. = 128)
Closest to the Earth: 1936 September 16 (0.4788 AU)
Calculated path: AQR (Pre), CET (Oct. 27)
This comet was independently discovered on plates taken in the course of
routine minor planet surveys. The initial discovery was made by C. V. Jackson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) on 1936 September
20, while examining one of the plates exposed using the FranklinAdams
Star Camera on September 15.86. The position was then given as = 22h
54.4m , = 10 41 . Jackson rephotographed the region on September 20.84
to confirm the discovery. A visual observation with the 66-cm telescope
showed a diffuse, 12th-magnitude object, without a central condensation or
nucleus. The daily motion was determined as +1m 05s in and 25 in . An
independent discovery of this comet was made by G. N. Neujmin (Simeis
Observatory, Crimea, Ukraine) on September 21.82. He also estimated the
magnitude as 12. Near the end of November, F. Rigaux (Royal Observatory,
Uccle, Belgium) announced the finding of a prediscovery image on a photographic plate exposed on September 9.92. The comet was near its closest
distance to Earth when discovered, but was still approaching the sun.
On September 22, the magnitude was given as 12 by Neujmin, 12.5 by
H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA), and 13 by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA). Van Biesbroeck described
the comet as a round, centrally condensed coma, with a diameter of 30 .
On the 23rd, the photographic magnitude was given as 11 by H. L. Giclas
(Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA), 12 by J. Bobone (National Observatory, Cordoba,
Argentina) and Neujmin, 12.5 by A. A. Wachmann (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany), and 13 by van Biesbroeck. On the
24th and 25th, Bobone gave the magnitude as 12. On September 25, van
Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 13. He added that the coma was round,
centrally condensed, and measured 25 across.
The comet was closest to the sun at the beginning of October and was
moving away from both the sun and Earth thereafter. On October 8, van
Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 13.5. The coma was extremely diffuse and
35 across. On the 12th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 14. He added
that the coma was diffuse with hardly any condensation, and measured
30 across. On the 14th, Jeffers visually observed the comet using the 91-cm
refractor and gave the magnitude as 15.5. He simply described it as a small
fleck of nebulosity. On the 16th, van Biesbroeck simply described the comet
as extremely diffuse with a magnitude of 15. On the 21st, Jeffers obtained
a photograph with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and noted a coma 1015
across, with a moderately condensed nucleus. The comet attained its most
southerly declination of 20 on October 27.
The last two detections of the comet came on November 5.23 and November 5.27, when Jeffers obtained photographs with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. B. P. Riggs gave the comets position on the latter date as = 0h 09.4m ,
47
catalog of comets
= 20 07 . Jeffers said the comet was a small, well-defined object of magnitude 17.5.
The first orbit was computed by L. E. Cunningham and published on
September 26. Using van Biesbroecks precise positions from September 22,
23, and 25, he found an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of 1936 October
4.79 and a period of 6.83 years. This orbit indicated the comet had passed
about 0.5 AU from Jupiter in the spring of 1934. Jackson took positions from
September 15, 20, and 26, and determined the perihelion date as October
2.50 and the period as 9.52 years. Despite these elliptical orbits, two teams
of astronomers independently calculated parabolic orbits a few days after
Jackson and using the same positions. S. Herrick, G. E. Kron, and Miss Hill
determined the perihelion date as September 30.81, while A. D. Maxwell and
H. R. J. Grosch determined it as October 5.58.
The comets orbit was virtually pinpointed about mid-October. Cunningham used three positions determined by van Biesbroeck during the
period September 22October 8. He gave the perihelion date as October
3.67 and the period as 8.53 years. Herrick, Kron, and Hill computed an
elliptical orbit using eight precise positions spanning the period September
22October 7, and found a perihelion date of October 3.39 and a period
of 8.54 years. Using positions from September 15, October 4, and 19, Jackson determined the perihelion date as October 3.24 and the period as 8.06
years. Following the announcement of the prediscovery position of September 9, Cunningham used it, plus positions from September 23 and October 21, to determine a perihelion date of October 3.45 and a period of
8.53 years.
The comet was not found at its next three apparitions. B. G. Marsden (1960,
1961, 1969) subsequently published orbits which indicated the period was
slightly longer: 8.57 years. These orbits led to the comets recovery in 1970.
Thereafter, Marsden (1975) and G. Forti (1989) computed multiple apparition orbits using both gravitational and nongravitational effects. Fortis orbit
is given below. It used 41 positions obtained during the observed apparitions of 19361978, as well as perturbations by all nine planets and nongravitational terms of A1 = +0.00 and A2 = 0.2595, and determined the
perihelion date as October 3.37.
The suggestion was made on several occasions during the discovery
apparition that this comet might be comet Swift of 1895 (D/1895 Q1), which
was shown to have an orbit of 7.2 years, but was not seen again after its discovery apparition. Later computations have shown the link is not possible.
T
1936 Oct. 3.3680 (TT)
(2000.0)
197.2803 165.1350

full moon: Sep. 1, Sep. 30, Oct. 30, Nov. 28
48
i
13.2898
q
e
1.462680 0.650596
catalog of comets
sources: C. V. Jackson, BZAN, 18 (1936 Sep. 22), p. 67; G. van Biesbroeck, HAC,
No. 389 (1936 Sep. 23); G. van Biesbroeck and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 390
(1936 Sep. 26); S. Herrick, G. E. Kron, Miss Hill, A. D. Maxwell, and H. R. J.
Grosch, HAC, No. 391 (1936 Sep. 29); G. N. Neujmin and A. A. Wachmann,
BZAN, 18 (1936 Sep. 30), p. 68; C. V. Jackson, The Observatory, 59 (1936 Oct.),
p. 322; G. N. Neujmin, BZAN, 18 (1936 Oct. 7), p. 71; L. E. Cunningham and
G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 394 (1936 Oct. 13); S. Herrick, G. E. Kron, Miss
Hill, and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 395 (1936 Oct. 14); C. V. Jackson, BZAN,
18 (1936 Oct. 19), p. 73; L. E. Cunningham, S. Herrick, G. E. Kron, Miss Hill,
IAUC, No. 627 (1936 Oct. 29); C. V. Jackson, L. E. Cunningham, S. Herrick, G. E.
Kron, Miss Hill, and G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 44 (1936 Nov.), p. 494; C. V. Jackson, The Observatory, 59 (1936 Nov.), pp. 3556; F. Rigaux and G. N. Neujmin,
IAUC, No. 628 (1936 Nov. 3); H. A. Kobold, AN, 261 (1936 Nov. 10), p. 85; C. V.
Jackson, IAUC, No. 629 (1936 Nov. 10); C. V. Jackson, AN, 261 (1936 Nov. 17),
p. 101; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 401 (1936 Dec. 2); J. Bobone, AN, 261 (1936
Dec. 17), p. 225; G. N. Neujmin, PA, 44 (1936 Dec.), p. 573; H. M. Jeffers and
L. E. Cunningham, PASP, 48 (1936 Dec.), pp. 33940; C. V. Jackson and G. van
Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 59 (1936 Dec.), p. 383; C. V. Jackson, UOC, No. 97
(1937 Jan. 27), pp. 3078; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 18 (1937), p. 86; L. E. Cunningham,
The Observatory, 60 (1937 Jan.), p. 28; C. V. Jackson, G. N. Neujmin, F. Rigaux,
and L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 97 (1937 Feb.), p. 336; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 46
(1937 Sep. 14), pp. 141, 1445; L. E. Cunningham, VJS, 73 (1938), pp. 601; H. L.
Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.), p. 62; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 1 (1960 Dec.), pp. 2323;
B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 2 (1961 Oct.), pp. 1579; V1964, p. 73; B. G. Marsden,
QJRAS, 10 (1969 Sep.), pp. 2523; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 2nd ed. (1975), pp. 24, 50;
B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 523, 57; G. Forti, AAP, 215 (1989),
pp. 3812, 384.
33P/1937 B1 Recovered: 1937 January 31.43 ( = 1.23 AU, r = 1.54 AU, Elong. = 87)
(Daniel) Last seen: 1937 April 1.85 ( = 1.77 AU, r = 1.67 AU, Elong. = 68)
1937 I = 1937a Calculated path: ARI (Rec), TAU (Feb. 27), PER (Mar. 8), AUR (Mar. 22)
Following this comets discovery in 1909, it was missed at its next three
apparitions. For the 1916 apparition, a prediction of May 23.92 was
provided by S. Einarsson and M. Harwood (1916), while J. Krassowski
(1916) determined it as May 22.26. Although these indicated the comet was
unfavorably placed for observation, Einarsson and Harwood noted that
the predicted positions may be considerably in error due to the fairly close
approach to Jupiter. They found that the comet was within 0.7 AU from
Jupiter during the period spanning 1911 December and 1912 March. A
prediction for the next apparition came from C. H. Hall Jr. and E. L. Kinsey
(1922). They began with the orbit determined for the 1909 apparition and
found that the comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1922 October 18.
A. D. Dubiago (1923, 1924) predicted the comet would pass perihelion
around the middle of 1923. F. R. Cripps (1929, 1930) provided a prediction
49
catalog of comets
for the third missed apparition. He carefully calculated the perturbations

from 1909 to 1930 and predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion
on 1930 April 7.52. He noted the comet was not well placed, being low in
the west during evening twilight.
S. Kanda suggested to H. Hirose (1937) that a search ephemeris for the
1937 apparition should be computed. Hirose took Dubiagos orbit for the
unobserved 1923 apparition and computed the perturbations from Jupiter
for the period of 192336. He noted that the upcoming return of 1937 would
be favorable for recovery, and predicted a perihelion date of 1937 January
28.59.
The comet was recovered by S. Shimizu (Simada, Japan) with an 8-cm
astrograph on 1937 January 31.43. The comet was then at a position of = 2h
18.8m , = +17 36 , and was found after an extensive search around the
positions predicted by Hirose. Shimizu said it appeared as a 13th-magnitude
diffuse object, without a nucleus. Confirming photographic observations
were obtained by Shimizu on February 2.43 and February 3.43, with the
magnitude being estimated as 12.5. Hiroses prediction needed a correction
of only 0.710 day. The comet was found as it was moving away from both
the sun and Earth.
On February 9, Kanda (Tokyo Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka Station,
Japan) observed the comet. On the 12th, L. E. Cunningham (Harvard College Observatorys Oak Ridge Station, Massachusetts, USA) described the
comets photographic appearance as a poorly defined, diffuse splotch
measuring about 15 across. The magnitude was 14.6 on a plate exposed
with the 30-cm telescope at Cambridge, while it was 15.2 on a plate exposed
with the 41-cm telescope at the Oak Ridge Station.
On March 2, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
described the comet as possessing a very faint coma 20 in diameter and
gave the magnitude as 14.5. He added that a sharply defined nucleus measured 6 in diameter and shone at magnitude 15.5. On the 7th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 15 and the coma as about 25 across. On
March 8 and 16, W. Dieckvoss (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
gave the magnitude as 16.
This comet was last detected on April 1.85, when L. Volta (Pino Torinese
Observatory, Turin, Italy) photographed it using the 20-cm astrograph and
estimated the magnitude as 14.5. He gave the position as = 5h 07.5m ,
= +36 09 .
Hirose took the recovery positions and corrected his predicted orbit from
the previous year. The result was a perihelion date of January 27.94.
1986), and L. M. Belous (1985), which established a perihelion date of January 27.85 and a period of 6.83 years. Marsden (1968) said the results
were not very satisfactory, but that there was evidently secular deceleration, but the precise value is hard to estimate. Using positions spanning 193764, the nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.86734
50
catalog of comets
and A2 = +0.054463 by Marsden (1970), A1 = +1.1 and A2 = +0.073 by

Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973), and A1 = +1.14 and
A2 = +0.0785 by Marsden (1986). The orbit of Marsden (1986) is given
below.
T
1937 Jan. 27.8455 (TT)
6.0611
(2000.0)
71.1593
i
19.8261
q
e
1.535656 0.573200

full moon: Jan. 26, Feb. 25, Mar. 26, Apr. 25
sources: S. Einarsson and M. Harwood, LOB, 9 (1916), p. 14; J. Krassowski,
AN, 203 (1916 Nov. 23), p. 357; C. H. Hall Jr. and E. L. Kinsey, HCOB, No. 768
(1922 May 19); C. H. Hall Jr. and E. L. Kinsey, PA, 30 (1922 Jun.), p. 368; A. D.
Dubiago, BZAN, 5 (1923 Mar. 5), p. 10; A. D. Dubiago, VJS, 59 (1924), pp. 2326;
F. R. Cripps, MNRAS, 89 (1929 Feb.), pp. 3623; F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for
1930 (1930 Jan.), pp. 289; H. Hirose, S. Kanda, A. D. Dubiago, and S. Shimizu,
PIAJ, 13 (1937), pp. 1567; S. Shimizu, BZAN, 19 (1937 Feb. 11), p. 6; S. Shimizu,
HAC, No. 402 (1937 Feb. 11); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 405 (1937 Feb. 19);
L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 640 (1937 Mar. 2); H. Hirose and S. Shimizu,
IAUC, No. 646 (1937 Mar. 15); A. D. Dubiago, H. Hirose, and S. Shimizu, PA,
45 (1937 Mar.), pp. 1567; S. Shimizu and H. Hirose, The Observatory, 60 (1937
Mar.), p. 83; L. E. Cunningham, BZAN, 19 (1937 Mar. 5), p. 11; S. Shimizu and
H. Hirose, The Observatory, 60 (1937 Apr.), p. 115; L. Volta, IAUC, No. 652 (1937
Apr. 8); L. Volta, BZAN, 19 (1937 Apr. 9), p. 19; W. Dieckvoss, AN, 262 (1937 Apr.
12), p. 197; G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 60 (1937 May), p. 146; G. van
Biesbroeck, AJ, 46 (1937 Sep. 14), pp. 1445; L. Volta and H. Hirose, MNRAS,
98 (1938 Feb.), pp. 3479; W. Dieckvoss, AN, 265 (1938 Feb. 2), p. 1; H. Hirose,
JJAG, 15 (1938), pp. 245; V1964, p. 73; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 372,
374; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31415; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970
Feb.), pp. 812; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 11 (1970 Sep.), pp. 2323; B. G. Marsden,
Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), p. 213; L. M. Belous, QJRAS,
26 (1985 Mar.), pp. 11314; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 5th ed. (1986), pp. 21, 55, 66;
B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116.
C/1937 C1 Prediscovery: 1937 February 4.40 ( = 1.76 AU, r = 2.44 AU, Elong. = 122)
(Whipple) Discovered: 1937 February 7.38 ( = 1.72 AU, r = 2.41 AU, Elong. = 123)
Last seen: 1937 October 28.74 ( = 2.65 AU, r = 2.40 AU, Elong. = 64)
1937 IV = 1937b Closest to the Earth: 1937 June 26 (1.2690 AU)
Calculated path: CVn (Pre), UMa (Mar. 10), BOO (Mar. 19), UMa (Mar. 29),
DRA (May 19), BOO (Jun. 2), CrB (Jul. 15), SER (Jul. 25), HER (Aug. 4),
SER-HER (Aug. 9), OPH (Aug. 28), SER (Sep. 30), SCT (Oct. 18), SGR
(Oct. 19)
On 1937 February 14, F. L. Whipple (Harvard College Observatory) was
examining a photographic plate exposed on February 7.38, when he discovered the image of a comet at a position of = 13h 19.5m , = +35 26 .
It was described as a diffuse object of magnitude 11.5, with a nucleus and a
51
catalog of comets
tail, The daily motion was given as +1m 18s in and +22 in . On February
15.22, Whipple and L. E. Cunningham estimated the magnitude as 11.0.
On February 15.47, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) visually observed the comet with the 30-cm refractor and estimated the magnitude as 10. Around this same time, a prediscovery image was found by
Whipple on a photographic plate exposed on February 4.40. The magnitude
was then estimated as 11.5. The comet was approaching both the sun and
Earth.
On February 17, the magnitude was given as 10.5 by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA), A. M. Vergnano (Pino Torinese Observatory, Turin, Italy), and G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory, Athens, Greece). Van Biesbroeck said a well-condensed nucleus was
observed in the diffuse coma, and a tail extended 12 in PA 250. Adamopoulos said the round coma was 61 across, with a weak condensation, but a
stellar nucleus of magnitude 12.5. Jeffers said the nucleus was nearly stellar.
On the 20th, E. Vandekerkhove (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium) estimated the nuclear magnitude as 12. On the 23rd, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 10. He noted a sharp nucleus and said a tail was faintly visible in the third quadrant. On February 26, van Biesbroeck observed under
a nearly full moon and simply described the comet as faint.
On March 1, Jeffers gave the magnitude as 10 and noted a stellar nucleus.
On March 2 and 3, Vandekerkhove gave the nuclear magnitude as 12. On
the 4th, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) photographed the comet
and gave the magnitude as 11.6. On the 5th, Boyer gave the photographic
magnitude as 11.7. On the 6th, H. Fischer (Innsbruck, Austria) said the coma
was 1 across, with a weak central condensation. Vandekerkhove said there
was a central condensation and a tail extended to PA 320. On the 7th, F.
Schembor (Vienna University Observatory, Austria) gave the photographic
magnitude as 8. On the 8th, the visual magnitude was given as 9.94 by M.
Beyer (Hamburg, Germany), while the photographic magnitude was given
as 8 by W. Dieckvoss (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany). Beyer
said the coma was 1.9 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 12.4. He added
that a tail extended 3 in PA 272. On the 9th, Adamopoulos gave the magnitude as 10.0. He said the coma was 55 across, with a distinct nucleus of
magnitude 11.5, and a tail extending 3 in PA 261. On the 10th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 9.89. He said the coma was 2.3 across, with a nucleus of
magnitude 11.8. He added that a tail extended 4 in PA 251. On the 11th, van
Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.8. Adamopoulos said the coma was 65
across, with a tail extending 3.5 in PA 262. On the 12th, the magnitude was
given as 9.3 by van Biesbroeck and 9.5 by W. H. Steavenson (West Norwood,
England). Van Biesbroeck noted a stellar nucleus and a very broad tail that
covered PA 200270. Steavenson said a faint tail extended 10 in PA 260. On
the 13th, the magnitude was given as 9.5 by H. Krumpholz (Vienna, Austria) and 10.0 by A. D. Dubiago (University Observatory, Kazan, Russia).
Fischer said the coma was 1 across, with a weak central condensation.
52
catalog of comets
Krumpholz said the comet exhibited a very distinct condensation and a

broad tail extending to PA 220. On the 14th, the magnitude was given as 9.2
by van Biesbroeck, 9.55 by Beyer, and 10.2 by Dubiago. Van Biesbroeck said
the main axis of the broad tail extended to PA 240. Beyer said the coma was
2 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 12.4. He added that a tail extended
5 in PA 262. On March 15, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude
as 11.0.
Moonlight interfered with observations during the latter half of March. On
the 16th, the magnitude was given as 9.39 by Beyer and 9.5 by Adamopoulos. Beyer said the coma was 2 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 11.9. He
added that a tail extended 5 in PA 261. On the 18th, Steavenson gave the
magnitude as 9.5. U. S. Lyons (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC) photographed the comet using the 102-cm reflector and said the comet exhibited
a starlike nucleus and a short tail. Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.57 on the
22nd. On March 26, 28, and 30, van Biesbroeck noted a round coma and
a well-defined nucleus. On the 29th, the magnitude was given as 9.31 by
Beyer and 10 by Steavenson. Beyer said the coma was 2.5 across, with a
nucleus of magnitude 12.0. He added that a tail extended 5 in PA 255. On
the 30th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.36. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 11.8, the coma diameter was 2.5 , and the tail extended 5 in PA
262. Lyons said the comet exhibited a starlike nucleus of magnitude 10.5.
On March 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.44. He said the coma was 2.5
across, with a nucleus of magnitude 12.2. He added that a tail extended 5
in PA 253.
On April 1, Steavenson gave the magnitude as 10. On the 2nd, the magnitude was given as 9.26 by Beyer and 9.4 by van Biesbroeck. Van Biesbroeck
said the tail was only faintly visible, but there was still a sharp nucleus. Beyer
said the coma was 2.2 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 11.5. Beyer added
that a tail extended 7 in PA 248. On the 4th, Steavenson gave the magnitude as 9.5. On the 7th, the magnitude was given as 9.19 by Beyer and 9.2 by
van Biesbroeck. Van Biesbroeck said the nucleus was almost stellar, while
the broad tail extended over 8 in PA 202260. Beyer said the coma was
2.8 across, with a tail extending 6 in PA 253. On the 9th, the magnitude
was given as 8.5 by van Biesbroeck and 8.97 by Beyer. Beyer said the coma
was 2.8 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 11.87. He added that a tail
extended 10 in PA 257. On the 11th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.84, yet
van Biesbroeck commented that the comet was unquestionably fainter
and gave the magnitude as 9.5. Van Biesbroeck said the main axis of the tail
extended to PA 210 and the nucleus was near the apex of the paraboloid
coma. Beyer said the coma was 2.8 across, with a nucleus of magnitude
12.17. Beyer added that a tail extended 8 in PA 256. On the 12th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 8.82. He said the coma was 2.3 across and the tail
extended 9 toward PA 256. On April 12 and 13, C. Fedtke (Konigsberg,
now Kaliningrad, Russia) gave the magnitude as 9.0. On the 13th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 8.81. He said the coma was 2.5 across and the tail
53
catalog of comets
extended 10 toward PA 253. On the 14th, Fedtke gave the magnitude as
8.9. He noted a stellar nucleus of magnitude 9.6 and a tail extending 34 . On
April 15, M. Campa (Milan, Italy) gave the magnitude as 10.0, using a 22-cm
refractor. Jeffers photographed the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector
and said the faint, broad tail extended at least 5 toward the southwest.
On April 17, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.87. He said the coma was 2.5
across, with a tail extending 10 in PA 252. On the 20th, the magnitude was
given as 8.8 by Fedtke and 9.0 by van Biesbroeck. Van Biesbroeck said the
tail was only faintly visible in moonlight. On the 25th, van Biesbroeck said
the coma was very faint, although a sharp nucleus was still visible. On the
28th, the magnitude was given as 8.3 by F. Kaiser (Wiesbaden, Germany)
and 8.64 by Beyer. Beyer said the coma was 2.8 across, with a tail extending
10 in PA 244. Kaiser added that a 35-minute exposure revealed a coma 3
across and a fan-shaped tail extending 9 toward PA 240. On the 29th, the
magnitude was given as 8.60 by Beyer and 9.8 by Campa. Beyer said the
coma was 2.3 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 11.8. He added that a
tail extended 8 in PA 244. On the 29th and 30th, G. Loreta (Bologna, Italy)
gave the magnitude as 8.6. On April 30, the magnitude was given as 8.58
by Beyer and 8.7 by K. Himpel (Wiesbaden). Beyer said the coma was 2.0
across, with a nucleus of magnitude 12.01. He added that a tail extended 9
in PA 243.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +60 on May 1. The
magnitude was then given as 8.53 by Beyer and 8.6 by Himpel. Beyer said
the coma was 2.8 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 12.07. He added that
a tail extended 10 in PA 247. Jeffers photographed the comet with the 91cm Crossley reflector and found a faint, broad tail extending 10 towards
the southwest. The coma was small, but bright. On the 2nd, the magnitude
was given as 8.48 by Beyer and 8.6 by Himpel. Beyer said the coma was 3.0
across, with a nucleus of magnitude 12.12. He added that a tail extended
10 in PA 250. On the 3rd, the magnitude was given as 8.47 by Beyer, 8.5
by Fedtke, and 8.6 by Loreta. Fedtke noted it was very diffuse, with a tail
extending toward PA 230. E. Przybyllok (Konigsberg,
now Kaliningrad,
Russia) observed with a 33-cm refractor and described the comet as diffuse,
with a granular center. On the 4th, Lyons said the coma and nucleus were
elongated. On the 5th, the magnitude was given as 8.49 by Beyer and 8.5 by
Himpel. Beyer said the coma was 2.8 across, with a tail extending 10 in PA
249. On the 7th, Loreta gave the magnitude as 8.6. On the 8th, Fedtke gave
the magnitude as 8.2 and said the comet was diffuse, with a tail toward PA
230. Loreta gave the magnitude as 8.4 on the 9th. On the 10th, the magnitude
was given as 8.4 by van Biesbroeck and 8.5 by Adamopoulos. Van Biesbroeck
noted a stellar nucleus and a coarse tail extending to PA 200. Adamopoulos said the nuclear magnitude was 11.5. On the 11th, Himpel gave the
magnitude as 8.4. D. Kotsakis (National Observatory, Athens, Greece) said
the coma extended towards the southwest, while a magnitude-11.5 nucleus
was eccentrically situated towards the north. On the 12th, Fedtke gave the
54
catalog of comets
magnitude as 8.2 and the comet was very diffuse, with a tail toward PA
230. Lyons said the comet exhibited a sharp nucleus and a tail 1 long.
Adamopoulos said the coma was 70 across, with a tail 2 long. On the 13th,
the magnitude was given as 8.30 by Beyer and 8.5 by Himpel. Beyer said the
coma was 3.0 across, with a tail extending 10 in PA 240. Kotsakis said the
coma was 1 across, with a nucleus eccentrically situated towards the northeast and a weak tail pointing to the southwest.
On May 16, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.27. He said the coma was 3.0
across, with a tail extending 10 in PA 222. On the 17th, Adamopoulos gave
the nuclear magnitude as 11.0. He added that the nucleus was not in the
center of the coma but was situated towards the southwest, while the tail
extended 2 towards the southwest. On the 18th, Himpel gave the magnitude
as 8.4. On the 20th, Kotsakis said a weak tail pointed to the southwest. On
the 23rd, van Biesbroeck observed under a nearly full moon and simply
described the comet as a well-condensed coma with a stellar nucleus. On
the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.66. He said the coma was 3.0 across,
with a tail extending 10 in PA 217. On the 28th, the magnitude was given
as 8.5 by Himpel and 8.67 by Beyer. Beyer said the coma was 3.0 across,
with a nucleus of magnitude 11.91. He added that a tail extended 10 in
PA 214. On the 29th, Campa gave the magnitude as 9.2. On the 30th, the
magnitude was given as 8.7 by Loreta and 8.9 by Fedtke. Fedtke noted a tail
extending toward PA 190. On May 31, the magnitude was given as 8.46 by
Beyer and 8.5 by Adamopoulos. Beyer said the coma was 3.0 across, with a
tail extending 8 in PA 203. Adamopoulos said the nuclear magnitude was
10.511.0, and the tail extended 6 towards the southwest.
On June 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.52. He said the coma was 3.5
across, with a tail extending 8 in PA 213. Kotsakis said there was a strong
condensation, with a starlike nucleus. On the 2nd, the magnitude was given
as 8.41 by Beyer, 8.6 by Adamopoulos, and 8.7 by Loreta. Jeffers said the
comet was barely visible in the 10-cm finder. Beyer said the coma was 3.0
across, with a tail extending 8 in PA 218. Adamopoulos said the coma was
175 across, with a condensation 22 across, and a tail extending 3 towards
the southwest. On the 3rd, the magnitude was given as 8.7 by Himpel and
9.2 by Campa. On the 5th, the magnitude was given as 8.19 by Beyer, 8.5
by Loreta, and 8.8 by Himpel. On the 6th, the magnitude was given as 8.40
by Beyer, 8.6 by Loreta, and 8.9 by Fedtke. Beyer said the coma was 3.0
across, with a nucleus of magnitude 12.03. He added that a tail extended
9 in PA 237. Fedtke noted a tail extending toward PA 190. Przybyllok
said the nucleus was starlike. On the 7th, Loreta and Adamopoulos gave
the magnitude as 8.6. Adamopoulos said the nuclear magnitude was 10.5
11.0. On the 8th, Loreta gave the magnitude as 8.6. Kotsakis said the comet
appeared diffuse, but did not contain a starlike nucleus. On the 9th, the
magnitude was given as 8.4 by Adamopoulos, 8.54 by Beyer, 8.7 by Loreta,
and 8.9 by Fedtke. Beyer said the coma was 3.0 across, with a tail extending
9 in PA 221. On the 10th, the magnitude was given as 8.50 by Beyer and 9.0
55
catalog of comets
by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was 3.0 across, with a tail extending
10 in PA 224. Van Biesbroeck said the broad tail covered the angle between
PA 150 and PA 240 and was diffuse and stubby; however, several longer
jets were visible, especially in PA 175 (4 long) and PA 150 (7 long). The
nucleus was well condensed, but not stellar. On the 11th, Adamopoulos
gave the magnitude as 8.7 and noted a tail toward PA 215. On the 12th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.68. On the 13th, the magnitude was given
as 8.85 by Beyer, 8.9 by Fedtke, and 9.0 by Loreta. Beyer said the coma was
2.9 across, with a tail extending 7 in PA 189. On June 14, Campa gave the
magnitude as 9.0.
The comet passed closest to the sun and Earth during the last half of June.
On the 16th, the magnitude was given as 8.8 by Adamopoulos and 9.0 by
Campa. Adamopoulos said the nucleus was occasionally seen. On the 17th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.70. He said the coma was 2.9 across, with a
tail extending 8 in PA 202. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.61.
He said the coma was 3.0 across, with a tail extending 8 in PA 227. On the
21st, Fedtke gave the magnitude as 9.0 in bright twilight and moonlight.
On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.98. He said the coma was 2.8
across, with a nucleus of magnitude 11.84. On the 28th, Adamopoulos gave
the magnitude as 9.0. On the 29th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.03. He
said the coma was 3.0 across, with a tail extending 7 in PA 190. On June
30, Adamopoulos gave the magnitude as 9.0.
The comet was moving away from both the sun and Earth as July began.
On the 2nd, the magnitude was given as 8.4 by van Biesbroeck, 9.0 by Himpel, and 9.12 by Beyer. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 4 in diameter and
the broad tail extended about 6 in PA 210. The nucleus was well condensed,
but not stellar. On the 3rd, the magnitude was given as 8.9 by Himpel, 9.11
by Beyer, and 9.2 by Fedtke. Beyer said the coma was 3.0 across, with a
nucleus of magnitude 11.73. The tail extended 7 in PA 206. Fedtke noted a
very diffuse, short tail extending toward PA 180. On the 5th, Adamopoulos gave the magnitude as 8.7. He said the coma was 100 across, while
the nuclear magnitude was 12.0. Adamopoulos added that the nucleus was
eccentrically situated towards the northeast side of the coma. On the 7th,
Adamopoulos gave the magnitude as 8.8. He said the nuclear magnitude
was 12.513.0, and the tail extended towards the southeast. On the 9th and
12th, Adamopoulos said the coma was 90 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 13.0. On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.56 and said the
coma was 2.8 across. On July 15, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 8.80,
while A. A. Wachmann (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) gave
the photographic magnitude as 9.5. Wachmann noted the comet was very
diffuse, with a faint nucleus. On the 18th, the magnitude was given as 8.63
by Beyer and 9.1 by van Biesbroeck. Kaiser said the diffuse coma was 2
across. On the 19th, Fedtke gave the magnitude as 9.5. He noted a nucleus
of magnitude 12.0 and a tail extending 1 toward PA 170. On July 30, Jeffers
obtained a 30-minute exposure with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said
56
catalog of comets
the centrally condensed coma was about 3 across. He added that a faint tail
extended 20 in PA 300.
On August 1, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.2. He said the coma
was about 5 across, while the sharp nucleus exhibited a little fan-shaped
extension in the direction of the sun. On the 2nd, the magnitude was given
as 9.9 by Himpel and 10 by Dieckvoss and H.-U. Sandig (Hamburg Observatory). On the 3rd, P. Chofardet (Besancon, France) gave the magnitude
as 1011. He said the round coma was 1 across, with a central nucleus. On
the 4th, the magnitude was given as 9.61 by Beyer, 10 by Dieckvoss and
Sandig, and 10.1 by Himpel. Beyer said the coma was 3 across. On the 5th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.43. He said the coma was 3 across, while
Chofardet noted a central nucleus. On the 6th, the magnitude was given as
9.61 by Beyer and 10 by Dieckvoss and Sandig. Beyer said the coma was 3
across. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.27. Adamopoulos said
the coma was 85 across. On the 11th, the magnitude was given as 9.70 by
Beyer and 10 by Dieckvoss and Sandig. On the 12th, Adamopoulos said the
coma was 85 across, with a short tail extending to PA 95. On the 24th,
Adamopoulos described the comet as very faint, centrally condensed, but
without a nucleus. On the 29th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.18 and
noted a coma 2 across. On August 31, the magnitude was given as 10 by
Sandig and 10.39 by Beyer. Beyer said the coma was 2 across.
Few physical descriptions were made of the comet during its last two
months of visibility. At the beginning of September, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 11 and said the diffuse coma contained a bright central
nucleus. Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.51 on the 6th and 10.94 on the 9th.
On September 10, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.79. He said the coma
was 1.5 across, with a nucleus less than magnitude 12.5. On October 8, van
Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 14.5. The stellar nucleus was centrally
located within a coma measuring about 25 in diameter.
The comet was last detected on October 28.74, when it was photographed at Union Observatory (Johannesburg, South Africa) using the
FranklinAdams Star Camera. The position was given as = 18h 37.8m ,
= 17 51 .
S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij (Pulkovo Observatory, St. Petersburg, Russia) photographed the spectrum of this comet on April 4, 6, and 14 using an objective
prism camera. He noted very faint bands of cyanogen and carbon, as well
as a bright continuous spectrum of the nucleus.
The first orbit was calculated by Whipple and Cunningham using the
Harvard photographs spanning the period February 415. The perihelion
date was given as 1937 June 22.07. A couple of days later, A. D. Maxwell and
H. R. J. Grosch took the Harvard positions from February 4 and 7, as well
as the Lick position from February 15 and determined the perihelion date
as June 22.77. Improved orbits were calculated during the next few months
by Maxwell and Grosch, M. Davidson, P. Bakulin, and G. Chis, which gave
the perihelion date as June 20.1. Although most were parabolic, Davidson
57
catalog of comets
actually published a hyperbolic orbit in March and an elliptical orbit in

April. The hyperbolic orbit used positions through March 12 and revealed
an eccentricity of 1.009143. The elliptical orbit used positions from February
4, March 2, and April 1, and revealed a period of over 300 thousand years.
An elliptical orbit published by J. Febrer and S. Ribot revealed a perihelion
date of June 20.13 and a period of 17933 years.
Definitive orbits have been calculated by Chis (1953) and Z. Sekanina
and B. G. Marsden (1975, 1978). Chis took 381 positions covering the period
February 18October 18 and calculated a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion
date of June 20.06 and an eccentricity of 1.000160. Sekanina and Marsden
used 136 positions obtained between February 4 and October 25, as well as
perturbations by all nine planets, and determined a hyperbolic orbit with
a perihelion date of June 20.06 and an eccentricity of 1.0001374. They also
took this orbit and derived an elliptical original orbit with an orbital period
of about 2 million years, and an elliptical future orbit with an orbital period
of about 19 thousand years. The orbit of Sekanina and Marsden is given
below.
T
1937 Jun. 20.0624 (TT)
(2000.0)
107.7345 128.6082
i
41.5515
q
e
1.733791 1.000137

full moon: Jan. 26, Feb. 25, Mar. 26, Apr. 25, May 25, Jun. 23, Jul. 23, Aug. 22,
Sep. 20, Oct. 19, Nov. 18
sources: H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 18 (1937), pp. 867; F. L. Whipple and H. M. Jeffers,
HAC, No. 403 (1937 Feb. 15); F. L. Whipple and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No.
404 (1937 Feb. 16); F. L. Whipple and L. E. Cunningham, BZAN, 19 (1937 Feb.
18), p. 9; A. D. Maxwell and H. R. J. Grosch, HAC, No. 406 (1937 Feb. 23); F. L.
Whipple, L. E. Cunningham, A. D. Maxwell, H. R. J. Grosch, and G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 45 (1937 Mar.), pp. 1578; F. L. Whipple, The Observatory, 60 (1937
Mar.), p. 83; A. M. Vergnano and E. Vandekerkhove, BZAN, 19 (1937 Mar. 1),
p. 10; E. Vandekerkhove, IAUC, No. 639 (1937 Mar. 1); A. D. Maxwell and H. R. J.
Grosch, IAUC, No. 645 (1937 Mar. 12); E. Vandekerkhove and W. H. Steavenson,
IAUC, No. 646 (1937 Mar. 15); W. H. Steavenson, IAUC, No. 648 (1937 Mar. 24);
P. Bakulin, IAUC, No. 649 (1937 Mar. 31); G. van Biesbroeck and A. D. Maxwell,
PA, 45 (1937 Apr.), pp. 2245; W. H. Steavenson and M. Davidson, IAUC, No.
650 (1937 Apr. 2); F. Schembor and E. Vandekerkhove, AN, 262 (1937 Apr. 5),
p. 143; W. H. Steavenson, IAUC, No. 651 (1937 Apr. 6); W. Dieckvoss and H.
Fischer, AN, 262 (1937 Apr. 12), pp. 197200; C. Fedtke and M. Beyer, BZAN, 19
(1937 Apr. 19), p. 23; M. Davidson, The Observatory, 60 (1937 May), pp. 1456; C.
Fedtke and F. Kaiser, BZAN, 19 (1937 May 4), p. 26; G. Loreta, BZAN, 19 (1937
May 10), p. 28; M. Beyer, BZAN, 19 (1937 May 14), p. 29; C. Fedtke, BZAN, 19
(1937 May 20), p. 30; H. M. Jeffers, PASP, 49 (1937 Jun.), p. 162; J. Febrer and S.
Ribot, The Observatory, 60 (1937 Jun.), p. 175; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, IAUC, No. 659
(1937 Jun. 2); C. Fedtke, BZAN, 19 (1937 Jun. 11), p. 35; G. Loreta, BZAN, 19 (1937
Jun. 24), p. 37; C. Fedtke, BZAN, 19 (1937 Jul. 9), p. 40; A. A. Wachmann and F.
Kaiser, BZAN, 19 (1937 Jul. 30), p. 45; C. Fedtke, BZAN, 19 (1937 Aug. 4), p. 47;
58
catalog of comets
H. Krumpholz, AN, 264 (1937 Oct. 12), pp. 214; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 45 (1937
Oct.), p. 439; K. Himpel, AN, 264 (1937 Nov. 27), p. 215; P. Chofardet, JO, 20 (1937
Dec.), pp. 2034; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 18 (1938), pp. 1634; [Union Observatory],
UOC, No. 99 (1938), p. 423; M. Campa, AN, 264 (1938 Jan. 12), p. 341; M. Beyer,
AN, 264 (1938 Jan. 27), pp. 4016; W. Dieckvoss, K. Muller,
and H.-U. Sandig,

AN, 265 (1938 Feb. 2), p. 1; E. Przybyllok, AN, 265 (1938 Feb. 17), p. 77; L. Boyer,
JO, 21 (1938 Jul.), p. 100; D. Kotsakis, AN, 266 (1938 Aug. 30), pp. 33740; G. van
Biesbroeck, AJ, 47 (1938 Nov. 21), pp. 157, 159, 1612; G. Adamopoulos, JO, 22
(1939 Aug.), pp. 14951; A. D. Dubiago, AN, 270 (1940 Apr.), p. 100; U. S. Lyons,
AJ, 52 (1946 Aug.), pp. 768; G. Chis, MNRAS, 113 (1953), pp. 3901; V1964, p. 73;
Z. Sekanina and B. G. Marsden, CCO, 2nd ed. (1975), pp. 24, 50; Z. Sekanina and
B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68; Z. Sekanina and B. G. Marsden,
QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 523.
C/1937 D1 Discovered: 1937 February 27.77 ( = 0.84 AU, r = 0.63 AU, Elong. = 39)
(Wilk) Last seen: 1937 May 12.3 ( = 1.05 AU, r = 1.63 AU, Elong. = 104)
Closest to the Earth: 1937 March 31 (0.5738 AU)
1937 II = 1937c Calculated path: PSC (Disc), PEG (Mar. 1), PSC (Mar. 4), AND (Mar. 9), PER
(Mar. 19), CAS (Mar. 24), CAM (Mar. 28), UMa (Apr. 10)
A. Wilk (Cracow, Poland) discovered this comet on 1937 February 27.77,
at a position of = 0h 35.3m , = +19 22 . He estimated the magnitude
as 7, and said the comet appeared diffuse, without a central condensation
or nucleus. A few hours later, L. C. Peltier (Delphos, Ohio, USA) independently discovered the comet at = 0h 35m , = +20. He also estimated
the magnitude as 7. L. E. Cunningham (Harvard College Observatory, Massachusetts, USA) confirmed the comet on February 27.98, and described it
as exhibiting a coma 1 across and a slender tail 30 long. The magnitude was
7, while a stellar nucleus shone at magnitude 10. G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) confirmed the comet on February 28.09, and
roughly estimated the magnitude as 7. The comet was then at a low altitude,
but a faint tail was still detected in the first quadrant. Independent confirmations were obtained by H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
on February 28.17, S. L. Piotrowski (Cracow Observatory, Poland) on February 28.76 (estimated magnitude of 8.5), and L. Orkisz (Warszawa, Poland)
on February 28.77 (estimated magnitude of 8). The comet was then moving
away from the sun, but was still approaching Earth.
On March 1, the magnitude was given as 7 by Cunningham and F. L.
Whipple (Harvard College Observatory) and 7.1 by van Biesbroeck. Van
Biesbroeck said a fuzzy nucleus was surrounded by a coma measuring
about 2 across, and a faint tail extended over 10 in PA 44. On the 2nd,
the magnitude was given as 67 by P. Chofardet (Besancon, France), 7 by
A. Fresa (Pino Torinese Observatory, Turin, Italy), and 8 by Orkisz. Chofardet said the round coma was 3 across, with a central condensation, but
no tail. Fresa described the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation.
Van Biesbroeck photographed the comet with the 61-cm reflector and found
59
catalog of comets
a narrow, well-defined tail more than 1 long. On the 3rd, the magnitude
was given as 7 by F. Rigaux (Uccle, Belgium), 7.5 by Piotrowski, 7.7 by C.
Fedtke (Konigsberg,
now Kaliningrad, Russia), 7.8 by F. Koebcke (Poznan

Observatory, Poland), 8 by K. Liebermann (Danzig, now Gdansk, Poland),
and 8.0 by M. Campa (Milan, Italy). Fedtke said the coma was 34 across
and exhibited a strong condensation, but no nucleus or tail. Liebermann
noted the comet was elliptical, with no tail. E. Przybyllok (Konigsberg,
now
Kaliningrad, Russia) said the comet appeared washed out, with a coma
45 across, but no nucleus. Lyons said the tail was 5 long. On the 4th, Jeffers obtained a 24-minute exposure with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and
noted a coma about 6 across and a slender tail extending over 0.5. On the
5th, A. D. Dubiago (University Observatory, Kazan, Russia) gave the magnitude as 7.5. Jeffers obtained a 22-minute exposure with the reflector and
noted the multiple structure of the tail. The tail was about 0.5 long, but
extended beyond the edge of the plate. He noted the tail was not visible
when the comet was visually examined with the 30-cm refractor. On
March 6, the magnitude was given as 7 by E. J. Delporte (Uccle, Belgium),
7.4 by van Biesbroeck, and 8.0 by Campa. Van Biesbroeck said a tail
extended to PA 53.
On March 8, the magnitude was given as 7 by W. Dieckvoss (Hamburg
Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany), 7.62 by M. Beyer (Hamburg), and 8 by W.
Malsch (Schwbisch Hall, Germany). Beyer said the coma was 2.5 across,
with a nucleus of about magnitude 12. A tail extended 4 in PA 48. On
the 9th, Jeffers photographed the tail and noted the tail was only a single
streamer. On the 10th, the magnitude was given as 7.98 by Beyer, 8 by
Chofardet, and 8.1 by G. Loreta (Bologna, Italy). Beyer said the coma was 3
across, with a nucleus of magnitude 12.4. Beyer added that a tail extended
4 in PA 22. Chofardet said the coma was round with a condensation. H.
Fischer (Innsbruck, Austria) said the coma was 1.3 across, with a starlike
central condensation. On the 11th, the magnitude was given as 8.4 by Fedtke
and 8.6 by H. Krumpholz (Vienna, Austria). Krumpholz said the round coma
was 3 across and contained a weak condensation. Liebermann noted a small
coma and a possible tail beginning toward the north-northeast. On the 12th,
Fedtke gave the magnitude as 8.5. On the 13th, the magnitude was given
as 8.1 by Liebermann and Loreta, 8.5 by Krumpholz, and 8.6 by Fedtke.
Liebermann noted a stellar nucleus, but no tail. Fischer said the coma was
1.3 across, with a starlike central condensation. On the 14th, the magnitude
was given as 8.1 by van Biesbroeck, 8.2 by Loreta, and 8.8 by Dubiago. Van
Biesbroeck said the nucleus was not stellar and the coma was about 6
across. The tail was only faintly visible. On March 15, the magnitude was
given as 8 by Campa, 8.2 by Loreta, and 89 by Chofardet. Chofardet said
the coma was 3 across, with a condensation.
On March 16, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.19. He said the coma was 3
across, with a nucleus of about magnitude 12. A possible short tail extended
towards about 348. Fischer said the coma was 1.3 across, with a starlike
60
catalog of comets
central condensation. On the 21st, the magnitude was given as 8.4 by Loreta
and 9.5 by van Biesbroeck and Dubiago. Van Biesbroeck said the coma exhibited a diffuse central condensation. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 8.34 and said the coma was about 3 across. On the 24th, Fedtke gave the
magnitude as 10.5 in moonlight. On the 27th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10 in moonlight. He said the coma appeared very diffuse, with
a diameter of nearly 5 . On the 29th, the magnitude was given as 8.54 by
Beyer and 9.2 by van Biesbroeck. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was large
and diffuse, with hardly any condensation. On the 30th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 8.58 and said the coma was 4.3 across. On the 30th and 31st,
Fedtke noted a round, diffuse coma 2 across. On March 31, the magnitude
was given as 8.80 by Beyer and 10 by J. Stobbe (Kiel, Germany). Beyer said
the coma was 4.5 across. Stobbe described the comet as diffuse, 2 across,
without a nucleus. Przybyllok said there was no nucleus.
As April began, the comet was now moving away from both the sun
and Earth. On the 1st, Przybyllok said there was no nucleus. On the 2nd,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.07. He said the coma was 4.3 across, with
a nucleus of magnitude 12.0. Van Biesbroeck said the comet was extremely
diffuse. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +71 on April
5. On the 7th, the magnitude was given as 9.41 by Beyer and 11 by van
Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was 4.5 across. Van Biesbroeck said the
round coma was 3 across, with only a vague condensation. On the 9th, the
magnitude was given as 10.05 by Beyer and 11 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer
said the coma was 4.1 across. Van Biesbroeck said the comet was extremely
diffuse. He said the coma diameter was about 10 and he stated that there was
so little condensation that under high power the object became invisible.
On the 11th, the magnitude was given as 9.86 by Beyer and 10 by van
Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was 4.5 across. Van Biesbroeck said the
comet was distinctly brighter than two nights earlier. He noted the coma
was 10 across and extremely diffuse. F. Kaiser (Wiesbaden, Germany) said
the diffuse coma was 3 across. On the 12th, the magnitude was given as 9.94
by Beyer and 11.5 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was 4.4 across.
Van Biesbroeck said the comet was evidently fainter than on the previous
night and noted the coma was 6 across. On the 13th, Beyer gave the visual
magnitude as 10.52, while Stobbe gave the photographic magnitude as 13.0.
On the 14th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 12. On the 17th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 10.72 and the coma diameter as 3.5 . On the 29th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.47 and the coma diameter as 2.5 . On April
30, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.58, while the coma was about 2 across.
On May 1, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 11.43 and Dieckvoss gave
the photographic magnitude as 14. Beyer said the coma was 2.5 across.
Jeffers said photographs made with the 91-cm Crossley reflector showed
only a faint, diffuse spot. On the 2nd, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as
11.65, while the photographic magnitude was given as 13 by Stobbe and 14
by Dieckvoss. Beyer said the coma was 2.5 across. On the 4th, Beyer gave
61
catalog of comets
the magnitude as 12.18. He said the coma was very weak and 3 across.
On May 6, van Biesbroeck said the comet was extremely diffuse, with a
magnitude of 15.
The last two precise positions of this comet were obtained on May 8.13
and May 8.15, when van Biesbroeck obtained 26-minute exposures with the
61-cm reflector. He measured the position on the latter date as = 11h 18.1m ,
= +38 02 . Van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 15.5, and said the coma
was round and diffuse, with a diameter of 25 and little condensation. The
comet was last detected on May 12.3, when Jeffers photographed it with the
91-cm Crossley reflector. He noted only a diffuse trace of the comet, and
no measurement was made.
A. B. Wyse (Lick Observatory) obtained an 80-minute exposure of the
spectrum on March 3, using the two-prism nebular spectrograph on the
91-cm Crossley reflector. He detected the Swan bands of carbon, as well
as three cyanogen bands. Wyse also noted the extreme faintness of the
continuous spectrum.
The first orbit was calculated by Whipple and Cunningham using three
positions from February 27 and 28. The result was a perihelion date of February 21.03. This orbit proved just half a day from the true orbit. Additional
parabolic orbits were calculated by Whipple and Cunningham, C. H. Smiley and L. H. Aller, Koebcke and S. Wierzbinski, J. Febrer and S. Ribot, A. D.
Maxwell, and A. C. D. Crommelin. Maxwell used positions from February
28, March 5, and March 10. He noted that rather large residuals probably indicate a departure from the parabolic solution. Crommelin said a
parabola based on three positions gave a large residual in the middle position so that there is clear evidence of ellipticity, but the period is still uncertain. Crommelin said comets observed in 1532, 1661, and 1779 have orbits
similar to this comet.
The first elliptical orbit was calculated by G. F. Kellaway. He took three
positions spanning the period of March 1May 2 and determined a perihelion date of February 21.71 and a period of 589 years. Kellaways orbit
satisfied astronomers for about four decades, but W. Landgraf (1980, 1981)
decided to reexamine this comets motion. His first orbit used 71 positions
spanning the period February 28May 8. It revealed a perihelion date of
February 21.54 and a period of 195.4 years. His second orbit used 108 positions spanning the period February 27May 8, as well as perturbations by
the planets Mercury to Neptune and the dwarf planet Pluto. He determined
the perihelion date as February 21.53 and the period as 187.4 years. His last
orbit is given below.
T
1937 Feb. 21.5341 (TT)
31.4751
(2000.0)
58.2580

62
i
26.0205
q
e
0.618937 0.981098
catalog of comets
sources: H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 18 (1937), p. 87; A. Wilk, BZAN, 19 (1937 Mar. 1),
p. 10; A. Wilk, L. E. Cunningham, and F. L. Whipple, HAC, No. 407 (1937 Mar. 1);
A. Wilk, IAUC, No. 639 (1937 Mar. 1); F. L. Whipple and L. E. Cunningham, HAC,
No. 408 (1937 Mar. 2); L. Orkisz, F. L. Whipple, and L. E. Cunningham, IAUC,
No. 641 (1937 Mar. 3); A. Fresa, IAUC, No. 642 (1937 Mar. 4); F. L. Whipple and
L. E. Cunningham, BZAN, 19 (1937 Mar. 5), p. 11; F. Koebcke and S. Wierzbinski,
IAUC, No. 643 (1937 Mar. 5); C. H. Smiley, L. H. Aller, A. D. Maxwell, and L. C.
Peltier, HAC, No. 409 (1937 Mar. 8); S. L. Piotrowski, L. Orkisz, P. Chofardet, F.
Koebcke, F. Rigaux, and M. Campa, IAUC, No. 644 (1937 Mar. 8); F. Rigaux, AN,
262 (1937 Mar. 11), p. 61; C. Fedtke, BZAN, 19 (1937 Mar. 12), p. 13; E. J. Delporte,
IAUC, No. 645 (1937 Mar. 12); P. Chofardet, IAUC, No. 646 (1937 Mar. 15); A. D.
Maxwell, IAUC, No. 647 (1937 Mar. 17); K. Liebermann, BZAN, 19 (1937 Mar.
19), p. 15; C. H. Smiley and A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 410 (1937 Mar. 20); L. C.
Peltier and M. Campa, IAUC, No. 648 (1937 Mar. 24); A. D. Maxwell, IAUC, No.
649 (1937 Mar. 31); A. Wilk, L. C. Peltier, F. L. Whipple, L. E. Cunningham, C. H.
Smiley, and A. D. Maxwell, PA, 45 (1937 Apr.), pp. 2223; A. B. Wyse and H. M.
Jeffers, PASP, 49 (1937 Apr.), p. 129; A. Wilk, L. C. Peltier, A. D. Maxwell, and
L. E. Cunningham, The Observatory, 60 (1937 Apr.), p. 116; E. J. Delporte, AN, 262
(1937 Apr. 5), p. 143; J. Stobbe and C. Fedtke, BZAN, 19 (1937 Apr. 6), p. 17; G.
Loreta, BZAN, 19 (1937 Apr. 9), p. 19; W. Dieckvoss and H. Fischer, AN, 262 (1937
Apr. 12), pp. 197200; J. Stobbe, BZAN, 19 (1937 Apr. 14), p. 21; F. Kaiser, J. Stobbe,
and M. Beyer, BZAN, 19 (1937 Apr. 19), p. 23; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 45 (1937
May), p. 265; A. D. Maxwell, The Observatory, 60 (1937 May), p. 146; J. Stobbe,
BZAN, 19 (1937 May 4), p. 26; M. Beyer, BZAN, 19 (1937 May 14), p. 29; H. M.
Jeffers, PASP, 49 (1937 Jun.), p. 162; J. Febrer and S. Ribot, IAUC, No. 660 (1937
Jun. 7); G. F. Kellaway, JBAA, 47 (1937 Jul.), p. 338; G. F. Kellaway and A. C. D.
Crommelin, The Observatory, 60 (1937 Jul.), pp. 2023; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 46
(1937 Sep. 14), pp. 141, 1445; H. Krumpholz, AN, 264 (1937 Oct. 12), pp. 214;
P. Chofardet, JO, 20 (1937 Dec.), pp. 2034; M. Campa, AN, 264 (1938 Jan. 12),
p. 341; M. Beyer, AN, 264 (1938 Jan. 27), pp. 4068; A. Wilk, L. C. Peltier, J. Febrer,
and S. Ribot, MNRAS, 98 (1938 Feb.), pp. 3489; W. Dieckvoss, AN, 265 (1938
Feb. 2), p. 1; E. Przybyllok, AN, 265 (1938 Feb. 17), p. 77; A. D. Dubiago, AN, 270
(1940 Apr.), p. 100; V1964, p. 73; W. Landgraf, MPC, No. 5411 (1980 Jul. 1); W.
Landgraf, MPC, No. 6099 (1981 Jul. 1).
26P/Grigg Prerecovery: 1937 March 29.07 ( = 0.87 AU, r = 1.20 AU, Elong. = 80)
Skjellerup Recovered: 1937 April 30.06 ( = 0.69 AU, r = 0.97 AU, Elong. = 67)
1937 III = 1937e Closest to the Earth: 1937 June 22 (0.3835 AU)
Calculated path: ORI (Pre), MON (Apr. 13), CMi (May 1), CNC (May 14), LEO
(Jun. 1), LMi (Jun. 12), UMa (Jun. 15), COM (Jun. 22), CVn (Jun. 30)
The prediction for this comets return was calculated by P. J. Harris and
W. P. Henderson (1936) and indicated the comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1937 May 22.51. Using their ephemeris, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) searched for this comet on several occasions
during the early months of 1937. His photographic search during early and
late March failed to detect the comet, and an intensive visual search on
63
catalog of comets
April 11 was also unsuccessful. The comet was finally recovered on April
30.06 by L. E. Cunningham (Harvard College Observatorys Oak Ridge Station, Massachusetts, USA). His photograph exposed with the 115-cm refractor revealed the comet at a position of = 6h 59.0m , = +7 53 . The comet
was then described as consisting of a faint coma some 40 in diameter, with a
condensation about 10 across. The magnitude was 13.4. The position indicated the prediction by Harris and Henderson needed a correction of +0.54
day. Shortly after Cunninghams announcement, van Biesbroeck found prerecovery images on two photographic plates exposed on March 29.07. The
comet then appeared as a very diffuse image, with a magnitude of 15.5 and
was about 30 across. Additional search plates exposed during February
and early March showed absolutely no trace of the comet, thus indicating
it was still too faint for observation.
On May 2 and 4, S. Shimizu (Simada, Japan) estimated the photographic
magnitude as 12. On the 6th, the magnitude was given as 13 by A. M.
Vergnano (Pino Torinese Observatory, Turin, Italy) and 13.5 by van Biesbroeck. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was about 50 across and was somewhat elongated in . On May 30, van Biesbroeck obtained a 6-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector and found the comet quite faint. On June
7, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 13. He said the coma was round,
centrally condensed, and 45 across. On the 8th, Vergnano gave the magnitude as 12.4. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +31 on
June 26.
The comet was last detected on July 2.16, when van Biesbroeck visually
observed it with the 102-cm refractor. The magnitude was estimated as 13,
and the position was given as = 13h 31.9m , = +30 35 . W. Dieckvoss
and H.-U. Sandig (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) reported
to have photographed the comet on August 2.95. The magnitude was
then estimated as 15. However, this was probably not P/GriggSkjellerup.
Only one plate was obtained, no additional observations were made,
and the reported position was somewhat off from the comets expected
location.
M. G. Sumner (1938) took positions from March 29, May 4, and June 9,
and determined the perihelion date as May 22.99 and the period as 5.04
years. A. C. D. Crommelin noted the period as probably 5 days too long.
Multiple apparition orbits were calculated by B. G. Marsden and Z.
Sekanina (1972), G. Sitarski (1991), and S. Nakano (1997). Applying planetary perturbations and nongravitational forces, they gave the perihelion date as May 23.06 and the period as 5.02 years. Marsden and
Sekanina (1973) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.04 and A2 =
0.0010. Nakano gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.007 and A2 =
0.00170.
T
1937 May 23.0605 (TT)
64
(2000.0)
355.3025 216.4409
i
17.4611
q
e
0.907875 0.690526
catalog of comets
full moon: Mar. 26, Apr. 25, May 25, Jun. 23
sources: P. J. Harris and W. P. Henderson, BAA Handbook for 1937 (1936), p. 32;
G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 45 (1937 Apr.), p. 225; L. E. Cunningham, P. J. Harris, and
W. P. Henderson, HAC, No. 414 (1937 Apr. 30); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 415
(1937 May 19); G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 45 (1937 May), p. 265; L. E. Cunningham,
BZAN, 19 (1937 May 4), p. 26; A. M. Vergnano, BZAN, 19 (1937 May 14), p. 29;
A. M. Vergnano, The Observatory, 60 (1937 Jun.), p. 175; S. Shimizu, IAUC, No. 659
(1937 Jun. 2); A. M. Vergnano, BZAN, 19 (1937 Jun. 24), p. 37; L. E. Cunningham
and G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 45 (1937 Jun.Jul.), pp. 3223; G. van Biesbroeck
and S. Shimizu, JBAA, 47 (1937 Jul.), p. 339; G. van Biesbroeck and S. Shimizu,
The Observatory, 60 (1937 Jul.), p. 203; L. E. Cunningham, G. van Biesbroeck, P. J.
Harris, and W. P. Henderson, MNRAS, 98 (1938 Feb.), pp. 3489; W. Dieckvoss
and H.-U. Sandig, AN, 265 (1938 Feb. 2), p. 1; M. G. Sumner, JBAA, 48 (1938
May), p. 293; M. G. Sumner and A. C. D. Crommelin, The Observatory, 61 (1938
May), pp. 1423; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 47 (1938 Nov. 21), pp. 157, 15960, 162;
V1964, p. 73; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, QJRAS, 13 (1972 Sep.), pp. 4301;
B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), pp. 214, 216; G. Sitarski, AcA,
41 (1991), p. 252; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 700o (1997 Dec. 12).
C/1937 N1 Discovered: 1937 July 4.02 ( = 1.51 AU, r = 1.16 AU, Elong. = 50)
(Finsler) Last seen: 1937 December 30.29 ( = 2.76 AU, r = 2.35 AU, Elong. = 55)
1937 V = 1937f Calculated path: PER (Disc), CAM (Jul. 20), DRA (Aug. 4), UMa (Aug. 9), CVn
(Aug. 12), BOO (Aug. 19), VIR (Aug. 29), LIB (Oct. 19), HYA (Nov. 18), CEN
(Dec. 13)
P. Finsler (Zurich,
Switzerland) was routinely examining the sky with a large

pair of binoculars when he discovered a faint nebulous spot on 1937 July
4.02 at = 3h 06.1m , = +38 27 . He gave the magnitude as 7. The first
confirmation of the comet was made by C. Fedtke (Konigsberg,
now Kaliningrad, Russia), who gave the magnitude as 7.1. He described the comet
as exhibiting a strong condensation, but no tail. J. P. Moller
(Copenhagen,
Denmark) independently confirmed the object on July 4.99, using the 36-cm
refractor, when the magnitude was given as 7, and the comet was simply
described as diffuse. The comet was approaching both the sun and Earth.
On July 5, K. Graff (Vienna, Austria) gave the magnitude as 6.9 and noted
a possible beginning of a tail. On the 6th, the magnitude was given as 7.0
by M. Campa (Milan, Italy) and 7.3 by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA). Van Biesbroeck added that a well-defined nucleus
was situated within a coma 2 across and a slender tail extended 20 in PA
265. L. E. Cunningham and Johnson (Harvard College Observatory, Massachusetts, USA) observed with the 30-cm refractor and said the comet was
diffuse, with a nucleus, and a tail less than 1 long. H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) said the comet was round, diffuse, and 3 across,
with a nucleus of magnitude 10. On July 7, the magnitude was given as 6.8
65
catalog of comets
by Fedtke, and 7.0 by G. Loreta (Bologna, Italy) and Campa. Fedtke said the
coma was 2 across. Jeffers said the comet was diffuse, with a nucleus.
On July 8, the magnitude was given as 6.0 by W. Malsch (Schwbisch
Hall, Germany) and A. Bohrmann (Konigstuhl
Observatory, Heidelberg,
Germany), 6.9 by Loreta, and 7.2 by van Biesbroeck. Malsch said the coma
was round and diffuse, with a diameter of 1 . There was no tail. On the 9th,
the magnitude was given as 6.5 by Graff and 7.0 by F. Kaiser (Wiesbaden,
Germany). Graff reported a possible short tail. Kaiser said the centrally
condensed coma was 4 across, but noted there was no tail. P. Chofardet
(Besancon, France) said the coma was round. Malsch said the coma was
about 3 across, while the nucleus was about 40 across. On the 10th, the
magnitude was given as 6.8 by P. Ahnert (Wittgendorf, Germany), and 7.0
by Campa and Loreta. On the 11th, the magnitude was given as 6.9 by
Loreta and 7.07 by K. Himpel (Wiesbaden). On the 12th, the magnitude
was given as 6.8 by Loreta and Campa, and 7.1 by Fedtke. A. H. Mikesell
(US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA) photographed the comet
using the 102-cm reflector and estimated it as fainter than 7. Fedtke said the
coma was 2 across. Mikesell said the diffuse coma was 2.5 across, while
the tail extended 3 . On the 13th, the magnitude was given as 5.99 by M.
Beyer (Hamburg, Germany) and 6.0 by Malsch. On July 14, the magnitude
was given as 6.0 by Fedtke, 6.5 by J. Franz (Bautzen, Germany), and 6.7 by
Ahnert. Fedtke noted a round coma 3 across, and a starlike nucleus. Jeffers
observed with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the coma was 4 across
and contained a stellar nucleus of magnitude 10. Jeffers said a 10-cm finder
showed a faint, barely visible, tail extending toward the west.
On July 15, the magnitude was given as 5.9 by van Biesbroeck, 6.1 by J.
Hopmann (Leipzig, Germany), 6.4 by Franz, and 6.8 by Campa. Hopmann
said the coma was 3 across. On the 16th, the magnitude was given as 5.7 by
van Biesbroeck and Graff, 5.8 by Fedtke, 5.9 by H. Krumpholz (Vienna University Observatory, Austria), and 5.97 by Beyer. Graff noted a tail extending
about 45 toward PA 275. G. Hartwig (Astrophysical Observatory, Potsdam,
Germany) said a photograph using the 15-cm refractor revealed a tail 4050
long. Krumpholz added that the coma was 4 across, with a condensation,
and a tail extending 20 in PA 274. Mikesell said the tail was 4 long, while
the nucleus was divided. On the 17th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.73.
U. S. Lyons (US Naval Observatory) said the tail was rather short, while
the nucleus was large and divided. On the 18th, the magnitude was given
as 5.4 by G. Hartwig, 5.6 by van Biesbroeck, and 5.8 by Kaiser. Hartwig said
the comet would be seen with the naked eye using averted vision. Kaiser
said the centrally condensed coma was 6 across, with a tail extending about
0.5 toward PA 270. N. Richter (Sonneberg, Germany) photographed a tail
extending 2.3. S. D. Tscherny (Kiev Astronomical Observatory, Ukraine)
described the comet as a round nebulosity, with a central condensation. On
July 19, the magnitude was given as 5.4 by van Biesbroeck, 5.7 by Fedtke,
6.2 by Loreta, and 6.4 by Franz. Malsch noted a faint tail extending toward
66
catalog of comets
PA 135. Fedtke noted a round coma 3 across, with a starlike nucleus. Hopmann said the coma was 6 across. On the 20th, the magnitude was given as
5.4 by E. Buchar (Prague, Czech Republic), 5.5 by Fedtke and Krumpholz, 5.6
by J. Gadomski (Warszawa, Poland), 5.8 by J. Classen (Pulsnitz, Germany),
5.95 by Himpel, and 6.4 by Franz. Fedtke noted a short tail extending toward
PA 270. Chofardet said the round coma was 5 across. On a photograph,
Krumpholz found the coma was 5 across and the tail extended 4.5 in PA
270.5. Van Biesbroeck photographed the comet with the 61-cm reflector and
found a tail extending over 1 which was composed of a complex bundle
of streamers coming out of the nucleus. On July 21, the magnitude was
given as 5.5 by Buchar and 6.1 by Franz and Loreta.
On July 22, Loreta gave the magnitude as 6.2. Tscherny said the comet
appeared as a round nebulosity, with a condensation and a nucleus. On
the 23rd, the magnitude was given as 5.19 by Beyer, 5.4 by Fedtke, 5.5 by
Classen, and 6.0 by Loreta. Malsch saw no tail. On the 24th, Loreta gave the
magnitude as 6.0. On the 25th, the magnitude was given as 5.2 by Buchar
and Hopmann, 5.3 by Fedtke and Classen, and 6.0 by Loreta. On the 26th,
the magnitude was given as 5.3 by Gadomski, 5.9 by Loreta, and 6.3 by
H. Knochel
(Danzig, now Gdansk, Poland). Knochel
added that the coma

contained a condensation and a nucleus. On the 27th, the magnitude was
given as 4.9 by Fedtke, 5.1 by van Biesbroeck, and 5.7 by Loreta. On July 28,
the magnitude was given as 5.28 by Himpel and 5.6 by Loreta.
On July 29, the magnitude was given as 4.7 by van Biesbroeck, 4.8 by
Fedtke, 5.2 by Loreta and Buchar, and 5.69 by M. Viaro (Florence, Italy).
Kaiser said the coma was 9 across, with two tails: one extending 1.3 toward
PA 292 and the other extending 10 toward PA 237. Fedtke noted the
coma was 4 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 9.0 and a tail extending 15 toward PA 300. J. O. Stobbe (Kiel, Germany) said the tail pointed
to PA 290.
On July 30, the magnitude was given as 4.7 by Fedtke and Buchar,
5.0 by J. Witkowski (Poznan, Poland), 5.06 by Himpel, 5.1 by Gadomski,
and 5.7 by Hopmann. Fedtke said the tail extended 30 toward PA 315.
R. Brandt (Sonneberg, Germany) estimated the tail length as 3.5 using
10 50 binoculars. Hopmann said the coma was 9 across. Richter photographed a tail extending 4.0. Chofardet said the round coma was 5 across,
with a well-defined central nucleus, and a short tail extending towards the
northwest.
On July 31, the magnitude was given as 4.33 by Beyer, 4.6 by Buchar, 4.7 by
Witkowski and Hopmann, 4.8 by Classen and Gadomski, 4.90 by Himpel,
and 5.1 by Franz. Beyer said the coma was 13 in diameter, while a tail
extended to PA 294. Franz noted a distinct tail extending about 45 toward
PA 310. Brandt estimated the tail length as 3 using 10 50 binoculars.
On August 1, the magnitude was given as 4.4 by van Biesbroeck and
Buchar, 4.5 by Witkowski and Hopmann, 4.6 by Loreta, and 4.8 by Hartwig.
Witkowski noted the tail was 4 long. Brandt estimated the tail length as
67
catalog of comets
44.5 using 10 50 binoculars. Stobbe photographed the comet with a

12-cm refractor and said the tail pointed to PA 312. Van Biesbroeck added
that a stellar nucleus was visible. Kaiser said the tail extended 7 toward
PA 304.
On August 2, the magnitude was given as 4.38 by Himpel, 4.5 by Loreta,
4.6 by Fedtke, 4.7 by Hartwig, and 4.8 by Franz. Fedtke noted the tail
extended 1.25 toward PA 320. Stobbe said the coma was 15 across. He
photographed the comet with a 12-cm refractor and said the coma was 23
across, while the tail extended 7.3 in PA 326. There were short streamers
extending 2 in PA 331 and 1 in PA 323. Brandt estimated the tail length
as 4 using 10 50 binoculars. Hopmann said the coma was 13 across.
W. Dieckvoss and H.-U. Sandig (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) photographed the comet and noted a coma 12 across, a primary tail
extending 1.5 towards the northwest, and a ray extending 15 towards the
north-northwest.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +78 on August 3.
According to ten observers viewing the comet by naked-eye, binocular,
and small telescope, the magnitude was within the range 4.15.8, with an
average of 4.8. Kaiser said the tail extended toward PA 341. Graff noted a
tail about 1.52 long. Franz noted the coma was about 8 across, the fanshaped tail extended 12 toward PA 309, and the narrow tail extended 1
toward PA 348. N. W. McLeod (Christine, North Dakota, USA) said the
coma was 12 across, with a central condensation 4 across. He added that
the main tail was about a degree long, while a secondary tail was about 20
long. Hopmann said the coma was 12 across. W. Malsch (Schwbisch Hall,
Germany) said binoculars revealed a tail 0.33 long. F. Quenisset (Juvisy,
France) photographed the comet and, in addition to the main tail, he found
a lateral appendage suggesting a discarded tail. J. Ellsworth (Lyon Observatory, France) observed a portion of the comets tail recede 18 from the coma
in 1.25 hours, which suggested a speed of about 100 kilometers per second.
On August 4, 15 observers made a total of 16 magnitude estimates while
viewing the comet by naked eye, binoculars, and/or small telescopes. The
result was a range of 4.05.4, with an average of 4.5. Franz said the tail
extended 2 toward PA 3. Brandt said the tail was 5 long in 10 50 binoculars. Krumpholz said the coma was 7 across, with a stellar nucleus. Hopmann said the coma was 12 across. McLeod added that a semi-stellar
nucleus shone at magnitude 8, while the coma diameter was 13 , with a
central condensation 4 across. The main tail extended about 2.5 and was
8 wide, but the secondary tail was much fainter and not measurable. Lyons
said the nucleus was starlike. Fedtke said the tail extended 1.25 toward
PA 0, while a 45-minute exposure using the 30-cm refractor revealed four
streamers extending into the tail. Kaiser said a 54-minute exposure revealed
the tail extending 4 toward PA 348, while a streamer extended 1 toward
PA 333. He noted the main tail was 5 across at the coma and 20 across at
the end. Kaiser added that the coma was 15 across in the direction of the
68
catalog of comets
tail and 20 across perpendicular to that axis. Beyer obtained photographs
of the comet and said the coma was 16 across, while the tail showed some
complexity. The primary tail extended over 7 in PA 6, and contained rays
extending 2 in PA 352, and 0.4 in PA 15. A secondary tail extended 0.3
in PA 318. Stobbe photographed the comet with a 12-cm refractor and said
the coma was 19 across, while the tail extended 5.2 in PA 346. He said the
streamers extended 1.5 toward PA 348 and 1 toward PA 0.
On August 5, 15 observers made visual magnitude estimates which fell
within the range 4.05.4. The average was 4.4. McLeod said the coma was 10
across with a stronger condensation than the previous night and a nucleus
of magnitude 7.6. He added that the tail was 2 long and slightly fainter than
on the previous night, with 9th- and 10th-magnitude stars visible through
it. Hopmann said the coma was about 17 across. Chofardet said the round
coma was 8 across with a central nucleus. He added that the tail was divided
into two branches, one extending towards the north-northeast, and the other
extending towards the north-northwest. Van Biesbroeck said the long tail
had a lateral bend at half a degree from the nucleus. He added that a
coarse and shorter tail was situated about 50 from the axis of the main tail
and gave the coma an unsymmetrical appearance. Tscherny said the nucleus
and tail were easily visible. Dieckvoss and Sandig photographed the comet
and noted a tail extending 4. Stobbe photographed the comet with a 12-cm
refractor and said the coma was 26 across, while the tail extended 6.2 in PA
28. Beyer obtained photographs of the comet and said the coma diameter
was 17 on photographs, while the tail still showed complex structure. The
primary tail extended more than 7 in PA 28, with rays extending 4 in PA
22, 1.6 in PA 35, and 1.4 in PA 10. A secondary tail extended 0.3 in PA
341. H. Fischer (Innsbruck) photographed a tail 2.0 long, as well as two
secondary tails. A photograph by Classen showed a tail 17 long.
On August 6, 14 observers provided visual magnitudes within the range
3.75.0. The average was 4.3. E. J. Meyer (Wolfersdorf, Germany) used a
photometer and obtained six magnitude determinations, the average of
which was 5.04. McLeod said the nucleus was about magnitude 7.6, the
coma was 10 across, and the tail was 2 long. Fedtke said the coma was blue
and that the tail extended 2 in PA 30. A secondary tail extended to PA 330.
Franz said the tail extended 2.5 in PA 40. Chofardet said the tail extended
45 towards the north-northeast. Van Biesbroeck said photographs showed
the long tail no longer showed the bend present on the previous night,
while the secondary tail was still just as prominent. Stobbe photographed
the comet with a 12-cm refractor and said the coma was 27 across, while the
tail extended 7.5 in PA 39. Beyers photographs showed a coma diameter
of 16 . The primary tail extended more than 8 in PA 37, with rays extending
0.9 in PA 52 and 1.3 in PA 21. A secondary tail extended 0.4 in PA 345. G.
Kulin (Konkoly Observatory, Budapest, Hungary) obtained a photograph
which showed a tail extending 7 in PA 312, 5 in PA 310, and 1 in PA
315. There was an emanation to PA 270. Fischer obtained a 100-minute
69
catalog of comets
photograph which showed the main tail extending 4.2, while a secondary
tail extended 0.2. Witkowski said the tail extended 5 in PA 33, while a
photograph showed tails extending to PA 32 and PA 52. A photograph by
Classen showed a tail 17 long.
On August 7, 15 observers gave 16 magnitude estimates of the comet.
These estimates were within the range 3.74.8, with an average of 4.2. Meyer
used a photometer and obtained 10 magnitude determinations, the average
of which was 5.26. McLeod said the coma was 10 across and contained a
bright central condensation about 5 in diameter. He added that the tail was
about 2.5 long and was more spread out than on previous nights. Brandt
said the tail was 44.5 long in 10 50 binoculars. G. R. Miczaika (Grunberg,
Germany) said the tail was 1.5 long. Franz added that the tail extended 3 in
PA 52. Stobbe photographed the comet with a 12-cm refractor and said the
coma was 23 across, while the tail extended 7.6 in PA 49. Beyer obtained
another photograph on this date and found the coma diameter was 16 . The
primary tail extended more than 7 in PA 52, with rays extending 3.4 in
PA 37, 0.2 in 69, and 0.4 in PA 25. A secondary tail extended 0.5 in PA
355. A photograph by Classen showed a tail about 17 long. Kulin obtained
a photograph which showed the main tail extending 7 in PA 322, while
a secondary tail extended to PA 318. There was an emanation to PA 270.
Witkowski said a photograph showed the main tail extending 3 in PA 32,
while a secondary tail extended to PA 52.
On August 8, 13 observers provided magnitude estimates, which fell
within the range 3.34.5. The average was 4.1. Meyer used a photometer
and obtained five magnitude determinations, the average of which was
5.23. Witkowski said the tail was 6 long in binoculars. K. Liebermann
(Danzig) said the coma was oblong and measured 5 by 8 . He added that
a stellar nucleus was present and the tail was 4 long. Brandt said the tail
was 8 long in 10 50 binoculars. Franz said the tail extended 4 in PA
53. A photograph by Classen showed a tail 17.5 long. Kulin obtained a
photograph which showed the primary tail extending 7 in PA 320323,
while a secondary tail extended 3 in PA 315. There was still an emanation
to PA 270.
The comet was closest to Earth on August 9. The magnitude was given as
3.6 by McLeod, 3.98 by Beyer, 4.0 by Buchar and Fedtke, 4.3 by C. W. L. M.
Ebell (Kiel, Germany), 4.4 by J. Gurtler
(Vienna, Austria), 4.42 by Himpel,

and 4.5 by Loreta. McLeod added that the coma was 10 across and the
slightly curved tail extended about 2.5. Hopmann said the coma was 9
across. Fedtke said the tail extended to PA 45. Brandt said the tail was
6.57 long in 10 50 binoculars. J. Balazs (Budapest) said the main tail
was 12 long, while the secondary tail extended 9. Krumpholz visually
observed the tail as 1.5 long in a 75-mm seeker, while a photograph with
another instrument showed the tail as extending 9 in PA 54. A photograph
by K. Walter (Potsdam) showed the main tail extending 3 in PA 4953,
while a secondary tail extended 1.6 in PA 43. The coma diameter was
70
catalog of comets
9 . K. Haidrich (Vienna, Austria) photographed the comet and described

it as possessing a coma 5.3 across and a tail 12.5 long. Kulin obtained
a photograph which showed the main tail extending 7.5 in PA 320325,
while a secondary tail extended 1.5. There was still an emanation to PA
270. Beyer obtained another photograph on this date and found the coma
diameter was 18 . The primary tail extended more than 7 in PA 54, and
contained rays extending 2.1 in PA 70 and 2.0 in PA 38. A secondary tail
extended 0.4 in PA 357.
On August 10, the magnitude was given as 4.0 by Franz and Fedtke, 4.2 by
Campa, 4.3 by Witkowski and Hartwig, and 4.5 by Gadomski. Meyer used
a photometer and obtained three magnitude determinations, the average
of which was 5.22. Fedtke said the primary tail extended 2.5 in PA 60,
while a secondary tail extended to PA 0. Using a magnification of 410, he
found a small, stellar nucleus with a magnitude of 9.0. Chofardet said the
round coma was 10 across, with a central condensation, and a straight tail
extending 8. Beyer obtained a photograph and found the coma diameter
was 15 . The primary tail extended more than 7 in PA 62, and contained
rays extending 1 in PA 77 and 0.8 in PA 47. A secondary tail extended
0.4 in PA 7. Stobbe photographed the comet with a 12-cm refractor and
said the coma was 29 across, while the tail extended 10.0 in PA 55.
On August 11, ten observers provided 13 magnitude estimates, with some
seeing the comet in both the morning and the evening sky. The magnitude
range was 3.94.9 and the average magnitude was 4.4. Meyer used a photometer and obtained two magnitude determinations, the average of which
was 5.43. McLeod said the coma was about 12 across, with a bright condensation. He added that the tail was about 4 long, about 13 wide at the
end, and bright on the following edge near the coma. Malsch said a tail
extended 1 in PA 290. Brandt said the tail was 7 long in 10 50 binoculars.
Chofardet said the round coma was 10 across, with a central condensation,
and a straight tail extending 8. H. A. Lower (Alpine, California, USA) used
a 20-cm Schmidt camera to photograph the comet. This showed the tail was
curved. Its length was at least 14 as it extended beyond the edge of the
photograph. Beyer obtained a photograph and found the coma diameter
was 16 . The primary tail extended more than 6 in PA 68, and contained
rays extending 1.0 in PA 80, 1.1 in PA 57, 2.3 in PA 74, and 2.3 in
PA 61. A secondary tail extended 0.4 in PA 9. Haidrich photographed the
comet and described it as possessing a coma 7.6 across, with a tail 13.5
long. Stobbe photographed the comet with a 12-cm refractor and said the
coma was 26 across, while the tail extended 10.3 in PA 67.
On August 12, 13 observers provided magnitude estimates, which fell
within the range 3.45.3. The average was 4.4. McLeod said the coma was
about 12 across, while the central condensation was not as conspicuous as
on the previous night. He added that the tail was about 3 long, somewhat
curved, and wider than on the previous night. E. Breson (Copenhagen)
added that the coma was 78 across. Hopmann said the coma was 7.6
71
catalog of comets
across. Krumpholz said the tail was about 3 long. Haidrich photographed
the comet and described it as possessing a coma 6.7 across, with a tail 9
long. Stobbe photographed the comet with a 12-cm refractor and said the
coma was 23 across, while the tail extended 9.7 in PA 70. Kulin obtained
a photograph which showed the main tail extending more than 7.5 in PA
341, while secondary tails extended 1 in PA 335, 2 in PA 338, and 3
in PA 345. An emanation extended to PA 290. Liebermann said the coma
was 6 across.
On August 13, the magnitude was given as 4.2 by McLeod, 4.29 by Beyer,
4.5 by Fedtke and Loreta, 4.6 by Ebell, 4.8 by Gadomski, 5.2 by P. P. Parenago
(Moscow, Russia), and 5.4 by Breson. McLeod said the coma was about 12
across, while the central condensation had continued to become weaker. He
added that the tail was 2 long, somewhat curved, and fairly wide. Fedtke
said the tail extended 2 in PA 70. Breson said the coma measured 78
across. Hopmann said the coma was 6.7 across.
On August 14, the magnitude was given as 4.5 by McLeod, 4.6 by Loreta,
4.8 by Miczaika, 5.1 by Hartwig, and 5.5 by L. Andrenko (Deuxi`eme Astronomical Observatory, Odessa, Ukraine). McLeod said the coma was 10
across, with a central condensation that had become more conspicuous than
on the previous night. Moonlight prevented the tail from being traced very
far. Andrenko added that the coma was round and diffuse, with a very
pronounced stellar condensation.
The comet passed perihelion on August 15. The magnitude was then given
as 4.8 by McLeod, 4.87 by Himpel, 5.4 by Breson, and 6.5 by Andrenko.
McLeod added that the coma was 10 across, but moonlight blocked all
traces of the tail. Breson added that the coma diameter was 78 . Andrenko
added that the coma was round and diffuse, with a very pronounced stellar
condensation.
The comet moved away from both the sun and Earth during the remainder
of August and moonlight interfered with observations for the first several
nights. On the 16th, the magnitude was given as 4.5 by Campa and 5.5
by Breson. Breson added that the coma diameter was 78 . Hopmann said
the coma was 7.5 across. On the 17th, the magnitude was given as 4.7
by Fedtke, 4.9 by Gadomski, 5.66 by Himpel, and 6.0 by Breson. Fedtke
said haze and moonlight allowed only a short tail to be detected, which he
estimated extended to PA 95. Breson added that the coma diameter was
78 . On the 18th, the magnitude was given as 4.56 by Beyer, and 4.8 by
Fedtke and Liebermann. Beyer said the tail extended to PA 84. Liebermann
added that the coma was 7 across. On the 19th, the magnitude was given as
4.76 by Beyer and 5.0 by Gadomski. Hopmann said the coma was 7 across.
On the 20th, Fedtke gave the magnitude as 5.0. On the 21st, Himpel gave
the magnitude as 5.80. The moon was full on the 22nd and Beyer gave the
magnitude as 4.95. On the 23rd, the magnitude was given as 5.17 by Beyer,
5.3 by Fedtke, and 5.5 by Campa. On the 24th, the magnitude was given as
5.28 by Beyer, 5.5 by Fedtke, and 5.88 by Himpel. On the 25th, the magnitude
72
catalog of comets
was given as 5.4 by Buchar and 5.97 by Himpel. On the 26th, the magnitude
was given as 5.26 by Beyer, 5.4 by Gadomski, 5.7 by Fedtke, and 5.83 by
Himpel. The magnitude was given as 5.7 by Fedtke on the 27th and 6.5
by Hopmann on the 28th. On the 29th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.73,
while Brandt said the tail was about 1 long in 10 50 binoculars. On the
30th, Fedtke gave the magnitude as 5.7. He added that the tail had become
weaker and shorter, and extended towards about PA 90. On August 31,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.92.
On September 1, the magnitude was given as 6.0 by Buchar and 6.5 by
Fedtke. Fedtke noted the round coma was 2 across. Tscherny added that
the comet was close to the horizon and appeared as a faint nebulosity, with
a condensation. On the 2nd, Buchar gave the magnitude as 6.1. Tscherny
added that he had observed the comet close to the horizon as a faint nebulosity, with a condensation. Hopmann said the coma was 2 across. On
the 3rd, Buchar gave the magnitude as 6.3. He added that he had observed
the comet close to the horizon as a faint nebulosity, with a condensation.
On the 4th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.01. On the 5th and 6th, Buchar
gave the magnitude as 6.2. On the 7th, Buchar gave the magnitude as 6.6.
On September 13, Krumpholz barely detected the comet at an altitude of
about 8.
Even though observers in the Northern Hemisphere were losing sight of
it due to low altitude, the comet continued to be observed in the Southern Hemisphere. J. Bobone (National Observatory, Cordoba,
Argentina)
obtained numerous photographic positions during the period August 23
October 1.
The comet was last detected on December 30.29, when Bobone obtained
a 60-minute exposure using the astrograph, which showed a faint, poorly
defined image. The position was given as = 14h 23.0m , = 33 02 .
Richter obtained a 65-minute exposure of the spectrum on July 15, using
the 17-cm Triplet. He detected four bands of diatomic carbon and two bands
of cyanogen. He also detected some unidentified bands within the range
39504100 , which were likely those of triatomic carbon. W. Strohmeier
(Astrophysical Observatory, Potsdam) photographed the spectrum using
the 30-cm reflector on July 16 and 17. He detected four bands of diatomic
carbon and one band of cyanogen.
The first orbits were independently calculated by Cunningham and
Moller.
Cunningham specifically used positions from July 4, 6, and 7, and

determined the perihelion date as 1937 August 14.52. Moller
used positions spanning a similar period and determined the perihelion date as
August 12.44. Cunninghams perihelion date proved to be about a day
early. During the next few weeks, additional orbits were calculated by A. D.
Maxwell, M. Davidson, and B. Orloff. The perihelion date was established as
August 15.7.
The first elliptical orbit was calculated by Bobone. He took positions
spanning the period July 9August 25 and determined a period of about
73
catalog of comets
125 thousand years. During the next few weeks and months, further elliptical orbits were calculated by J. Febrer and G. F. Kellaway. Febrer gave the
period as 161 thousand years, while Kellaway gave it as 8618 years.
V. N. Klevetskij (1974) used 252 positions obtained between July 4 and
September 6, as well as perturbations by Venus to Saturn, and computed an
elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of August 15.67 and an orbital period
of nearly 38 thousand years.
B. G. Marsden (1974, 1978) used 212 positions obtained between July 4 and
December 30, as well as perturbations by all nine planets, and computed an
elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of August 15.67 and an orbital period
of nearly 14 million years. Marsden took this orbit and derived an elliptical
original orbit with an orbital period of about 724 thousand years, and an
elliptical future orbit with an orbital period of about 212 thousand years.
T
1937 Aug. 15.6658 (TT)
(2000.0)
i
q
e
114.8366
59.4207 146.4156 0.862744 0.999985

full moon: Jun. 23, Jul. 23, Aug. 22, Sep. 20, Oct. 19, Nov. 18, Dec. 17, 1938
Jan. 16
sources: P. Finsler and J. P. Moller,
BZAN, 19 (1937 Jul. 5), p. 39; P. Finsler, HAC,

No. 416 (1937 Jul. 6); J. P. Moller,
L. E. Cunningham, Johnson, and H. M. Jeffers,

HAC, No. 417 (1937 Jul. 7); G. van Biesbroeck and L. E. Cunningham, HAC,
No. 418 (1937 Jul. 8); J. P. Moller
and C. Fedtke, BZAN, 19 (1937 Jul. 9), p. 40;

A. D. Maxwell and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 419 (1937 Jul. 12); W. Malsch,
F. Kaiser, and G. Loreta, BZAN, 19 (1937 Jul. 15), p. 41; C. Fedtke, W. Malsch, P.
Ahnert, J. Franz, K. Graff, N. Richter, G. Hartwig, and W. Strohmeier, BZAN, 19
(1937 Jul. 19), pp. 434; A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 421 (1937 Jul. 20); F. Kaiser, W.
Malsch, J. Franz, and G. Hartwig, BZAN, 19 (1937 Jul. 30), p. 45; P. Finsler and M.
Davidson, The Observatory, 60 (1937 Aug.), pp. 2278; P. Finsler, Time, 30 (1937
Aug. 2); C. Fedtke, F. Kaiser, J. Stobbe, J. Franz, G. Hartwig, and J. Witkowski,
BZAN, 19 (1937 Aug. 4), pp. 478; A. D. Maxwell and P. Finsler, HAC, No. 422
(1937 Aug. 4); S. D. Tscherny, BZAN, 19 (1937 Aug. 7), p. 49; P. Finsler, A. D.
Maxwell, B. Orloff, N. Richter, J. O. Stobbe, W. Dieckvoss, and H.-U. Sandig, AN,
263 (1937 Aug. 10), pp. 24952; C. Fedtke, S. D. Tscherny, F. Kaiser, K. Graff, R.
Brandt, J. Franz, and J. Stobbe, BZAN, 19 (1937 Aug. 11), pp. 501; P. Finsler, L. E.
Cunningham, J. P. Moller,
A. D. Maxwell, and G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 45 (1937

Aug.Sep.), pp. 37981; F. Quenisset, The Observatory, 60 (1937 Sep.), pp. 2512;
J. Classen, G. Hartwig, C. W. L. M. Ebell, G. Kulin, J. Balazs, J. Witkowski, G.
Loreta, H. Knochel,
K. Liebermann, J. Franz, W. Malsch, K. Haidrich, C. Fedtke,

L. Andrenko, E. Breson, K. Walter, G. R. Miczaika, G. Peisino, and E. J. Meyer,
AN, 263 (1937 Sep. 8), pp. 3718; C. Fedtke, BZAN, 19 (1937 Sep. 15), p. 57; J.
Febrer, IAUC, No. 685 (1937 Sep. 29); G. van Biesbroeck and N. W. McLeod, PA,
45 (1937 Oct.), pp. 43941; H. M. Jeffers, L. E. Cunningham, A. D. Maxwell, and
P. Finsler, PASP, 49 (1937 Oct.), p. 271; A. Bohrmann and H. Fischer, AN, 264
(1937 Oct. 4), p. 7; H. Krumpholz and J. Bobone, AN, 264 (1937 Oct. 12), pp. 21
4, 27; J. Gadomski, AN, 264 (1937 Oct. 21), p. 61; J. Ellsworth, AN, 264 (1937
74
catalog of comets
Oct. 26), p. 79; R. Brandt and J. Gurtler,
AN, 264 (1937 Oct. 28), pp. 97100;

G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 60 (1937 Nov.), p. 303; J. Hopmann, AN,
264 (1937 Nov. 24), pp. 18996; K. Himpel, AN, 264 (1937 Nov. 27), p. 215; P.
Chofardet, JO, 20 (1937 Dec.), pp. 2034; M. Viaro, AN, 264 (1937 Dec. 21), p. 295;
P. P. Parenago, AJSU, 15 (1938), pp. 1734; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 18 (1938), pp. 1645;
M. Campa, AN, 264 (1938 Jan. 12), p. 341; G. F. Kellaway, MNRAS, 98 (1938 Feb.),
pp. 34950; W. Dieckvoss and H.-U. Sandig, AN, 265 (1938 Feb. 2), p. 1; M. Beyer,
AN, 265 (1938 Feb. 4), pp. 3746; E. Buchar, AN, 265 (1938 Mar. 1), pp. 97100;
J. Bobone, AN, 265 (1938 Mar. 17), pp. 15760; J. P. Moller,
AN, 265 (1938 Apr.

14), p. 271; J. O. Stobbe, AN, 265 (1938 May 5), pp. 3216; S. D. Tscherny, AJ, 47
(1938 Jun. 9), pp. 756; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 47 (1938 Nov. 21), pp. 157, 160,
162; A. H. Mikesell and U. S. Lyons, AJ, 52 (1946 Aug.), pp. 768; V1964, p. 73;
B. G. Marsden and V. N. Klevetskij, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4523, 459; B. G.
Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68.
C/1937 P1 Discovered: 1937 August 4.49 ( = 2.62 AU, r = 3.56 AU, Elong. = 152)
(Hubble) Last seen: 1937 October 28.16 ( = 3.80 AU, r = 4.28 AU, Elong. = 112)
Closest to the Earth: 1936 April 2 (2.4182 AU)
1936 VI = 1937g Calculated path: AQR (Disc) [Did not leave this constellation]
E. P. Hubble (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) discovered this
comet on 1937 August 4.49, at a position of = 22h 49.3m , = 21 00 .
It was described as diffuse, with a magnitude of 13.5, and a coma 2030
across. The daily motion was given as 30s in and 5.5 in . Confirmation
of the discovery came on August 5.40, when H. M. Jeffers and B. Adams
(Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet with the 91cm Crossley reflector. They estimated the magnitude as 13, and described
the comet as diffuse, 20 across, with no nucleus. Hubble independently
confirmed the discovery on August 5.40. The comet was discovered about
9 months after passing perihelion and 16 months after its closest approach
to Earth.
On August 6, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 13.5. He said the comet appeared very diffuse on the plate exposed
through hazy skies. W. Dieckvoss and H.-U. Sandig (Hamburg Observatory,
Bergedorf, Germany) photographed the comet on August 6, 7, 8, and 12, and
gave the magnitude as 13. On the 7th, van Biesbroeck visually observed the
comet using the 102-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 13.5. He noted
a round coma 25 across, with little condensation. On the 11th, Jeffers gave
the photographic magnitude as 14. Van Biesbroeck visually observed the
comet with the refractor on the 17th, when it was at a low altitude under
hazy skies. On August 29 and 31, Sandig gave the photographic magnitude
as 12.
On September 7, Jeffers photographed the comet and described it as a
round nebulosity, with a fairly sharp central nucleus and a magnitude of
14.5. On September 14, van Biesbroeck described the comet as a small diffuse
75
catalog of comets
nebula of magnitude 14. The comet attained its most southerly declination
of 24 on September 28.
The last two detections of this comet came on October 28.13 and October
28.16, when Jeffers and Adams obtained photographs with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. Jeffers gave the position on the latter date as = 22h 14.9m ,
= 23 21 .
The first orbital calculations were independently made by L. E. Cunningham and A. D. Maxwell and were published on August 9. The two
astronomers used three precise positions obtained on August 5, 6, and
7. Unfortunately, there was an error in the second position and both
astronomers produced incorrect orbits indicating a perihelion date between
1937 December 11.56 and December 6.10. After Jeffers published his August
11 observation, Cunningham published a new orbit on August 16, which
revealed a perihelion date of 1936 November 10.46.
Astronomers still found it difficult to pinpoint the perihelion date. J. P.
Moller
used three precise positions obtained at Bergedorf between August

6 and 12, and found a perihelion date of November 19.92. Maxwell took
positions from August 4, 11, and 18, and determined it as November
22.47. Maxwell later revised his calculations using positions from August
5, September 7, and October 2. He gave the perihelion date as November
16.38. He said a slight deviation from a parabola was indicated.
The first elliptical orbit was calculated by H. Duborg (1938). He gave the
perihelion date as November 21.76 and the period as 2500 years. A. Przybylski (1952) computed a definitive orbit with a perihelion date of November
14.16 and a period of about 600 years. Przybylskis orbit is given below.
T
1936 Nov. 14.2456 (UT)
(2000.0)
147.4924
97.7957
i
11.5806
q
e
1.953657 0.972499

full moon: Aug. 22, Sep. 20, Oct. 19
sources: E. P. Hubble, HAC, No. 423 (1937 Aug. 5); E. P. Hubble, W. Dieckvoss,
and H.-U. Sandig, BZAN, 19 (1937 Aug. 7), p. 49; H. M. Jeffers, B. Adams, G. van
Biesbroeck, L. E. Cunningham, and A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 424 (1937 Aug. 9);
L. E. Cunningham, W. Dieckvoss, and H.-U. Sandig, BZAN, 19 (1937 Aug. 11),
p. 51; H. M. Jeffers and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 425 (1937 Aug. 16); A. D.
Maxwell, HAC, No. 426 (1937 Aug. 24); E. P. Hubble, L. E. Cunningham, and
J. P. Moller,
The Observatory, 60 (1937 Sep.), p. 251; E. P. Hubble, A. D. Maxwell,

W. Dieckvoss, and H.-U. Sandig, AN, 263 (1937 Sep. 8), p. 379; E. P. Hubble and
A. D. Maxwell, PA, 45 (1937 Oct.), pp. 4378; E. P. Hubble, A. D. Maxwell, L. E.
Cunningham, and H. M. Jeffers, PASP, 49 (1937 Oct.), p. 272; A. D. Maxwell,
The Observatory, 60 (1937 Oct.), p. 275; A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 434 (1937 Oct.
28); A. D. Maxwell, The Observatory, 60 (1937 Dec.), p. 335; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 18
(1938), p. 165; A. D. Maxwell and H. Duborg, MNRAS, 98 (1938 Feb.), pp. 34850;
W. Dieckvoss and H.-U. Sandig, AN, 265 (1938 Feb. 2), p. 1; G. van Biesbroeck,
76
catalog of comets
AJ, 47 (1938 Nov. 21), pp. 1578, 160, 163; A. Przybylski, MNRAS, 112 (1952),
pp. 3423; V1964, p. 73.
2P/Encke Recovered: 1937 September 3.39 ( = 1.29 AU, r = 1.98 AU, Elong. = 118)
1937 VI = 1937h Closest to the Earth: 1937 November 14 (0.2712 AU)
Calculated path: ARI (Rec), TRI (Sep. 5), AND (Oct. 3), LAC (Nov. 2), CYG
(Nov. 7), VUL (Nov. 15), SGE (Nov. 21), AQL (Nov. 22), HER (Nov. 23), OPH
(Nov. 25)
A. C. D. Crommelin (1936) relied on this comets 59.5 year cycle of orbital
motion for his 1937 prediction. He said, It reproduces the Jupiter and Saturn perturbations very closely, and generally gives [the perihelion date]
correctly within a day. The resulting prediction for the time of perihelion
passage was 1937 December 27.25.
H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) decided to begin searching for this comet during August 1937. He used an ephemeris published
by Crommelin in the 1937 handbook of the British Astronomical Association, which showed the comet would be very faint, but the uncertainty in
the position would be less than it would be later. Assisted by B. Adams,
an uncertain image was obtained on August 14.47, very near the position extrapolated from Crommelins ephemeris. The magnitude was estimated as 19. Jeffers said the first two photographs in September partially
confirmed the image noted on August 14, but the author finds Jeffers
measured position was somewhat off the path indicated by the September
positions.
Jeffers obtained a 110-minute exposure with the 91-cm Crossley reflector
on 1937 September 3.39. He found an image at a position of = 2h 19.1m ,
= +27 10 . The magnitude was estimated as 18 and the comet was simply described as very small, with a sharp nucleus. Confirmation came
on September 4.48, when Jeffers made another photographic observation
which showed the expected motion of this comet and again showed the
magnitude to be 18. He noted a sharp nucleus within a faint coma. Jeffers
obtained another photographic observation on September 7.47, with the
magnitude being estimated as 17, and the coma several seconds across.
The comets actual perihelion date of December 27.76 was only 0.49 day
later than predicted by Crommelin, and 0.11 day later than that predicted
by L. Matkiewicz.
The comet was recovered as it was approaching both the sun and Earth.
On October 7, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) visually observed the comet using the 102-cm refractor and gave the magnitude
as 15. He said the comet was a fairly well-condensed, round coma about
18 in diameter. H.-U. Sandig (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
photographed the comet using the reflector on the 7th and 8th, and gave
the magnitude as 8.5. On the 9th, Jeffers photographed the comet with
77
catalog of comets
the reflector and noted a fan-shaped tail 0.8 long extending to the northwest and a magnitude of 16. Sandig gave the photographic magnitude as
8 on the 11th. The comet attained a maximum elongation of 149 on October 15. On the 25th, W. H. Steavenson (West Norwood, England) gave the
visual magnitude as 13. He described the comet as exhibiting a faint diffuse coma 1.5 across and a nearly stellar nucleus of magnitude 14. On the
27th, van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet using the 102-cm refractor and found a perfectly stellar nucleus of magnitude 14 located inside
a coma extending 1 in PA 310. The total magnitude had then brightened
to 13.8. M. Beyer (Hamburg, Germany) visually observed the comet using a
across. W. Dieckvoss and Sandig gave the total photographic magnitude
as 7.5. On the 28th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 9.47 and noted a
coma 4 across. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +44 on
October 29.
On November 2, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 8.67, while Dieckvoss and Sandig gave the photographic magnitude as 7. Beyer said the
coma was 6 across. On the 3rd, van Biesbroeck detected the comet in a 10cm finder and gave the magnitude as 12. Van Biesbroeck said the nuclear
magnitude was 13, while a fan-shaped coma covered a angle of 70 and was
directed to PA 280. The nucleus was then at the very apex of the coma.
On the 4th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.17 using the 14-cm refractor,
while van Biesbroeck gave it as 11 using a 10-cm finder. Beyer said that the
coma diameter was 6 , while a short tail extended towards about PA 314.
Van Biesbroeck said the nucleus was almost detached from the coma.
The fan-shaped coma was then directed to PA 270. On the 6th, A. Schaumasse (Nice Observatory, France) observed using the 40-cm refractor and
said the comet was diffuse, about 5 across, and without condensation. On
the 7th, A. M. Vergnano (Pino Torinese Observatory, Turin, Italy) gave the
magnitude as 11.5. On the 9th, the magnitude was given as 7.54 by Beyer
and 11 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma diameter was 6 , while a tail
extended towards about PA 290. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was eccentric toward the sun. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as
10. He added that a tiny stellar nucleus shone at magnitude 13 and was
situated within a very eccentric fan-shaped coma which extended about
6 in PA 265 or towards the sun. No material was visible on the side
of the nucleus normally occupied by a tail. On November 14, Schaumasse
observed in moonlight and noted the comet was very diffuse and about
4 across.
As the second half of November began, the comet was moving away from
Earth, but was still approaching the sun. On the 20th, C. Fedtke (Konigsberg,
now Kaliningrad, Russia) gave the magnitude as 7.1. He described the comet
as a very diffuse, triangle-shaped nebulosity, with a tail extending about 2.5
toward PA 240. On the 20th and 25th, Schaumasse said the comet was very
diffuse and about 6 across, with an extension toward the sun. On the 21st,
78
catalog of comets
Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.59. He added that a tail extended towards
about 253. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.25. He noted that
the coma diameter was 5 , while a tail extended towards about 272. On
the 23rd, Fedtke gave the magnitude as 6.6. On the 24th, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 7.6. He noted the stellar nucleus had vanished and
was replaced by a fuzzy condensation on the following side of the coma.
The tail extended to PA 260. On the 25th, F. Kaiser (Wiesbaden, Germany)
gave the magnitude as 6.5. He noted a centrally condensed, diffuse coma
about 5 across. On the 26th, Fedtke gave the magnitude as 6.5. Schneider
and Dolderer (Stuttgart, Germany) noted the coma was 3 across, while the
condensation was 1 across. On the 27th, the magnitude was given as 5.91
by Beyer and 7 by A. Kwiek (Poznan, Poland). Beyer added that the coma
diameter was 6 , while a tail extended towards about 255. On the 28th, the
visual magnitude was given as 5.99 by Beyer, 7.0 by G. Loreta (Bologna,
Italy), and 7.2 by van Biesbroeck. J. O. Stobbe (Kiel, Germany) gave the
photographic magnitude as 6.0. Beyer said the coma diameter was 6 and
the tail extended towards about 258. Van Biesbroeck simply described the
comet as diffuse. Stobbe obtained a 36-minute exposure and noted a diffuse
nucleus of magnitude 9.5 surrounded by a nearly circular coma 8 across,
but shifted about 2 toward PA 230. Stobbe created a diagram showing
isophote contours. The brighter isophotes were farthest from the nucleus
towards the southwest, or nearly in the direction of the sun, while the fainter
ones were mainly to the northwest. All of the isophotes showed little extension in the direction almost exactly opposite the sun. On the 29th, the visual
magnitude was given as 6.9 by Loreta and the photographic magnitude was
given as 6 by F. Quenisset (Juvisy Observatory, France). Quenisset obtained
a 20-minute exposure and noted envelopes were present on the sunward
side of the coma. Schaumasse noted the comet had considerably brightened
since the 25th, but there was no condensation visible in the 40-cm refractor.
On November 30, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 6.0, while the tail
extended to PA 260.
The comet quickly dropped into twilight as December began. On December 2, C. Popovici (Bucharest, Romania) said it was difficult to measure
the comets position because it was so diffuse. On the 3rd, W. T. Gayfer
(England) was able to obtain a position, but no description was given. On
December 5, the magnitude was given as 5 by Quenisset, 6.2 by Fedtke, and
7.5 by L. Orkisz (Warszawa, Poland). Quenisset said the comet was very
bright, despite being low over the horizon. Fedtke described it as a diffuse
nebulosity, without a nucleus.
The comet was last detected on December 6.75, when Quenisset estimated
the magnitude as 5. The comet stayed relatively close to the sun during the
weeks that followed. After reaching a minimum solar elongation of 12 on
December 15, the comet drifted out to a maximum elongation of 20 by
December 31 and then moved back to within 18 of the sun by 1938 January
18. The comet attained its most southerly declination of 28 on January 16.
79
catalog of comets
The spectrum of this comet was observed by van Biesbroeck and L. G.

Henyey (1937) at Yerkes Observatory. They piggybacked a 9-cm Schmidt
camera with two 60 quartz prisms to the 102-cm refractor and obtained
an exposure of 3 hours 45 minutes on November 4. The resulting spectrum
revealed bands of diatomic carbon and cyanogen, as well as a possible band
of N2 . They also detected a possible band of triatomic carbon at 4056 , as
well as bands at 3160 and 3103 , which may have been those of the
hydroxyl radical. The authors believed this was the first time the last two
bands had ever been detected in a comet.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by S. G. Makover (1956),
S. Y. Luchich (1958), B. G. Marsden (1969, 1970), N. A. Bokhan and Y. A.
Chernetenko (1974), and Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1974). All of these
orbits included planetary perturbations, while those from 1969 and later
also included the effects of nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion date of December 27.75 and a period of 3.29 years. Marsden and
Sekanina (1974) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.05 and A2 =
0.00822.
T
1937 Dec. 27.7540 (TT)
(2000.0)
184.9293 335.5866
i
12.5546
q
0.332410
e
0.849603

full moon: Aug. 22, Sep. 20, Oct. 19, Nov. 18, Dec. 17
sources: A. C. D. Crommelin, BAA Handbook for 1937 (1936), p. 34; H. M. Jeffers,
BZAN, 19 (1937 Sep. 7), p. 56; H. M. Jeffers and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 428
(1937 Sep. 7); H. M. Jeffers and B. Adams, HAC, No. 433 (1937 Oct. 19); A. C. D.
Crommelin and H. M. Jeffers, PASP, 49 (1937 Oct.), pp. 2723; H. M. Jeffers, PA,
45 (1937 Oct.), p. 438; H. M. Jeffers, The Observatory, 60 (1937 Oct.), p. 275; H. M.
Jeffers, L. Matkiewicz, and W. H. Steavenson, JBAA, 48 (1937 Nov.), p. 39; A. M.
Vergnano, BZAN, 19 (1937 Nov. 18), p. 71; G. van Biesbroeck and L. G. Henyey,
APJ, 86 (1937 Dec.), pp. 6223; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 45 (1937 Dec.), p. 567; The
Observatory, 60 (1937 Dec.), p. 335; C. Fedtke, F. Kaiser, and J. O. Stobbe, BZAN,
19 (1937 Dec. 1), p. 75; A. Kwiek and G. Loreta, BZAN, 19 (1937 Dec. 8), p. 77;
C. Fedtke, Schneider, and Dolderer, BZAN, 19 (1937 Dec. 14), p. 79; L. Orkisz,
BZAN, 19 (1937 Dec. 21), p. 81; F. Quenisset, BSAF, 52 (1938), p. 28; H. M. Jeffers,
LOB, 18 (1938), p. 165; The Observatory, 61 (1938 Jan.), p. 30; W. T. Gayfer and F.
Quenisset, JBAA, 48 (1938 Jan.), pp. 1323; C. Fedtke, BZAN, 20 (1938 Jan. 8),
p. 1; C. Popovici, BZAN, 20 (1938 Jan. 28), p. 5; H. M. Jeffers, L. Matkiewicz, F.
Quenisset, MNRAS, 98 (1938 Feb.), pp. 34850; H.-U. Sandig and W. Dieckvoss,
AN, 265 (1938 Feb. 2), p. 2; M. Beyer, AN, 265 (1938 Feb. 4), pp. 458; J. O. Stobbe,
AN, 265 (1938 May 5), pp. 32530; J. O. Stobbe, JBAA, 48 (1938 Jun.), pp. 3256; A.
Schaumasse, JO, 21 (1938 Nov.), pp. 1812; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 47 (1938 Nov.
21), pp. 158, 161, 163; S. G. Makover, TrITA, 6 (1956), pp. 6979; S. Y. Luchich,
MNRAS, 119 (1959), pp. 4423; V1964, p. 73; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.),
pp. 7256, 72830; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 11 (1970 Sep.), pp. 2323; N. A. Bokhan
and Y. A. Chernetenko, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4523, 459; B. G. Marsden and
Z. Sekanina, AJ, 79 (1974 Mar.), pp. 41319.
80
catalog of comets
34D/1938 J1 Recovered: 1938 May 1.24 ( = 0.42 AU, r = 1.35 AU, Elong. = 137)
(Gale) Last seen: 1938 July 29.89 ( = 0.41 AU, r = 1.31 AU, Elong. = 128)
1938 = 1938a Calculated path: SER (Rec), SGR (May 7), MIC (Jun. 4), GRU (Jun. 12), PHE
(Jul. 3)
M. G. Sumner (1936) computed an orbit for the upcoming apparition of this
comet which included perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. The resulting
prediction for the date of perihelion was 1938 April 19.61. Ephemerides
were given for the end of 1937 for perihelion dates of March 18.61 and April
19.61. J. G. Porter (1937) utilized Sumners orbit and computed ephemerides
for 1938, but only used the April 19.61 perihelion date, and an assumed perihelion date of April 20.61. A. C. D. Crommelin (1938) said Sumners computations were checked by a second computation with the result agreeing
almost exactly. However, Crommelin pointed out that this period may be in
error by almost a month so that Porters variation between the ephemerides
based on April 19 and 20 perihelion dates should be multiplied by 30 and
applied both before and after the April 19 date. Early in April of 1938, W. F.
Gale (Sydney, Australia) reported that he had searched on 20 mornings for
this comet, but found nothing.
L. E. Cunningham published a definitive orbit in April of 1938, based on
observations obtained during the 1927 apparition. By applying perturbations calculated by Sumner and Crommelin, he predicted the comet would
be at perihelion on May 16.90; however, due to uncertainties, he not only
gave an ephemeris based on his predicted perihelion date, but also for dates
15 days and 30 days before and after his prediction. He said there was a 99%
probability that the comets true perihelion would be within the range of
30 days before and after his predicted date.
Cunningham (Harvard College Observatory, Oak Ridge Station, Massachusetts, USA) recovered the comet on 1938 May 1.24 on photographs
made with the 20-cm refractor. He described it as magnitude 10, with a central condensation 30 across and a faint coma 100 in diameter. He gave the
position as = 17h 24.0m , = 13 05 , which indicated a perihelion date
32.6 days later than he had predicted. The published predictions by Sumner
and Crommelin were 59.9 days too early. The comet was approaching both
the sun and Earth.
On May 6, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
obtained a 5-minute photograph using the 61-cm reflector and gave the
magnitude as 11. He added that a well-defined nucleus of about magnitude 12 was situated within an eccentric coma that extended to 2 in PA
255. On the 7th, J. E. Willis (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA)
detected the comet visually and photographically with the 102-cm reflector. He visually observed a starlike condensation surrounded by diffuse
material that seemed to extend toward about PA 240. On a photograph,
the comet appeared 12 in diameter. On the 9th, B. H. Dawson (La Plata
81
catalog of comets
Observatory, Argentina) described the comet as diffuse, with a magnitude

of 11. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet using the
102-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 11. He added that a sharp stellar
nucleus of about magnitude 12 was situated at the apex of a broad coma
extending 2 in PA 265. On the 28th, G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory, Athens, Greece) estimated the magnitude as 11. On May 31, A. M.
Vergnano (Pino Torinese Observatory, Turin, Italy) estimated the magnitude
as 13.
On June 3, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 12 and the round
coma as about 3 across. On the 4th, E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) estimated the magnitude as 9.5. He said the comet
was large and diffuse, with no nucleus. On the 8th, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 12. The very diffuse coma was 2 in diameter and
contained little condensation. On the 10th, Adamopoulos gave the photographic magnitude as 9.5. On the 16th, A. F. I. Forbes (Cape Town, South
Africa) described the comet as very diffuse, with a magnitude of 9. On the
19th, Johnson estimated the photographic magnitude as 10.0. On June 23,
Gale estimated the magnitude as between 10 and 11. Gale said the coma
was circular, with a diameter of about 1.25 and no nucleus.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 41 on July 1. On
July 5, Johnson estimated the magnitude as 10.5. On July 20, Johnson estimated the magnitude as 8.5.
The comet was last detected on July 29.89, when Johnson obtained a photograph with the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera showing the magnitude as 9.5. He determined the position as = 0h 12.5m , = 39 56 . Longexposure plates were made by Johnson on August 16 and 18, but no trace
of the comet was found.
Cunningham calculated two orbits using the positions from this apparition. Using three precise positions obtained between May 7 and June 3, he
computed an orbit with an assumed semimajor axis of 4.944 AU. The perihelion date was June 18.47, while the period was 10.99 years. He later took
12 observations spanning 27 days and determined the same values.
Orbits using positions from 1927 and 1938 have been calculated by F. R.
Cripps (1948), B. G. Marsden (1968), S. Nakano (1991, 2001), P. Rocher (1995),
and K. Kinoshita (2003). Where Cripps applied perturbations by Jupiter
and Saturn, the remaining astronomers applied perturbations by at least
Mercury to Neptune and frequently included the larger minor planets. In
general, the perihelion date was given as June 18.4718.48 and the period
as 10.9911.00 years. Nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +1.961
and A2 = +0.75891 by Nakano (1993), A1 = +1.961 and A2 = +0.75891
by Nakano (2001), A1 = +1.85093 and A2 = +0.88741 by Rocher, and
A1 = +2.0492 and A2 = +0.5596 by Kinoshita (2003). The orbit of Nakano
(2001) is given below.
Despite two apparitions, the comet has not been seen again (as of
2008). Predictions were calculated for the 1949 and 1960 apparitions by
82
catalog of comets
C. Dinwoodie, for the 1970 and 1992/1993 apparitions by B. G. Marsden,

for the 1981, 1992/1993, and 2004 apparitions by Nakano, for the 2004
apparition by Kinoshita, and for the 2004 apparition by K. Muraoka. For
the 1992/1993 apparition, the predicted perihelion dates of Marsden and
Nakano differed by nearly 4 weeks. For the 2004 apparition, the predicted
perihelion dates of Nakano, Kinoshita, and Muraoka differed by more than
2 months. For the 1949 apparition, searches for this comet were reported by
H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA), van Biesbroeck (Goethe
Link Observatory, Indiana, USA, and Yerkes Observatory), and Johnson, as
well as Bosque Alegre Observatory (Cordoba,
Argentina), Lowell Observatory (Arizona, USA), and Harvard College Observatory (Boyden Station,
Bloemfontein, South Africa). Jeffers simply noted that his search was without result. Van Biesbroeck said he was visiting Goethe Link Observatory
on March 7 and requested F. Edmondson to expose a pair of plates using
the 25-cm Cooke lens on Dinwoodies predicted position. Van Biesbroeck
said the exposures should have found the comet if it was as faint as magnitude 16. The photographic plates covered the area 3 in and 4 in
. Van Biesbroeck also exposed some photographic plates using the 61-cm
reflector at Yerkes Observatory. Johnson said he photographically searched
for the comet on March 1, 25, and April 7, but it was not found on the 25cm FranklinAdams Star Camera plates. The apparitions of 1960 and 1970
were not favorable for observations, with the comet arriving at perihelion
around the time that it was on the far side of the sun from Earth, and no
observations were apparently attempted at either return. There also do not
appear to have been any searches in 1981, 1992/1993, and 2004.
T
1938 Jun. 18.4757 (TT)
(2000.0)
209.1493
67.9236
i
11.7272
q
e
1.182900 0.760744

full moon: Apr. 14, May 14, Jun. 12, Jul. 12, Aug. 11
sources: M. G. Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1937 (1936), p. 37; M. G. Sumner, The
Observatory, 59 (1936 Mar.), p. 103; M. G. Sumner and J. G. Porter, BAA Handbook
for 1938 (1937), pp. 245; A. C. D. Crommelin, The Observatory, 61 (1938 Feb.),
p. 63; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 444 (1938 Apr. 26); W. F. Gale and L. E. Cunningham, JBAA, 48 (1938 May), pp. 2934; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 445
(1938 May 5); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 711 (1938 May 5); L. E. Cunningham, BZAN, 20 (1938 May 9), p. 23; B. H. Dawson, HAC, No. 447 (1938 May
10); B. H. Dawson, BZAN, 20 (1938 May 27), p. 26; L. E. Cunningham, The Observatory, 61 (1938 Jun.), pp. 1701; J. E. Willis, HAC, No. 450 (1938 Jun. 6); B. H.
Dawson, G. Adamopoulos, and A. M. Vergnano, IAUC, No. 713 (1938 Jun. 7);
A. M. Vergnano, BZAN, 20 (1938 Jun. 8), p. 27; L. E. Cunningham and G. van
Biesbroeck, PA, 46 (1938 Jun.Jul.), pp. 3245; A. F. I. Forbes, JBAA, 48 (1938 Jul.),
p. 368; A. F. I. Forbes, The Observatory, 61 (1938 Jul.), p. 199; L. E. Cunningham,
HAC, No. 452 (1938 Jul. 19); G. Adamopoulos, IAUC, No. 715 (1938 Jul. 23); E. L.
Johnson, IAUC, No. 716 (1938 Jul. 27); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 717 (1938
83
catalog of comets
Jul. 30); W. F. Gale, The Observatory, 61 (1938 Aug.), p. 225; L. E. Cunningham,
The Observatory, 61 (1938 Sep.), p. 256; E. L. Johnson, AN, 267 (1938 Sep. 26),
p. 51; E. L. Johnson, BZAN, 20 (1938 Sep. 27), p. 41; E. L. Johnson, JBAA, 48 (1938
Oct.), p. 414; E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 725 (1938 Oct. 3); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ,
47 (1938 Nov. 21), pp. 158, 161, 163; W. F. Gale, L. E. Cunningham, and A. F. I.
Forbes, MNRAS, 99 (1939 Feb.), p. 409; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5 (1939 Feb. 3), p. 9;
L. E. Cunningham and F. R. Cripps, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11012; C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for 1949 (1948 Nov.), pp. 501; G. van Biesbroeck and F.
Edmondson, PA, 57 (1949 Apr.), p. 192; E. L. Johnson and H. M. Jeffers, IAUC,
No. 1210 (1949 Apr. 20); [Bosque Alegre Observatory], [Lowell Observatory],
and [Harvard College Observatory], MNRAS, 110 (1950), p. 177; C. Dinwoodie,
BAA Handbook for 1958 (1957 Nov.), p. 58; C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for 1960
(1959 Nov.), p. 50; V1964, p. 73; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31415;
B. G. Marsden, BAA Handbook for 1970 (1969 Oct.), p. 71; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS,
12 (1971), p. 264; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 378 (1980 Oct. 20); B. G. Marsden,
MPC, No. 14595 (1989 May 20); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 549 (1991 Apr. 4);
personal correspondence from P. Rocher (1995); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 786
(2001 Apr. 27); personal correspondence from K. Kinoshita (2003); K. Muraoka,
The Comet Handbook for 2004, pp. 2, 20.
C/1939 B1 Discovered: 1939 January 17.61 ( = 0.87 AU, r = 0.82 AU, Elong. = 52)
(KozikPeltier) Last seen: 1939 April 21.75 ( = 1.45 AU, r = 1.54 AU, Elong. = 75)
1939 I = 1939a Calculated path: CYG (Disc), VUL (Jan. 17), PEG (Jan. 21), PSC (Feb. 7), CET
(Feb. 12), FOR (Feb. 28), ERI (Mar. 15), HOR (Mar. 23), CAE (Mar. 30), PIC
(Apr. 10)
This comet was first discovered by S. Kozik (Tashkent, Russia, now Uzbekistan) on 1939 January 17.61. He gave the position as = 21h 07.1m , =
+28 20 . The comet was confirmed by S. I. Beljawsky (Pulkovo Observatory, St. Petersburg, Russia) on January 19.68. Both observers described the
comet as diffuse, with a central condensation, and a tail less than 1 long.
The magnitude was estimated as 8 and the daily motion was determined as
+5m 48s in and 13 in . An official announcement was sent from Pulkovo
on January 20, but not before L. C. Peltier (Delphos, Ohio, USA) independently discovered the 8th-magnitude comet on January 20.0. An additional
early confirmation was made by Y. Visl (University of Turku, Finland) on
January 20.70. He estimated the magnitude as 6, and said the tail was less
than 1 long. The comet had reached a maximum declination of +29 on
January 10. The comet was approaching both the sun and Earth.
On January 21, the magnitude was given as 7.7 by G. van Biesbroeck
(Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA), 8 by V. V. Lavdovsky (Pulkovo
Observatory), and 8.5 by V. V. Michkovitch (Belgrade, Yugoslavia, now
Serbia). Van Biesbroeck said the faint coma was about 2 across, with a
sharp nucleus and a tail extending over 30 in PA 20. Lavdovsky described
the comet as diffuse, without a central condensation, and a tail less than
84
catalog of comets
1 long. On the 22nd, the visual magnitude was given as 8 by H. M. Jeffers

(Lick Observatory, California, USA) and van Biesbroeck. Jeffers observed
using the 30-cm refractor and saw a tail extended toward PA 30. Van Biesbroeck noted the sharp nucleus shone at magnitude 8.7. M. Dziurla (Poznan,
Poland) described the comet as diffuse, with a condensation and a tail less
than 1 long. On the 23rd, the magnitude was given as 7 by H. Hirose (Tokyo
Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka Station, Japan), 7.8 by van Biesbroeck,
and 8 by J. Dick (Babelsberg, Germany) and Jeffers. Van Biesbroeck said the
coma diameter was 1.5 , and he added that a slender tail extended 1 in
PA 30, while a more diffuse bundle extended 20 in PA 20. On the 24th,
the magnitude was given as 7 by G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory,
Athens, Greece) and 8.0 by M. Campa (Milan, Italy). G. C. Flammarion and
F. Quenisset (Juvisy, France) photographed the comet and noted two tails.
The primary tail was 30 long and in PA 30, while the secondary tail was
very short and in PA 25. On the 25th, M. Beyer (Hamburg, Germany)
gave the visual magnitude as 6.38, while H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory,
Arizona, USA) photographed the comet using the 18-cm Lawrence Lowell
telescope and gave the magnitude as 8. Beyer said the coma was 2.6 across
and contained a nucleus of magnitude 8.26. He added that the tail extended
20 in PA 22. On January 26, the magnitude was given as 6 by Hirose and
6.5 by E. J. Delporte (Uccle, Belgium).
On January 27, the photographic magnitude was given as 7.07.5 by R. S.
Zug (Goodsell Observatory, Minnesota, USA) and 7.5 by Flammarion and
Quenisset. Flammarion and Quenisset said their photograph showed only
one tail spanning from PA 25 to PA 30. Zug visually observed the comet
using the 41-cm refractor and gave the nuclear magnitude as 8.5. He also
noted a round nucleus with no sharp central condensation, and a smoothly
flowing tail visible for half a degree. On the 28th, van Biesbroeck observed
under moonlit hazy skies and gave the magnitude as 6.9. On January 31,
the magnitude was given as 6.0 by O. Volk (Wurzburg,
Germany) and van

Biesbroeck, 6.57.0 by Delporte, 6.6 by H. Krumpholz (Vienna University
Observatory, Austria), 6.9 by M. Bielicki (Warszawa, Poland), 7 by P. Chofardet (Besancon, France), and 8 by A. Fresa (Pino Torinese Observatory,
Turin, Italy). Van Biesbroeck said the coma diameter was 2.5 . He noted
that the 8.0-magnitude stellar nucleus was less than 0.3 in diameter and
emanated a little bright fan 2 long in the direction of the tail. He added
that the brighter part of the tail extended to PA 25. Krumpholz said the
coma was 23 across, with a very distinct condensation, and a tail extending about 15 in PA 30.
The comet passed closest to the sun on February 6. On February 1, Delporte gave the magnitude as 6.57. On the 2nd, Jeffers visually observed
the comet with the 30-cm refractor and said the head was somewhat elongated. On the 3rd, the magnitude was given as 66.5 by Flammarion and
Quenisset and 6.75 by Beyer. Beyer said the nucleus was about magnitude
9.3, while a tail extended 12 in PA 33. The moon was full on the 4th and the
85
catalog of comets
magnitude was given as 6.2 by van Biesbroeck and 7.6 by Krumpholz. Van
Biesbroeck also said there was a sharp nucleus and a tail extending to PA 40.
Krumpholz said the coma was 2 across, with a very distinct condensation
and a tail extending 20 in PA 40. On the 6th, the magnitude was given as
6 by Flammarion and Quenisset, 6.10 by Beyer, and 7.0 by Campa. The estimate by Flammarion and Quenisset was with the naked eye. Beyer said the
coma was 2.2 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 9.8, and a tail extended
30 in PA 40. Beyer added that a photograph showed the tail extending
1.9. Flammarion and Quenisset said the tail photographed was 3 long in
PA 45 and spanned an angle of 25. On February 7, the magnitude was given
as 5.8 by Flammarion and Quenisset, 6.15 by Beyer, 6.8 by G. B. Lacchini
(Trieste, Italy), and 7.2 by Krumpholz. Flammarion and Quenisset saw the
comet with the naked eye. Beyer said the nucleus was about magnitude
10.0, while a tail extended 27 in PA 46. Lacchini said the tail was fanshaped and extended about 1 in PA 48. Flammarion and Quenissets photographs showed a diffuse short tail extending in PA 48 and spanning an
angle of 45.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 46 on February 8.
The magnitude was then given as 5.8 by Flammarion and Quenisset, 6.0 by
G. Peisino (Trieste, Italy), 6.8 by Lacchini, and 7.4 by Krumpholz.
Flammarion and Quenisset said the tail consisted of two parts the primary
pointing in PA 50. Krumpholz said the tail extended 20 in PA 46. Lacchini
said the tail was fan-shaped and extended about 1 in PA 48. L. Gialanella
(Monte Mario Observatory, Rome, Italy) obtained a photometric observation of the nucleus which showed a magnitude of 6.10, and a color index of
+1.14. The comet passed closest to the sun on February 11. The magnitude
was then given as 6.2 by van Biesbroeck, 7.5 by Campa, and 7.9 by Peisino.
Gialanella obtained a photometric observation of the nucleus which showed
a magnitude of 7.15, and a color index of +0.99. On the 12th, B. H. Dawson
(La Plata Observatory, Argentina) gave the magnitude as 6.6. On the 13th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.04. He said the coma was 2.3 across, with
a nucleus of magnitude 8.8, and a tail extending 25 in PA 58. On February 14, the magnitude was given as 6.9 by Krumpholz, and 7.5 by Lacchini
and Campa. U. S. Lyons (US Naval Observatory, Washington DC, USA) said
there was a decided condensation.
As the last half of February began, the comet was moving away from
both the sun and Earth. On the 15th, the magnitude was given as 5.7 by van
Biesbroeck and 7.5 by Campa. Gialanella obtained a photometric observation of the nucleus which showed a magnitude of 6.97, and a color index of
+0.85. On the 16th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.30. He said the nucleus
was about magnitude 8.5, while the tail extended 20 in PA 68. Gialanella
obtained a photometric observation of the nucleus which showed a magnitude of 6.15, and a color index of +0.81. On the 17th, the magnitude was
given as 6.26 by Beyer and 7.0 by Krumpholz. Beyer said the coma was
about 3 across, with a nucleus of about magnitude 9.0, and a tail extending
86
catalog of comets
7 in PA 69. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.17 and said the
tail extended 8 in PA 78. On the 19th, Gialanella obtained a photometric
observation of the nucleus which showed a magnitude of 8.10, and a color
index of +0.87. On the 21st, the magnitude was given as 5.56.1 by Dawson
and 5.7 by van Biesbroeck. On the 22nd, the magnitude was given as 5.4 by
van Biesbroeck and 7 by Jeffers. On the 23rd, the magnitude was given as 5.4
by van Biesbroeck, 5.6 by Dawson, and 6.1 by Adamopoulos. On the 24th,
van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 5.6. On February 27, the magnitude
was given as 6.1 by van Biesbroeck and 6.50 by Dawson.
Dawson provided the only physical descriptions during March and these
were strictly total magnitudes. He gave the magnitude as 7.2 on the 1st, 5.80
on the 6th, 5.92 on the 7th, 6.51 on the 9th, 6.57 on the 11th, 7.10 on the 13th,
7.33 on the 15th, 8.2 on the 17th, 7.90 on the 18th, 7.95 on the 20th, and 8.3
on the 21st.
The comet was last detected on April 21.75, when H. E. Wood (Union
Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) found it on a 15-minute exposure
obtained with the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera. He gave the position
as = 5h 22.7m , = 47 07 .
The first orbit was calculated by A. Kahrstedt. Based on positions obtained
during the period January 1722, it revealed a perihelion date of 1938
December 30.00. It was considered uncertain. Three orbits were independently calculated using positions from January 21, 22, and 23. The perihelion
date was given as 1939 February 6.39 by L. E. Cunningham, February 6.16
by A. D. Maxwell and H. R. J. Grosch, and February 6.79 by P. Herget. During the next few weeks orbits very similar to these three were calculated by
J. P. Moller,
Hirose, Herget, Maxwell, and T. J. Bartlett, H. A. Panofsky, and

E. L. Scott. They established the perihelion date as February 6.9.
The first elliptical orbit was calculated by Kahrstedt. Using positions
spanning the period January 20February 6, he gave the perihelion date
as February 6.77 and the period as 8170 years. Kozik took positions spanning the period January 19February 12, and determined a perihelion date
of February 6.86 and a period of 3690 years. Very similar elliptical orbits
were calculated in the following days and weeks by A. Przybylski and
F. Koebcke, but with periods of 1650 and 2700 years, respectively.
Przybylski (1953) calculated a definitive orbit using 562 positions spanning the period of January 19April 21. The result was a perihelion date of
February 6.85 and a period near 1770 years. This orbit is given below.
T
1939 Feb. 6.8535 (UT)
(2000.0)
169.0243 289.6136
i
63.5238
q
e
0.716496 0.995103

full moon: Jan. 5, Feb. 4, Mar. 5, Apr. 4, May 3
sources: H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1939), pp. 734; L. C. Peltier, IAUC, No. 736 (1939
Jan. 20); L. C. Peltier, HAC, No. 467 (1939 Jan. 20); S. Kozik, S. I. Beljawsky, and
87
catalog of comets
Y. Visl, IAUC, No. 737 (1939 Jan. 21); M. Dziurla and A. Kahrstedt, IAUC, No.
738 (1939 Jan. 23); S. I. Beljawsky, G. van Biesbroeck, H. M. Jeffers, and B. Adams,
HAC, No. 468 (1939 Jan. 23); J. Dick and L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 739 (1939
Jan. 24); L. E. Cunningham, A. D. Maxwell, and H. R. J. Grosch, HAC, No. 469
(1939 Jan. 24); V. V. Michkovitch, IAUC, No. 740 (1939 Jan. 26); A. N. Deutsch,
V. V. Lavdovsky, M. Campa, and J. P. Moller,
IAUC, No. 741 (1939 Jan. 27); G.

Adamopoulos and E. J. Delporte, IAUC, No. 742 (1939 Feb. 1); J. P. Moller,
IAUC,
No. 743 (1939 Feb. 2); P. Herget and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 470 (1939 Feb. 3);
O. Volk and P. Chofardet, IAUC, No. 744 (1939 Feb. 4); E. J. Delporte and A. Fresa,
IAUC, No. 745 (1939 Feb. 8); G. Peisino, G. B. Lacchini, and A. Kahrstedt, IAUC,
No. 746 (1939 Feb. 11); P. Herget, A. D. Maxwell, T. J. Bartlett, H. A. Panofsky,
and E. L. Scott, HAC, No. 471 (1939 Feb. 14); L. Gialanella, G. C. Flammarion, and
F. Quenisset, IAUC, No. 747 (1939 Feb. 14); H. Hirose, G. Peisino, L. Gialanella,
G. B. Lacchini, and A. D. Maxwell, IAUC, No. 748 (1939 Feb. 17); L. Gialanella,
IAUC, No. 749 (1939 Feb. 25); A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 473 (1939 Feb. 27); L. C.
Peltier, S. Kozik, L. E. Cunningham, A. D. Maxwell, H. R. J. Grosch, and R. S.
Zug, PA, 47 (1939 Feb.), pp. 1023; A. D. Maxwell and G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 47
(1939 Mar.), pp. 1623; M. Bielicki, G. Peisino, and A. D. Maxwell, IAUC, No.
750 (1939 Mar. 4); S. Kozik, A. Przybylski, and F. Koebcke, IAUC, No. 752 (1939
Mar. 18); G. Adamopoulos, IAUC, No. 756 (1939 Mar. 31); G. van Biesbroeck,
PA, 47 (1939 Apr.), p. 215; T. J. Bartlett, H. A. Panofsky, E. L. Scott, and H. M.
Jeffers, PASP, 51 (1939 Apr.), pp. 1201; H. E. Wood, IAUC, No. 766 (1939 May
3); M. Campa, AN, 268 (1939 Jun. 15), pp. 3912; B. H. Dawson, AJ, 48 (1939 Dec.
15), pp. 1568; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5 (1940 Jan. 31), p. 29; L. C. Peltier and A.
Kahrstedt, MNRAS, 100 (1940 Feb.), pp. 3279; H. Krumpholz, AN, 271 (1940
Nov.), pp. 289; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 49 (1941 Nov. 20), pp. 109, 111, 114; M.
Beyer, AN, 272 (1942 Jul.), pp. 2502; U. S. Lyons, AJ, 50 (1942 Aug. 13), p. 26; H. L.
Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.), p. 62; A. Przybylski, MNRAS, 113 (1953), pp. 3901;
V1964, p. 73.
40P/1939 CB Prediscovery: 1939 January 18.99 ( = 1.09 AU, r = 2.02 AU, Elong. = 153)
(Visl 1) Discovered: 1939 February 8.80 ( = 0.94 AU, r = 1.93 AU, Elong. = 175)
Last seen: 1939 June 8.24 ( = 1.49 AU, r = 1.82 AU, Elong. = 91)
1939 IV = 1939b Closest to the Earth: 1939 March 1 (0.8926 AU)
Calculated path: LEO (Pre) [Did not leave this constellation]
Y. Visl (University of Turku, Finland) discovered this comet on photographs exposed for the study of minor planets. It was first found on 1939
February 8.80, at a position of = 9h 44.7m , = +15 58 , and was given the
asteroidal designation of 1939 CB. Shortly thereafter, prediscovery images
were found on plates taken at the same observatory on January 18.99. Visl
obtained additional confirmation and identified the object as a comet on
plates exposed on March 14.92. At that time he described it as diffuse, without a central condensation or nucleus, and about magnitude 15. The comet
was approaching both the sun and Earth.
On March 19, W. Dieckvoss (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
gave the photographic magnitude as 14.6. On the 20th, the photographic
88
catalog of comets
magnitude was given as 13.6 by J. Dick and E. Wahl (Babelsberg, Germany), 13.8 by A. M. Vergnano (Pino Torinese Observatory, Turin, Italy),
and 15 by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA). The
last astronomer was observing under hazy skies. On the 21st, the magnitude was given as 12.5 by Vergnano and 15 by van Biesbroeck. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 15 across and centrally condensed, with a broad,
faint tail extending 1 in PA 140. On the 25th, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) obtained two 20-minute exposures with the 91-cm
Crossley reflector and described the comet as small and round. On March
27, van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet using the 102-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 15. The coma was centrally condensed, and
12 across.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +25 on April 8. On
that date Jeffers visually observed the comet using the 91-cm refractor and
gave the magnitude as 15. He said the coma was 34 across, with a faint
nucleus. On the 9th and 10th, Vergnano gave the photographic magnitude
as 14. Dieckvoss gave the photographic magnitude as 15.0 on the 9th and
15.2 on the 17th. On the 25th, van Biesbroeck simply described the comets
photographic image as very diffuse. On April 26, Jeffers photographed
the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 16.
On May 11, van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet with the 102-cm
refractor under hazy skies and gave the magnitude as 15. The coma was
centrally condensed. On May 17 and 20, van Biesbroeck gave the visual
magnitude as 15.5. He said the refractor revealed a centrally condensed
coma 15 across on the 17th, while the coma was 12 across on the 20th.
On June 5, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 16.5. He said the coma was hazy, centrally
condensed, and about 10 across.
The last two detections of the comet came on June 8.22 and June 8.24,
when Jeffers obtained 20-minute exposures with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. B. Adams gave the comets position on the latter date as = 11h 34.6m ,
= +16 35 . Jeffers estimated the magnitude as 17.
The first orbit was calculated by L. Oterma using the positions obtained
by Visl at the time of the discovery announcement. She computed an
elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of 1939 April 26.0 and a period of
about 10 years. This was an excellent representation as later calculations by
T. J. Bartlett, E. L. Scott, and H. A. Panofsky, Oterma, and Visl revealed a
perihelion date of April 26.1 and a period of 10.58 years.
Multiple apparition orbits were calculated by B. G. Marsden (1972, 1985),
G. Forti (1989), S. Nakano (1990, 2001), K. Kinoshita (2004), and P. Rocher
(2005). Applying planetary perturbations and nongravitational terms, they
gave the perihelion date as April 26.0726.08 and the period as 10.58 years.
The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = 0.23 and A2 = 0.0180 by
Forti, A1 = 0.039 and A2 = 0.01336 by Nakano (1990), A1 = +0.084 and
A2 = 0.01072 by Nakano (2001), A1 = +0.033610 and A2 = 0.010614 by
89
catalog of comets
Kinoshita, and A1 = +0.03811 and A2 = 0.01096 by Rocher. Kinoshitas

T
1939 Apr. 26.0756 (TT)
44.3608
(2000.0)
136.2407
i
11.2662
q
e
1.762385 0.634292

full moon: Jan. 5, Feb. 4, Mar. 5, Apr. 4, May 3, Jun. 2, Jul. 1
sources: H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1939), p. 74; Y. Visl, IAUC, No. 752 (1939
Mar. 18); Y. Visl, HAC, No. 475 (1939 Mar. 20); L. Oterma and Y. Visl,
IAUC, No. 754 (1939 Mar. 21); A. M. Vergnano, G. van Biesbroeck, J. Dick, and E.
Wahl, IAUC, No. 756 (1939 Mar. 31); A. M. Vergnano, IAUC, No. 764 (1939 Apr.
27); L. Oterma, IAUC, No. 767 (1939 May 6); Y. Visl and L. Oterma, PA, 47
(1939 May), pp. 2812; Y. Visl, T. J. Bartlett, E. L. Scott, and H. A. Panofsky,
PASP, 51 (1939 Jun.), pp. 169, 1734; T. J. Bartlett, E. L. Scott, and H. A. Panofsky, PA, 47 (1939 Jun.Jul.), p. 333; L. Oterma and Y. Visl, MNRAS, 100 (1940
Feb.), pp. 3279; W. Dieckvoss, AN, 270 (1940 Jul.), p. 192; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 49 (1941 Nov. 20), pp. 109, 111, 114; L. Oterma, BAA Handbook for 1949 (1948
Nov.), pp. 523; L. Oterma, MNRAS, 109 (1949), pp. 2545; V1964, p. 73; B. G.
Marsden, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 24, 47; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 26 (1985 Mar.),
p. 114; G. Forti, AAP, 215 (1989), pp. 382, 384; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 536
(1990 May 2); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 780 (2001 Apr. 26); personal correspondence from K. Kinoshita (2004); personal correspondence from P. Rocher
(2005).
7P/Pons Recovered: 1939 March 17.47 ( = 0.82 AU, r = 1.64 AU, Elong. = 130)
Winnecke Last seen: 1939 October 13.01 ( = 1.08 AU, r = 1.77 AU, Elong. = 117)
Closest to the Earth: 1939 July 1 (0.1073 AU)
1939 V = 1939c Calculated path: BOO (Rec), CrB (Jun. 13), SER (Jun. 17), OPH (Jun. 28),
SCO (Jun. 29), OPH (Jul. 2), SCO (Jul. 3), ARA (Jul. 9), PAV (Jul. 14), IND
(Aug. 14), TUC (Sep. 9), GRU (Sep. 12)
Beginning with orbits computed for the 1927 apparition, A. E. Levin and
J. G. Porter (1938) applied perturbations from Earth for the period when the
comet passed 0.04 AU away to each orbit and then took the average to obtain
a starting point for further calculations. Levin and Porter then advanced
the comets motion forward, taking into consideration the perturbations
by Jupiter during the comets approach to within 0.46 AU in July 1930,
and arrived at an orbit for the 1933 apparition. They compared this orbit
to that computed by A. C. D. Crommelin from the 1933 observations, and
adopted Crommelins perihelion distance to obtain a new value for the
eccentricity and orbital period. In addition, they adopted the means of ,
, and i from Crommelins orbit and their own to establish a starting point
for the next stage of computations. Levin and Porter finally advanced the
comets motion forward and predicted it would next arrive at perihelion on
1939 June 23.50.
90
catalog of comets
H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet

near the edge of a plate exposed with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on 1939
March 17.47. He gave the position as = 14h 36.2m , = +31 21 , and
described the comet as diffuse, centrally condensed, and a few seconds of
arc in diameter. The magnitude was estimated as 17.5. Jeffers confirmed
the comet recovery on March 18.52. He concluded that his failure to detect
the comet on photographs exposed on March 16 was primarily due to an
error of more than 0.3 day in the prediction of the comets perihelion date.
The comet was approaching both the sun and Earth.
On March 22, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and described it as an
almost stellar object of about magnitude 16.5. On the 26th, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 16, and added that the coma was 8 across and
contained a stellar nucleus. On March 29, A. M. Vergnano (Pino Torinese
Observatory, Turin, Italy) gave the magnitude as 16. On April 9, the magnitude was given as 15 by van Biesbroeck and 16 by W. Dieckvoss (Hamburg
Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany). Van Biesbroeck added that the coma
was 20 across and contained a stellar nucleus at its center. On the 11th and
12th, Vergnano gave the magnitude as 14.5. On April 17, Dieckvoss gave
On May 10, van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet using the 102-cm
refractor and gave the magnitude as 12.5. He said the coma was 3 across
and contained a well-condensed central nucleus of magnitude 13. On the
11th, van Biesbroeck gave the visual magnitude as 12.0. On the 12th, L.
Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as
13.6. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +47 on May
13. On the 16th, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. On the
17th, van Biesbroeck gave the visual magnitude as 12.0. The photographic
magnitude was given as 13.5 by Boyer and 14 by Jeffers. Van Biesbroeck said
the round coma contained a central condensation. On the 24th, Boyer gave
the photographic magnitude as 12.9. On the 24th and 25th, the photographic
magnitude was given as 11.5 by A. Schmitt (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria).
On the 29th and 30th, R. Rigollet (Lagny, France) observed the comet using
20 60 binoculars and gave the magnitude as 9.0. On the last date, he said
the coma was 10 across. On May 31, van Biesbroeck observed in bright
moonlight and gave the magnitude as 10.5. The nucleus was well defined.
On June 4, Rigollet gave the magnitude as 9.0 and the coma as 12 across.
On the 5th Rigollet observed using 8 25 binoculars and gave the magnitude as 8.2. On the 6th, Rigollet gave the magnitude as 8.0 and said the
coma was 15 across. H. Krumpholz (Vienna, Austria) said the coma was 2
across with a small distinct condensation. On the 7th, F. de Roy (Antwerp,
Belgium) observed using a 20-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 9.0. L.
Volta (Pino Torinese Observatory, Turin, Italy) gave the photographic magnitude as 11. On the 8th, M. Beyer (Hamburg, Germany) gave the magnitude
as 8.53. He said the oval coma was 4 across, with a nucleus of magnitude
91
catalog of comets
12.18. On the 9th, the magnitude was given as 7.2 by Rigollet, 8.56 by Beyer,
and 8.9 by de Roy. Rigollet added that the coma diameter was 20 . Beyer
said the coma was 3.8 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 12.35. On the
10th, the magnitude was given as 8.38 by Beyer and 8.78.8 by de Roy. Beyer
said the coma was 3.0 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 12.53. On the
12th, Rigollet observed using 8 25 binoculars and gave the magnitude
as 6.7 and the coma diameter as 20 . G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory, Athens, Greece) photographed the comet using the 40-cm refractor and
gave the magnitude as 8.5. He said the coma was 75 across, with a distinct
nucleus of magnitude 11.5. On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.40
and said the coma was 4 across. On June 14, the magnitude was given as
7.97 by Beyer, 9.0 by de Roy, and 10.5 by A. Schaumasse (Nice, France) and
Volta. Beyer said the round coma was 5 across. Schaumasse said the coma
was 3 across and elongated towards northeast.
The comets brightness not only continued to increase during the second half of June, but its decreasing distance from Earth caused the coma
to grow. On June 15, the magnitude was given as 7.73 by Beyer and 8.5 by
Adamopoulos. Beyer said the round coma was 8 across, with a nucleus
of magnitude 12.2. Adamopoulos said the coma was 135 across, with a
nucleus of magnitude 11.5. Schaumasse said the coma was 3 across and
elongated towards northeast. On the 16th, the magnitude was given as 7.80
by Beyer and 8.7 by Adamopoulos. Krumpholz said the coma was 3 across,
with a nearly stellar condensation of magnitude 11. On the 17th, Rigollet
made a naked-eye observation which gave the magnitude as 6.5, while
8 25 binoculars revealed a magnitude of 6.8. The binoculars also revealed
a coma 21 across. On the 18th, the magnitude was given as 8.5 by de Roy.
Van Biesbroeck added that the coma was large and diffuse, with a diameter of at least 10 and a sharp nucleus. Schaumasse said the coma was 3
across and elongated towards northeast. On the 19th, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 8.9. On the 20th, Rigollet gave the naked-eye magnitude
as 6.2, while de Roy gave the magnitude as 8.6 using a 20-cm reflector. Photographic magnitudes were given as 9.3 by Schmitt and 10.0 by L. Gialanella
(Monte Mario Observatory, Rome, Italy). Rigollet added that the coma was
24 across. Adamopoulos said the coma was 290 across, with a nuclear magnitude of 10.5, and a weak tail extending 20 towards the north-northeast.
On the 21st, visual magnitudes were given as 6.5 by Rigollet and 7.12 by
Beyer, while a photographic magnitude of 9.2 was given by Schmitt. Beyer
said the coma was 10 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 11.8. On the 22nd,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.96. He added that the coma was 10 across,
with a nucleus of magnitude 11.7. On the 23rd, the visual magnitude was
given as 6.97 by Beyer and 8.4 by de Roy. On the 24th, Rigollet gave the
naked-eye magnitude as 6.0 and said the coma was 24 across. On the 26th,
de Roy gave the visual magnitude as 8.3, while Schmitt gave the photographic magnitude as 9.0. On the 27th, de Roy gave the magnitude as 8.1.
On June 30, Schmitt gave the magnitude as 9.0.
92
catalog of comets
As July began, the comet was moving away from both the sun and Earth.
On the 3rd, Adamopoulos gave the magnitude as 8.2. He said the distinct
nucleus shone at magnitude 10.0, while a large tail extended towards the
northwest. On the 6th, Adamopoulos gave the magnitude as 8.8. He said the
coma was 85 across, with a tail extending 8 towards the north-northeast.
On July 7, Adamopoulos gave the magnitude as 8.8. He said the distinct
nucleus could be seen only occasionally.
The comet moved south-southeast as July progressed and was finally
observable only to astronomers in the Southern Hemisphere. The comet
attained its most southerly declination of 68 on July 31. The most prolific observer was B. H. Dawson (La Plata Observatory, Argentina), who
obtained 17 photographic plates during July, 8 plates during August, 8
plates during September, and 5 plates during October, while using the 43-cm
refractor. Other photographic observations were obtained by E. L. Johnson
(Union Observatory, South Africa).
The comet was last detected on October 13.01, when Dawson photographed it with the 43-cm refractor. The position was given as = 22h
35.0m , = 45 10 . Dawson simply described the comet as barely visible.
Porter (1944) used 225 positions covering 7 months, reduced them to 12
Normal places, and included perturbations by Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter,
and Saturn. The result was a perihelion date of June 22.72. He did not attempt
to link this apparition with previous apparitions.
Multiple apparition orbits were calculated by L. Ya. Ananeva (1957), B. G.
Marsden (1968, 1978), Ananeva and E. A. Reznikov (1974), and Reznikov
(1978). These applied various planetary perturbations, with nongravitational terms being applied by Marsden. The result was a perihelion date of
June 22.72 and a period of 6.09 years. Marsden (1968) noted an extremely
slight secular deceleration for this comet. Marsden (1970) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.012726 and A2 = +0.00064604, using positions spanning 193964. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973)
gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.01, A2 = +0.0024, using positions from 193351.
T
1939 Jun. 22.7150 (TT)
(2000.0)
169.3667
97.4818
i
20.1218
q
e
1.101471 0.669678

full moon: Mar. 5, Apr. 4, May 3, Jun. 2, Jul. 1, Jul. 31, Aug. 29, Sep. 28, Oct. 28
sources: A. E. Levin and J. G. Porter, BAA Handbook for 1939 (1938), pp. 258;
H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1939), p. 74; H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 474 (1939 Mar. 18);
H. M. Jeffers, IAUC, No. 753 (1939 Mar. 19); A. M. Vergnano, IAUC, No. 757
(1939 Apr. 5); A. M. Vergnano, IAUC, No. 764 (1939 Apr. 27); H. M. Jeffers, A. E.
Levin, and J. G. Porter, PASP, 51 (1939 Apr.), pp. 11415; H. M. Jeffers and G.
van Biesbroeck, PA, 47 (1939 May), p. 281; A. M. Vergnano, IAUC, No. 773 (1939
Jun. 6); L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 775 (1939 Jun. 10); G. Adamopoulos, IAUC, No. 778
93
catalog of comets
(1939 Jun. 19); L. Volta, IAUC, No. 779 (1939 Jun. 21); A. Schmitt, G. Adamopoulos, and F. de Roy, IAUC, No. 780 (1939 Jul. 1); L. Gialanella and R. Rigollet, IAUC,
No. 781 (1939 Jul. 8); A. Schmitt, IAUC, No. 783 (1939 Jul. 20); A. Schaumasse,
JO, 22 (1939 Dec.), pp. 2278; G. Adamopoulos, JO, 23 (1940 Jan.), p. 15; E. L.
Johnson, UOC, 5 (1940 Jan. 31), p. 30; H. M. Jeffers, A. E. Levin, and J. G. Porter,
MNRAS, 100 (1940 Feb.), pp. 3279; W. Dieckvoss, AN, 270 (1940 Jul.), p. 192;
B. H. Dawson, AJ, 49 (1940 Oct. 31), pp. 556; H. Krumpholz, AN, 271 (1940
Nov.), p. 29; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 49 (1941 Nov. 20), pp. 109, 111, 114; M. Beyer,
AN, 272 (1942 Jul.), pp. 2523; J. G. Porter, JBAA, 54 (1944 Aug.), pp. 133, 13740;
J. G. Porter, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11011, 113; L. Ya. Ananeva, MNRAS, 117
(1957), pp. 3401; V1964, p. 74; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 3701; B. G.
Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31415; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970 Feb.),
pp. 801; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.),
p. 214; L. Ya. Ananeva and E. A. Reznikov, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4523,
459; E. A. Reznikov and B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88.
C/1939 H1 (Jurlof Discovered: 1939 April 15.8 ( = 0.68 AU, r = 0.54 AU, Elong. = 31)
AchmarofHassel) Last seen: 1939 May 27.45 ( = 1.84 AU, r = 1.14 AU, Elong. = 34)

1939 III = 1939d Calculated path: AND (Disc), PER (Apr. 20), AUR (Apr. 28), GEM (May 13)
A bright comet appeared during mid-April 1939. Numerous independent
discoveries were made, but the first announcement to reach the proper
authorities was by O. Hassel (Hokksund, Norway), who reported that he
detected the comet on the evening of April 16, at a position of = 1h 27m ,
= +41. He estimated the magnitude as 3. On April 20, S. I. Beljawsky
(Pulkovo Observatory, St. Petersburg, Russia) reported that two amateur
astronomers, Achmarof (Balezino, Russia) and Jurlof (Votkinsk, Russia)
independently announced that they discovered this comet in the evening
sky on April 15.8. Other independent discoveries were made by L. V. Smith
(Sedgewick, Alberta, Canada) on April 16.19, E. W. Barlow (England) on
April 18, E. Buchar (Prague, Czech Republic) on April 18.79, C. L. Friend
(Escondido, California, USA) on April 19, S. Kozik (Ashkhabad Geophysical Observatory, Turkmenistan) on April 19.64, R. Rigollet (Lagny, France)
on April 19.88, and S. Okabayasi (Tokyo, Japan) on April 20. Kozik gave the
magnitude as 5, while Rigollet determined it as 3.7. At the time of its initial
discovery, the comet was just hours from passing closest to Earth and about
5 days past perihelion.
On April 18, the magnitude was given as 3 by J. M. Vinter Hansen
(Copenhagen Observatory, Denmark) and Dziurla (Poznan, Poland), 3.8
by Y. Visl (University of Turku, Finland), and 4 by J. O. Stobbe (Babelsberg, Germany). Vinter Hansen described the comet as big and diffuse,
with a nucleus and a tail. On April 19, the magnitude was given as 3 by
H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA), 3.7 by Rigollet, 3.9 by J.
Gadomski (Warszawa, Poland), 4 by A. N. Deutsch (Pulkovo Observatory,
St. Petersburg, Russia), 4.5 by F. Rigaux (Uccle, Belgium), and 4.9 by H. van
94
catalog of comets
Schewick (Sonneberg, Germany). Jeffers said a visual observation with the

30-cm refractor showed a stellar nucleus. Rigaux added that the comet was
diffuse, with a nucleus, and a tail greater than 1 in length. Van Schewick
photographed the comet and said the tail extended 16 in PA 16.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +44 on April 20. The
magnitude was given as 3 by G. C. Flammarion and F. Quenisset (Juvisy,
France) and Zukerwanik (Tashkent, Uzbekistan), 3.46 by M. Beyer (Hamburg, Germany), 3.5 by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin,
USA) and Rigollet, 4.0 by G. Peisino and G. B. Lacchini (Trieste, Italy), and
4.5 by Gadomski. Van Biesbroeck said a sharp nucleus was surrounded
by an ill-defined round coma measuring 5 across, while a straight narrow
tail 5 long extended out of a bundle of streamers which fanned across an
angle of 30. U. S. Lyons (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA)
said the nucleus was elongated and the comet was visible to the naked eye.
Beyer said the coma was 10 across with a tail extending more than 7 in PA
15. Rigollet described the comet as diffuse, with a condensation, and a tail
greater than 1 long. A photograph by Flammarion and Quenisset showed
a tail about 20 long composed of several filaments.
On April 21, the magnitude range was 34.96, with an average of 4.0,
according to Flammarion and Quenisset, G. N. Neujmin (Simeis Observatory, Crimea, Ukraine), Peisino, M. Kamienski (Warszawa, Poland), Beyer,
M. Campa (Milan, Italy), van Schewick, L. Volta (Pino Torinese Observatory,
Turin, Italy), Gadomski, Rigollet, J. Hunaerts and S. J. V. Arend (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium), and Jeffers. Beyer said the coma was 10 across, with
a tail extending more than 7 in PA 19. Jeffers visually observed the comet
with the 30-cm refractor and said the coma was 5 across, with a sharp,
but not quite stellar, nucleus. The tail extended several degrees toward
PA 15. Van Schewick said a photograph revealed that the tail extended
8.5 in PA 39. R. L. Waterfield (Headley, England) photographed the comet
and noted a tail extending over 9. D. N. Davis (Smith College Observatory,
Massachusetts, USA) obtained a 15-minute exposure which revealed a tail
extending 45 toward PA 23.
On April 22, the magnitude was given as 3.9 by van Biesbroeck, 4 by
V. V. Michkovitch (Belgrade, Yugoslavia, now Serbia) and A. Schaumasse
(Nice, France), 4.5 by Rigollet, 4.6 by H. Krumpholz (Vienna University
Observatory, Austria), 4.60 by van Schewick, 5 by M. B. Protitch (Belgrade)
and Deutsch, and 5.7 by Arend. Krumpholz said the coma was 3 across,
with a very distinct condensation and a tail 20 long. Schaumasse said the
coma was 8 across. Waterfield photographed the comet and said the tail
had nearly disappeared.
On April 23, the magnitude was given as 4.18 by Beyer, 4.2 by van Biesbroeck, 4.5 by Gadomski, and 4.6 by Krumpholz. Krumpholz said the tail
extended 1 in PA 20. On the 24th, the magnitude was given as 4.8 by
Campa and 5.0 by Gadomski. On the 25th, the magnitude was given as
4.85 by Beyer, 4.9 by van Biesbroeck, 5 by A. Schmitt (Alger, now al-Jazair,
95
catalog of comets
Algeria), 5.1 by Gadomski, and 5.5 by G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory, Athens, Greece). Beyer said the coma was 4.5 across, with a tail
extending 3.8 in PA 46. Lyons said there was a decided condensation, but
no nucleus. He added that the comet exhibited a greenish color in haze and
moonlight, and was visible in a 5-cm finder. On the 26th, the magnitude was
given as 4.90 by Beyer, 5.0 by Gadomski, and 5.4 by Krumpholz. Beyer said
the tail extended 0.8 in PA 54. Krumpholz said the coma was 4 across,
with a very distinct condensation and a tail extending about 0.5 in PA 50.
On the 27th, the magnitude was given as 5.0 by Rigollet and 5.05 by Beyer.
Beyer said the tail extended 0.6 in PA 57. On the 29th, the magnitude was
given as 5.4 by Gadomski and 5.5 by Schmitt. On April 30, Gadomski gave
On May 1, Rigollet gave the visual magnitude as 5.0, while the photographic magnitude was given as 5.8 by Schmitt and 5.83 by van Schewick.
On the 2nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.10. He said a photograph
revealed the coma was 3.4 across, while the tail extended more than 1 in
PA 65. Lyons observed in moonlight and said the comet appeared greenish
and exhibited an elongated nucleus. He added that the comet was visible
in a 5-cm finder. On May 3, the magnitude was given as 5.49 by Beyer, 5.9
by Krumpholz, and 6 by Jeffers. Beyer said the tail extended 0.3 in PA 68.
Jeffers visually observed the comet with the 30-cm refractor and said the
coma was 2 across, with a sharp, but not stellar, nucleus. There was no tail
visible. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 43 on May 4.
The magnitude was then given as 5.60 by Beyer, 5.9 by Gadomski, and
6.5 by Schmitt. Beyer said the tail extended 0.3 in PA 65. On the 5th, the
magnitude was given as 5.85 by Beyer, 6.0 by Rigollet, and 6.8 by Schmitt.
Beyer said the coma was 2.9 across, with a tail extending 3.7 in PA 76. On
the 6th, van Schewick obtained a photographic magnitude determination of
6.71 from a 2-minute exposure. On May 7, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.97.
Beyer said a photograph revealed a coma 3.1 across and a tail extending
2.7 in PA 77.
On May 8, the magnitude was given as 6.08 by Beyer, 6.3 by Rigollet,
and 6.5 by Adamopoulos. On the 9th, Schmitt gave the photographic magnitude as 7.5. On the 10th, 11th, and 13th, Schaumasse photographed the
comet using a 40-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 6. He said the coma
was 4 across, with a diffuse condensation. On the 12th, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 6.6. On the 13th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 7.12.
On the 14th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.09. On the 15th, the photographic magnitude was given as 7.68 by van Schewick and 8.8 by Schmitt.
Krumpholz said the coma was 2 across. On the 16th, Beyer gave the visual
magnitude as 6.75, while van Schewick gave the photographic magnitude
as 7.48. Van Biesbroeck simply described the comets photographic appearance as very diffuse. On the 18th, Lyons said the comet was faint, with
a central condensation. He added that the comet still exhibited a greenish
color. On the 19th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 7.46. On the 20th,
96
catalog of comets
the visual magnitude was given as 7.49 by Beyer and 7.8 by van Biesbroeck,
while the photographic magnitude was given as 9.5 by Schmitt. On the 23rd,
Schmitt gave the photographic magnitude as 9.8. On May 24, Adamopoulos
observed it in twilight.
The comet was last detected on May 27.45, by H. Hirose (Tokyo Observatory, Japan), when it was at a low altitude in the evening sky. Hirose gave
the position as = 6h 39.2m , = +21 39 .
Y. Ohman
(Uppsala) obtained three plates with a polarigraph attached
to the 20-cm Zeiss Astrograph on the night of April 18/19. He wrote, Not
only the coma but also the tail shows marked polarization. This might mean
that the phase angle is close to 90.
Several observations were made of this comets spectrum. F. Hinderer
(Babelsberg) photographed it on April 18 and found bands of cyanogen
and diatomic carbon. There was also a then unidentified band, which
was later recognized as methylidyne. S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij and B. Shulman
(Pulkovo Observatory, St. Petersburg, Russia) obtained two spectrograms
on April 19. They said the spectrum was a usual one for a comet, with
intense CN IV and C IV bands as well as with other carbon and cyan
bands. They added that CO+ was seen up to 2 from the head. Beyer
photographed the spectrum on April 21 and noted diatomic carbon and
cyanogen.
On 1939 May 10, V. Guth suggested this comet might produce meteor
showers around January 31 and August 4. The comet was at its descending
node on the former date and the predicted radiant was = 251.0, = 4.3.
On the latter date, the comet was at its ascending node and the predicted
radiant was = 17.8, = 12.6. M. Davidson remarked that no showers
should be expected since this was a long-period comet and it is not likely
to have left sufficient debris to produce a meteor shower. There was no
confirmation of activity.
The first orbits were published on April 21. Using three precise positions
obtained at Copenhagen, J. P. Moller
determined the perihelion date as 1939

April 10.27. Using a different set of positions over the same three days, K. P.
Kaster, T. J. Bartlett, E. L. Scott, and White determined the perihelion date as
April 10.42. Around the same time, M. Davidson determined the perihelion
date as April 10.29. These three orbits turned out to be quite close to the
final orbit, considering their parabolic nature, with the first being especially
close. During the first week of June, C. H. Smiley determined the perihelion
date as April 10.19.
The first elliptical orbit was calculated by Buchar. Using positions spanning the period April 18May 1, he gave the perihelion date as April 10.11
and the period as 330 years. This perihelion date proved less than 2 hours
early, as shown by later computations, although the period would prove
much longer. During the next few days and weeks, Davidson gave the
period as 774 years and A. Przybylski gave it as 7490 years. Orbits were
calculated by L. M. Belous (1956, 1957), using positions from a 39-day arc,
97
catalog of comets
which indicated a perihelion date of April 10.17 and a period of about 6490
years.
A definitive orbit was later calculated by Belous (1960). He took 399 positions, reduced them to 12 Normal places, and applied perturbations by
Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The result was a perihelion date of
April 10.17 and a period of about 6490 years. This orbit is given below.
T
1939 Apr. 10.1689 (TT)
89.2399
(2000.0)
i
q
e
312.2770 138.1212 0.528266 0.998482
absolute magnitude: H0 = 6.35, n = 3.08 (Beyer, 1942); H0 = 7.08, n = 2.56

(van Schewick, 1943); H10 = 7.1 (V1964)
full moon: Apr. 4, May 3, Jun. 2
sources: H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1939), p. 75; O. Hassel, IAUC, No. 759 (1939
Apr. 18); J. M. Vinter Hansen, IAUC, No. 760 (1939 Apr. 19); Achmarof, Jurlof, Y.
Visl, J. O. Stobbe, F. Rigaux, and Y. Ohman,

IAUC, No. 761 (1939 Apr. 20); Dziurla, A. N. Deutsch, Zukerwanik, R. Rigollet, J. P. Moller,
K. P. Kaster, T. J. Bartlett,
E. L. Scott, and White, IAUC, No. 762 (1939 Apr. 21); S. Kozik, J. Gadomski, F.
Rigaux, G. N. Neujmin, A. N. Deutsch, and S. Orlow, IAUC, No. 763 (1939 Apr.
24); G. Peisino, G. B. Lacchini, L. Volta, M. Kamienski, M. Campa, A. Schaumasse, S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, B. Shulman, G. C. Flammarion, and F. Quenisset,
IAUC, No. 764 (1939 Apr. 27); O. Hassel, J. P. Moller,
and M. Davidson, The

Observatory, 62 (1939 May), p. 139; J. Hunaerts, S. J. V. Arend, M. B. Protitch, V. V.
Michkovitch, M. Campa, A. Schmitt, E. W. Barlow, E. Buchar, C. L. Friend, S.
Kozik, S. Okabayasi, and R. Rigollet, IAUC, No. 765 (1939 May 1); A. Schmitt,
IAUC, No. 766 (1939 May 3); G. Adamopoulos, A. Schmitt, A. D. Maxwell, and V.
Guth, IAUC, No. 768 (1939 May 10); A. Schmitt, G. Adamopoulos, J. Gadomski,
L. V. Smith, and E. Buchar, IAUC, No. 769 (1939 May 15); A. Schmitt and A. D.
Maxwell, IAUC, No. 770 (1939 May 20); R. Rigollet, IAUC, No. 771 (1939 May 25);
A. Schmitt and C. H. Smiley, IAUC, No. 773 (1939 Jun. 6); V. Guth, E. Buchar, M.
Davidson, and F. Hinderer, The Observatory, 62 (1939 Jun.), pp. 1635; O. Hassel,
Jurlof, Achmarof, L. V. Smith, C. L. Friend, K. P. Kaster, White, E. L. Scott, and
T. J. Bartlett, PASP, 51 (1939 Jun.), p. 170; O. Hassel, Achmarof, Jurlof, L. V. Smith,
E. W. Barlow, E. Buchar, C. L. Friend, S. Kozik, A. D. Maxwell, G. van Biesbroeck,
and D. N. Davis, PA, 47 (1939 Jun.Jul.), pp. 3314; A. Przybylski, IAUC, No. 781
(1939 Jul. 8); L. V. Smith, Jurlof, and Achmarof, PA, 47 (1939 Aug.Sep.), p. 394;
A. Schaumasse, JO, 22 (1939 Dec.), pp. 2278; O. Hassel, E. W. Barlow, E. Buchar,
M. Davidson, J. P. Moller,
and C. H. Smiley, MNRAS, 100 (1940 Feb.), pp. 3279;

H. Krumpholz, AN, 271 (1940 Nov.), p. 29; [Tokyo Observatory], VJS, 76 (1941),
p. 28; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 49 (1941 Nov. 20), pp. 11112, 114; M. Beyer, AN, 272
(1942 Jul.), pp. 2548; U. S. Lyons, AJ, 50 (1942 Aug. 13), p. 26; H. van Schewick,
AN, 273 (1943 Jun.), pp. 27882; A. Przybylski, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11012;
L. M. Belous, MNRAS, 116 (1956), pp. 2267; L. M. Belous, MNRAS, 117 (1957),
pp. 3401; L. M. Belous, BITA, 7 (1960), pp. 71327; V1964, p. 73.
22P/Kopff Prerecovery: 1939 April 21.50 ( = 2.06 AU, r = 1.72 AU, Elong. = 56)
Recovered: 1939 April 22.40 ( = 2.06 AU, r = 1.73 AU, Elong. = 57)
1939 II = 1939e Last seen: 1939 November 17.17 ( = 1.97 AU, r = 2.71 AU, Elong. = 129)
98
catalog of comets

Calculated path: AQR (Pre), PSC (May 5), PEG (Jun. 8), PSC (Jun. 10), PEG
(Oct. 7)
P. J. Harris and W. P. Henderson (1937) predicted the comet would next
arrive at perihelion on 1939 March 12.41. F. Kepinski (1938) predicted the
comet would arrive at perihelion on March 13.16.
Using an ephemeris published by Kepinski, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) recovered this comet on 1939 April 22.40, on
a couple of photographic plates made with the 61-cm reflector shortly before
sunrise. The position was = 22h 19.6m , = 5 12 and the magnitude was
estimated as 13.5. The comets low altitude caused the photographic image
to be poor, but van Biesbroeck said it appeared round, centrally condensed,
and 30 across. Van Biesbroeck immediately sent notice of the recovery to
the appropriate authorities and proceeded to reobserve the comet on April
25.40 and April 27.40. Due to a delay in the arrival of the news of this recovery, an independent recovery was made by H. Hirose (Tokyo Astronomical
Observatory, Japan) on April 27.76. He estimated the magnitude as 13. Van
Biesbroeck pointed out that when his recovery position was compared to
Kepinskis ephemeris, the resulting residual was only 0.2s in and 3 in
. He added that this is the most precise prediction of a periodic comet ever
made. A short time later, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
announced the finding of an image of the comet on a 22-minute exposure
obtained with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on April 21.50. The comet was a
month past perihelion when it was discovered.
Although it would approach Earth during the next few months, the comet
did not become particularly bright and few physical descriptions were
given. On May 29, A. M. Vergnano (Pino Torinese Observatory, Turin, Italy)
gave the magnitude as 13.5. On June 23, van Biesbroeck photographed the
comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 14. He said the
round coma was about 30 across. On June 25, Vergnano gave the magnitude as 13. On July 20 and 21, van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet
using the 102-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 14. He said the round
coma was about 30 across and contained only slight central condensation.
On September 10, van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet using the
refractor and gave the magnitude as 14.5. He said the round coma was 15
across. On the 11th, van Biesbroeck observed the comet using the refractor
and gave the magnitude as 15. He said the coma was about 20 across. On
the 16th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 15.5. On September 18, Vergnano gave the
magnitude as 15.5. On October 14, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic
magnitude as 16. On November 11, van Biesbroecks 20-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector showed a hardly measurable vague diffuse
coma.
99
catalog of comets
The last two detections of the comet came on November 16.14 and 17.17,
when van Biesbroeck obtained 40-minute exposures with the 61-cm reflector. The position on the latter date was given as = 23h 58.0m , = +11
31 . The magnitude was estimated as 17. The coma was vague, diffuse, and
about 2530 across.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by F. Kepinski (1972),
D. K. Yeomans (1973), Y. A. Chernetenko (1978), and G. Sitarski (1994).
Kepinski applied perturbations by Venus to Uranus, while the other
astronomers used perturbations by Mercury to Pluto. Yeomans and Sitarski
also solved for nongravitational effects. Although Kepinski determined the
perihelion date as March 13.11, the other astronomers gave the date as
March 13.04. Everyone gave the period as 6.54 years. The nongravitational
terms were given as A1 = +0.66 and A2 = 0.0455 by Yeomans (1973),
A1 = +0.664 and A2 = +0.0078 by Yeomans (1974), and A1 = +0.534, A2 =
0.019, and A3 = 0.181 by Sitarski. The orbit by Sitarski is given below.
T
1939 Mar. 13.0479 (TT)
19.7967
(2000.0)
264.9005
i
8.7126
q
e
1.682084 0.519090

full moon: Apr. 4, May 3, Jun. 2, Jul. 1, Jul. 31, Aug. 29, Sep. 28, Oct. 28, Nov. 26
sources: P. J. Harris and W. P. Henderson, BAA Handbook for 1938, (1937), p. 27;
P. J. Harris and W. P. Henderson, BAA Handbook for 1939, (1938), p. 24; F. Kepinski,
IAUC, No. 710 (1938 Apr. 12); F. Kepinski, JBAA, 48 (1938 Jul.), pp. 3689; H. M.
Jeffers and B. Adams, LOB, 19 (1939), p. 75; G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 763
(1939 Apr. 24); G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 62 (1939 May), pp. 13940; H.
Hirose, IAUC, No. 765 (1939 May 1); A. M. Vergnano, IAUC, No. 773 (1939 Jun.
6); G. van Biesbroeck, PASP, 51 (1939 Jun.), pp. 1701; A. M. Vergnano, IAUC,
No. 781 (1939 Jul. 8); G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 47 (1939 Jun.Jul.), p. 333; A. M.
Vergnano, IAUC, No. 797 (1939 Oct. 16); G. van Biesbroeck, P. J. Harris, and W. P.
Henderson, MNRAS, 100 (1940 Feb.), pp. 3289; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 49 (1941
Nov. 20), pp. 109, 112, 114; V1964, p. 73; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 14 (1973 Dec.),
pp. 4046; F. Kepinski, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 24, 47; D. K. Yeomans, PASP, 86
(1974 Feb.), p. 126; Y. A. Chernetenko, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88; G.
Sitarski, AcA, 44 (1994), pp. 95, 424.
16P/Brooks 2 Recovered: 1939 June 17.45 ( = 1.90 AU, r = 2.03 AU, Elong. = 82)
1939 VII = 1939g Closest to the Earth: 1939 October 17 (0.9060 AU)
Calculated path: PSC (Rec), ARI (Aug. 14), CET (Sep. 18), PSC (Nov. 9), CET
(Dec. 8)
F. R. Cripps (1938) took the orbit derived for this comets 1932 apparition,
and applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. The result was a prediction that the comet would next reach perihelion on 1939 September 15.29.
H. M. Jeffers and B. Adams (Lick Observatory, California, USA) recovered
100
catalog of comets
this comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on 1939 June 17.45, at a position
of = 0h 07.7m , = +3 29 . This indicated Cripps prediction required a
correction of +0.435 day. The comet was described as diffuse, without a condensation or nucleus, and of magnitude 17. Jeffers confirmed the recovery
on June 20.44. The comet was approaching both the sun and Earth.
On September 10 and 13, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin,
USA) visually observed the comet using the 102-cm refractor and gave the
magnitude as 14. On the 10th, he said a coarse nucleus was situated within
a coma 20 in diameter, while a diffuse tail extended 1 in PA 270. On the
13th, he said the broad tail extended 1 in PA 260.
As October began, the comet was moving away from the sun, but was
still approaching Earth. On the 7th, van Biesbroeck visually observed the
comet using the 102-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 12.5. He noted
a well-defined nucleus shining at magnitude 13, while the tail extended 2 in
PA 265. On November 5 and 6, van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet
using the refractor and gave the magnitude as 13.5. He noted that a sharp
nucleus of magnitude 14.5 was situated within a faint coma elongated to PA
270. After generally moving southward since August, the comet attained
a declination of +4 on November 25 and then began moving northward.
On December 8, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm
reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. He added that there was still a slight
indication of a tail. On December 14, Jeffers photographed the comet with
the 91-cm Crossley reflector and noted a sharp nucleus of magnitude 15,
which was situated on the southwest side of the coma. This coma, which
Jeffers said could possibly have been the tail, was 0.7 across.
The comet was last detected on 1940 January 6.13, when van Biesbroeck
found it on a photographic plate exposed for 30 minutes with the 61-cm
reflector. He described it as a round coma of magnitude 15.5. The position
was determined as = 2h 24.0m , = +7 04 .
Very similar orbits using several apparitions were ultimately published
by A. D. Dubiago (1947, 1951), B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1972), I. Y.
Evdokimov (1978), I. Y. Evdokimov and Y. V. Evdokimov (1980), and Sekanina and D. K. Yeomans (1985). They gave the perihelion date as September 15.43 and the period as 6.95 years. The studies of 1972 and 1985 both
added nongravitational terms to these calculations. Dubiago noted in 1947
that there was a secular acceleration to the mean motion. Marsden, Sekanina, and Yeomans (1973) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.54
and A2 = 0.1893. Sekanina and Yeomans (1985) gave the nongravitational
terms as A1 = +1.11 and A2 = 0.2545. The orbit of Sekanina and Yeomans
is given below.
T
1939 Sep. 15.4272 (TT)
101
(2000.0)
195.6867 178.4056
i
5.5393
q
e
1.871487 0.486053
catalog of comets
full moon: Jul. 1, Jul. 31, Aug. 29, Sep. 28, Oct. 28, Nov. 26, Dec. 26, 1940 Jan. 24
sources: F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1939 (1938), pp. 2930; H. M. Jeffers
and B. Adams, LOB, 19 (1939), p. 75; H. M. Jeffers and B. Adams, IAUC, No.
779 (1939 Jun. 21); IAUC, No. 790 (1939 Aug. 14); H. M. Jeffers, B. Adams, and
F. R. Cripps, PASP, 51 (1939 Oct.), p. 294; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1940), p. 99;
H. M. Jeffers, B. Adams, and F. R. Cripps, MNRAS, 100 (1940 Feb.), pp. 3289;
G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 49 (1941 Nov. 20), pp. 10910, 112, 114; A. D. Dubiago,
MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11011, 113; A. D. Dubiago, MNRAS, 111 (1951), pp. 240
3; V1964, p. 74; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, QJRAS, 13 (1972 Sep.), pp. 4301;
B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), p. 21315;
I. Y. Evdokimov, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88; I. Y. Evdokimov and Y. V.
Evdokimov, KomMe, No. 2931 (1980), p. 79; Z. Sekanina and D. K. Yeomans, AJ,
90 (1985 Nov.), p. 2336; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Dec.), p. 604.
35P/1939 O1 Discovered: 1939 July 28.09 ( = 0.83 AU, r = 0.79 AU, Elong. = 49)
(HerschelRigollet) Last seen: 1940 January 16.49 ( = 2.17 AU, r = 2.65 AU, Elong. = 108)
1939 VI = 1939h Calculated path: TAU (Disc), AUR (Jul. 29), LYN (Aug. 12), UMa (Aug. 21),
CVn (Sep. 29), COM (Nov. 9), CVn (Nov. 25)
R. Rigollet (Lagny, France) found this comet low in the northeastern sky
before sunrise on 1939 July 28.09, at a position of = 4h 54.0m , = +25 45 .
It was described as diffuse, with a central condensation and a magnitude
of 8. The daily motion was given as 4 to the northeast. The comet was confirmed on July 29.08 by A. Fresa (Pino Torinese Observatory, Turin, Italy),
on July 29.09 by P. E.-E. Bourgeois and Hunaerts (Uccle, Belgium), on July
29.16 by Oriano (Le Houga, France), on July 29.38 by G. van Biesbroeck
(Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA), and on July 29.47 by H. M. Jeffers
and B. Adams (Lick Observatory, California, USA). Van Biesbroeck determined the total magnitude as 8.0 and said that there was a sharp nucleus
and a broad, fan-shaped tail extending 3 in PA 290. Oriano estimated the
magnitude as 8.
The comet passed closest to Earth on July 30, but was still approaching
the sun. On the 30th, the magnitude was given as 8 by E. J. Delporte (Uccle,
Belgium) and van Biesbroeck. M. B. Protitch (Belgrade, Yugoslavia, now
Serbia) described the comet as diffuse, without a tail, but with a stellar
nucleus of magnitude 11.5. On July 31, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude
as 8.1.
The comet passed closest to the sun during the first half of August.
Van Biesbroeck gave the visual magnitude as 7.5 on August 4 and 7.3 on
August 5. On the 14th, G. C. Flammarion and F. Quenisset (Juvisy, France)
obtained five photographs of the comet. They said the nucleus was not
in the center of the coma, but was eccentrically placed towards the tail,
which extended 1 40 in PA 315. The comets magnitude was between 7
and 7.3. On the 15th, van Biesbroeck photographed a slender threadlike tail
102
catalog of comets
extending 1, while using the 61-cm reflector. The coma was 3 across and
contained a sharp central nucleus. Jeffers visually observed the comet with
the 30-cm refractor and noted a coma 3.5 across, which contained a wellcondensed, but not stellar, nucleus. The comet attained its most northerly
declination of +54 on August 24. On August 26, Jeffers gave the magnitude as 8. He said the coma was 5 across and contained a well-condensed
nucleus.
On September 5, van Biesbroeck said the comet was diffuse with a
magnitude of 8.4. On the 8th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.0.
On September 13, van Biesbroeck said the comets photographic image
was extremely diffuse, while the magnitude was 8.7. On October 12, van
Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 11. On the 16th, O. Volk (Wurzburg,
Germany) gave the magnitude as 9.5. On October 20, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 12. He added that the coma was very diffuse, and a broad
tail extended about 2 in PA 180. On November 8, van Biesbroeck said the
comet was extremely diffuse, with a magnitude of 13. The tail extended 2
in PA 190. On the 11th, van Biesbroeck said the comet was very diffuse,
with a magnitude of 13. A faint tail extended to PA 200. On November
13, van Biesbroeck said the coma was vaguely visible over about 40 , with
no apparent nucleus. The magnitude was estimated as 14. On December 22,
van Biesbroeck said the comets photographic image was hardly measurable
due to the lack of a nucleus. The magnitude was estimated as 16.
On 1940 January 15, Jeffers and Adams photographed the comet with the
91-cm Crossley reflector and noted a faint nucleus, scarcely brighter than
the 19th magnitude, with a trace of coma to the south of it.
The last two observations of this comet were obtained photographically
by Jeffers and Adams with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on January 16.42 and
January 16.49. The comets position on the latter date was given as = 13h
15.2m , = +33 07 . They said the nucleus was about magnitude 19 and
seemed situated on the northern edge of a faint and diffuse coma. This
coma was measured as 1 0.3 .
The first parabolic orbits were independently published on August 2. J. P.
Moller
used positions from July 29, July 31, and August 1 to determine
the perihelion date as 1939 August 9.07. K. P. Kaster and T. J. Bartlett used
positions over the same period to determine the perihelion date as August
9.20. Based on the early orbits, L. E. Cunningham suggested that this comet
was probably identical with Comet 1788 II (Herschel). Further parabolic
orbits came from E. K. Rabe, H. A. Panofsky and E. L. Scott, and A. D.
Maxwell.
The first elliptical orbit was computed by Maxwell and Kaster during
the first half of September. They began by assuming an orbital period of 150
years, based on Cunninghams suggested link, and determined a perihelion
date of August 9.46. Using precise positions obtained on July 29, August 6,
and 13, F. W. Hoffman computed an elliptical orbit which was first published
in early November. The perihelion date was determined as August 9.49 and
103
catalog of comets
the orbital period was about 125 years. Maxwell and Kaster (1940) took 89
positions obtained between July 29 and December 22, and determined the
perihelion date as August 9.46 and the orbital period as about 156 years.
A. M. Chernitsov and A. P. Baturin (2001), and S. Nakano (2005), which
applied planetary perturbations. These orbits indicated a perihelion date of
August 9.46 and a period of 154.99 years. Nakanos orbit is given below.
T
1939 Aug. 9.4634 (UT)
29.2970
(2000.0)
355.9803
i
64.2069
q
e
0.748494 0.974059

full moon: Jul. 1, Jul. 31, Aug. 29, Sep. 28, Oct. 28, Nov. 26, Dec. 26, 1940 Jan. 24
sources: H. M. Jeffers and B. Adams, LOB, 19 (1939), pp. 756; R. Rigollet, IAUC,
No. 784 (1939 Jul. 28); Oriano and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 496 (1939 Jul.
31); Oriano, IAUC, No. 785 (1939 Jul. 31); E. J. Delporte, J. P. Moller,
K. P. Kaster,
and T. J. Bartlett, IAUC, No. 787 (1939 Aug. 2); G. van Biesbroeck and J. P. Moller,
HAC, No. 498 (1939 Aug. 3); M. B. Protitch and E. K. Rabe, IAUC, No. 788 (1939
Aug. 5); A. D. Maxwell, IAUC, No.790 (1939 Aug. 14); H. A. Panofsky, E. L. Scott,
G. C. Flammarion, and F. Quenisset, IAUC, No. 791 (1939 Aug. 21); A. D. Maxwell
and K. P. Kaster, IAUC, No. 795 (1939 Sep. 14); R. Rigollet, J. P. Moller,
and L. E.
Cunningham, The Observatory, 62 (1939 Sep.), p. 246; R. Rigollet, K. P. Kaster, T. J.
Bartlett, A. D. Maxwell, J. P. Moller,
L. E. Cunningham, and G. van Biesbroeck,

PA, 47 (1939 Oct.), pp. 4445; R. Rigollet, L. E. Cunningham, A. D. Maxwell, K. P.
Kaster, T. J. Bartlett, H. M. Jeffers, and B. Adams, PASP, 51 (1939 Oct.), pp. 2947;
G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 47 (1939 Nov.), p. 508; F. W. Hoffman, IAUC, No. 798
(1939 Nov. 6); O. Volk, IAUC, No. 801 (1939 Nov. 21); A. Fresa, AN, 269 (1939
Dec.), p. 283; H. M. Jeffers and B. Adams, LOB, 19 (1940), p. 99; R. Rigollet, L. E.
Cunningham, F. W. Hoffman, A. D. Maxwell, and J. P. Moller,
MNRAS, 100 (1940

Feb.), p. 327; H. M. Jeffers, PASP, 52 (1940 Apr.), p. 152; A. D. Maxwell and K. P.
Kaster, AJ, 49 (1940 Oct. 31), pp. 569; A. D. Maxwell and K. P. Kaster, IAUC,
No. 840 (1941 Jan. 3); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 49 (1941 Nov. 20), pp. 11214; A. D.
Maxwell and K. P. Kaster, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11011, 113; V1964, p. 74;
B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4523, 459; A. M. Chernitsov and A. P.
Baturin, SoSyR, 35 (2001), pp. 32738; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 1225 (2005
Oct. 6).
8P/Tuttle Recovered: 1939 August 12.47 ( = 1.96 AU, r = 1.65 AU, Elong. = 57)
1939 X = 1939k Closest to the Earth: 1939 November 7 (1.0235 AU)
Calculated path: CAM (Rec), LYN (Aug. 16), CNC (Sep. 30), LEO (Oct. 9), SEX
(Oct. 25), HYA (Nov. 7), CRT (Nov. 11), HYA-CRT (Nov. 13), HYA (Nov. 17),
CEN (Nov. 26)
Using a corrected orbit for the 1926 apparition, A. C. D. Crommelin (1938)
applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn and integrated the comets
motion forward. He predicted the comet would next reach perihelion on
104
catalog of comets
1939 November 10.08. His ephemeris was used by H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) to recover this comet on 1939 August 12.47, at a
position of = 5h 55.8m , = +57 22 . Jeffers used the 91-cm Crossley
reflector, and although he initially estimated the magnitude as 18, he later
revised it to 17.5. The coma was 0.3 across and contained a fairly sharp
nucleus. The position indicated Crommelins prediction required a correction of +0.70 day. Jeffers confirmed the recovery on August 12.49, August
18.46, and August 18.49, and found the comet unchanged.
The comet was never widely observed, but it was kept under observation almost until the end of the year. During September, G. van Biesbroeck
(Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet on the 16th
and 25th and described it as very diffuse. A. M. Vergnano (Pino Torinese
Observatory, Turin, Italy) saw the comet on the 19th and estimated the magnitude as 13. During October, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as
9.5 on the 12th and added that the round coma was about 3 across and contained a well-condensed central nucleus. Jeffers obtained 10-minute exposures with the reflector on the 14th and 16th, and described the comet as over
1 across, with a central well-condensed nucleus. During November, van
Biesbroeck determined the magnitude as 9.2 on the 8th and 8.5 on the 11th.
On the latter date he noted the round coma was well condensed, but no tail
was present. Meanwhile the comets southward motion had made it visible
in the southern hemisphere, and E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) photographed it with the 25-cm FranklinAdams
Star Camera on the 10th and estimated the magnitude as 9.0.
The comet was last detected on December 21.06, when Johnson again
photographed it with the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera. He estimated the magnitude as 12.0, and gave the position as = 13h 11.1m ,
= 56 56 .
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by C. Dinwoodie (1963),
B. G. Marsden (1968), D. K. Yeomans (1972), V. V. Emelyanenko (1977), and
S. Nakano (2004). The result was a perihelion date of November 10.61
and a period of 13.61 years. Marsden noted a secular deceleration. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and Yeomans (1973) gave the nongravitational terms as
A1 = 0.04 and A2 = +0.0131. Nakano gave the nongravitational terms as
A1 = +0.043 and A2 = +0.01312. Nakanos orbit is given below.
T
1939 Nov. 10.6125 (TT)
(2000.0)
206.9490 270.5424
i
54.6492
q
e
1.022585 0.820596

full moon: Jul. 31, Aug. 29, Sep. 28, Oct. 28, Nov. 26, Dec. 26
sources: A. C. D. Crommelin, BAA Handbook for 1939 (1938), p. 32; H. M. Jeffers,
LOB, 19 (1939), p. 76; H. M. Jeffers, IAUC, No. 790 (1939 Aug. 14); H. M. Jeffers,
The Observatory, 62 (1939 Sep.), p. 247; A. M. Vergnano, IAUC, No. 797 (1939 Oct.
16); H. M. Jeffers, PA, 47 (1939 Oct.), p. 446; A. C. D. Crommelin and H. M. Jeffers,
105
catalog of comets
PASP, 51 (1939 Oct.), p. 295; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 47 (1939 Nov.), p. 508; G.
van Biesbroeck, PA, 47 (1939 Dec.), p. 556; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1940), p. 99;
E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5 (1940 Jan. 31), p. 32; H. M. Jeffers and A. C. D. Crommelin,
MNRAS, 100 (1940 Feb.), pp. 3289; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 49 (1941 Nov. 20),
pp. 110, 11314; C. Dinwoodie, QJRAS, 4 (1963 Sep.), pp. 31011, 313; V1964,
p. 74; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 373, 375; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS,
9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31415; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 13 (1972 Sep.), pp. 4301;
B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), p. 213; V. V.
Emelyanenko, TrKaz, 43 (1977), pp. 20310; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 1103
(2004 Oct. 15).
139P/1939 TN Discovered: 1939 October 7.91 ( = 2.45 AU, r = 3.41 AU, Elong. = 161)
(VislOterma) Closest to the Earth: 1939 October 25 (2.4110 AU)
Calculated path: ARI (Disc), PSC (Nov. 3)
During the routine asteroid search program at Turku, Y. Visl found this
object on 1939 October 7.91 at a position of = 2h 00.2m , = +14 33 .
The object was classed as an asteroid and the magnitude was determined
as 15.8. The object was further photographed on October 18.88 and 20.85.
The fourth and final observation was obtained on November 11.74, when
the position was given as = 1h 39.7m , = +12 25 . The object was
designated 1939 TN.
Precise positions were not published until 1979 when they appeared in
an issue of the Minor Planet Circular. An orbit calculation by L. Oterma
suggested to her that the object was a comet and this conclusion was sent
to the Minor Planet Center in 1981 (Marsden, 1982). On 1998 November 18
and 21, the Lincoln Near Asteroid Research (LINEAR) survey picked up an
apparently asteroidal object, which was found to exhibit a coma and tail in
early December. S. Nakano (1998) subsequently announced that this was
apparently a return of object 1939 TN.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by S. Nakano (2000, 2005).
Using positions from the 1939 and 1998 apparitions, he applied perturbations by all major planets and several large minor planets and determined
the perihelion date as 1939 December 30.92 and the period as 9.59 years.
Nakanos 2005 orbit is given below.
T
1939 Dec. 30.9154 (TT)
(2000.0)
147.2467 255.6984
i
2.1105
q
e
3.389937 0.249012
absolute magnitude: H10 = 8.5 (Kronk)

full moon: Sep. 28, Oct. 28, Nov. 26
sources: L. Oterma, MPC, No. 4811 (1979 Aug. 1); B. G. Marsden and L. Oterma,
CCO, 4th ed. (1982), p. 3; S. Nakano, MPEC, No. 1998-X19 (1998 Dec. 5);
Y. Visl, L. Oterma, and S. Nakano, IAUC, No. 7064 (1998 Dec. 7); personal
106
catalog of comets
correspondence from B. G. Marsden (1998); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 751
(2000 Dec. 20); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 1195 (2005 Jul. 4).
21P/Giacobini Recovered: 1939 October 15.05 ( = 2.44 AU, r = 1.91 AU, Elong. = 47)
Zinner Last seen: 1939 October 16.03 ( = 2.44 AU, r = 1.90 AU, Elong. = 46)
1940 I = 1939l Calculated path: OPH (Rec) [Did not leave this constellation]
Beginning with the orbit determined for the 1933 apparition, F. R. Cripps
(1938) applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn and predicted the comet
would next arrive at perihelion on 1940 February 17.14. This did not allow
for a favorable apparition, but, using the ephemeris computed by Cripps,
G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) recovered this
comet on 1939 October 15.05, at a position of = 16h 21.5m , = +1 19 .
The comet was described as magnitude 15, with a very diffuse coma about
15 in diameter. Van Biesbroeck confirmed the recovery on October 16.03,
and gave the position as = 16h 23.2m , = +1 11 . Because of the comets
low altitude, this was also the final observation. A minimum solar elongation of 21 was attained on 1940 February 13.
Calculations using multiple apparitions and planetary perturbation were
published by Y. V. Evdokimov (1972) and D. K. Yeomans (1971, 1972, 1986).
These revealed a perihelion date of February 17.21 and a period of 6.59
years. Yeomans 1986 orbit is given below. In the 1986 book ESA Proceedings
of the 20th ESLAB Symposium on the Exploration of Halleys Comet, Yeomans
gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.1253 and A2 = +0.0387.
T
1940 Feb. 17.2088 (TT)
(2000.0)
171.7869 196.9526
i
30.7353
q
e
0.995604 0.716705

full moon: Sep. 28, Oct. 28
sources: F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1939 (1938), p. 33; G. van Biesbroeck,
IAUC, No. 797 (1939 Oct. 16); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 509 (1939 Nov. 6); G.
van Biesbroeck, PA, 47 (1939 Nov.), p. 509; G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory,
62 (1939 Nov.), p. 308; G. van Biesbroeck and F. R. Cripps, PASP, 51 (1939 Dec.),
pp. 3589; G. van Biesbroeck and F. R. Cripps, MNRAS, 100 (1940 Feb.), pp. 3289;
G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 49 (1941 Nov. 20), pp. 11314; V1964, p. 74; D. K. Yeomans,
QJRAS, 12 (1971 Sep.), pp. 2689, 272; Y. V. Evdokimov and D. K. Yeomans, IAUS,
No. 45 (1972), pp. 174, 185; D. K. Yeomans, ESA Proceedings of the 20th ESLAB
Symposium on the Exploration of Halleys Comet. Volume 2: Dust and Nucleus (1986),
p. 424; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116.
4P/Faye Recovered: 1939 November 3.17 ( = 2.22 AU, r = 2.33 AU, Elong. = 83)
1940 II = 1939m Closest to the Earth: 1939 August 21 (1.8518 AU)
Calculated path: CAP (Rec), AQR (Nov. 19), CAP (Dec. 18), AQR (Dec. 20)
107
catalog of comets
W. P. Henderson and P. J. Harris (1938) examined the perturbations by

Jupiter and Saturn the comet was likely to have encountered since the 1932
apparition, especially those from the former planet during June 1934 and
March 1935, and predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion on
1940 April 23.5.
H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet on
two plates exposed with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on 1939 November
3.17. The position was at = 20h 13.5m , = 10 18 . He described the
comet as a very faint and diffuse coma, with a central condensation. Jeffers
initially gave the magnitude as 16, but later revised it to 17.5. The comet was
over 2 months past its closest approach to Earth, but was still over 5 months
from perihelion. The position indicated that the prediction by Henderson
and Harris was only 0.2 day too early.
On November 5, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
described the comet as a small round coma of magnitude 16. On November
11, van Biesbroeck described the comet as a little condensed coma of
magnitude 16. The comet attained its most southerly declination of 10.4
on November 12. On December 14, Jeffers photographed the comet using
the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. He said the coma
was about 8 across.
The comet was last detected on 1940 January 3.02 and January 6.02, when
van Biesbroecks photographs with the 61-cm reflector revealed a vague
nebulosity of magnitude 15. It was then in the evening sky, with a steadily
decreasing elongation from the sun. On the latter date, the position was
determined as = 22h 01.3m , = 7 01 .
Multiple apparition orbits were calculated by V. F. Zheverzheyev (1951),
F. B. Khanina and O. N. Barteneva (1960, 1962), and B. G. Marsden and Z.
Sekanina (1971). Planetary perturbations were considered, but Marsden and
Sekaninas calculations also considered nongravitational effects. Marsden
and Sekanina determined the perihelion date as April 24.8924.95 and the
period as 7.42 years. They gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.381
and A2 = +0.00687.
T
1940 Apr. 24.8936 (TT)
(2000.0)
200.4902 207.0870
i
10.5468
q
e
1.653929 0.565188

full moon: Oct. 28, Nov. 26, Dec. 26, 1940 Jan. 24
sources: W. P. Henderson and P. J. Harris, BAA Handbook for 1939 (1938), p. 34;
W. P. Henderson and P. J. Harris, BAA Handbook for 1940 (1939), p. 34; H. M.
Jeffers, HAC, No. 509 (1939 Nov. 9); H. M. Jeffers, IAUC, No. 798 (1939 Nov. 6);
H. M. Jeffers, PA, 47 (1939 Dec.), p. 555; H. M. Jeffers, W. P. Henderson, and P. J.
Harris, PASP, 51 (1939 Dec.), p. 359; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1940), p. 99; W. P.
Henderson, P. J. Harris, and H. M. Jeffers, MNRAS, 100 (1940 Feb.), pp. 3289; G.
van Biesbroeck, AJ, 49 (1941 Nov. 20), pp. 11314; V. F. Zheverzheyev, MNRAS,
108
catalog of comets
111 (1951), pp. 2413; F. B. Khanina and O. N. Barteneva, QJRAS, 1 (1960 Dec.),
pp. 2323; F. B. Khanina and O. N. Barteneva, QJRAS, 3 (1962 Sep.), pp. 1735;
V1964, p. 74; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 76 (1971 Dec.), pp. 11367.
C/1939 V1 Discovered: 1939 November 2.2 ( = 0.97 AU, r = 0.95 AU, Elong. = 58)
(Friend) Last seen: 1940 January 9.02 ( = 1.78 AU, r = 1.44 AU, Elong. = 54)
1939 IX = 1939n Calculated path: HER (Disc), SGE (Nov. 17), AQL (Nov. 21), DEL (Nov. 28),
AQR (Dec. 1), CAP (Dec. 11), AQR (Dec. 15)
C. L. Friend (Escondido, California, USA) discovered this comet in the
evening sky on 1939 November 2.2, at a position of = 16h 31m , = +35.
He described it as round, with a magnitude of 12. The comet was confirmed
by L. E. Cunningham (Harvard College Observatory, Massachusetts, USA)
on November 4.98, and was described as diffuse, without a central condensation. The magnitude was again estimated as 12. Friends discovery was
actually widely reported as occurring on November 1, but the Author
notes that the given position was then over 3 west of the comets predicted
position for that date. The author thinks it is more likely that Friend saw
the comet on the evening of November 1, local time, and that the universal
time date would be November 2.
Shortly after Cunninghams confirmation, the comet passed perihelion,
but it still approached Earth for another two weeks. On November 6, G. van
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) gave the magnitude as
9.2. He added that the round coma was 3 across and centrally condensed.
E. J. Delporte and F. Rigaux (Uccle, Belgium) described the comet as diffuse,
without a central condensation. On the 7th, H. M. Jeffers and B. Adams (Lick
Observatory, California, USA) visually observed the comet using the 30-cm
refractor and gave the magnitude as 10. They said the comet was diffuse,
with a central condensation. Delporte gave the photographic magnitude as
9.5. G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory, Athens, Greece) said the round
coma was 120 across, and exhibited a large, rather intense condensation.
On the 8th, the magnitude was given as 9.1 by van Biesbroeck and 10 by
Jeffers and Adams. Jeffers and Adams said the comet was diffuse, with a
central condensation. On November 8 and 9, W. H. Steavenson and Fry (West
Norwood, England) gave the magnitude as 89. They described the comet
as diffuse, with some condensation, but no tail. On the 9th, the magnitude
was given as 9.2 by Adamopoulos and 9.3 by van Biesbroeck. U. S. Lyons (US
Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA) said the comet was visible in a
13-cm finder. Adamopoulos said the coma was 167 across. Van Biesbroeck
said the central, stellar nucleus shone at magnitude 12. He added that the
round coma was 4 across, with a bright inner coma 2 across. Lyons said the
comet was diffuse and faint. On the 10th, the magnitude was given as 8.2 by
F. Schembor (Vienna University Observatory, Austria), 10 by H. Krumpholz
(Vienna), and 10.0 by A. A. Wachmann (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf,
109
catalog of comets
Germany). Lyons said the comet was visible in a 13-cm finder. Krumpholz
said the round coma was 3 across, with a weak condensation. Adamopoulos
said the coma was 234 across, with a central stellar nucleus of magnitude
13. Van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.3 on the 11th and 9.0 on the
12th. On November 13, Adamopoulos said the coma was 197 across, with
the nucleus visible only occasionally just east of the central portion of the
coma.
On November 14, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.2. Lyons said
the comet had a condensation and was barely visible in a 13-cm finder. On
the 15th, Jeffers and Adams visually observed the comet with the 30-cm
refractor and said the quite diffuse coma was 2 across, with a somewhat
indefinite nucleus. On the 16th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.1,
while Lyons said the comet was barely visible in a 13-cm finder. On the
20th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.0. On the 21st, Adamopoulos
observed the comet in moonlight with the 40-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 9.8. He said the coma was 82 across. On the 23rd, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 9.5. On the 28th, Adamopoulos said the coma was
140 across. On November 30, Adamopoulos observed with the refractor
and gave the magnitude as 10.5. He said the coma was 133 across.
On December 1, Jeffers and Adams obtained a 12-minute exposure with
the 91-cm Crossley reflector and noted a round coma 1.4 across, with a central condensation. On the 7th, the magnitude was given as 10.3 by van Biesbroeck and 11 by Krumpholz. Van Biesbroeck added that the photographic
image was very diffuse. On the 8th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude
as 10.4. On the 9th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10.6 and added
that the diffuse coma was 6 across, with only a slight condensation. On
the 12th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10.5. On the 16th, van Biesbroeck simply described the comet as very diffuse. On December 31, van
Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 13. He added that the photographic
image was extremely diffuse.
On 1940 January 2, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the
61-cm reflector. He said the image was difficult to measure and gave the
magnitude as 14. On January 3, van Biesbroecks 18-minute exposure with
the reflector showed a vague diffuse spot measuring about 30 across. There
was no condensation.
The comet was last detected on January 9.02, when van Biesbroeck
obtained a 20-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector, and determined
the position as = 23h 11.5m , = 21 34 . He estimated the magnitude as
15, and added that the hardly measurable coma was about 35 in diameter,
without a central condensation. The moon was full on January 24.
The first orbital calculation was by P. E. Fell, B. R. White, E. L. Scott, J. H. B.
Irwin, and H. A. Panofsky, all graduate students at Students Observatory, University of California at Berkeley, California, USA. Published on
November 9, the orbit was based on three precise positions obtained at
Lick Observatory between November 6 and 8. The perihelion date was
110
catalog of comets
determined as 1939 November 6.15. They also noted the comet would be
closest to Earth shortly after the middle of November, and would fade
rapidly thereafter. A. D. Maxwell and H. R. J. Grosch published their orbital
computations on November 10. They determined the perihelion date as
November 6.58.
Maxwell and Grosch revised their parabolic orbit using three precise positions obtained between November 7 and 15. Published on November 22, the
revised orbit gave a perihelion date of November 5.65. Using three precise
positions obtained between November 4 and 14, A. M. Vergnano computed
a parabolic orbit which was first published on November 28. The perihelion
date was determined as November 6.00.
At the beginning of December, E. K. Rabe published an orbit based on
observations obtained through November 25. He determined the perihelion date as November 5.74. On December 14, an orbit was published by
Vergnano which used three precise positions obtained between November
9 and December 1. The perihelion date was determined as November 5.65.
W. Landgraf (1981) used 61 positions obtained between November 6, 1939,
and January 9, 1940, and computed an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date
of November 5.63 and a period of about 6175 years.
T
1939 Nov. 5.6260 (TT)
(2000.0)
126.7769 197.1118
i
92.9520
q
e
0.945209 0.997192

sources: C. L. Friend and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 509 (1939 Nov. 6); C. L.
Friend, IAUC, No. 798 (1939 Nov. 6); G. van Biesbroeck, E. J. Delporte, and F.
Rigaux, HAC, No. 510 (1939 Nov. 7); H. M. Jeffers, B. Adams, and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 511 (1939 Nov. 8); P. E. Fell, B. R. White, E. L. Scott, J. H. B.
Irwin, and H. A. Panofsky, HAC, No. 512 (1939 Nov. 9); A. D. Maxwell and H. R. J.
Grosch, HAC, No. 513 (1939 Nov. 10); E. J. Delporte and F. Rigaux, IAUC, No.
799 (1939 Nov. 10); E. J. Delporte, IAUC, No. 800 (1939 Nov. 18); A. D. Maxwell
and H. R. J. Grosch, HAC, No. 514 (1939 Nov. 22); H. M. Jeffers, B. Adams, G.
van Biesbroeck, F. Schembor, A. A. Wachmann, H. Krumpholz, A. D. Maxwell,
H. R. J. Grosch, and A. M. Vergnano, IAUC, No. 802 (1939 Nov. 28); C. L. Friend,
G. van Biesbroeck, A. D. Maxwell, and H. R. J. Grosch, PA, 47 (1939 Dec.), pp. 555
6; C. L. Friend, P. E. Fell, B. R. White, E. L. Scott, J. H. B. Irwin, and H. A. Panofsky,
PASP, 51 (1939 Dec.), pp. 35960; A. D. Maxwell, H. R. J. Grosch, and E. K. Rabe,
IAUC, No. 803 (1939 Dec. 5); A. M. Vergnano, IAUC, No. 805 (1939 Dec. 14);
H. M. Jeffers and B. Adams, LOB, 19 (1940), p. 100; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 48
(1940 Jan.), p. 52; W. H. Steavenson, Fry, A. D. Maxwell, and A. M. Vergnano,
MNRAS, 100 (1940 Feb.), pp. 3279; G. van Biesbreock, PA, 48 (1940 Feb.), p. 89;
H. Krumpholz, AN, 271 (1940 Nov.), p. 29; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 49 (1941 Nov.
20), pp. 110, 11315; U. S. Lyons, AJ, 50 (1942 Aug. 13), p. 26; G. Adamopoulos,
JO, 31 (1948 Dec.), pp. 2001; V1964, p. 74; W. Landgraf, MPC, No. 6099 (1981
Jul. 1).
111
catalog of comets
C/1940 O1 Prediscovery: 1940 July 28.95 ( = 0.59 AU, r = 1.56 AU, Elong. = 154)
(Whipple Discovered: 1940 August 8.17 ( = 0.46 AU, r = 1.45 AU, Elong. = 159)
Paraskevopoulos) Last seen: 1941 January 1.09 ( = 1.12 AU, r = 1.71 AU, Elong. = 108)
1940 IV = 1940d Calculated path: DEL (Pre), AQL (Jul. 30), SGR (Aug. 11), CrA (Aug. 22), TEL
(Aug. 26), PAV (Sep. 1), ARA (Sep. 7), APS (Sep. 9), TrA-APS (Sep. 11), CHA
(Sep. 29), CAR (Oct. 27), VOL (Nov. 10), CAR (Dec. 6), PIC (Dec. 16), CAR
(Dec. 17), PUP (Dec. 28)
On 1940 September 30, F. L. Whipple (Harvard College Observatory, Massachusetts, USA) found this comet on a patrol plate exposed on 1940
August 8.17. The comets position was then = 20h 01.8m , = 6 17 .
Subsequent examination of Harvard patrol plates from Cambridge and
the Oak Ridge Station revealed the comet on at least sixteen small-scale
Harvard plates exposed during the period July 29.16August 10.15, during which time the magnitude brightened from 11 to 10. The comet was
described as diffuse, without a central condensation or a nucleus. No tail was
present.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 78 on October
3. From the intial orbital calculations, independent recoveries were made
by K. Guthe and R. N. Thomas (Bloemfontein, South Africa) on October
3.73, S. J. V. Arend (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium) on October 3.91,
J. Bobone (National Observatory, Cordoba,
Argentina) on October 4.05, and

B. H. Dawson (La Plata Observatory, Argentina) on October 4.98. Bobone
described it as diffuse, with a magnitude of 11, while Arend estimated the
photographic magnitude as 15.0.
J. S. Paraskevopoulos (Harvard College Observatory, Boyden Station,
Bloemfontein) was unaware of the predicted positions of comet Whipple for
early October, so when he found a 10th-magnitude comet on October 8.75,
at a position of = 12h 13.5m , = 77.9, he immediately sent a radiogram
to Harvard College Observatory (Massachusetts, USA) announcing his discovery. The comet then became known as WhippleParaskevopoulos.
Subsequent searches by Paraskevopoulos through Boyden Station patrol
plates revealed a photograph showing the comet on August 5.82.
Several observatories began checking their archives for further images of
this comet. Ultimately, P. Ahnert (Sonneberg, Germany) found the earliest
image on a plate exposed on July 28.95.
Guthe and Thomas only followed the comet until October 9, and Bobone
obtained his last observation on October 29. But Dawson continued to
photograph the comet on every possible occasion, with 18 observations
in November and 11 observations during December.
The comet was last detected on 1941 January 1.09, when Dawson photographed it at a position of = 6h 19.6m , = 48 02 .
The first orbits for this comet were based on the photographic images
from July and August, and were independently published by Whipple,
112
catalog of comets
J. P. Moller,
A. D. Maxwell, and H. R. J. Grosch. Whipple computed a

parabolic orbit which gave the perihelion date as 1940 October 7.89. Moller
calculated a parabolic orbit which gave the perihelion date as October 7.87.
Maxwell determined the perihelion date as October 7.88. Their accompanying ephemerides revealed the comet to have moved far to the south with
the declination on October 2 being 78.
Van Biesbroeck (1970) used 70 positions obtained between 1940 July 28
and 1941 January 1, and computed an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date
of October 8.03 and a period of 432 years.
B. G. Marsden (1978) used 51 positions obtained between 1940 August
1 and 1941 January 1, as well as perturbations by all nine planets, and
computed an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of October 8.25 and
a period of 425 years. Marsden took this orbit and derived an elliptical
original orbit with a period of about 411 years, and an elliptical future orbit
with a period of about 379 years.
T
1940 Oct. 8.2491 (TT)
(2000.0)
235.7368 135.0616
i
54.6906
q
e
1.082228 0.980843

full moon: Jul. 19, Aug. 17, Sep. 16, Oct. 16, Nov. 15, Dec. 14, 1941 Jan. 13
sources: F. L. Whipple, HAC, No. 537 (1940 Sep. 30); F. L. Whipple, IAUC, No.
822 (1940 Oct. 1); F. L. Whipple, HAC, No. 538 (1940 Oct. 2); J. P. Moller,
IAUC, No.
823 (1940 Oct. 2); F. L. Whipple, IAUC, No. 824 (1940 Oct. 3); A. D. Maxwell and
H. R. J. Grosch, HAC, No. 539 (1940 Oct. 7); J. Bobone and J. S. Paraskevopoulos,
HAC, No. 540 (1940 Oct. 10); S. J. V. Arend, IAUC, No. 829 (1940 Oct. 24); F. L.
Whipple, IAUC, No. 830 (1940 Oct. 30); F. L. Whipple and A. D. Maxwell, PA,
48 (1940 Nov.), p. 489; K. Guthe and R. N. Thomas, HAC, No. 590 (1941 Jul. 23);
A. D. Maxwell and H. R. J. Grosch, MNRAS, 102 (1942), pp. 1079; B. H. Dawson,
Observatorio Astronomico Universidad do la Plata Publicaciones, 6 (1942), pp. 1345;
V1964, p. 74; G. van Biesbroeck, CLPL, 8 (1970), pp. 32930; B. G. Marsden, AJ,
83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68.
36P/1940 R1 Recovered: 1940 September 1.15 ( = 1.64 AU, r = 2.65 AU, Elong. = 172)
(Whipple) Last seen: 1941 November 22.25 ( = 2.37 AU, r = 3.09 AU, Elong. = 128)
1941 III = 1940b Calculated path: AQR (Rec), PSC (Jan. 6), CET (Feb. 5), PSC (Feb. 19), CET
(Apr. 2), ARI (Apr. 16), TAU (May 14), ORI (Aug. 6), GEM (Aug. 29), CMi
(Oct. 7)
Beginning with an orbit for the 1933 apparition computed by Maxwell, H. Q.
Rasmusen (1939) applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn and predicted
the comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1941 January 13.34. D. H. Sadler
and F. M. McBain predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion on
January 22.69.
L. E. Cunningham (Harvard Observatory, Oak Ridge Station, Massachusetts, USA) recovered this comet on plates exposed using the 30-cm
113
catalog of comets
Metcalf refractor on 1940 September 1.15 and September 1.19. The position
for the first date was given as = 22h 34.1m , = 0 16 . A comparison of this
position with that predicted from elements computed by McBain and Sadler
reveals the predicted perihelion date was only 0.23 day late. Cunningham
gave the magnitudes as 15.5 and 15.1, respectively, and noted the coma was
10 across on the first plate. Both photographs were made through passing
clouds . . .. The comet was about to make its closest approach to Earth, but
was still four months from passing perihelion.
On September 3, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
gave the magnitude as 14.5. He described the comet as round, centrally
condensed, and 15 in diameter. On September 4, van Biesbroeck estimated
the magnitude as 14. He added that there was a well-defined nucleus.
S. Nakano (1984) found that a minor planet photographed by the
Crimea Astrophysical Observatory on September 7.93 and designated 1940
RP was really this comet. The magnitude was given as 13.5.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 7 on November
14. On November 25, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 16. He said the
faint coma contained a sharp nucleus.
The comet passed slightly less than 5 from the sun on 1941 May 10 and
attained its most northerly declination of +16 on July 15.
The comet was last seen on 1941 November 22.25, when van Biesbroeck
located it on a 20-minute exposure made with the 61-cm reflector. He estimated the magnitude as 17, and said the round coma was 10 across. The
position was determined as = 7h 16.1m , = +8 51 .
1986), S. Nakano (2000), and P. Rocher (2005). All of these included planetary perturbations, while those published from 1969 onwards also solved
for nongravitational forces. The result was a perihelion date of January 22.39
and a period of 7.48 years. Marsden (1968) noted a very slight secular acceleration. Marsden (1969) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.60516
and A2 = 0.062093. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973) gave
the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.6, A2 = 0.063. Nakano (2000) gave
the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.332 and A2 = 0.05283. Rocher
(2005) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.49054 and A2 = 0.04709.
Nakanos orbit is given below.
T
1941 Jan. 22.3853 (TT)
(2000.0)
190.4401 189.5227
i
10.2167
q
e
2.484801 0.350154

full moon: Aug. 17, Sep. 16, Oct. 16, Nov. 15, Dec. 14, 1941 Jan. 13, Feb. 12, Mar.
13, Apr. 11, May 11, Jun. 9, Jul. 8, Aug. 7, Sep. 5, Oct. 5, Nov. 4, Dec. 3
sources: L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 531 (1940 Sep. 3); H. Q. Rasmusen, AN,
253 (1934 Sep. 4), pp. 1636; H. Q. Rasmusen, BAA Handbook for 1940 (1939),
p. 30; L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 816 (1940 Sep. 2); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC,
114
catalog of comets
No. 817 (1940 Sep. 7); L. E. Cunningham and G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 48 (1940 Oct.),
p. 429; L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 827 (1940 Oct. 12); L. E. Cunningham, The
Observatory, 63 (1940 Nov.), p. 290; G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 609 (1941 Nov.
27); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1942 Aug. 13), pp. 2931; D. H. Sadler and F. M.
McBain, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11011, 113; V1964, p. 74; B. G. Marsden, AJ,
73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 370, 374; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.), pp. 7256; B. G.
Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), p. 213; S. Nakano,
Nakano Note, No. 446 (1984 Feb. 16); S. Nakano, MPC, No. 8695 (1984 May 15);
B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 711
(2000 May 12); personal correspondence from P. Rocher (2005).
C/1940 R2 Prediscovery: 1940 August 25.10 ( = 2.12 AU, r = 2.71 AU, Elong. = 115)
(Cunningham) Discovered: 1940 September 5.09 ( = 1.96 AU, r = 2.55 AU, Elong. = 115)
1941 I = 1940c Closest to the Earth: 1941 January 10 (0.5948 AU)
Calculated path: CYG (Pre), LYR (Oct. 25), CYG (Nov. 30), VUL (Dec. 6), SGE
(Dec. 21), AQL (Dec. 24), SGR (Jan. 9), TEL (Jan. 31), SGR (Feb. 14), MIC
(Feb. 17), IND (May 15), TEL (May 31)
On 1940 September 17, L. E. Cunningham found a comet on a photograph
exposed with the 20-cm Ross telescope at Harvard College Observatorys
Oak Ridge Station (Massachusetts, USA) on 1940 September 5.09. The
comets position was = 21h 15.6m , = +54 30 . The magnitude was
estimated as 13, while the daily motion was given as 2.7 to the west. Subsequent examination of Harvard patrol plates exposed at Oak Ridge and
Cambridge revealed 11 plates showing the comet from August 25.10 to
September 15. F. W. Wright estimated the comets magnitude as 12.9, based
on an August 29.1 plate, and found it slightly brighter, with a strong nucleus
and a tail 2 long pointing southward on a plate exposed on September 9.10.
The comet was still 4 months from passing closest to both the sun and
Earth. The comet had attained its most northerly declination of +55 on
September 6.
On September 27, A. M. Vergnano (Pino Torinese Observatory, Turin,
Italy) estimated the magnitude as 12.5. U. S. Lyons (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA) said the comet was barely visible in a 13-cm
finder. He obtained a photograph with the 66-cm refractor and said the
comet exhibited a well-defined nucleus. On September 29, K. A. Voroshiloff
(Moscow Observatory, Russia) photographed the comet with a 12-cm camera and gave the magnitude as 10.4.
On October 3, H. Krumpholz (Vienna, Austria) gave the magnitude as 12.
On the 4th, K. A. Voroschilov and P. G. Kulikovkii (Sverdlovsk, Sternberg
Institute, Russia) gave the photographic magnitude as 11.912.0. On the 5th,
Voroshiloff and Kulikovkii gave the photographic magnitude as 11.511.7.
On the 8th, W. Gleissberg (University Observatory, Istanbul, Turkey) estimated the magnitude as 11. On the 12th, S. J. V. Arend (Royal Observatory,
Uccle, Belgium) estimated the photographic magnitude as 12. On the 15th,
115
catalog of comets
Lyons said the comet was faint in moonlight and could not be seen in the
13-cm finder. On the 23rd, Lyons said the comet was easily visible in the
13-cm finder. On the 25th, M. Beyer (Hamburg, Germany) gave the magnitude as 8.27. He said the coma was 3 across and contained an eccentrically
situated condensation. On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.34. He
said the coma was 3 across and contained an eccentrically situated condensation. On the 28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.86. On the 29th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 7.74 and said the nucleus was less than magnitude
10.0. On October 31, Kulikovkii photographed the comet with the 12-cm
camera and estimated the magnitude as 10.0.
On November 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.82, while Lyons said the
comet was barely visible in the 13-cm finder. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was less than 10.0. On the 4th, A. Schaumasse (Nice Observatory,
France) observed using the 40-cm refractor and noted a nucleus of magnitude 9, located within a diffuse coma that was 4 across and elongated
away from the sun. On the 5th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.36, while
H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) gave it as 9.5. Beyer was
using an 8-cm refractor, while Jeffers was using a 30-cm refractor. Jeffers
said the comet was 1.5 across with a stellar nucleus. On the 7th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 7.37. On the 8th, Krumpholz gave the magnitude as 8.7.
He added that the coma was 2 across and contained a very distinct condensation. On the 13th and 14th, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory,
Wisconsin, USA) observed the comet under a nearly full moon and said the
coma was faint and the nuclear magnitude was 11. On November 15, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 7.28.
On November 19, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.86. On the 20th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 6.87, while Lyons said it was easily visible in the
5-cm finder. Beyer said the tail extended 0.3 in PA 59. Schaumasse said the
nucleus was rather diffuse and badly defined, while the coma was 5 across
and elongated away from the sun. On the 21st, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 7.5. He estimated the nuclear magnitude as 10. On the 23rd,
the magnitude was given as 6.6 by B. G. Karpov (Vassar College Observatory, New York, USA) and 6.78 by Beyer. Lyons said the comet was visible in binoculars. Beyer said the coma was 8 across, with a tail extending
0.4 in PA 68. During the period of November 2326, Schaumasse noted
the comet was magnitude 8.5, with a coma 6 across. He noted the central
part of the coma was slightly more brilliant. On the 25th, the magnitude
was given as 7.0 by van Biesbroeck and 7.1 by V. Chernov (Zaporizhia,
Ukraine). Van Biesbroeck was then using 25-mm binoculars, while Chernov was using 6 40 binoculars. On the 27th, the magnitude was given
as 6.38 by Beyer and 6.7 by Krumpholz. Beyer said the tail extended 0.2 in
PA 69. Krumpholz described the comet as 4 across, with a distinct round
condensation 10 across, and a tail extending 12 in PA 50. On the 28th, the
magnitude was given as 6.36 by Beyer and 6.86.9 by Chernov. Beyer said
the tail extended 0.2 in PA 72. On November 29, the magnitude was given
116
catalog of comets
as 6.29 by Beyer and 7 by R. S. Richardson (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA). Beyer said the coma was 9 across, with a tail extending 0.4
in PA 68.
On December 1, the magnitude was given as 6.18 by Beyer and 6.5 by
Krumpholz. Beyer said the tail extended 0.3 in PA 64. Krumpholz said
the coma contained a nearly stellar nucleus. On the 3rd, the magnitude was
given as 5.9 by Krumpholz and 6.30 by Beyer. Schaumasse photographed
the comet using the 40-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 8. Zeidler
and J. Mergentaler (Lviv University, Ukraine) photographed the comet and
gave the magnitude as 8. Beyer said the coma was 10 across, with a tail
extending 0.6 in PA 62. On the 3rd, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as
6.3. On the 5th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.24 and said the tail extended
0.3 in PA 64. On the 7th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.16 and said the tail
extended 0.5 in PA 62. On the 8th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.89. On
the 12th, M. Campa (Milan, Italy) gave the magnitude as 8.0. Schaumasse
noted, In spite of the moon, the comet is seen as a nebulosity 6 across.
He added that the coma had a slightly brighter area a little in front of the
geometrical center. On the 13th, Campa gave the magnitude as 7.5. On the
14th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.57 and said the tail extended 0.8 in PA
63. On December 15, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.26 and said the tail
extended 0.6 in PA 56.
On December 16, the magnitude was given as 4.9 by Chernov and 5.13
by Beyer. Zeidler and Mergentaler gave the photographic magnitude as 6.
Beyer said the condensation contained a starlike nucleus of magnitude 7.2,
while the slightly fan-shaped tail extended 0.4 in PA 4266. On the 17th,
Lyons said the comet was near naked-eye brightness and was of a bluish
color. On the 18th, the visual magnitude was given as 5.1 by Krumpholz and
6.0 by S. Taffara (Padua, Italy). The photographic magnitude was given as
5 by Zeidler and Mergentaler, 6.0 by Campa, and 7 by Schaumasse. Zeidler
and Mergentaler noted the tail was composed of two unequal branches, one
was sharp and 1.2 long, while the other was diffuse and short. Schaumasse
noted that the comet had increased in brightness rather quickly, adding
that the condensed coma was 8 across and was lengthened toward PA 30.
On the 19th, R. T. Smith (Lick Observatory) obtained a 30-minute exposure
which revealed two tails. One tail extended over 2 and contained filaments,
while the other tail was less than 1 and diffuse. On the 20th, the visual
magnitude was given as 4.98 by Beyer, and 5.0 by Chernov and Taffara. The
photographic magnitude was given as 5 by Zeidler and Mergentaler. Beyer
said the fan-shaped tail extended 1.2 in PA 33, but shortened to 0.8 in PA
54. Chernov said the tail was 15 long in the binoculars, while the degree
of condensation (DC) was 6. Zeidler and Mergentaler said the tail was still
composed on two branches as on the 18th. On December 21, the visual
magnitude was given as 4.5 by Krumpholz, 4.84 by Beyer, 4.85 by N. T.
Bobrovnikoff (Perkins Observatory, Ohio, USA), 5.0 by Chernov, and 5.2
by van Biesbroeck. H. E. Burton (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC,
117
catalog of comets
USA) said the comet was not visible to the naked eye. Beyer said the coma
was 6 across, with a fan-shaped tail extending 0.8 in PA 4158. Krumpholz
said the coma was round and 4 across, while the central condensation was
10 across. He added that there was a short, bright tail. Chernov said the
tail was 15 long.
On December 22, the visual magnitude was given as 4.62 by Beyer and 5.1
by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was 6 across, with a fan-shaped tail
extending 2.0 in PA 45, lengthening to 2.6 in PA 47, and then shortening
to 0.9 in PA 59. On the 23rd, Lyons said the comet was visible to the naked
eye and appeared blue-green. On the 24th, the magnitude was given as 4.36
by Bobrovnikoff and 4.6 by Chernov. On the 25th, the magnitude was given
as 4.28 by Bobrovnikoff, 4.4 by van Biesbroeck, and 4.6 by Chernov. Van
Biesbroeck said the coma was 3 across and contained a stellar nucleus. On
the 26th, Chernov gave the magnitude as 4.5. On the 27th, the magnitude
was given as 4.17 by Beyer and 4.5 by Taffara. Beyer said the tail extended
0.8 in PA 32, lengthened to 1.0 at PA 42, and then shortened to 0.8 in PA
54. On the 28th, Taffara gave the magnitude as 4.4. On December 29, the
magnitude was given as 4.3 by Taffara and 4.5 by Chernov.
On December 30, Schaumasse described this as a Splendid Comet. He
noted a nucleus about 15 in diameter, which was surrounded by a coma
about 10 across. Schaumasse said a superb brush was directed toward
the northeast and was 20 long. G. H. Herbig and G. W. Bunton (University of California, Los Angeles, USA) obtained a 20-minute exposure which
revealed a double tail, with the two components forming an angle of about
20 with each other. The western tail extended 2.2, before running off the
edge of the photograph. The coma was measured as about 4.5 by 5.5 .
On December 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 3.90. He said the nuclear
condensation shone at magnitude 6.2, while the fan-shaped tail extended
1.0 in PA 25, lengthened to 1.4 in PA 31, and shortened to 1.0 in PA 41.
M. B. Protitch (Belgrade, Yugoslavia, now Serbia) noted a stellar nucleus of
magnitude 6.9. He added that the tail extended 5 toward PA 27.
On 1941 January 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 3.68. He said the coma
was 8 across, with a nuclear condensation of magnitude 6.0, and a fanshaped tail extending 1.3 in PA 22, lengthening to 3.0 in PA 25, and
shortening to 0.7 in PA 37. On the 2nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 3.61.
He said the coma was 7 across, with a condensation of magnitude 6.8, and
a fan-shaped tail extending 1.6 in PA 14, lengthening to 2.6 in PA 20, and
shortening to 0.8 in PA 36. On the 3rd, the naked-eye magnitude was given
as 3.8 by Chernov and 4 by Smith. Chernov said 6 40 binoculars revealed
a tail 0.5 long. Smith obtained a 15-minute exposure that revealed only the
long filamentary tail, which extended 3 to the edge of the plate. On the
4th, Bobrovnikoff gave the magnitude as 3.283.31. Lyons said the comet
was not visible to the naked eye and added that it was definitely green
in the 66-cm refractor. On January 5, van Biesbroeck gave the naked-eye
magnitude as 3.5.
118
catalog of comets
The comet passed about 2 from the sun on 1941 January 12. It was then
recovered by J. Bobone and M. Dartayet (National Observatory, Cordoba,
Argentina) on January 21. They estimated the magnitude as 3 and said the
comet appeared diffuse, with a central condensation, and with a tail less
than 1 long. Astronomers at the Royal Observatory (Cape of Good Hope,
South Africa) first photographed the comet on January 25. Their 3-minute
exposure was obtained with the astrographic telescope when the comet
was less than 11 above the horizon. The Royal Observatory astronomers
obtained additional short and long exposures on January 26 and 28. D. J. K.
OConnell (Riverview College Observatory, Sydney, Australia) obtained an
8-minute exposure of the comet using the 10-cm lens on January 29.
The comet attained a declination of 46 on February 5 and then turned
northward. Astronomers at the Royal Observatory obtained exposures with
the astrographic telescope on the 3rd, 10th, and 22nd, with the shortest
exposures being 30 seconds long and the longest being 10 minutes long. H.
van Gent (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) photographed
the comet using the FranklinAdams Star Camera on February 15 and 25.
He simply noted the comet was diffuse.
Astronomers at the Royal Observatory obtained a 10-minute exposure on
March 1 and 10- and 15-minute exposures on the 7th. W. H. van den Bos
(Union Observatory) photographed the comet using the FranklinAdams
Star Camera on the 9th. Van den Bos described the comet as diffuse. The
comet attained a declination of 42 on March 31, and then resumed a
southerly motion.
Astronomers at the Royal Observatory last photographed the comet on
April 1, by taking 15- and 20-minute exposures with the astrograph. Van
Gent photographed the comet on April 1 and 5, using the FranklinAdams
Star Camera, and described the comet as diffuse.
As May began, van Gent was the only astronomer following the comet.
He obtained photographs with the FranklinAdams Star Camera on May
2, 4, 28, and June 4. He described the comet as diffuse and noted that from
May 28 onwards [the comet was] increasingly faint and hard to measure.
After attaining a declination of 48 on June 16, the comet again turned
northward.
The comet was last detected on June 17.96, when van Gent photographed
it using the FranklinAdams Star Camera. He gave the position as = 19h
42.7m , = 47 33 . He described it as diffuse.
The spectrum of this comet was observed by several astronomers. C. T.
Elvey, P. Swings, and H. W. Babcock (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
obtained 24 spectrograms of this comet during the period 1940 September 201941 January 6. They were obtained with the Cassegrain spectrograph. Cyanogen, methylidyne, diatomic carbon, hydroxyl radical, and
imidyl radical were detected, as well as an unknown set of lines in the
region 39504140 , which is referred to as the 4050 Group by the
authors. This marks the first time the hydroxyl radical and the imidyl
119
catalog of comets
radical were identified in a comet, although the MacDonald astronomers

suggested diffuse bands seen at a similar location in the spectra of C/1911
O1 (Brooks) and the 1937 apparition of 2P/Encke may have been due to
these two radicals. The astronomers acknowledge that the lines of their
4050 Group have been seen in the spectra of numerous other comets,
but that no satisfactory explanation had yet surfaced. Although they ruled
out several previous suggestions, they were not able to solve this problem. This group of bands is now known to represent triatomic carbon.
J. Hunaerts (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium) observed the spectrum
on October 20 and 29. He noted bands of cyanogen, diatomic carbon, and
methylidyne. Elvey and Swings also saw the bright D-line of sodium on
1941 January 3. They noted that it was absent on 1940 December 27 and
28, and was weak on December 31. Bobrovnikoff photographed the comet
on 1940 December 23 and 24. He detected cyanogen, methylidyne, diatomic
carbon, and methylene. Five spectrograms were also obtained at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) during
the period December 416, while another four were obtained during the
period January 15. These were measured by A. McKellar, who recognized
the bands of cyanogen, methylidyne, and diatomic carbon, as well as the
4050 Group, which is now known to represent triatomic carbon. He
noted that during the period December 4January 4, the 4050 Group
bands became less intense with respect to the bands of diatomic carbon and
cyanogen.
Y. Ohman
(Stockholm Observatory, Sweden) observed the comet on several occasions in order to measure polarization. He reported that a photographic plate obtained on November 26 shows distinct positive polarization of total photographic light of the head of the comet. Plates obtained on
December 4 indicated the polarization was mainly due to diatomic carbon.
This was partially confirmed on plates exposed in moonlight on December
13, 14, and 17, and fully confirmed on December 19.
The first orbit was calculated by Cunningham. He took the available Harvard positions and provided a parabolic orbit with a perihelion date of 1941
January 19.91. Most notable was his ephemeris, which indicated the comet
might peak at a magnitude of 2.1! A. D. Maxwell used the same positions
and published an orbit on September 20 which gave the perihelion date as
January 18.95. Additional parabolic orbits were calculated during the next
few weeks by Cunningham, J. P. Moller,
M. H. Quirk, and F. W. Hoffman.

They revealed a perihelion date of January 16.2316.25. Interestingly, Cunningham provided a revised ephemeris on October 18 which was based on
a revised orbit and brightness parameters. This predicted the comet might
attain a maximum magnitude of 2.6!
The first definitive orbit was calculated by M. A. Mamedov (1966). He
began with 261 positions spanning the period 1940 September 191941
June 17, reduced them to 12 Normal places, and applied the perturbations
of Venus to Saturn. The result was a perihelion date of January 16.23 and an
120
catalog of comets
eccentricity of 1.0004690. O. N. Barteneva (1971) used Mamedovs orbit and

derived an elliptical original orbit with a period of about 17 million years,
and a hyperbolic future orbit with an eccentricity of 1.000575.
B. G. Marsden (1978) used 189 positions obtained between 1940 September 19 and 1941 June 17, as well as perturbations by all nine planets, and
computed a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of January 16.23 and an
eccentricity of 1.000485. Marsden took this orbit and derived an elliptical
original orbit with a period of about 1 billion years, and a hyperbolic future
orbit with an eccentricity of 1.000577.
T
1941 Jan. 16.2340 (TT)
(2000.0)
199.5690 296.5905
i
49.8942
q
e
0.367751 1.000485

13, Apr. 11, May 11, Jun. 9, Jul. 8, Aug. 7, Sep. 5, Oct. 5
sources: L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 819 (1940 Sep. 17); L. E. Cunningham
and F. W. Wright, HAC, No. 533 (1940 Sep. 18); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No.
820 (1940 Sep. 19); A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 534 (1940 Sep. 20); K. A. Voroshiloff
and P. G. Kulikovkii, IAUC, No. 828 (1940 Oct. 17); L. E. Cunningham, HAC,
No. 543 (1940 Oct. 18); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 544 (1940 Oct. 18); S. J. V.
Arend and W. Gleissberg, IAUC, No. 829 (1940 Oct. 24); A. M. Vergnano and J. P.
Moller,
IAUC, No. 830 (1940 Oct. 30); L. E. Cunningham, A. D. Maxwell, and G.

van Biesbroeck, PA, 48 (1940 Nov.), p. 488; L. E. Cunningham and A. D. Maxwell,
The Observatory, 63 (1940 Nov.), pp. 2901; J. P. Moller,
IAUC, No. 832 (1940 Nov.

23); J. Hunaerts, IAUC, No. 834 (1940 Nov. 28); B. G. Karpov, HAC, No. 550 (1940
Dec. 12); Y. Ohman,

IAUC, No. 839 (1940 Dec. 28); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1941),
p. 115; [Royal Observatory], MNRAS, 101 (1941), pp. 334, 336; H. van Gent and
W. H. van den Bos, UOC, No. 104 (1941), p. 72; L. E. Cunningham, PA, 49 (1941
Jan.), p. 54; R. S. Richardson, HAC, No. 555 (1941 Jan. 6); C. T. Elvey, P. Swings,
and H. W. Babcock, HAC, No. 556 (1941 Jan. 8); M. H. Quirk and F. W. Hoffman,
HAC, No. 557 (1941 Jan. 8); A. McKellar, HAC, No. 562 (1941 Jan. 21); J. Bobone
and M. Dartayet, HAC, No. 564 (1941 Jan. 22); Zeidler and J. Mergentaler, IAUC,
No. 847 (1941 Jan. 30); R. T. Smith, G. H. Herbig, and G. W. Bunton, PASP, 53 (1941
Feb.), pp. 345, 37; M. B. Protitch, IAUC, No. 853 (1941 Feb. 28); M. Campa and S.
Taffara, AN, 271 (1941 Jul.), pp. 285, 287; C. T. Elvey, P. Swings, and H. W. Babcock,
APJ, 94 (1941 Sep.), pp. 32043; H. Krumpholz, AN, 272 (1941 Aug.), pp. 912; A.
Schaumasse, JO, 24 (1941 Oct.), pp. 11213; L. E. Cunningham, M. H. Quirk, and
F. W. Hoffman, MNRAS, 102 (1942), pp. 1079; N. T. Bobrovnikoff, PA, 50 (1942
Jun.), p. 307; M. Beyer, AN, 272 (1942 Jul.), pp. 25860; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50
(1942 Aug. 13), pp. 2931; D. J. K. OConnell, MNRAS, 103 (1943), pp. 2278; U. S.
Lyons and H. E. Burton, AJ, 50 (1943 Mar. 26), pp. 11213; N. T. Bobrovnikoff,
APJ, 99 (1944 Mar.), pp. 1739; V1964, p. 74; M. A. Mamedov, Akademiia Nauk
Azerbaidzhanskoi SSR Izvestiia Seriia Fiziko Tekhnicheskikh i Matematicheskikh Nauk,
No. 4 (1966), pp. 12841; O. N. Barteneva, QJRAS, 12 (1971 Sep.), p. 272; B. G.
Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68; K. A. Voroshiloff, P. G. Kulikovkii, and
V. Chernov, ICQ, 20 (1998 Apr.), p. 62.
121
catalog of comets
C/1940 S1 Discovered: 1940 September 30.79 ( = 1.84 AU, r = 1.30 AU, Elong. = 43)
(OkabayasiHonda) Last seen: 1941 January 3.10 ( = 1.90 AU, r = 2.37 AU, Elong. = 105)
Closest to the Earth: 1940 May 30 (1.1943 AU), 1940 November 21 (1.3296 AU)
1940 III = 1940e Calculated path: LEO (Disc), LMi (Oct. 8), UMa (Oct. 24), DRA (Nov. 23),
CAM (Nov. 30), CEP (Dec. 3), CAS-CEP (Dec. 18), CAS (Jan. 1)
S. Okabayasi (Kurashiki Observatory, Japan) was conducting a systematic
search for comets with his 8-cm telescope when he discovered a diffuse
object in the morning sky on 1940 September 30.79 at a position of = 10h
00.0m , = +21 30 . The magnitude was estimated as 9. Cloudy skies prevented Okabayasi from immediately confirming his discovery, but a brief
sweep of the region on the morning of October 3.8 erased all doubt that the
object was a real comet. Interestingly, M. Honda (Zodiacal Light Observatory, Seto, Japan) was systematically searching for comets in the morning sky
on October 3, when he, too, found this new comet. Honda immediately telephoned Okabayasi to request confirmation and, upon comparing notes, they
realized they had independently found the same comet. On October 4.78,
H. Hirose (Kichijoji, Musashino, Tokyo, Japan) estimated the magnitude as
11. Hirose described the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation. The
comet was found about 2 months after its perihelion passage.
On October 12, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) visually
observed the comet using the 91-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as
13.5. He said the coma was 1.5 across and, although centrally condensed,
there was no sharp nucleus. On November 8, A. Fresa (Pino Torinese Observatory, Turin, Italy) estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.5.
G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) was unable to
find the comet with the 102-cm refractor on December 5. He surmised,
There is still a possibility that photographic observations may reveal its
presence . . .. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +86 on
December 7. Van Biesbroeck obtained a 20-minute exposure on December
21, which revealed a diffuse, hardly measurable image of magnitude 17.
The final observations of this comet were obtained during the first days of
January 1941. On January 2.27, R. T. Smith (Lick Observatory) photographed
the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude
as 18. He described the comet as a small, diffuse spot. On January 3.10,
van Biesbroeck obtained a 33-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector. He
estimated the magnitude as 17.5. He added that two 20-minute exposures
made shortly before this photograph revealed extremely faint images. Van
Biesbroeck gave the position as = 0h 07.8m , = +65 24 .
The first orbit was calculated by F. E. Driggers, J. H. B. Irwin, H. A. Panofsky, and E. L. Scott of the Students Observatory (Berkeley, California, USA).
They took three positions from the period October 49 and determined a
parabolic orbit with a perihelion date of 1940 August 11.98. They noted that
the orbital elements are very similar to those of Comet 1926 I, Comet Blathwayt. Shortly after this orbit was published, A. D. Maxwell and F. J. Wood
122
catalog of comets
published a parabolic orbit with a perihelion date of August 13.62. Fresa

followed near the end of November with an orbit that gave the perihelion
date as August 15.45. An orbit by K. Koziel was published on December 9
and gave the perihelion date as August 15.68.
The first hyperbolic orbit was calculated by Scott and Panofsky, using
three precise positions spanning the period October 6January 2. The result
was a perihelion date of August 15.84 and an eccentricity of 1.00345.
B. G. Marsden (1972, 1978) used 19 positions obtained between 1940 October 4 and 1941 January 2 as well as perturbations by nine planets, and
determined a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of August 15.76 and
an eccentricity of 1.001459. Marsden took this orbit and derived a hyperbolic
original orbit with an eccentricity of 1.000132, and a hyperbolic future orbit
with an eccentricity of 1.001192.
T
1940 Aug. 15.7592 (TT)
(2000.0)
i
q
e
329.6782 128.0685 133.1141 1.061768 1.001459

full moon: Sep. 16, Oct. 16, Nov. 15, Dec. 14, 1941 Jan. 13
sources: S. Okabayasi and H. Hirose, HAC, No. 539 (1941 Oct. 7); S. Okabayasi,
IAUC, No. 825 (1940 Oct. 7); E. L. Scott, HAC, No. 540 (1940 Oct. 10); E. L. Scott,
IAUC, No. 826 (1940 Oct. 11); A. D. Maxwell and F. J. Wood, HAC, No. 542 (1940
Oct. 17); S. Okabayasi, PA, 48 (1940 Nov.), p. 489; A. Fresa, IAUC, No. 835 (1940
Nov. 30); E. L. Scott, A. D. Maxwell, F. J. Wood, and G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 48
(1940 Dec.), p. 553; K. Koziel, S. Okabayasi, and M. Honda, IAUC, No. 836 (1940
Dec. 9); R. T. Smith and H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1941), p. 116; F. E. Driggers, J. H. B.
Irwin, H. A. Panofsky, E. L. Scott, R. T. Smith, S. Okabayasi, and M. Honda, PASP,
53 (1941 Feb.), pp. 34, 456; E. L. Scott and H. A. Panofsky, HAC, No. 571 (1941
Feb. 7); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1942 Aug. 13), pp. 301; S. Okabayasi, M.
Honda, E. L. Scott, and H. A. Panofsky, MNRAS, 102 (1942), pp. 1079; V1964,
p. 74; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 24, 47; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978
Jan.), pp. 66, 68.
C/1941 B1 Prediscovery: 1940 December 31.99 ( = 0.60 AU, r = 1.00 AU, Elong. = 74)
(FriendReese Discovered: 1941 January 17.2 ( = 0.44 AU, r = 0.94 AU, Elong. = 71)
Honda) Last seen: 1941 March 3.92 ( = 0.25 AU, r = 1.19 AU, Elong. = 138)
1941 II = 1941a Calculated path: CYG (Pre), LAC (Jan. 4), AND (Jan. 27), CAS (Jan. 31), CAM
(Feb. 12), AUR (Feb. 16), GEM (Feb. 20), CMi (Feb. 27), CNC-CMi (Feb. 28),
CNC (Mar. 1), CMi (Mar. 2), HYA (Mar. 3)
C. L. Friend (Escondido, California, USA) discovered this comet in the
evening sky using a 13-cm refractor on 1941 January 17.2, at a position of
= 22h 18m , = +43. An independent discovery was made by E. J. Reese
(Uniontown, Pennsylvania, USA) on January 18.00. Reese described the
comet as a diffuse object of magnitude 10, with a nucleus and a tail less than
123
catalog of comets
1 long. He waited to report his discovery until he was able to confirm the
observation on January 20.00. M. Honda (Tanakami, Japan) independently
found the comet on January 21. At the end of January, K. F. Guthe and R. N.
Thomas (Harvard College Observatory, Massachusetts, USA) found a prediscovery image of the comet on a plate exposed on 1940 December 31.99.
At the time of the discovery, the comet was just a few days from passing
perihelion and nearly 1 month from passing closest to Earth.
On January 18, the photographic magnitude was given as 10 by A. A.
Wachmann (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) and 12 by Y.
Visl (University of Turku, Finland). Wachmann said the comet appeared
diffuse, without a condensation. Visl said the comet appeared diffuse,
without a condensation. On the 19th, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory,
Wisconsin, USA) observed the comet using the 61-cm reflector. He gave the
magnitude as 9.1 using the extrafocal method. The photographic magnitude
was given as 10 by A. Fresa (Pino Torinese Observatory, Turin, Italy) and 12
by Visl. Van Biesbroeck said the nucleus was diffuse and expanded into
a fan-shaped tail extending 3 in PA 230. Visl said the comet appeared
diffuse, without a condensation. Fresa said the comet appeared diffuse,
without a condensation. On the 20th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude
as 9.2 and said the comet appeared diffuse, with a nucleus which was elongated towards a short tail in PA 220. On the 21st, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 9.2 and said the nearly round coma was 3 across. On
the 22nd, B. G. Karpov (Vassar College Observatory, New York, USA) said
the comet was diffuse, with a nucleus of magnitude 9.5. On the 25th,
van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.1. On the 26th, M. Beyer
(Wilhelmshaven, Germany) gave the magnitude as 8.48. He said the round
coma was 4 across and contained no nucleus. On the 27th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 8.83. He said the coma was 4 across and very uncondensed.
On the 28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.13 and said the very uncondensed coma was 4 across. On the 29th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.26.
On the 30th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.09 and said the coma was 5
across. On January 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.00.
As February began, the comet was moving away from the sun, but was
still approaching Earth. On the 1st, the magnitude was given as 7.84 by
Beyer and 9.0 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was 6 across, without
a condensation or nucleus. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 4 across,
and much brighter on the north side of the very diffuse nucleus, which is
strongly elliptical in right ascension. On the 4th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 7.64. On the 5th, Beyer gave the magnitude as about 8.3 under hazy
and moonlit conditions. On the 6th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.58. The
comet attained its most northerly declination of +61 on February 10. On
the 15th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.0. He said the nearly
round coma was 6 across. He added, The nucleus is poorly defined and
appears pear-shaped. It tapered off in PA 130 to a length of 0.25 . On
the 16th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.2. He said the coma was
124
catalog of comets
7 across and extended mostly in the first quadrant of the nucleus. The
nucleus was described as coarse and strongly elongated towards PA 100.
On the 17th, H. Krumpholz (Vienna, Austria) gave the magnitude as 10. He
added that the coma was round and a tail was 15 long. There was very
little condensation. On the 19th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.8.
On the 20th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.2. On the 21st, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 7.26 and said the coma was 12 across. On the 22nd,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.30. He said the coma was 13 across, without
a condensation or nucleus. Van Biesbroeck visually saw the comet using
the 102-cm refractor on the 23rd and 24th, and gave the magnitude as 10.5
and 11, respectively. On the 23rd, he said a 12th-magnitude stellar nucleus
was situated within an elliptical patch which was centered within a coma 5
across. On the 24th, he said a small, stellar nucleus shone at magnitude 13.
On February 26, the magnitude was given as 7.55 by Beyer and 9.4 by van
Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was 11 across, without a condensation or
nucleus.
On March 1, van Biesbroeck obtained a 5-minute exposure using the
61-cm reflector. He estimated the magnitude as 12 and said the coma was
30 across.
The comet was last seen on March 3.92, when M. Protitch (Belgrade,
Yugoslavia, now Serbia) photographed it and gave the position as = 8h
11.9m , = +3 36 . Moonlight interfered thereafter and searches during the
second half of March were unsuccessful. Beyer could not find the comet in
the predicted positions on March 17.8 and March 21.8, and concluded that
the comet was fainter than magnitude 9.
The first parabolic orbits were calculated before the end of January, with
the perihelion date being given as 1941 January 24.97 by A. D. Maxwell,
January 22.85 by L. E. Cunningham, and January 20.46 by Y. Visl and
L. Oterma. The latter proved very close to the actual orbit. Calculations by
Guthe and Thomas at the beginning of February gave the perihelion date
as January 20.63.
Elliptical orbits were calculated by Maxwell (1941) and Z. Sekanina (1979,
1985). Both orbits used positions spanning the period January 19March 1,
but did not consider planetary perturbations. The perihelion date was given
as January 20.38, while the period was given as about 372 years by Maxwell
and about 355 years by Sekanina.
T
1941 Jan. 20.3778 (TT)
(2000.0)
132.7319 329.7897
i
26.2756
q
e
0.941864 0.981221

full moon: Dec. 14, 1941 Jan. 13, Feb. 12, Mar. 13
sources: C. L. Friend, HAC, No. 560 (1941 Jan. 17); C. L. Friend, IAUC, No. 843
(1941 Jan. 18); G. van Biesbroeck and E. J. Reese, HAC, No. 561 (1941 Jan. 20); A. A.
Wachmann and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 563 (1941 Jan. 21); A. A. Wachmann,
125
catalog of comets
Y. Visl, and A. Fresa, IAUC, No. 844 (1941 Jan. 21); A. D. Maxwell and L. E.
Cunningham, HAC, No. 564 (1941 Jan. 22); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 565
(1941 Jan. 25); Y. Visl and L. Oterma, IAUC, No. 846 (1941 Jan. 27); B. G.
Karpov, Y. Visl, and L. Oterma, HAC, No. 567 (1941 Jan. 28); Y. Visl and L.
Oterma, IAUC, No. 847 (1941 Jan. 30); K. F. Guthe and R. N. Thomas, HAC, No.
568 (1941 Feb. 4); C. L. Friend and G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 49 (1941 Mar.), p. 166;
M. Protitch, IAUC, No. 856 (1941 Mar. 20); C. L. Friend and E. J. Reese, PASP,
53 (1941 Apr.), p. 135; C. L. Friend, E. J. Reese, K. F. Guthe, and R. N. Thomas,
The Observatory, 64 (1941 Apr.), p. 30; A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 580 (1941 Apr.
10); H. Krumpholz, AN, 272 (1941 Aug.), pp. 912; M. Beyer, AN, 272 (1942 Jul.),
pp. 2602; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1942 Aug. 13), pp. 2931; V1964, p. 74; Z.
Sekanina, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 24, 51; Z. Sekanina, QJRAS, 26 (1985 Mar.),
p. 104.
C/1941 B2 Discovered: 1941 January 15.09 ( = 0.70 AU, r = 0.83 AU, Elong. = 56)
(de Kock Last seen: 1941 September 17.36 ( = 2.60 AU, r = 3.54 AU, Elong. = 155)
Paraskevopoulos) Closest to the Earth: 1941 January 29 (0.2655 AU)
Calculated path: LUP (Disc), SCO (Jan. 19), NOR (Jan. 21), SCO-ARA (Jan.
1941 IV = 1941c 22), TEL (Jan. 25), PAV (Jan. 27), IND (Jan. 28), GRU (Jan. 29), PHE (Jan. 31),
SCL (Feb. 1), CET (Feb. 4), PSC (Feb. 20), CET (Mar. 14), ARI (Mar. 19), PSC
(Aug. 18)
R. P. de Kock (Paarl, South Africa) was preparing to observe the variable
star R Lupi, when he discovered this comet in the morning sky on 1941
January 15.09. The head was prominent, while the tail was well developed
and over 12 long. The comets magnitude was determined as 5.8 and he
estimated the position as = 15h 36m , = 32. De Kock immediately
notified nearby Royal Observatory (Cape of Good Hope, South Africa),
where J. Jackson confirmed the discovery on January 18, 19, and 20. An
independent discovery was made by J. F. Skjellerup (Melbourne, Victoria,
Australia) on January 20.71. He was then conducting a binocular search
for comet C/1940 R2 when he saw a comet in Norma. He was uncertain
whether this was the comet he was looking for or a new comet and gave
the position as = 16h 06m , = 40. The magnitude was estimated as 4.5,
while a short, broad tail extended about 0.5. Because of his uncertainty as
to whether this was a new comet or not, Skjellerup waited until he could
make a confirmation. The next morning, he found this comet was moving
in the wrong direction to have been C/1940 R2 and immediately notified
Melbourne Observatory. Interestingly, Melbourne Observatory had already
received notice of this comets discovery from a gentleman named Barnes
(Canterbury, Victoria, Australia) on January 21. Barnes was not an amateur
or professional astronomer, but had spotted the comet on January 21.73 and
immediately reported his find to the observatory. He provided no positions
or even a celestial location since he did not know the sky. Within the state
of Victoria, the comet immediately became known as BarnesSkjellerup.
The comet was rapidly approaching both the sun and Earth.
126
catalog of comets
J. S. Paraskevopoulos (Harvard College Observatory, Boyden Station,

Bloemfontein, South Africa) independently discovered the comet on January 23.0, at a position of = 16h 48m , = 46. He described it as
magnitude 3.5 and noted a tail 5 long. Paraskevopoulos immediately
sent a radiogram to Harvard College Observatory (Massachusetts, USA)
announcing his find. Since earlier news of the comets discovery had not
yet been received in the USA, the comet became known in that country as
comet Paraskevopoulos and received a preliminary designation of 1941c.
Although a telegram had been sent to the Central Bureau for Astronomical
Telegrams (Copenhagen, Denmark) shortly after de Kocks discovery, notification did not immediately reach the USA or other countries outside of
Europe. Also, although the discovery was made in South Africa, news did
not spread rapidly around that country.
On January 20, R. H. Stoy (Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope)
obtained exposures ranging from 5 seconds to 27 minutes and revealed
a sharply defined nucleus located in the center of a circular coma measuring 5 across. The shortest exposures revealed faint traces of two fan-like
emissions, emanating from the nucleus, the longer and brighter in P.A.
30, the other in P.A. 150. The tail consisted of a very faint background on
which are superimposed two bright streamers diverging from the head of
the comet . . .. The stronger southern streamer covered PA 265268, while
the northern streamer spread from PA 273 to PA 281. Between these two
streamers there appears a well-defined dark space which would stretch right
up to the nucleus were it not for the spherical coma which surrounds the
whole head.
On January 21, Stoy obtained exposures ranging from 30 seconds to
5 minutes. The shortest exposure still revealed signs of two nuclear emissions, the short, stubby one extending towards PA 150, and a stronger, narrow sickle-shaped one extended towards PA 30. The handle of this sickle
was in PA 5 and accentuated that part of the straight bounding edge of
the cap. The radius of the cap was about 30 . Stoy said, The tail streamers
seem to be associated with the cap that immediately surrounds the bright
semicircular cap and which is just bright enough to register faintly on the
1-minute exposure. This cap extends for over 1 behind the nucleus and does
not appear to have a well-defined following edge. The dimensions through
the nucleus were 60 130 , with the axis of symmetry towards PA 268.
On January 22, Stoy obtained exposures ranging from 15 seconds to 6
minutes and revealed a very bright and conspicuous nucleus which consisted of a condensation about 15 in diameter surrounded eccentrically
by a fainter elliptical envelope 20 by 30 with major axis in P.A. 130.
The nuclear emissions noted on the two previous days had vanished. Both
tail streamers were still present, but the southern one then seemed to have
become the broader, while remaining the stronger.
R. Grandon (Santiago Observatory, Chile) independently discovered the
comet on January 23.36. The comet was described as diffuse, with a total
127
catalog of comets
magnitude of 2. The coma exhibited a central condensation and the tail was
more than 1 in length. Also on the 23rd, H. W. Wood (Sydney Observatory,
New South Wales, Australia) gave the naked-eye magnitude as 4.48. He said
the head appeared stellar to the naked eye, while the tail extended 3.5 in a
5-cm refractor. Stoy obtained photographic exposures ranging from 30 seconds to 30 minutes. These photographs revealed the nucleus as relatively
bright and almost stellar, while the tail extended 50 and still consisted of
two bright streamers the southern one being the brighter and broader.
The dark cleft between the two principal streamers of the tail is broader
and not so clearly marked. The P.As. of its edges are about 260 and 265.
The coma was circular, with a diameter of 7 , and seemed to gradually fade
out towards the edges.
A number of independent discoveries were made on January 24. E.
Roubaud and A. Pochintesta (Montevideo Observatory, Uruguay) visually
discovered the comet on January 24.25, estimating the magnitude as 2.2
and noting a tail 5 long. Roubaud photographically confirmed the discovery on January 24.30. A short time later, on January 24.34, M. Dartayet,
J. Bobone, and Cecilio (National Observatory, Cordoba,
Argentina) discovered the comet and described it as magnitude 2 and diffuse, with a nucleus.
Another discovery was made on January 24.56, by R. A. McIntosh (Auckland, New Zealand). He gave the magnitude as 3.3, and said the tail looked
like an enduring meteor trail, straight and about equal to the neighboring
galaxy in brightness. Through a telescope he said the tail was parabolic in
form, with the southern edge extending 7 and the northern edge extending
on 1. This tail had a full width of 12 , while the longer extension was 5 wide.
McIntosh added that the nucleus was slightly brighter on the sunward side.
Other observers continued to follow the comets progress, with Wood giving the naked-eye magnitude as 4.15 and the extrafocal magnitude, using a
5-cm refractor, as 3.36. Wood said the head appeared stellar to the naked eye,
while the tail extended 3. Stoy obtained exposures ranging from 5 seconds
to 30 seconds. He said the cap was nearly semicircular, with an indistinct
nucleus which was slightly elongated to PA 120 lying on the bounding
diameter. In fact, the nucleus appeared double, with the southern component being brightest, and the separation being 12 . Stoy said, A sickle-like
emission from the nucleus brightens the north-west edges of the cap. The
radius of the cap was given as 35 . A larger, very faint cap surrounded this
cap. It measured 75 160 , with the axis of symmetry directed towards
PA 245.
On January 25, the magnitude was given as 2 by Grandon, about 3 by
Stoy, and 3.06 by Wood. Wood said the head appeared diffuse to the naked
eye, while the tail extended 4 in a 5-cm refractor. Stoy obtained photographic exposures ranging in exposure time from 5 seconds to 45 minutes.
The nucleus was described as bright, distinct and almost stellar with its
magnitude, as compared to the star C.P.D. 51 10535, being determined as
about 7. The general background of the tail is fairly uniform in structure,
128
catalog of comets
but is perhaps a little brighter towards the edges, especially near the head
of the comet. One bright, narrow, and straight streamer was present within
the tail, the northern edge of which was in PA 245. The dark marking in
the tail was again detected, but it is wider than it was and more diffuse,
especially on the north side. Grandon said the coma was diffuse, with a
condensation, and a tail more than 1 long.
On January 26, Wood gave the naked-eye magnitude as 3.27. He said the
tail extended 4 to the naked eye. Stoy obtained exposures ranging from
5 seconds to 30 minutes. He described the nucleus as bright, small but
perhaps not quite stellar . . .. The coma measured 8 by 7 , with the longest
axis oriented with the comets tail. The narrow, straight streamer within
the tail was nearly 1 long and was oriented in PA 235. He thought this
streamer might be related to a probable nuclear emission in PA 230. He
said, There are still signs of the relatively dark cleft in the tail, but it is
no longer bounded on the south by the streamer, nor does it stretch tight
into the nucleus. Its edges, which are in P.As. 245 and 250, are vague and
diffuse, while the space between them is by no means completely dark.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 57 on January 27
and also passed closest to the sun. Wood gave the magnitude as 2.76 and said
he saw a tail 5 long with the naked-eye, using averted vision. Stoy obtained
exposures ranging from 1 to 5 minutes which revealed a small but rather
diffuse nucleus with a very strong emission in P.A. 330. This emission is
nearly as bright as the nucleus itself. The inner cap was roughly semicircular, with the straight edge being in PA 315, and the radius measuring
about 50 . Two other caps surrounded this cap. The first measured 100
220 , and the outer one measured 140 350 . The axis of symmetry of
the former cap was towards PA 225. The long, narrow streamer was also
detected and extended in PA 220.
The comet seemed to brighten a bit more during the remaining days of
January. On the 28th, the magnitude was given as 2.6 by McIntosh and 2.71
by Wood. McIntosh said the tail had assumed a more symmetric parabolic
form and possessed a distinct orange tint. Stoy obtained exposures ranging from 10 seconds to 3 minutes, despite the comets low altitude. These
revealed a small, bright but not stellar nucleus, and a coma measuring
about 40 across. One cap recorded on the longest exposure measured
70 200 , with the axis of symmetry extending towards PA 200. The
comet passed closest to Earth on January 29. On the 30th, Wood gave the
magnitude as 2.58. He said the head was diffuse to the naked eye, with a
tail extending 4.5. On January 31, McIntosh gave the magnitude as 2.2 and
noted the tail extended 6.
The comet was moving away from both the sun and Earth as February
began. On the 1st, the magnitude was given as 2.7 by McIntosh and 3.15 by
Wood. McIntosh said the tail had become distinctly bent with a total length
of 5. He also noted a very prominent sunward jet. On the 2nd, C. B. Michie
(Kaitaia, New Zealand) described the comets tail as bent. Stoy obtained
129
catalog of comets
exposures ranging from 5 seconds to 45 minutes. These barely revealed the

nucleus, which was nearly hidden by a very bright elliptical shell that
measured 30 20 . Two caps are visible with their axes in PA 100. The
tail was recorded to about 1.5 from the nucleus and contained a number
of streamers, the brightest of which lies between P.As. 103 and 108. The
dark space once present in the center of the tail had completely vanished.
On the 3rd, C. L. Friend (California, USA) found the comet. According to
van Biesbroeck, Friend said the tail was over 20, while the brightness was
almost as great as Halleys Comet at the 1910 apparition. On February 4, Stoy
obtained several photographs ranging in exposure times from 5 seconds
to 5 minutes. A bright clear-cut stellar nucleus with traces of a fan-like
emission was detected. This emission proved to be the brighter parts of
the inner cap. A fainter outer cap was also present with its axis of symmetry
in PA 88. Only 5 of the tail could be photographed, but two streamers
were present, with the southern one being the broader and brighter. The
dark narrow space lying between the two streamers had returned and was
said to extend right from the nucleus outwards. A halo surrounded the
head and was estimated as 4 in diameter.
On February 5, with the moon interfering with observations, the magnitude was given as 3 by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin,
USA) and 3.5 by McIntosh. Van Biesbroeck said photographs revealed a
sharp stellar nucleus with a bright fanlike emission toward the sun. The
broad tail was several degrees in length. McIntosh said the tail extended
4. G. M. Raynsford (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA) said a
photograph with the 66-cm refractor revealed a bright nucleus and a fanshaped tail extending 45 . On the 7th, Wood gave the magnitude as 4.23. G.
Loreta (Bologna, Italy) said the coma was 10 across, with a tail extending
2.3 in PA 83. Stoy obtained exposures ranging from 30 seconds to 5 minutes which showed very little change in the appearance of the comet from
that of February 4. The bright inner cap possessed a radius of 35 , while its
straight edges were directed towards PA 180 and 320. The faint outer cap
measured 70 150 , with the axis of symmetry directed towards PA 84.
On February 8, Wood battled moonlight and gave the naked-eye magnitude
as 4.39. He said the tail extended 2 in the 5-cm refractor.
On February 9, the magnitude was given as near 3 by J. E. Willis (US
Naval Observatory), 3.7 by van Biesbroeck, and 4.79 by Wood. Willis said
the nuclear magnitude was 10.5. Wood said the tail extended 2 in the 5cm refractor. Stoy obtained exposures ranging from 10 seconds to 10 minutes which revealed a bright but not quite stellar nucleus. The bright
inner cap and faint outer cap were again present, with their axes of symmetry in PA 77. The two tail streamers apparently brightened along their
inner edges, so that the dark gap between them had become more pronounced. The edges of this gap were in PA 79 and 83. U. S. Lyons (US Naval
Observatory) said a photograph with the 66-cm refractor revealed a sharp
nucleus.
130
catalog of comets
On February 10, Wood gave the magnitude as 4.98, which was obtained
using the 5-cm refractor in moonlight. F. Hollander and V. Goedicke (Yale
University Observatory, Connecticut, USA) obtained several photographs
of the comet with the Yale Catalogue Camera. The 10-second exposures
revealed a very small, almost stellar nucleus, with no visible coma. The
20-second exposures revealed a clearly defined, almost stellar nucleus
with a clearly visible coma. The 30-second exposures revealed a larger
and appreciably less regular nucleus. Lyons said a photograph exposed
with the 66-cm refractor showed a nonstellar nucleus which was fuzzy on
one side.
On February 11, in moonlight, the magnitude was given as 3.9 by van
Biesbroeck, 4.7 by H. Krumpholz (Vienna, Austria), and 4.83 by N. T.
Bobrovnikoff (Perkins Observatory, Ohio, USA). Van Biesbroeck said the
tail was over 2 long in binoculars. Krumpholz said the coma was 23
across and contained a very distinct, nearly stellar condensation. Raynsford
said a photograph with the 66-cm refractor revealed a bright nucleus.
The comet continued fading during the remainder of February. On the
12th, Wood gave the magnitude as 5.35 using his 5-cm refractor, while
Bobrovnikoff gave it as 4.78 using 8 28 binoculars. Lyons said a photograph exposed with the 66-cm refractor showed an elongated nucleus. On
the 14th, the magnitude was given as 4.6 by Krumpholz and 5.48 by Wood.
Krumpholz said the coma was 4 across, and contained a striking stellar
nucleus of magnitude 7. The tail, as viewed through binoculars, extended
3 in PA 75. On the 15th, the magnitude was given as 4.8 by van Biesbroeck and 5.5 by McIntosh. McIntosh said the tail appeared as a parabolic
shell of light, giving a bifurcated appearance and extended 4. On the 16th,
the magnitude was given as 4.9 by van Biesbroeck and 6.18 by Wood. Van
Biesbroeck said the tail was 5 long. Wood said the tail extended 1.5 in the
refractor, and that the comet was barely visible to the naked eye. On the 17th,
Franz said the tail extended 4.0 in PA 74. On the 19th, the magnitude was
given as 5.0 by van Biesbroeck and 5.28 by Bobrovnikoff. Bobrovnikoff said
the tail was 1 long. On the 20th, Bobrovnikoff gave the magnitude as 5.22.
He said the tail was 2 long, while van Biesbroeck said it was 3 long. Hollander and Goedicke obtained several photographs of the comet with the
Yale Catalogue Camera. The 1-minute exposures revealed a clearly defined,
somewhat less sharply defined nucleus with a clearly visible coma. The
2-minute exposures revealed a slightly enlarged nucleus and a moderately
condensed coma. The 3-minute exposures revealed a well-exposed coma
which is, however, well short of merging with the nucleus. On the 21st,
Bobrovnikoff gave the magnitude as 5.68. Loreta said the tail extended 2.0
in PA 80. On the 22nd, M. Campa (Milan, Italy) gave the magnitude as
5.5. Loreta said the coma was 6 across, while the tail extended 1.8 in PA
78. On the 23rd, the magnitude was given as 5.5 by Campa and 6.56 by
Wood. On the 25th, the magnitude was given as 5.7 by Krumpholz and 6.0
by Campa. Krumpholz said the coma was 23 across, and contained a very
131
catalog of comets
distinct condensation, while the tail was nearly 40 long. On the 26th, the
magnitude was given as 6.10 by Bobrovnikoff and 6.17 by M. Beyer (Hamburg, Germany). Bobrovnikoff said the tail was 1 long. Beyer said the tail
extended 45 in PA 81. On the 27th, Campa gave the magnitude as 7.5. On
February 28, the magnitude was given as 7.11 by Wood and 8.0 by Campa.
On March 1, the magnitude was given as 5.9 by van Biesbroeck and 6.90
by Bobrovnikoff. Bobrovnikoff said the tail was 0.5 long. On the 2nd, Wood
gave the magnitude as 7.08. On the 3rd, Lyons obtained a photograph with
the 66-cm refractor which revealed the comet possessed a bluish color. He
said the moon was nearby and the comet was not visible in the 5-cm finder.
On the 6th, Campa gave the photographic magnitude as 8.5. On the 9th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.3. On the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 7.16. On the 15th, Bobrovnikoff gave the magnitude as 7.84. On the 17th,
On the 18th, the magnitude was given as 7.62 by Beyer and 8.2 by van
Biesbroeck. Beyer said the tail extended 25 in PA 78. On the 19th, van
Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.6. Lyons said the comet was barely
visible in the 13-cm finder. On the 20th, Lyons obtained a photograph with
the 66-cm refractor which showed a condensation, but no sharp nucleus.
On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.7. On the 22nd, van Biesbroeck
saw the comet at a very low altitude and gave the magnitude as 8.8. The
comet was last detected prior to its conjunction with the sun on March 29.05
when van Biesbroeck located it at a low altitude in the evening sky.
The comet passed about 0.6 from the sun on April 28. Following conjunction with the sun, the comet was only observed on four more occasions. Van
Biesbroeck detected it on July 4.32 and 6.35, estimating the magnitude as
15.5 and noting the round, diffuse coma was 12 across. The comet attained
its most northerly declination of +19 on July 24. H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet on July 23.47 and September 17.36 with
the 91-cm Crossley reflector. On the former occasion he estimated the magnitude as 15 and said the globular coma was about 6 across. The latter date
was the final time the comet was seen. Jeffers gave the position as = 0h
48.6m , = +14 31 . He estimated the magnitude as 17, and described the
coma as sharp, 10 across, and surrounded by a faint haze.
The first orbit was calculated by H. E. Wood using his precise positions
of January 18, 19, and 20. The resulting perihelion date was 1941 January
27.78. This was an excellent representation of the comets orbit, as shown
by the calculations of A. D. Maxwell, L. E. Cunningham, A. Fresa, Liu and
Li, N. I. Idelson, and J. Bobone.
The first elliptical orbit was determined by Y.-C. Chang and C. C. Li (1944),
using five Normal positions obtained from 15 observations. The result was
a perihelion date of January 27.65 and a period of about 18 thousand years.
Definitive orbits were calculated by van Biesbroeck (1970) and B. G. Marsden (1978), using positions spanning almost the entire period of visibility.
Planetary perturbations were applied. Both astronomers gave the perihelion
132
catalog of comets
date as January 27.66. Van Biesbroeck gave the period as about 2.5 million
years, while Marsden gave it as about 26 thousand years. Marsden took his
orbit and derived an elliptical original orbit with a period of about 10,940
years, and an elliptical future orbit with a period of about 26,330 years.
T
1941 Jan. 27.6577 (TT)
(2000.0)
i
q
e
268.6997
43.1069 168.2039 0.790033 0.999102
absolute magnitude: H0 = 5.77, n = 2 (Beyer, 1942); H10 = 5.9 (V1964)

full moon: Jan. 13, Feb. 12, Mar. 13, Apr. 11, May 11, Jun. 9, Jul. 8, Aug. 7, Sep.
5, Oct. 5
sources: R. P. de Kock, ASSAMN, No. 10 (1941 Jan.), p. 4; J. S. Paraskevopoulos, M. Dartayet, J. Bobone, and Cecilio, HAC, No. 565 (1941 Jan. 25); J. S.
Paraskevopoulos, M. Dartayet, and J. Bobone, IAUC, No. 845 (1941 Jan. 25);
R. Grandon, E. Roubaud, L. E. Cunningham, and A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 566
(1941 Jan. 27); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 846 (1941 Jan. 27); J. Jackson, E.
Roubaud, and A. Pochintesta, HAC, No. 569 (1941 Feb. 5); G. van Biesbroeck,
HAC, No. 572 (1941 Feb. 10); J. E. Willis, HAC, No. 573 (1941 Feb. 14); N. I. Idelson, IAUC, No. 853 (1941 Feb. 28); J. S. Paraskevopoulos, M. Dartayet, J. Bobone,
Cecilio, R. Grandon, E. Roubaud, A. Pochintesta, J. Jackson, R. P. de Kock, L. E.
Cunningham, A. D. Maxwell, H. E. Wood, C. L. Friend, and G. van Biesbroeck,
R. A. McIntosh, PA, 49 (1941 Mar.), pp. 1678; R. P. de Kock, HAC, No. 577 (1941
Mar. 12); G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 49 (1941 Apr.), p. 218; J. S. Paraskevopoulos and
R. Grandon, The Observatory, 64 (1941 Apr.), p. 30; A. Fresa, IAUC, No. 858 (1941
Apr. 1); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 579 (1941 Apr. 9); R. P. de Kock, The Observatory,
64 (1941 May), p. 59; G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 588 (1941 Jul. 15); G. van
Biesbroeck, PA, 49 (1941 Aug.), p. 390; M. Campa and H. Krumpholz, AN, 272
(1941 Aug.), pp. 8992; H. W. Wood, JBAA, 51 (1941 Sep.), pp. 2846; R. A. McIntosh, JBAA, 51 (1941 Oct.), pp. 3202; J. F. Skjellerup, The Observatory, 64 (1941
Dec.), p. 183; R. P. de Kock and R. H. Stoy, MNRAS, 101 (1941), pp. 33444; N. T.
Bobrovnikoff, PA, 50 (1942 Jun.), p. 307; M. Beyer, AN, 272 (1942 Jul.), pp. 2624;
G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1942 Aug. 13), pp. 2932, 457; J. Bobone, MNRAS,
102 (1942), pp. 1079; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1944), p. 164; G. M. Raynsford and
U. S. Lyons, AJ, 50 (1944 Feb. 29), pp. 1857; Y.-C. Chang, C. C. Li, and Liu, AJ,
51 (1944 Aug.), p. 51; V1964, p. 74; G. van Biesbroeck, CLPL, 8 (1970), pp. 3335;
B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68; W. Orchiston, J. F. Skjellerup, and
Barnes, JBAA, 109 (1999 Dec.), p. 332.
2P/Encke Recovered: 1941 January 19.03 ( = 2.02 AU, r = 1.65 AU, Elong. = 55)
Last seen: 1941 March 19.83 ( = 1.52 AU, r = 0.76 AU, Elong. = 26)
1941 V = 1941b Closest to the Earth: 1941 May 12 (0.5139 AU)
Calculated path: PSC (Rec) [Did not leave this constellation]
In the absence of a prediction for this comets impending return of 1941, the
editors of the BAA Handbook used the late A. C. D. Crommelins 59.5-year
cycle to generate orbital elements. This cycle was said to reproduce the perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn almost perfectly. The resulting predicted
perihelion date was 1941 April 18.15.
133
catalog of comets

comet, at a position of = 23h 21.8m , = +4 03 , on photographs exposed
with the 61-cm reflector on 1941 January 19.03. The comet appeared as a
small, diffuse, round coma of magnitude 17. Van Biesbroeck confirmed the
recovery on January 20.03 and noted the coma was 15 across, with little
condensation. He noted that his positions indicated the comet was within
3 of Crommelins prediction.
The comet was poorly situated at this return. On January 25, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 16.5, and said the coma
diameter was 20 , with little condensation. On February 16, van Biesbroeck
estimated the photographic magnitude as 15. He said the coma was round
and 25 across. On February 19, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 14.5. He said the coma was only slightly condensed and 40
in diameter. On February 20, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 14. He added that the diffuse coma was 35 across. Van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13 on March 1, and noted
some interference from twilight. He added that the coma seemed to show
a projection in the direction of the sun, suggesting a beginning of physical
activity.
The comet was last detected on March 19.83, by F. Baldet and C. Bertaud
(Meudon Observatory, France). They photographed the comet using the 32cm refractor and even saw it visually through that telescopes finder. The
comet was described as a weak circular nebulosity about 1 in diameter,
with a marked nebulous central condensation, but without a perceptible
stellar nucleus. They indicated a position of = 1h 18.5m , = +14 51 .
An extrafocal comparison to two nearby stars revealed a photographic and
visual magnitude of about 11. The comet passed about 7.5 from the sun on
April 26.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by S. G. Makover (1952,
1956), S. Y. Luchich (1958), B. G. Marsden (1969, 1970), N. A. Bokhan and
Y. A. Chernetenko (1974), and Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1974). All of these
orbits included planetary perturbations, while those from 1969 and later also
included the effects of nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion
date of April 17.1517.16 and a period of 3.31 years. Marsden and Sekanina
(1974) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.05, A2 = 0.00822.
T
1941 Apr. 17.1460 (TT)
(2000.0)
185.1528 335.4681
i
12.3558
q
e
0.341381 0.846164

full moon: Jan. 13, Feb. 12, Mar. 13
sources: A. C. D. Crommelin, BAA Handbook for 1941 (1940 Nov.), p. 16; G. van
Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 561 (1941 Jan. 20); G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 844
(1941 Jan. 21); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 565 (1941 Jan. 25); F. Baldet and
C. Bertaud, Bulletin de la Societe Astronomique de France, 55 (1941 Feb.), p. 30;
134
catalog of comets
G. van Biesbroeck and A. C. D. Crommelin, PA, 49 (1941 Mar.), p. 167; G. van
Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 64 (1941 Apr.), p. 30; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 49 (1941
Apr.), p. 218; G. van Biesbroeck, A. C. D. Crommelin, and L. Matkiewicz, PASP,
53 (1941 Apr.), p. 135; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1942 Aug. 13), pp. 302; S. G.
Makover, MNRAS, 112 (1952), pp. 3423; S. G. Makover, TrITA, 6 (1956), pp. 69
79; S. Y. Luchich, MNRAS, 119 (1959), pp. 4423; V1964, p. 74; B. G. Marsden, AJ,
74 (1969 Jun.), pp. 7256, 72830; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 11 (1970 Sep.), pp. 232
3; N. A. Bokhan and Y. A. Chernetenko, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4523, 459;
B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 79 (1974 Mar.), pp. 41319.
29P/ Recovered: Visible throughout orbit

Schwassmann Last seen: Visible throughout orbit
Wachmann 1 Closest to the Earth: 1941 August 20 (4.5210 AU)
Calculated path: LEO (1933 Jun. 28), SEX (1934 Jul. 24), LEO (Aug. 30), VIR
1941 VI (Dec. 1), LEO (1935 Feb. 7), VIR (Aug. 16), CRV (Dec. 16), VIR (1936 Apr. 30),
CRV (Aug. 8), VIR (Sep. 17), HYA (1937 Jan. 29), VIR (May 3), HYA (Oct. 3),
LIB (Oct. 9), HYA (Nov. 16), LIB (Nov. 29), SCO (1938 Feb. 7), LUP (Feb. 16),
LIB (Jun. 16), SCO (Oct. 5), SGR (1939 Mar. 16), SCO (May 19), OPH (Oct.
10), SGR (Oct. 16), CAP (1940 Apr. 3), SGR (Jul. 5), CAP (Nov. 27), AQR
(1941 Apr. 14), CAP (Aug. 27), AQR (Dec. 13), PSC (1942 Mar. 6), ARI (1943
Jul. 21), PSC (Sep. 10), ARI (1944 Mar. 11), TAU (Aug. 7), ARI (Oct. 13), TAU
(1945 Apr. 5), AUR (Jul. 2), GEM (1946 Sep. 1), AUR (Dec. 17), GEM (1947
May 17), CNC (Sep. 15), GEM (1948 Jan. 9), CNC (Jun. 4), LEO (Oct. 27),
CNC (Dec. 30), LEO (1949 Jul. 13)
This comets nearly circular orbit allowed it to be observed nearly every
year between its aphelions of 1933 March and 1949 April. The comet was
difficult or impossible to observe unless it was experiencing one of its rather
frequent outbursts.
Around the time of the 1933 aphelion passage, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet on March 2, 15, and
24, using the 61-cm reflector. He gave the magnitude as 16.5 on each occasion. He described the comet as extremely faint and diffuse on the 2nd and
noted a small coma about 10 across on the 24th. F. Lause (Innsbruck, Austria) photographed the comets position on March 16 and 28, but found no
trace. He concluded that it was fainter than magnitude 15.5. R. R. E. Schorr
(Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) photographed the comet on
March 21 and 22, and gave the magnitude as 13.5. He obtained additional
photographs on March 24 and 25, and said the comet was magnitude 14.5,
with a coma 15 across. On April 22, Schorr noted the comet appeared as a
circular bright nebula of magnitude 12, about 45 across, and without condensation. He noted the comet seemed unchanged in physical appearance
on April 25 and 26, although the magnitude had faded to 13 and 14, respectively. Schorr said the comet had changed little on the 27th and estimated the
magnitude as 14. On May 14, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He said the coma was 15 across, with central condensation.
135
catalog of comets
On the 18th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 13 and noted the comet
was still small in diameter. On May 20, Schorr gave the magnitude as
12.5. He described the comet as a nebula 15 across and without condensation. He added that the appearance was unchanged on the 21st, except the
magnitude had faded to 13. Lause gave the magnitude as 12 on the 21st and
noted a bright nucleus within a small coma. On the 22nd, Schorr noted a
nebulosity of magnitude 14, with a condensation 30 across. On the 23rd,
van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 13. He also noted a coma 25 across
and a central nucleus. On May 25, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as
13 and said the coma was 35 across and diffuse.
On 1934 January 13, W. H. W. Baade (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet with the 254-cm reflector. He described
it as a diffuse disk 1.6 in diameter, without any halo. The magnitude was
18.5. Van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector on
February 15 and 19. He gave the magnitude as 17.5 and noted the very diffuse coma exhibited no central disk. He gave the coma diameter as 10 on the
15th and 12 on the 19th. On March 7, Kaiser gave the magnitude as 13.5. On
the 10th, van Biesbroeck described the comet as a nearly starlike nucleus of
magnitude 18, with a barely perceptible coma, which was estimated as 30
across. On the 12th, G. N. Neujmin (Simeis Observatory, Crimea, Ukraine)
gave the magnitude as 14 and noted the comet was planet-like. On March
14, van Biesbroeck found the comet to have become smaller, while brightening to magnitude 13. On the 16th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude
as 13.5. A stellar nucleus was situated in the center of a round coma measuring about 12 across. On the 18th, Neujmin gave the magnitude as 13.5.
On the 20th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 13.5. The coma was 15
across and contained a sharp nucleus. On March 25, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 13.5. The round coma was 20 across, and contained a
well-marked condensation.
On April 2, Kaiser could not find the comet and noted it was obviously
too faint. On the 8th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 14. The coma
had increased in diameter to 45 and had very little condensation. On the 9th,
van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 14.5, while the slightly condensed
coma was 50 across. That same night, K. Liebermann (Danzig, now Gdansk,
Poland) obtained a 67-minute exposure which showed stars to magnitude
15, but no trace of the comet. On April 17, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude
as 15, while the coma diameter had decreased to 30 .
On May 2, van Biesbroeck seemed to have detected a very minor outburst
as the comet was described as decidedly brighter and sharper edged, with
a total magnitude of 14. On the 3rd, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as
14. The round coma was 35 across, with a fairly well-defined edge, and
contained hardly any central condensation. On the 8th, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 14.5. The central part of the coma was bright and measured
about 10 across, while a fainter outer coma was 40 across and was without
a defined edge. On May 18, van Biesbroeck tried to photograph the comet
136
catalog of comets
with the 61-cm reflector, but found no trace. He remarked that the total
magnitude was then less than 16.
On November 15, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 16. The coma
was about 1 across, and only feebly condensed toward the center.
Van Biesbroeck was the only astronomer to obtain descriptive observations of this comet in 1935, all of which were obtained with a 61-cm reflector.
The first observation of the year came on February 3, when the comet was
photographed at a magnitude of 17.5. Most of the light, he noted, is concentrated in a small nucleus. The coma is extremely faint. On February 26,
the comet was a hardly measureable hazy spot of magnitude 17.5, while
on February 27, it was at magnitude 17 and better condensed than on the
previous night. Schorr obtained two photographs on March 5, which failed
to reveal the comet and van Biesbroeck detected no trace of the comet on
photographs taken on March 27. Van Biesbroeck said the comet must have
then been fainter than 17.5. On April 7, van Biesbroeck photographed the
comet at magnitude 15 and noted a well-condensed coma. He said most
of the comets light was concentrated within 8 . Van Biesbroeck next photographed the comet on May 4, at which time the magnitude had brightened to 12.5 and the small round coma had increased in diameter to 20 .
The final observation of the year came on May 10, when van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 14. The coma was described as 25 in diameter and
diffuse.
An ephemeris for this comet in 1936 was apparently not published until
after the comets opposition. Van Biesbroecks photographic searches were
conducted during May, but failed to reveal the comet. No observations were
reported from any observatory during the year.
Van Biesbroeck was the only astronomer to obtain descriptive observations of the comet during 1937, and they were plentiful. All of his observations were obtained with a 61-cm reflector, except that on May 15, when
the 102-cm refractor was used. The first plates were exposed on January 16.
Additional plates were exposed on January 18, February 17, and March 17.
All of these were at first considered not to have shown the comet, but later
observations in May revealed a large correction was needed in the published ephemeris. Upon re-examining these earlier plates, van Biesbroeck
found the comet as an extremely diffuse coma of magnitude 17 on the
January plates, and as suspected magnitude 16 images on the February
and March plates the latter of which were too weak to measure for accurate positions. The comet was officially first recognized on May 6, at which
time the magnitude was given as 15.5, while the coma was very diffuse. On
May 8, the magnitude had slightly faded to 15, but the coma seemed to have
become slightly elongated in to a diameter of 30 . The brightness took a
momentary dip on May 10, when van Biesbroeck noted an extremely vague
image of magnitude 16.5, but by May 15, it had brightened and reached a
magnitude of 13.5. The coma was described as round on this latter date and
was 8 across, with a well-condensed nucleus. The brightness seems to have
137
catalog of comets
slowly subsided thereafter. On May 17 and May 29, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 14.5, while the coma was described as well condensed.
On May 30, June 8, and June 11, the brightness had declined to 15.5. The
comet was last detected during 1937 on July 1, at which time it appeared
very diffuse and about magnitude 16.
Van Biesbroeck said, Repeated photographs in 1938 have failed to reveal
the presence of the object in that opposition. No observations were made
of this comet from any observatory in 1938.
J. Bobone (National Observatory, Cordoba,
Argentina) made the first

attempts at trying to observe this comet in 1939, when he exposed photographic plates on April 26 and May 15. With stars visible to magnitude
16, the fact that no cometary images were detected meant the comet was
fainter than the plate limit. Similarly, plates exposed on May 17 and 18 at
McDonald Observatory (Texas, USA) also failed to show the comet at least
initially. The comet attained its most southerly declination of 33 on June 1.
The comet was finally, and quite accidentally, recovered on 1939 June
12.85, when C. V. Jackson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa)
found what he thought was a new comet on a photographic plate. He gave
the position as = 17h 42.5m , = 33 01 . The comet was described as
diffuse, with a central condensation, and had a magnitude of 13. Although
the comet was officially announced as a new discovery on June 16, and
was even given the preliminary designation 1939f, van Biesbroeck had
photographed 29P on June 14, and found it in the midst of an outburst. He
gave the magnitude as 14.5 and added that it possessed a round, diffuse
coma 25 in diameter. Most significant was the fact that the comet was not
in the predicted position and, after the Central Bureau had been informed of
this, it was soon realized that Jacksons new comet was actually 29P. The
comet was also photographed on June 15, June 16, and June 18, by Bobone
and M. Dartayet (National Observatory). They gave the magnitude as 15.
On June 21, Jackson gave the magnitude as 13.
With the knowledge that the comet was not in its predicted position, van
Biesbroeck corrected the published ephemeris and re-examined the photographic plates exposed by C. Seifert and J. L. Greenstein (McDonald Observatory) on May 17 and May 18. He found the comet on both plates as a
nearly starlike image of magnitude 17, with a very dim coma 30 in diameter.
Bobone exposed photographic plates on July 6 and July 18, but no
cometary images were found. He concluded the comet was probably fainter
than magnitude 16.
On 1940 July 4, H. Hirose (Tokyo Observatory, Japan) photographed the
comet and gave the magnitude as 13. He noted it was fairly large, with
little central condensation. On September 28, van Biesbroeck (McDonald
Observatory) gave the magnitude of the stellar nucleus as 17. He added
that the faint coma spread in PA 130 into a broad fan 1 long. On September 29, van Biesbroeck said the coma extended mostly toward PA 150.
On September 30, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 17. He added
138
catalog of comets
that the coma was nearly round. On October 1, van Biesbroecks 10-minute
exposure with the 208-cm reflector revealed a very diffuse image. On October 2, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the
comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. The
1-hour exposure showed a well-condensed nucleus surrounded by a very
diffuse, faint coma measuring 90 across. On October 25, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 17.5. He said the photographic image was very diffuse. On October 26, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 17. He said
the nucleus was diffuse and 10 across, but there was hardly any coma.
On October 27, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 17. He said the
coma was more easily visible than on the 26th, and extended mostly toward
PA 120.
The year 1941 was the busiest one of this apparition. On April 30, van
Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave
the magnitude as 18. He added that the round coma was 10 across.
On July 4, the photographic magnitude was given as 13 by Hirose
and 14 by van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory). Van Biesbroeck said the
round coma was 40 across. On July 24, W. Gliese (Potsdam Observatory,
Germany) gave the photographic magnitude as 13.6. Gliese photographed
the comet using a 40-cm reflector and said the coma was 1.0 across, with
a weak nucleus simply estimated as fainter than 13.6. On the 25th, Gliese
gave the photographic magnitude as 13.4. On July 27, Gliese did not find
the comet on a photograph and said the magnitude must have been less
than 13.5.
On August 3, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 17 and said the
comet appeared as a hardly measurable diffuse coma. On the 14th, P. Finsler
(Zurich,
Switzerland) gave the visual magnitude as 13 and said the diffuse

coma was 60 across. On the 17th, C. Hoffmeister (Sonneberg, Germany)
photographed the comet and gave the magnitude as 14.5. He said the coma
was 9 across and exhibited no nucleus. On the 21st, Hoffmeister gave the
photographic magnitude as 14.5. He said the coma was 96 across and
contained no nucleus. On the 23rd, van Biesbroeck obtained a 30-minute
exposure using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 16. He said
the diffuse, round coma was 35 across. On the 24th and 25th, Finsler gave
the visual magnitude as 13.5 and said the comet was very weak. On the 27th,
van Biesbroeck obtained a 30-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and
gave the magnitude as 15.5. He said the coma had enlarged to 1 across, while
a well-defined nucleus was 5 across. On August 28, Finsler said the comet
was close to a star and was hardly discernible. Van Biesbroeck obtained a
30-minute exposure with the reflector and gave the magnitude as 16. He
said the image was practically stellar!
In early September, Neujmin reported the discovery of a new comet
on plates exposed on August 29.94, at a position of = 21h 54.5m , =
11 16 . He gave the magnitude as 13 and described it as stellar, with an
asteroid-like motion. Several observations were made of the new comet
139
catalog of comets
in early September, and it was given the preliminary designation of 1941f;

however, on September 15, L. E. Cunningham announced that comet
Neujmin was identical to comet SchwassmannWachmann 1.
On September 11, van Biesbroeck obtained a 7-minute exposure using
the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 13. He said the diffuse coma
was 25 in diameter. On the 12th, van Biesbroeck visually observed the
comet using the 102-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 12. Bobone
photographed the comet on the 14th and 15th, and noted it was diffuse,
without a nucleus. He gave the magnitude as 14.8 on the 14th and 15.6 on
the 15th. On the 15th, Gliese photographed the comet using the 40-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 12.7. He said the weak coma was 1.7 across,
with a stellar nucleus of magnitude 12.9. R. N. Thomas (Harvard College
Observatorys Oak Ridge Station, Massachusetts, USA) photographed the
comet using the 41-cm refractor and revealed a magnitude of 15. Thomas
said the comet appeared diffuse. On the 16th, the photographic magnitude
was given as 12.1 by Hoffmeister and 12.7 by Bobone. Hoffmeister said the
coma was 58 across, with a starlike nucleus of magnitude 12.7. Bobone
noted the comet appeared starlike. On the 17th, Bobone gave the photographic magnitude as 11.8 and noted the comet was stellar. On the 18th,
Thomas photographed the comet using the 41-cm refractor and gave the
magnitude as 11. He said the comet appeared almost stellar. On September
19, N. Richter (Berlin-Babelsberg Observatory, Germany) photographed the
comet and gave the magnitude as 12.9. He described it as diffuse, without
a nucleus.
On September 20, Thomas photographed the comet using the 20-cm
refractor and said the comet appeared slightly fainter and more diffuse
than on the 18th. Gliese gave the photographic magnitude as 11.9. He said
the coma was weak, while the nucleus was bright. Richter photographed
the comet and gave the magnitude as 12.2. He described the coma as diffuse, with a nucleus of magnitude 13.6. Hoffmeister gave the photographic
magnitude as 11.7 and said the coma was 77 across.
On September 21, Gliese gave the photographic magnitude as 11.5. He
said the weak coma was 2 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 11.8. Richter
gave the photographic magnitude as 12.4. He said the coma was diffuse and
exhibited a nucleus of magnitude 12.9. Hoffmeister gave the photographic
magnitude as 11.0. He said the coma was 81 across and contained a stellar
nucleus of magnitude 12.8. On September 22, Hoffmeister gave the photographic magnitude as 11.6. The coma was 94 across and contained a stellar
nucleus of magnitude 12.1.
On September 23, Gliese gave the photographic magnitude as 11.7. He
said the coma was 1.5 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 12.0. Richter gave
the photographic magnitude as 12.4. He said the coma was diffuse, but was
without the prominent central condensation of September 21. Richter visually estimated the coma diameter as 33 . Hoffmeister gave the photographic
magnitude as 10.8 and noted the coma was 101 across.
140
catalog of comets
On September 24, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as
13. He said the fairly sharp nucleus was surrounded by a faint coma which
extended mostly toward PA 330. Jeffers photographed the comet using the
91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 10.0. He said a 1-hour
exposure showed a strongly condensed, roughly elliptical coma measuring
30 by 35 . Richter gave the photographic magnitude as 12.6 and noted the
comet was diffuse, with a central nucleus of magnitude 13.4. Richter visually observed the comet and said the coma was 46 across. Hoffmeister gave
the photographic magnitude as 11.1. He said the coma was 51 across, with
a stellar nucleus of magnitude 13.4.
On September 25, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as
12.5. He said the coma spread into a broad fan which extended about 1
toward PA 330. Richter visually estimated the coma diameter as 49 . Gliese
gave the photographic magnitude as 12.5. He said the bright coma was 11.5
across.
On September 26, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as
12.5. He said the coma was less eccentric than on the 25th. Gliese gave the
photographic magnitude as 11.8 and said the coma was 1.5 across. Richter
visually observed the coma as 49 across.
On September 27, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the
208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 13. He said the nucleus was
nearly stellar and shone at magnitude 15. It was surrounded by a nearly
round coma some 30 across. Richter visually observed the comet using the
65-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 12. He gave the nuclear magnitude as 12. Richter also photographed the comet using the same telescope
and gave the magnitude as 12.9. The nuclear magnitude was given as 13.4.
Gliese photographed the comet and said the coma was 1.7 across, with a
stellar nucleus of magnitude 12.6. Hoffmeister gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He said the stellar nucleus was magnitude 13.6 and was
surrounded by a weak coma 37 across.
On September 29, Hoffmeister gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5.
He said the stellar nucleus was magnitude 13.8 and was surrounded by a
weak coma. Gliese gave the photographic magnitude as 11.9. He said the
coma was 1.5 across, with a weak nucleus.
On October 7, Gliese gave the photographic magnitude as 12. He said the
bright coma was greater than 1.5 across. On the 12th, Hoffmeister gave the
photographic magnitude as 13. He said the stellar nucleus was surrounded
by a weak coma measuring 120 across. On the 17th, van Biesbroeck gave
the photographic magnitude as 10. The comet was described as stellar. On
the 20th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10.5. He said
most of the comets light came from the nucleus, which measured 12
in diameter. It was surrounded by a sharply outlined, slightly eccentric
coma, some 20 across. Richter gave the photographic magnitude as 11.5.
He said the comet was absolutely stellar, hence, a nuclear magnitude of
141
catalog of comets
11.5. On the 21st, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10.
He said the nucleus was sharp and bright, with a diameter of 8 . The coma
was 25 in diameter and was brightest toward PA 210. Hoffmeister gave
the visual magnitude as 12 and the photographic magnitude as 10.4. His
photograph indicated the nuclear magnitude was 10.4, while the coma was
48 across. Richter said the coma was 31 across and contained a sharp inner
coma 6.0 across. Gliese gave the photographic magnitude as 11.4. He said
the weak coma contained a bright nucleus. On the 22nd, Hoffmeister gave
the photographic magnitude as 12. On the 27th, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 10. He said the nucleus shone at magnitude 15,
but was no longer as sharp as on previous days and was quite eccentically
situated within the coma toward PA 110. The coma was 50 across and was
brightest toward PA 110.
On November 9, Richter visually observed the coma and said it was 58
across. Hoffmeister gave the photographic magnitude as 13.514. He said
the main coma was 114 across, the inner coma was 50 across, and the
nuclear condensation was 19 across. On the 10th, Richter visually observed
the coma and said it was 81 across, without a central condensation. On the
13th, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet using
the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 14. He said the round coma
was 3 across and contained a well-condensed nucleus. On the 13th and 14th,
Richter gave the photographic magnitude as 14.2. He described the comet
as diffuse and washed out. Richter visually gave the coma diameter as
68 . On the 14th, Hoffmeister gave the photographic magnitude as 1314.
He said the nucleus was diffuse, with a coma measuring 143 across. Gliese
described the comet as diffuse, without a nucleus, and 1.52 across. Richter
gave the photographic magnitude as 14.3. On the 15th, Richter gave the photographic magnitude as 14.5. On the 16th, Richter gave the photographic
magnitude as 14.6. Hoffmeister gave the photographic magnitude as 1314.
He said the nucleus was diffuse, with a coma measuring 130 across. Gliese
described the comet as very diffuse, without a nucleus, and 4 across. On the
18th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and
gave the magnitude as 14.5. He said the round coma was 3 across, while
the nucleus had become more diffuse than on November 13. On the 20th,
Hoffmeister gave the photographic magnitude as 1314. The nucleus was
diffuse, with a coma measuring 181 across. On November 22, Hoffmeister gave the photographic magnitude as 15. The nucleus was diffuse, with
a coma measuring 156 across. On December 17, Hoffmeister could not
detect the comet on a photographic plate with a limiting stellar magnitude
of 14.
On 1942 August 15, R. Sekiguti (Kichijoji, Musashino, Tokyo, Japan) gave
the magnitude as 15. On September 6 and 7, van Biesbroeck (McDonald
Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave
the magnitude as 12. He added that the round coma was 2 across and
contained a sharp nucleus. The coma was brightest toward PA 140.
142
catalog of comets
On September 7.92 and September 11.93, L. Oterma (Turku University Observatory, Finland) accidentally found this comet on photographs
exposed as part of a minor planet survey. She checked the predicted positions of known comets and did not find a match, so she announced it as a
new discovery. The comet was quickly identified as 29P, for which a current
ephemeris was not available at the time her photographs were obtained.
She described the comet as magnitude 13, with a diffuse coma and a central condensation. Interestingly, one British publication later announced the
September 11 image as the discovery photo of 38P/StephanOterma.
On September 8 and 10, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using
the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 13. For the 8th, he said the
coma was fainter and smaller than on previous days, while the nucleus
appeared as a disk measuring about 5 across. For the 10th, he described it
as a tiny stellar nucleus with a bright fan-shaped coma extending about 6
toward PA 260. Van Biesbroeck added that there was also a faint spherical coma about 1 across. On the 11th, O. Volk (Wurzburg,
Germany)
gave the photographed magnitude as 13. Van Biesbroeck photographed the
comet using the reflector and said the fan-shaped coma had faded slightly
from the previous night and extended 10 toward PA 250. On the 13th,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14.5. He said the
nucleus appeared very fuzzy and the coma, which measured about 30
across, was still brightest on the preceding side. On the 15th, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 15. He said the nucleus was stellar,
while the coma was round, faint and 40 across. On the 16th, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 16.5. He said the nucleus was sharp, but
the coma was hardly visible. On the 20th, Volk gave the photographic magnitude as 13. On the 27th, H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA)
photographed the comet using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph
and gave the magnitude as 14. On the 28th, Fresa gave the photographic
magnitude as 13. On September 30, the photographic magnitude was given
as 13 by Fresa and 14 by Giclas.
On October 3, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 208-cm
reflector and gave the magnitude as 17. He said the round, fuzzy coma was
10 across, but possessed no nucleus. On the 4th, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 16. He said the nucleus was well defined and
sharp, while the round coma was extremely faint and 20 across. On the 5th,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 17. He said the nucleus
was less sharp than on the previous night. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck gave
the photographic magnitude as 17.5. He said the coma was round and 5
across. On the 14th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as
18. He said it appeared nearly stellar. On October 15, van Biesbroeck gave
the photographic magnitude as 18.5. He said it appeared nearly stellar.
On November 11, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) obtained a 20minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as
16. On December 8 and December 9, van Biesbroeck obtained 20-minute
143
catalog of comets
exposures using the reflector and gave the magnitude as 14. He said the
comet possessed a well-defined coma.
Throughout 1943, van Biesbroeck was the only astronomer to provide
physical descriptions of this comet. On January 5 and 6, he photographed
the comet from Yerkes Observatory using the 61-cm reflector and gave the
magnitude as 16. He said the comet was very diffuse. On June 29 and 30,
he obtained 20-minute exposures using the 61-cm reflector and gave the
magnitude as 16. He said the coma was very diffuse, with a diameter of 25 ,
and seemed slightly elongated in right ascension. On October 21, 23, 25,
and 28, he obtained 15- and 20-minute exposures using the 208-cm reflector at McDonald Observatory and gave the magnitude as 17. He said the
comet appeared nearly stellar, except for a very faint coma measuring about
20 across. Back at Yerkes on November 25, he photographed the comets
predicted position using the 61-cm reflector, but the comet was not found,
despite showing stars to magnitude 17. He obtained 20-minute exposures
using the 61-cm reflector on December 16 and 18. For the 16th, he gave the
magnitude as 17 and said the comet appeared nearly stellar. For the 18th,
he gave the magnitude as 18.
On 1944 January 18, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed
the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 13. He said
the comet contained a sharp core surrounded by a coma measuring about
4 across. The coma extended mostly toward PA 140. On the 21st, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He said the coma was 3
across and was brightest in the second quadrant. On January 24, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14. The coma was 3 across and
was brightest in the second quadrant. On February 19, van Biesbroeck gave
the photographic magnitude as 15.5. The comet was described as a round,
ill-defined coma measuring about 3 across, but containing no condensation.
On July 1, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 17. He
said the nearly stellar nucleus possessed hardly a coma. On August 17,
G. H. Herbig (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet using the 91-cm
Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 15.5. The large hazy coma was
rather well condensed and 1012 across. On August 18 and 19, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 16. He said the fuzzy nucleus
possessed a dissymmetrical coma extending mostly toward PA 190. On
September 22 and September 26, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic
magnitude as 16.5. He said the nucleus was only a little less sharp than
a star, and exhibited no coma. On October 19, van Biesbroeck (McDonald
the magnitude as 16.5. He said the sharp nucleus possessed a dissymmetrical, faint coma which extended 30 toward PA 200270. On the 20th, Herbig
photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the
magnitude as 17.0. The coma was 6 across. On October 22, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 16. He said the comet was almost stellar. On November 20, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as
144
catalog of comets
16.5. He said the coma was brighter between PA 110 and 200 and extended
to 40 , while it is hardly perceptible over the balance in angle. On December 14, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet using
the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 17. He said the poorly defined
coma was about 35 across.
The year 1945 began with van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) detecting this comet on 1945 February 1. It was then described as a small
nebulosity not brighter than a star of magnitude 17. The comet moved
into evening twilight thereafter and no observations were possible for the
next 7 months. On September 9, Jeffers photographed the comet using the
91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 15.5. He said the comet
appeared stellar. On October 4, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as
18.3. He described the comet as stellar. On October 10, van Biesbroeck photographed the predicted position of the comet with the 61-cm reflector, but
his plates failed to show anything cometary there brighter than magnitude
17. Similar results were obtained with the same instrument on October 30
and November 6, when photographs taken under transparent skies showed
stars to magnitude 18, but no trace of the comet was detected.
On November 13, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 17.5. He said the faint coma was
20 across and contained a stellar nucleus in the western portion. The comet
attained its most northerly declination of +33 on November 14. On the 15th,
van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the
208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. The comet was described
as a round coma 40 in diameter, which possessed a slight central condensation. On November 30, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 16. He said the well-condensed nucleus possessed a coma measuring 5
across. On December 1, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 15. He said the comet was practically stellar. On the 6th, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 15.5. He said the coma was centrally
condensed and 6 across. On December 7, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 15. He said the comet was stellar.
On 1946 January 1 and 2, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitudes as
14 and 15.5, respectively. He said the nucleus was almost stellar and exhibited a broad fan-shaped tail covering PA 40165 and extending to 36 . The
rest of the PA was blank except for a faint filament extending 30 toward PA
285. On the 11th, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley
reflector and gave the magnitude as 9.4. He said the comet was diffuse, with
a nonstellar nucleus on the north side of a coma 40 across. On the 25th, van
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet using the 61-cm
reflector and gave the magnitude as 10.2. He said the sharp nucleus was
surrounded by a round coma 8 across. Jeffers photographed the comet on
the same date and gave the magnitude as 9.4. He said the irregular outer
coma appeared as a faint ring 2 across, while the bright inner coma was
145
catalog of comets
30 across. On the 26th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 9.4. He said the sharp nucleus was surrounded by a round coma 15
across. On January 29, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 9.5. He said the well-defined central nucleus was surrounded by a coma
20 across. On February 1, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 9.4.
The irregular diffuse coma was 0.8 across, and contained a condensed, but
nonstellar nucleus in the northwestern portion. On the 8th, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 15. He said the coma was only slightly
condensed and 45 across. On February 18, van Biesbroeck could not find
the comet on a plate showing stars to magnitude 18. He concluded the comet
was fainter than 17. On March 1, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude
as 18. The very faint coma was 40 across and contained a nucleus in the
northwest portion.
On October 5, Jeffers photographed the comet with the 91-cm Crossley
reflector and gave the magnitude as 19. He described the comet as nearly
stellar. On the 22nd, van Biesbroeck photographed the region of the comet
with the 61-cm reflector, but despite stars to magnitude 17 being visible, no
comet was found. On October 24 and 25, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 18.5. He described the comet as nearly stellar. On November 27,
Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 15.5. He said the comet was 20
across and contained a sharp nucleus in the southern portion. On November 29, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 17.5. The round
coma was 10 across. On December 4, van Biesbroeck photographed the
comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 16.5. The coma
was about 30 across and trailed off to 1 toward PA 320. On December 20,
Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave
the magnitude as 17.8. He said there was a sharp nucleus surrounded by a
very faint coma.
the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 18. The coma
was simply described as tiny and fuzzy. On January 27, van Biesbroeck
said the comet was very faint on a plate exposed with the 61-cm reflector.
On February 19, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 17
and said the comet was diffuse. On March 12 and 14, Jeffers photographed
the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as
18.5. There was a faint coma. On April 11, Jeffers gave the photographic
magnitude as 18.5 and said the comet was completely stellar.
On October 21, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 18. On October
22, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and
gave the magnitude as 18. He noted that the small coma was extremely faint.
On November 12, H. W. Stackpole (Lick Observatory) photographed the
comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 12.5. He
said the comet was nearly stellar. On the 22nd, Jeffers gave the photographic
magnitude as 12.5. The fan-shaped coma was 40 across and surrounded a
stellar nucleus of magnitude 14, which was situated on the northeast edge.
146
catalog of comets
On November 23, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5.

The sharply defined coma was 10 across and possessed a diffuse, broad
extension to 40 in the first quadrant. On December 9, van Biesbroeck gave
the photographic magnitude as 15. The coma was elongated 50 toward
PA 80, and there was no nucleus. On the 19th, Jeffers photographed the
comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the coma was very faint
and 20 across, while the nucleus was centrally located and magnitude 18.
On December 20, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 17.
There was a well-defined eccentric nucleus. The broad coma extended 45
toward PA 70.
On 1948 January 7, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 17.5. He said the diffuse coma was
25 across. On the 14th, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm
Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 16.5. He said the comet was
stellar. On January 17, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 17. He said the nearly round coma was 15 across and possessed a faint
broad extension about 40 long toward PA 330. On February 6, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 17. He said the round coma
was 10 across and was centrally condensed. On February 17, Jeffers gave
the photographic magnitude as 17.5. He said the faint coma was 5 across
and surrounded a sharp nucleus. On March 4, Jeffers gave the photographic
magnitude as 18.2. On April 11, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 18.
On October 2, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) obtained an 8minute exposure using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 19.
He said the coma was diffuse. On November 9, Jeffers gave the photographic
magnitude as 18.3. He said the diffuse coma was 0.2 across. On the 12th,
van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) gave the photographic magnitude as
18. On the 29th, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 18.6. The comet
was stellar, with a trace of coma. On the 30th, Jeffers gave the photographic
magnitude as 18.6. The comet was stellar, with a trace of coma. On November
30 and December 7, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet and said the
magnitude was not brighter than 17, while the coma was large and diffuse.
On December 29, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 18.8 and said
the comet was nearly stellar.
The comet arrived at aphelion around the middle of 1949. On January 7
and 8, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and
gave the magnitude as 18. He said the coma was extremely diffuse, with
a diameter of 30 . On the 21st, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) visually observed the comet using the 60-cm refractor and
gave the magnitude as 15.2. He said the coma was 0.5 across. On the 23rd,
Beyer observed using the refractor and gave the magnitude as 14.21. He
said the coma was round and weakly condensed, with a diameter of 0.7
across. On the 26th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 13.47. He said
the coma was round, weakly condensed, and 0.8 across, while the nuclear
147
catalog of comets
magnitude was about 15.5. On the 27th, Jeffers photographed the comet
using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 14. He said
a sharp nucleus shone at magnitude 17.5, while a fan-shaped tail extended
0.3 toward the northeast. On the 29th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as
13.78. He said the coma was 0.7 across, and the nuclear magnitude was
about 16. On the 30th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 15.5. He said a fairly well-condensed nucleus was surrounded by a diffuse coma, while a protrusion extended 40 toward PA 310. On January 31,
Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 13.8613.91, while van Biesbroeck gave
the photographic magnitude as 16. Beyer said the coma was 1.1 across, and
the nuclear magnitude was about 16.5. Van Biesbroeck said the fairly wellcondensed nucleus was surrounded by a diffuse coma, while a protrusion
extended 40 toward PA 30.
On February 1, Beyer visually observed the comet using the 60-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 14.01. He said the coma was 1.2 across. On the
2nd, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 13.75, while van Biesbroeck gave
the photographic magnitude as 16. Beyer said the coma was 1.2 across. Van
Biesbroeck said the coma extended 50 toward PA 60. On the 5th, Beyer
gave the visual magnitude as 14.10. He said the coma was 1.1 across, and
the nuclear magnitude was about 16.5. On the 17th, Beyer gave the visual
magnitude as 14.52, while van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 16.5. Beyer said the coma was 0.7 across, and the nuclear magnitude was
about 16.5. Van Biesbroeck said the ill-defined coma extended 40 toward
PA 260. On the 19th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 14.9. On the 20th,
Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 15.0. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the visual
magnitude as 15.3. He said the coma was 0.9 across, and the nuclear magnitude was about 16.5. On the 25th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 15.3.
He said the coma was 0.8 across, and the nuclear magnitude was about
16.5. On February 27, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as about 15. He said
the coma was 0.6 across, and the nuclear magnitude was about 16.5.
On March 29, Jeffers said a photograph with the 91-cm Crossley reflector
showed a stellar nucleus surrounded by a very faint coma and magnitude
18.2. On April 2 and 3, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the
61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 16.5. He said the coma was
elongated 30 toward PA 280. On April 13, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 18. He said the coma was nearly round with little
condensation. On May 1, Jeffers and S. Vasilevskis photographed the comet
using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 19. They said
the comet was nearly stellar.
The spectrum of this comet can only be observed at the time the comet
is experiencing one of its outbursts in brightness. During this particular apparition, astronomers managed to photograph the spectrum on two
different occasions. N. U. Mayall (Lick Observatory) received a telegram
from Harvard College Observatory stating that the comet was suddenly
brighter, spectra desirable. He subsequently obtained two spectrograms
148
catalog of comets
on the night of 1941 September 20. The first spectrum was exposed on
the semi-stellar nucleus for an hour, while the second spectrum was a
two-hour exposure on the nucleus and head. Mayall wrote, The two spectra obtained in this way show no definite evidence of any bright lines or
bands. G. H. Herbig (Lick Observatory) obtained plates using the nebular
spectrograph on 1946 January 26. Although the solar spectrum was seen,
there were no conspicuous bright lines.
Several astronomers analyzed the orbital motion of this comet during this
apparition. These included J. T. Foxell and K. Pollock (1940) and J. G. Behrens
(1944). They demonstrated how the period of the comet was decreasing due
to perturbations by Jupiter.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by P. Herget (1947, 1961,
1972), S. Nakano (1991, 2001), and K. Kinoshita (2003). Hergets calculations
used perturbations by between two and seven planets, while the orbits of
Nakano and Kinoshita used perturbations by seven or more planets, as well
as some minor planets. The calculations from 1972 onward gave a perihelion
date of April 21.61 and a period of 16.1416.15 years. Nakano (2005) noted
that his 2001 orbit still fitted positions up to 2005 with residuals of less than
1 . Kinoshitas orbit, which had the smallest residuals for the 1902 positions,
is given below.
T
1941 Apr. 21.6078 (TT)
(2000.0)
356.2283 322.7215
i
9.5235
q
e
5.522852 0.135208
absolute magnitude: H10 = 25 (V1964)

full moon: Annual comet: full moons do not limit the overall period of the
comets visibility
sources: R. R. E. Schorr, BZAN, 15 (1933 Mar. 30), p. 22; R. R. E. Schorr, BZAN,
15 (1933 May 4), p. 30; R. R. E. Schorr, BZAN, 15 (1933 May 10), p. 32; R. R. E.
Schorr, IAUC, No. 436 (1933 May 16); R. R. E. Schorr, BZAN, 15 (1933 May 26),
p. 34; F. Lause, BZAN, 15 (1933 May 30), p. 36; R. R. E. Schorr, IAUC, No. 438
(1933 Jun. 2); G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 56 (1933 Jul.), p. 242; F. Lause,
AN, 249 (1933 Aug. 15), p. 322; W. H. W. Baade, HAC, No. 289 (1934 Jan. 25);
W. H. W. Baade, BZAN, 16 (1934 Feb. 12), p. 9; W. H. W. Baade, IAUC, No. 469
(1934 Feb. 24); W. H. W. Baade and G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 42 (1934 Mar.), pp. 143
4; W. H. W. Baade, The Observatory, 57 (1934 Mar.), p. 106; R. R. E. Schorr, AN, 251
(1934 Mar. 5), p. 209; G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 292 (1934 Mar. 15); G. van
Biesbroeck, BZAN, 16 (1934 Mar. 23), p. 19; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 42 (1934 Apr.),
p. 218; F. Kaiser, BZAN, 16 (1934 Apr. 4), p. 22; F. Kaiser, BZAN, 16 (1934 Apr.
10), p. 24; K. Liebermann, BZAN, 16 (1934 Apr. 18), p. 25; G. van Biesbroeck, PA,
42 (1934 May), p. 258; G. N. Neujmin, BZAN, 16 (1934 May 29), p. 32; G. van
Biesbroeck, PA, 42 (1934 Jun.Jul.), p. 334; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 44 (1934 Aug.
31), pp. 1, 3, 5; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 42 (1934 Dec.), p. 594; G. van Biesbroeck,
The Observatory, 58 (1935 Jan.), p. 31; R. R. E. Schorr, BZAN, 17 (1935 Mar. 11),
p. 17; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 43 (1935 May), pp. 3067; G. van Biesbroeck, PA,
43 (1935 Jun.Jul.), p. 356; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 45 (1935 Dec. 4), pp. 17, 19; G.
149
catalog of comets
van Biesbroeck, PA, 44 (1936 Jun.Jul.), p. 325; MNRAS, 97 (1937 Feb.), p. 334;
G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 415 (1937 May 19); G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No.
659 (1937 Jun. 2); G. van Biesbroeck, BZAN, 19 (1937 Jun. 3), p. 33; G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 60 (1937 Jul.), p. 203; [correction], HAC, No. 416 (1937
Jul. 6); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 47 (1938 Nov. 21), pp. 157, 160, 162; C. V. Jackson,
IAUC, No. 776 (1939 Jun. 16); C. V. Jackson, IAUC, No. 777 (1939 Jun. 17); C. V.
Jackson, G. van Biesbroeck, C. Seifert, and J. L. Greenstein, PA, 47 (1939 Aug.
Sep.), pp. 3934; C. V. Jackson and E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5 (1940 Jan. 31), p. 32; J.
Bobone, AJ, 48 (1940 Feb. 28), p. 189; H. Hirose, PA, 48 (1940 Oct.), p. 430; J. T.
Foxell and K. Pollock, BAA Handbook for 1941 (1940 Nov.), p. 19; H. M. Jeffers,
LOB, 19 (1941), p. 115; H. Hirose, IAUC, No. 840 (1941 Jan. 3); G. van Biesbroeck,
HAC, No. 582 (1941 May 6); G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 866 (1941 Jun. 14);
G. N. Neujmin, HAC, No. 600 (1941 Sep. 10); C. Hoffmeister, IAUC, No. 884
(1941 Sep. 13); L. E. Cunningham and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 603 (1941
Sep. 15); R. N. Thomas, HAC, No. 605 (1941 Sep. 22); G. van Biesbroeck and R. N.
Thomas, IAUC, No. 891 (1941 Nov. 7); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 49 (1941 Nov. 20),
pp. 112, 114; N. U. Mayall, PASP, 53 (1941 Dec.), pp. 3401; W. Gliese, AN, 272
(1942 Jul.), pp. 26970; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1942 Aug. 13), pp. 2933; G.
van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 630 (1942 Sep. 15); L. Oterma, IAUC, No. 919 (1942
Sep. 23); L. Oterma, IAUC, No. 920 (1942 Sep. 25); L. Oterma, The Observatory,
64 (1942 Oct.), p. 339; Sekiguti, IAUC, No. 921 (1942 Oct. 7); O. Volk and A.
Fresa, IAUC, No. 924 (1942 Nov. 9); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1943 Dec. 3),
pp. 1668; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1944), p. 163; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1944
Feb. 29), pp. 1834; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.), p. 63; G. H. Herbig, LOB,
19 (1945), p. 172; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 51 (1945 Mar.), pp. 11114; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 53 (1945 Mar.), p. 140; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 53 (1945 Nov.), p. 473;
G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 54 (1946 Jan.), p. 51; G. H. Herbig, PASP, 58 (1946 Feb.),
p. 61; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 54 (1946 Dec.), p. 553; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1947),
pp. 1845; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 52 (1947 May), p. 201; P. Herget, MNRAS, 107
(1947), pp. 11013; P. Herget, AJ, 53 (1947 Aug.), pp. 1617; H. M. Jeffers and H. W.
Stackpole, LOB, 19 (1948), pp. 18990; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.), p. 87;
H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1949), p. 33; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 57 (1949 Jan.), p. 29;
H. M. Jeffers and S. Vasilevskis, LOB, 20 (1950), p. 39; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55
(1950 Jan.), pp. 58, 60; M. Beyer, AN, 278 (1950 Jul. 14), pp. 2413; N. Richter, W.
Gliese, P. Finsler, C. Hoffmeister, R. N. Thomas, L. Oterma, O. Volk, A. Fresa, AN,
281 (1954 Sep. 21), pp. 2427; P. Herget, AJ, 66 (1961 Aug.), pp. 26671; V1964,
p. 74; P. Herget, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 25, 47; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 548
(1991 Apr. 6); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 787 (2001 May 2); personal correspondence from K. Kinoshita (2003); personal correspondence from S. Nakano
(2005).
(van Gent) Last seen: 1942 February 18.05 ( = 2.64 AU, r = 2.74 AU, Elong. = 85)
1941 VIII = 1941d Calculated path: CrA (Disc), SCO (May 29), OPHSCO (Jun. 9), OPH (Jun.
13), SCO (Jun. 14), LIB (Jun. 17), VIR (Jun. 27), BOO (Jul. 2), COM (Jul. 20),
CVn (Jul. 25), COM (Jul. 27), CVn (Aug. 1), UMa (Sep. 11), LYN (Nov. 11),
AUR (Nov. 19), TAU (Dec. 6)
150
catalog of comets
H. van Gent (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) discovered

this comet on 1941 May 27.97, at a position of = 18h 01.9m , = 40
07 . He estimated the magnitude as 11, and described the comet as diffuse,
with a central condensation and a tail less than 1 long. The original discovery announcement erroneously said the comet was discovered at Bosscha Observatory (Lembang, South Africa). An independent discovery was
made by G. Bernasconi (Cagno, Italy) on June 16.9. He estimated the magnitude as 10, and described the comet as diffuse, without a condensation.
Another independent discovery was made by M. Howarth (Grange Mountain Observatory, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia) on June 17.38.
He estimated the magnitude as 10 and noted the comet was diffuse. At the
time of the discovery, the comet was about 3 months from perihelion and
about a month from passing closest to Earth.
On June 14, A. F. I. Forbes (South Africa) gave the magnitude as 8 and
noted a tail about 15 long. He said it displayed a big tousled head with
solid looking nucleus but no stellar like centre. He commented, It looks
like a young tadpole. On the 17th, the magnitude was given as 9 by L. Volta
and A. Fresa (Torino, Italy). On the 17th and 18th, F. Zagar (Bologna, Italy)
gave the magnitude as 10. On the 19th, the magnitude was given as 8 by
O. Struve (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA), 8.1 by G. van Biesbroeck
(Yerkes Observatory), 9 by Fresa, 9.5 by G. B. Lacchini (Trieste, Italy), and 10
by Zagar. Van Biesbroecks estimate was made extrafocally using the 61-cm
reflector. Struve said the comet was diffuse, with a condensation and a tail
less than 1 long. Van Biesbroeck said the coma merged into a tail which
extended about 5 in PA 135. He added that there was a sharp nucleus.
Lacchini noted a nucleus of magnitude 12 and a coma 5 across. P. Ahnert
(Sonneberg, Germany) said the nucleus shone at magnitude 13. On the 20th,
the magnitude was given as 7.1 by H. Krumpholz (Vienna, Austria) and 10
by U. S. Lyons (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA). Lyons was
using the 66-cm refractor. Under very clear skies, Krumpholz described the
coma as nearly 4 across, with a very distinct condensation, while a tail
extended nearly 15 in PA 140. Lyons said the comet was diffuse, with a
central condensation, and barely visible in the 13-cm finder.
On June 21, the magnitude was given as 6.7 by van Biesbroeck and 7.4
by Krumpholz. Lyons said the comet was barely visible in the 13-cm finder,
while the 66-cm refractor showed a decided condensation. On the 23rd, the
nuclear magnitude was given as 13 by N. Richter (Berlin-Babelsberg Observatory, Germany) and Ahnert. On the 24th, the magnitude was given as 6.4
by van Biesbroeck and 7.7 by Krumpholz. Richter gave the nuclear magnitude as 13.5. On the 25th, the magnitude was given as 6.4 by van Biesbroeck,
7.1 by Krumpholz, and 7.74 by M. Beyer (Hamburg, Germany). Beyer said
no nucleus or tail was present. Lyons said the comet was visible in the 13-cm
finder, while the 66-cm refractor showed a nucleus. H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) examined the comet using the 30-cm refractor and
gave the magnitude as 9. He wrote, there was a well-condensed nucleus in
151
catalog of comets
a round coma several minutes of arc in diameter. R. T. Smith (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet using a 20-cm Schmidt reflector and noted a
conspicuous tail about 2 long. On the 26th, van Biesbroeck observed using
binoculars and gave the magnitude as 6.3 using the extrafocal method. On
the 27th, Lyons said the comet was visible in the 5-cm finder. On the 28th,
Fresa gave the magnitude as 8. He noted the centrally condensed comet was
diffuse, with a tail over 1 long. On the 29th, Krumpholz gave the magnitude
as 7.4. He said the 30-cm telescope revealed a coma 4 across, while the 8-cm
finder showed it to be 8 across. There was a small, distinct condensation.
On June 30, the magnitude was given as 6.5 by van Biesbroeck and 7.50 by
Beyer. Van Biesbroeck said the tail was over 15 long. Beyer said no nucleus
or tail was present.
On July 1, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 7.38, while O. Volk
(Wurzburg,
Germany) gave the photographic magnitude as 9.5. Beyer said

no nucleus or tail was present. On the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.06
in moonlight. On the 11th, the magnitude was given as 7.12 by Beyer and
7.6 by Krumpholz. On the 12th, the visual magnitude was given as 6.2 by
van Biesbroeck and 7.42 by N. T. Bobrovnikoff (Perkins Observatory, Ohio,
USA). Both astronomers used binoculars and the extrafocal method. Beyer
gave the visual magnitude as 7.22. Krumpholz said the coma was 4 across,
with a weak condensation. On the 14th, the magnitude was given as 6.80 by
Beyer and 6.98 by Bobrovnikoff. Richter estimated the nuclear magnitude
as 13.5. On July 15, the magnitude was given as 6.1 by Krumpholz and 6.7
by van Biesbroeck. Krumpholz added that the coma was 4 across, with a
distinct condensation, but no tail.
On July 16, the visual magnitude was given as 6.8 by van Biesbroeck and
6.94 by Bobrovnikoff. Bobrovnikoff said his 8 28 binoculars revealed a
coma 11.6 across. On the 17th, Volta gave the photographic magnitude as
7. On the 18th, Bobrovnikoff gave the magnitude as 6.79. On the 19th, van
Biesbroeck gave the visual magnitude as 7.2. He said a photograph with
the 61-cm reflector showed the nucleus was no longer stellar, while the tail
extended 20 in PA 140. On the 20th, Richter gave the nuclear magnitude
as 15. On the 21st, Bobrovnikoff gave the visual magnitude as 6.82, while
Volta gave the photographic magnitude as 7.5. On the 22nd, the magnitude
was given as 6.9 by van Biesbroeck and Bobrovnikoff, using binoculars.
Van Biesbroeck said a photograph with the 61-cm reflector showed the tail
extending 28 in PA 144. Lyons said the comet was faint, but visible in the
5-cm finder. On the 23rd, the magnitude was given as 6.90 by Bobrovnikoff
and 7.01 by Beyer. Richter gave the nuclear magnitude as 14.7. On the 24th,
Bobrovnikoff gave the magnitude as 6.81. On the 26th, the magnitude was
given as 6.8 by van Biesbroeck and 7.00 by Beyer. Beyer said the coma was
5 across, while the tail extended 10 in PA 128. On the 27th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 6.93. On July 28, the magnitude was given as 6.76 by
Bobrovnikoff and 6.88 by Beyer. Beyer said a nuclear condensation shone
at magnitude 9, while the tail extended 26 in PA 135.
152
catalog of comets
On August 2, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.4 under hazy and moonlit
skies. He said the tail extended 12 in PA 143. Van Biesbroeck said a photograph with the 102-cm refractor revealed a well-condensed, but not stellar,
nucleus. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.08 in moonlight. He
said the tail extended 6 in about PA 87. On the 10th, Bobrovnikoff gave the
magnitude as 6.77. On the 11th, Bobrovnikoff gave the magnitude as 6.87.
On the 12th, the magnitude was given as 7.05 by van Biesbroeck and 7.22 by
Beyer. Beyer said the tail extended 15 in PA 117. On the 13th, Bobrovnikoff
gave the magnitude as 6.826.89. He said the coma was 5.3 across. On the
14th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.25 and said the tail extended 23 in PA
126. Beyer added that a nuclear condensation shone at magnitude 9. On
the 15th, Krumpholz gave the magnitude as 7.0. He added that the coma
was round, with a small, but distinct, condensation.
On August 16, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 7.05. On the 17th,
On the 19th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 7.16. On the 21st,
the magnitude was given as 6.86 by Bobrovnikoff and 7.3 by Krumpholz.
On the 23rd, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 7.10. On the 24th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 7.20. He said the coma was 6 across, with a sharp
nucleus of magnitude 9.5, and a tail extending 20 in PA 121. On the 26th,
Bobrovnikoff gave the magnitude as 6.91. On the 26th and 28th, Lyons said
the comet was easily visible in the 5-cm finder, while the 66-cm refractor
revealed the comet shining with a greenish color. On the 27th, the magnitude was given as 7.02 by van Biesbroeck, 7.06 by Bobrovnikoff, and 7.29
by Beyer. Beyer said the coma was 3 across, with a nuclear condensation of
magnitude 9.5, and a tail extending 18 in PA 115. On the 28th, Krumpholz
gave the magnitude as 7.6. On August 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.34
in moonlight. He said the tail extended 10 in PA 121.
On September 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.41 in moonlight. He said
the tail extended 8 in PA 116. On the 7th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.41
in moonlight. On the 8th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.32 in moonlight. He
said the tail extended 10 in PA 104. On the 11th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 7.26. On September 15, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.31 and said the
tail extended 20 in PA 103.
On September 16, Bobrovnikoff gave the magnitude as 7.10. On the 17th,
the magnitude was given as 7.23 by Bobrovnikoff, using binoculars, 7.4
by J. R. Gill (John Payson Williston Observatory, Mount Holyoke College,
Massachusetts, USA), and 7.7 by A. H. Farnsworth (John Payson Williston
Observatory). The last two astronomers were using a 20-cm refractor. On
the 19th, Farnsworth gave the magnitude as 8.0. On the 20th, the magnitude
was given as 7.36 by Beyer, 8.2 by Farnsworth, and 8.5 by Krumpholz. Beyer
said the coma was 5 across, with a tail extending 12 in PA 98. Krumpholz
added that the coma was round, 23 across, with a distinct condensation.
On the 21st, Bobrovnikoff gave the magnitude as 7.27. On the 22nd, the
magnitude was given as 7.38 by Bobrovnikoff, 7.8 by Farnsworth, and 8.2
153
catalog of comets
by Gill. On the 23rd, the magnitude was given as 7.42 by Bobrovnikoff and
7.6 by Farnsworth. On the 24th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.30 and said
the tail extended 15 in PA 85. On the 25th, Gill gave the magnitude as 7.6.
On the 26th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.4 under hazy skies. On the 27th,
the magnitude was given as 7.48 by Beyer and 7.6 by Farnsworth. Beyer said
the tail extended 24 in PA 86. On the 28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
7.43 and said the tail extended 20 in PA 87. On September 29, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 7.55 in moonlight.
On October 13, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.76. He said the coma was

4 across, with a tail extending 20 in PA 56. On the 19th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 7.86. He said the coma was 6 across, with a tail extending 20
in PA 51. On the 20th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.90. He said the round
coma was 7 across, with a tail extending 30 in PA 49. On the 21st, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 7.827.89. He said the coma was 7 across, while the
tail extended 30 in PA 49. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.78.
He said the coma was 7 across, with a tail extending 30 in PA 52. On the
23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.91. He said the coma was 7 across, with
a tail extending 30 in PA 54. On October 24, Beyer gave the magnitude as
7.92. He said the coma was 7 across, with a tail extending 20 in PA 46.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +47 on November
3. On the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.96. He said the coma was
7 across, with a tail extending 12 in PA 28. On the 12th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 7.97 and said the tail extended 10 in PA 6. On the 13th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 8.11. He said the coma was 7 across, with a tail
extending 12 in PA 20. On the 14th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.09 and
said the tail extended 10 in PA 16. On the 15th, Beyer said the coma was
6 across, with a starlike nucleus of magnitude 13.0, and a tail extending 15
in PA 16. On the 16th, the magnitude was given as 8.12 by Beyer and 8.8
by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was 7 across, with a tail extending
18 in PA 12. Van Biesbroeck said the round coma was 5 across and was
centrally condensed into a stellar nucleus. On the 17th, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 8.5, using a 10-cm finder. On the 29th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 8.53. He said the coma was 7 across, with a tail extending 10
in about PA 3. On November 30, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.81. He said
the coma was 6 across, with a tail extending 8 in about PA 2.
On December 10, van Biesbroeck said the 102-cm refractor showed
only an 11th-magnitude diffuse nucleus in bright moonlight. On the 12th,
Krumpholz gave the magnitude as near 11. He said the coma was 2 across
and contained a distinct, but tiny, condensation. He noted it was difficult
to see in the 8-cm finder. On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.00.
He said the coma was 6 across, with a tail extending 20 in PA 357. On
the 16th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.46. On the 18th and 21st, van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet using the 102-cm refractor and gave the
magnitude as 11. He said the diffuse coma was 2 across and contained a
sharp nucleus. On the 24th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.38. He said the
154
catalog of comets
coma was 5 across. On December 25, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.52
and said the coma was 4 across.
On 1942 January 10, van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet using the
102-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 12. He said a round inner coma
was centrally condensed within a diffuse outer coma. On January 21, van
Biesbroeck visually observed using the refractor and gave the magnitude
as 13. He said the coma was 15 across and contained a central nucleus.
On February 8, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm
reflector and gave the magnitude as 15.5. He said the coma was small and
round.
The comet was last detected on February 18.05, when van Biesbroeck
obtained a 20-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector. The position was
determined as = 3h 40.9m , = +2 06 . He estimated the magnitude as
16.5, and said the round coma was 10 across.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by J. Bobone and gave the perihelion date as 1941 September 3.36. This proved a very good initial orbit, as
later calculations by E. K. Rabe, Bobone, and J. P. Moller,
revealed a perihelion date near September 3.2.

The first hyperbolic orbit was calculated by M. G. Sumner and M. Davidson (1942). They gave the perihelion date as September 3.20 and the eccentricity as 1.000968. They later revised their calculations using a longer arc
and gave the eccentricity as 1.002815.
G. Pels (1960) took 318 positions spanning the period 1941 June 41942
February 18, reduced them to 18 Normal positions, and applied perturbations by Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The result was a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of September 3.18 and an eccentricity of
1.0002443. B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart (1978) took this orbit
and derived an elliptical original orbit with a period of about 1.5 million
years, and an elliptical future orbit with a period of about 382 thousand
years. B. G. Marsden (1979) transformed Pels orbit to a standard epoch and
this orbit is given below.
T
1941 Sep. 3.1842 (UT)
85.3219
(2000.0)
257.5598
i
94.5165
q
e
0.874789 1.000243

full moon: May 11, Jun. 9, Jul. 8, Aug. 7, Sep. 5, Oct. 5, Nov. 4, Dec. 3, 1942 Jan.
2, Feb. 1, Mar. 3
sources: A. F. I. Forbes, ASSAMN, No. 15 (1941 Jun.), p. 3; H. van Gent, HAC, No.
583 (1941 Jun. 6); H. van Gent, IAUC, No. 865 (1941 Jun. 6); M. Howarth, HAC,
No. 584 (1941 Jun. 17); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 585 (1941 Jun. 18); G. Bernasconi and
F. Zagar, IAUC, No. 867 (1941 Jun. 18); L. Volta, A. Fresa, and J. Bobone, IAUC,
No. 868 (1921 Jun. 19); G. Bernasconi, G. van Biesbroeck, O. Struve, and U. S.
Lyons, HAC, No. 586 (1941 Jun. 20); A. Fresa and G. Bernasconi, IAUC, No. 869
(1941 Jun. 21); F. Zagar, G. B. Lacchini, H. Krumpholz, A. Fresa, and E. K. Rabe,
IAUC, No. 870 (1941 Jul. 3); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 587 (1941 Jul. 10); E. K. Rabe,
155
catalog of comets
IAUC, No. 873 (1941 Jul. 17); N. T. Bobrovnikoff, HAC, No. 589 (1941 Jul. 22);
O. Volk and N. Richter, IAUC, No. 874 (1941 Jul. 23); J. P. Moller,
IAUC, No. 876

(1941 Jul. 28); H. van Gent, M. Howarth, G. Bernasconi, H. M. Jeffers, and R. T.
Smith, PASP, 53 (1941 Aug.), p. 261; H. van Gent, J. Bobone, and G. Bernasconi,
The Observatory, 64 (1941 Aug.), pp. 11920; L. Volta, IAUC, No. 877 (1941 Aug.
1); G. van Biesbroeck, U. S. Lyons, L. Volta, J. P. Moller,
and E. K. Rabe, IAUC,

No. 878 (1941 Aug. 9); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 593 (1941 Aug. 15); J. P. Moller,
IAUC,
No. 879 (1941 Aug. 23); J. Bobone, IAUC, No. 891 (1941 Nov. 7); M. Howarth, The
Observatory, 64 (1941 Dec.), p. 183; M. G. Sumner and M. Davidson, MNRAS,
102 (1942), pp. 1089; H. Krumpholz, AN, 272 (1942 Jan.), pp. 199200; N. T.
Bobrovnikoff, PA, 50 (1942 Jun.), p. 307; M. Beyer, AN, 272 (1942 Jul.), pp. 2648;
G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1943 Mar. 26), pp. 11417; A. H. Farnsworth and J. R.
Gill, PA, 51 (1943 May), p. 252; H. Krumpholz, AN, 274 (1943 Jul.Aug.), pp. 47
8; U. S. Lyons, AJ, 50 (1944 Feb. 29), pp. 1857; G. Pels and H. van Gent, BAN,
15 (1960 Dec. 30), pp. 12938; V1964, p. 74; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E.
Everhart, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), p. 68; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 25, 51.
57P/1941 O1 Discovered: 1941 July 17.03 ( = 0.30 AU, r = 1.31 AU, Elong. = 166)
(du Toit Last seen: 1941 October 20.88 ( = 0.84 AU, r = 1.65 AU, Elong. =
NeujminDelporte) 127)
1941 VII = 1941e Calculated path: AQL (Disc), AQR (Aug. 12)
Three photographic surveys and wartime conditions led to the long name
of this comet. D. du Toit (Harvard College Observatory, Boyden Station,
Bloemfontein, South Africa) discovered this comet on a photographic plate
exposed for 45 minutes using the 25-cm Metcalf Triplet on 1941 July 17.03.
He estimated the position as = 20h , = 7 and described the comet
as magnitude 10. He confirmed the discovery on another 45-minute exposure obtained on July 19.03. Wartime conditions prevented the cabled information from reaching Harvard College Observatory (Massachusetts, USA)
until July 27. At that time, the information was held pending confirmation. Unbeknownst to astronomers in Massachusetts, P. Ahnert (Sonneberg,
Germany) confirmed the discovery on July 22.01, but this message did not
arrive until the first days of September. During a routine examination of a
photographic plate exposed with the 12-cm Maltsev double astrograph on
July 25.87 for asteroids, an independent discovery was made by G. N. Neujmin (Simeis Observatory, Crimea, Ukraine). He gave the position as = 20h
09.6m , = 5 56 , and he estimated the magnitude as 9. Neujmin confirmed
his observation on July 29.90, and radiogrammed the news from Moscow
to Harvard, but this message took nearly 20 days to arrive, thus keeping
the official announcement from being widely published until August 22. A
few days later, word came that E. J. Delporte (Royal Observatory, Uccle,
Belgium) had independently found this comet on a photographic plate
exposed with the 40-cm double astrograph for minor planets on August
19.86. He had given the magnitude as 9, and said the comet was diffuse,
156
catalog of comets
with a central condensation. At the time of discovery, the comet was just a
few days from its closest approach to both the sun and Earth.
There is an interesting story concerning how the initial observations given
above for Boyden Observatory were uncovered. Du Toit simply gave the
discovery date as July 18 in his discovery announcement and this was
reprinted in several publications. During the last few years, the author has
tried to find the time of discovery, so that the date could be given with the
same precision as all other comet discovery dates in Cometography. In recent
years, the Author wrote to the librarians at the Royal Observatory in Cape
Town (South Africa) on several occasions asking about possible references
in South African journals and even correspondence between the various
observatories, but only the generalized July 18 kept popping up. I discussed the issue with M. Meyer (2007). He subsequently discovered that
the plate catalog for the various Harvard observatories was available on the
internet. He very quickly found that no plates were obtained of the region of
this comet on July 18 from Boyden Observatory! Further searches by Meyer
revealed that wide-field plates were obtained on July 17 and 19, whose centers were not far from the position of the comet. The author subsequently
noted that the wide-field plates were supposed to have a limiting magnitude of 17 and the comet was supposed to be magnitude 10, so it seemed
that the comet should be an easy object. I sent an e-mail to G. V. Williams
at the Minor Planet Center (Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA) and told him
the story so far and asked him to look at two specific plates. Within hours,
Williams wrote that he had walked over to the plate archives and pulled
the two plates in question. He said the comet was clearly marked on both
plates! Thus, du Toit may have made a mistake in the date he announced,
or he was inspecting the July 17 plate on July 18 and literally discovered the
comet on July 18!
The comet attained its most northerly declination of 5 on August 14. On
August 22, Delporte gave the photographic magnitude as 9.5. On the 23rd
and 24th, A. Fresa (Torino, Italy) gave the photographic magnitude as 11. On
the 26th, the photographic magnitude was given as 11 by G. van Biesbroeck
(Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA), H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory,
California, USA), and H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona,
USA). Van Biesbroeck described the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation, and a faint tail extending 3 in PA 110. Jeffers said the comet was
diffuse, with a central condensation. On the 27th and 28th, van Biesbroeck
obtained 3-minute exposures using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 11. He said the coma was centrally condensed and 25 across, while
a faint tail extended 3 in PA 120. On the 29th, U. S. Lyons (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA) visually observed the comet using the 66-cm
refractor and gave the magnitude as 12. On the 30th, Fresa gave the photographic magnitude as 11. On August 31, J. O. Stobbe (Poznan, Poland)
gave the magnitude as 12 and noted the comet was diffuse, without a
condensation.
157
catalog of comets
On September 1, van Biesbroeck obtained a 5-minute exposure using the

61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 12. He added that the tail was
very faint. On the 9th and 15th, Fresa gave the photographic magnitude as
12. He noted the comet was diffuse, with a central condensation. On the
11th, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed
the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 12.
On the 12th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 208-cm
reflector and said the coma was 20 across, while a trace of a broad tail
extended towards PA 120. On the 16th and 19th, Fresa gave the photographic magnitude as 13. He noted the comet was diffuse, with a central
condensation. On the 17th, Jeffers obtained a 25-minute exposure with the
91-cm Crossley reflector and described the coma as strongly condensed,
12 across, with a short broad tail extending toward the east. On the 22nd,
H. Krumpholz (Vienna, Austria) estimated the magnitude as near 13. He
described the comet as a very weak nebulosity about 11.5 across, with little
condensation. On the 23rd, Krumpholz said the comet was extraordinarily
faint in the 68-cm refractor. On the 25th, van Biesbroeck obtained 4- and
5-minute exposures using the reflector and gave the magnitude as 13.5. He
said the coma diameter was 15 and extended into a broad tail measuring
1 in PA 25. On the 26th and 27th, van Biesbroeck obtained 3-minute exposures using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 14. He said the
comet was very diffuse. The comet was primarily moving eastward, but had
been slowly shifting southward since mid-August. After attaining a southern declination of 6 on September 27, its motion began to slowly shift
northward.
On October 15, Fresa gave the photographic magnitude as 14. On October
17, van Biesbroeck obtained a 10-minute exposure using the 208-cm reflector
and gave the magnitude as 16. He described the comet as a small extremely
diffuse coma with hardly any condensation.
The comet was last detected on October 20.88, when L. Volta (Torino) gave
the magnitude as 14. He gave the position as = 22h 20.5m , = 5 24 .
The first orbits were published on September 1. E. K. Rabe determined
the perihelion date as 1941 August 3.06. K. A. Thernoe
took positions from
August 17, 20, and 24, and calculated an elliptical orbit. The resulting perihelion date was July 24.34 and the period was 8.83 years.
More orbits were published on September 2. H. L. Scott and M. E. Stahr
determined a parabolic orbit with a perihelion date of July 23.09. J. E. Willis
used three precise positions obtained between July 25 and August 26, and
determined an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of July 21.36 and a
period of 5.68 years. This orbit indicated the comets aphelion was near
Jupiter, with a minimum possible distance of about 0.3 AU. Maxwell also
noted that the comet was probably last near Jupiter in 1824, and would
pass close to Earth in 1958. Similar orbits were published in the coming
weeks by A. D. Maxwell, Thernoe,
H. R. J. Grosch, and Fresa. M. Davidson
remarked that Groschs orbit indicated the last close approach to Jupiter
158
catalog of comets
probably occurred in 1824, when the planet may have annexed it as one of
his family.
Orbits spanning the entire period of visibility were calculated by P. Naur
(1946, 1947), N. F. Boeva (1953), and B. G. Marsden (1969). Various sets of
planetary perturbations were considered, with the result being a perihelion
date of July 21.2121.22 and a period being 5.525.55 years.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by Marsden (1982, 1985,
1989) and G. Forti (1986). They applied perturbations by the planets Mercury to Neptune, as well as the dwarf planet Pluto, and they determined
nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion date of July 21.21 and
a period of 5.55 years. Forti gave the nongravitational terms as A1 =
0.03 and A2 = 0.0103. Marsden (1989) gave the nongravitational terms as
A1 = +0.08 and A2 = 0.0088. Marsdens orbit is given below.
T
1941 Jul. 21.2094 (TT)
69.2493
(2000.0)
230.3906
i
3.2582
q
e
1.305191 0.583598

full moon: Jul. 8, Aug. 7, Sep. 5, Oct. 5, Nov. 4
sources: D. du Toit and G. N. Neujmin, HAC, No. 594 (1941 Aug. 22); D. du Toit
and G. N. Neujmin, IAUC, No. 879 (1941 Aug. 23); E. J. Delporte and A. Fresa,
IAUC, No. 880 (1941 Aug. 25); E. J. Delporte, G. van Biesbroeck, and H. M. Jeffers,
HAC, No. 595 (1941 Aug. 27); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 596 (1941 Aug. 29);
E. J. Delporte and A. Fresa, IAUC, No. 881 (1941 Aug. 29); A. Fresa, E. K. Rabe,
and K. A. Thernoe,
IAUC, No. 882 (1941 Sep. 1); H. L. Scott, M. E. Stahr, and J. E.
Willis, HAC, No. 597 (1941 Sep. 2); A. D. Maxwell and P. Ahnert, HAC, No. 599
(1941 Sep. 4); J. O. Stobbe and K. A. Thernoe,
IAUC, No. 883 (1941 Sep. 5); K. A.
Thernoe,
HAC, No. 600 (1941 Sep. 10); J. E. Willis, HAC, No. 601 (1941 Sep. 11);
H. L. Scott and M. E. Stahr, HAC, No. 603 (1941 Sep. 15); H. R. J. Grosch, HAC, No.
604 (1941 Sep. 16); A. Fresa, IAUC, No. 885 (1941 Sep. 18); A. Fresa, IAUC, No. 886
(1941 Sep. 23); G. van Biesbroeck, A. Fresa, and H. R. J. Grosch, IAUC, No. 891
(1941 Nov. 7); L. Volta, IAUC, No. 892 (1941 Nov. 29); D. du Toit, G. N. Neujmin,
and H. R. J. Grosch, The Observatory, 64 (1941 Dec.), p. 182; H. Krumpholz, AN,
272 (1942 Jan.), pp. 199200; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1942 Aug. 13), pp. 2933;
H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1944), p. 164; U. S. Lyons, AJ, 50 (1944 Feb. 29), pp. 1867;
H. L. Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.), p. 63; P. Naur, IAUC, No. 1068 (1946 Nov. 8);
P. Naur, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11013; N. F. Boeva, BITA, 5 (1953), pp. 42
54; V1964, p. 74; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 10 (1969), pp. 2523; B. G. Marsden,
CCO, 4th ed. (1982), pp. 21, 53; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 26 (1985 Sep.), p. 309; G.
Forti, AAP, 155 (1986), pp. 1701; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 6th ed. (1989), pp. 21, 58;
personal correspondence from M. Meyer (2007); personal correspondence from
G. V. Williams (2007).
31P/Schwassmann Recovered: 1941 September 20.49 ( = 2.36 AU, r = 2.38 AU, Elong. = 79)
Wachmann 2 Last seen: 1942 June 15.14 ( = 2.64 AU, r = 2.31 AU, Elong. = 61)
Closest to the Earth: 1942 January 16 (1.1714 AU)
1942 I = 1941f Calculated path: GEM (Rec), CNC (Apr. 9), LEO (May 29)
159
catalog of comets
W. P. Henderson and H. Whichello (1940) predicted the comet would next

arrive at perihelion on 1942 February 14.33. H. Q. Rasmusen used his predicted orbit for the 1935 apparition, added a correction to the perihelion
date, and predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion on February
13.76.
on 1941 September 20.49, at a position of = 6h 35.3m , = +20 13 .
He estimated the magnitude as 17, and described the comet as slightly
diffuse, with a condensation, but no tail. Jeffers confirmed the recovery on
September 20.52. The positions indicated the prediction by Henderson and
Whichello needed to be corrected by 0.035 day.
On November 14, H. Hirose (Tokyo Observatory, Japan) gave the photographic magnitude as 14. On the 16th, G. van Biesbroeck, (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) visually observed the comet using the 102-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 14. He said the small coma contained no
sharp nucleus, but a tail did extend 1 in PA 270. On the 17th, van Biesbroeck
visually observed using the refractor and gave the magnitude as 14. He said
the narrow tail extended 55 in PA 275. The comet attained a southerly
declination of +18 on November 29 and then began a northerly motion.
On December 18, van Biesbroeck visually observed using the refractor and
said the stellar nucleus was of magnitude 12 and was situated in the center of a small coma measuring 5 across. This coma was situated within a
larger diffuse coma measuring 40 across. Van Biesbroeck added that the
On 1942 January 10, van Biesbroeck visually observed using the 102-cm
refractor and gave the magnitude as 11. He said the coma was about 2 across
and contained a well-defined nucleus on the following side. The apparent
tail showed itself simply as a slight extension of the coma that extended
towards PA 270. On the 20th, van Biesbroeck observed using the refractor
and gave the magnitude as 11.5. He said the round coma measured about
1.5 across and contained a well-defined nucleus. On January 21 and 22,
A. A. Wachmann (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) gave the
photographic magnitude as 12.5. On February 14, van Biesbroeck observed
using the refractor and gave the magnitude as 12.5. He said the coma was 1
across and was slightly elongated towards PA 100. On March 10, van Biesbroeck observed using the refractor and gave the magnitude as 13. He said
the coma spreads mostly in the second quadrant so that the nucleus is quite
eccentric. He added that the nucleus was diffuse. The comet attained its
most northerly declination of +23 on March 15. On May 19, van Biesbroeck
photographed the comet with the 61-cm reflector and described the comet
as extremely diffuse.
The comet was last detected on June 15.14, when van Biesbroeck found
it on a 20-minute exposure obtained with the 61-cm reflector. The comets
position was given as = 9h 48.0m , = +15 33 . No physical description
was made.
160
catalog of comets
S. Kanda (1942) took an orbit that he and H. Hirose had calculated for
the 1935 apparition and applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. He
determined the perihelion date as February 14.41 and the period as 6.51
years. He added that observations so far gathered during the 1942 apparition
indicated a perihelion date of February 13.83.
1969, 1973) and G. Forti (1983). These included perturbations by the planets Mercury to Neptune, as well as the dwarf planet Pluto. Marsden (1968)
noted a definite secular acceleration. All other calculations determined
nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion date of February 13.84
and a period of 6.51 years. Marsden (1969) gave the nongravitational terms
as A1 = +1.5300, A2 = 0.17186, and B2 = +0.3013. Marsden, Z. Sekanina,
and D. K. Yeomans (1973) determined the nongravitational terms as
A1 = +1.01 and A2 = 0.1972. Forti gave the nongravitational terms as
A1 = +0.76 and A2 = 0.1863. Fortis orbit is given below.
T
1942 Feb. 13.8366 (TT)
(2000.0)
358.1076 126.6620
i
3.7206
q
e
2.143689 0.385405

full moon: Sep. 5, Oct. 5, Nov. 4, Dec. 3, 1942 Jan. 2, Feb. 1, Mar. 3, Apr. 1, Apr.
30, May 30, Jun. 28
sources: W. P. Henderson and H. Whichello, BAA Handbook for 1941 (1940 Nov.),
p. 20; H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 605 (1941 Sep. 22); H. M. Jeffers, IAUC, No. 886 (1941
Sep. 23); H. M. Jeffers, PASP, 53 (1941 Oct.), p. 292; H. Hirose, IAUC, No. 892 (1941
Nov. 29); H. M. Jeffers, The Observatory, 64 (1941 Dec.), p. 182; H. M. Jeffers, W. P.
Henderson, and H. Whichello, MNRAS, 102 (1942), pp. 1079; A. A. Wachmann,
IAUC, No. 901 (1942 Feb. 23); H. Hirose and S. Kanda, Tokyo Astronomical Bulletin,
No. 615 (1942 Feb. 24), p. 1229; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1943 Mar. 26), pp. 114
17; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1944), p. 163; H. Q. Rasmusen, MNRAS, 107 (1947).
pp. 11011, 113; V1964, p. 74; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 373, 375; B. G.
Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.), pp. 7215; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 14 (1973 Dec.),
pp. 213, 215; G. Forti, AAP, 126 (1983), pp. 30710.
C/1942 C1 Prediscovery: 1941 December 28.42 ( = 1.97 AU, r = 2.22 AU, Elong. = 91)
(Whipple Discovered: 1942 January 25.45 ( = 1.30 AU, r = 1.96 AU, Elong. = 117)
BernasconiKulin) Last seen: 1943 January 8.05 ( = 4.15 AU, r = 3.51 AU, Elong. = 44)
1942 IV = 1942a Calculated path: COM (Pre), LEO (Feb. 17), SEX (Mar. 3), HYA (Mar. 11), PUP
(Mar. 23), CMa (Apr. 9), PUP (Jun. 2), CAR (Jul. 22), VOL (Aug. 15), MEN
(Sep. 2), OCT (Sep. 17), IND (Oct. 16), GRU (Dec. 12)
While examining Harvard Observatory patrol photographs on January 25,
F. L. Whipple discovered a 10th-magnitude comet on a plate exposed on
1942 January 25.45. The position was given as = 12h 59.2m , = +23 53 .
161
catalog of comets
He described it as possessing a nucleus and added that the tail was less than
1 long. Upon examining photographs exposed during the previous month,
Whipple found prediscovery images on plates exposed on 1941 December
28.42 and 1942 January 17.41.
News of the discovery did not reach Europe for several days because
of suspended transmission service, and G. Bernasconi (Como, Italy) independently found the comet on February 10. Another independent discovery was made by G. Kulin (Konkoly Observatory, Budapest, Hungary) on
February 13.07, while testing sky transparency with a 10-cm finder. He estimated the magnitude as 9. A. Becvar (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia)
discovered the comet on February 18.79 and said the coma was about 0.5
across. A further independent discovery was made by D. du Toit (Harvard
College Observatory, Boyden Station, Bloemfontein, South Africa), while
examining an MF Series plate exposed using the 25-cm Metcalf Triplet on
March 17.74.
On February 4, H. E. Burton (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC,
USA) estimated the magnitude as 10 and noted the comet was barely visible
in [13-cm] finder. He said the comet was diffuse, with a stellar nucleus.
On the 10th, A. H. Farnsworth (John Payson Williston Observatory, Mount
Holyoke College, Massachusetts, USA) visually observed the comet using a
20-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 8.6. On the 11th, the photographic
magnitude was given as 8 by F. Zagar (Bologna, Italy) and A. Fresa (Torino,
Italy). Fresa described the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation.
On the 12th, the visual magnitude was given as 7.8 by G. van Biesbroeck
(Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA), using the extrafocal method with the
61-cm reflector. The photographic magnitude was given as 8.5 by M. Campa
(Milan, Italy), and 9 by H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) and
Fresa. Fresa described the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation. On
the 13th, the visual magnitude was given as 7.5 by Farnsworth and 8.83 by
L. Gialanella (Monte Mario Observatory, Rome, Italy). The photographic
magnitude was given as 9 by Fresa. Fresa described the comet as diffuse,
with a central condensation. Burton said the comet was easily visible in the
13-cm finder. On the 14th, the visual magnitude was given as 7.1 by van
Biesbroeck and 8.5 by Campa. Van Biesbroeck said a sharp nucleus was
situated within a coma measuring 5 across, while a coarse tail extended
18 in PA 358. On February 15, the visual magnitude was given as 8.2 by
Farnsworth and 9.03 by Gialanella, while the photographic magnitude was
given as 8.5 by Campa.
On February 16, Farnsworth gave the magnitude as 7.6, using a 20-cm
refractor. On the 17th, the magnitude was given as 6.8 by H. Krumpholz
(Vienna, Austria), 8 by J. P. Moller
(Copenhagen, Denmark), and 9 by

Y. Visl (University of Turku, Finland). Krumpholz said the coma was
34 across, with a tiny, nearly stellar, condensation. Visl described it
as diffuse, without a condensation. On the 19th, the magnitude was given
as 6.75 by van Biesbroeck, 8 by C. Hoffmeister (Sonneberg, Germany), 8.1
162
catalog of comets
by B. G. Karpov (Vassar College Observatory, New York, USA), and 8.3 by

Campa. On the 20th, the magnitude was given as 6.75 by van Biesbroeck,
7.5 by Farnsworth, and 8.3 by Campa. Van Biesbroeck said the main tail
extended 22 in PA 1, while a fainter, narrower tail extended 20 in PA 298.
On the 21st, Visl estimated the magnitude as 8. He described the comet
as diffuse, without a condensation, and with a tail <1 long. Van Biesbroeck
said the main tail extended 25 in PA 4, while the slender tail was forked.
This latter tail extended 10 in PA 280, then split and extended 10 in PA
285, and 50 in PA 265. On the 22nd, the magnitude was given as 7.7 by
Farnsworth and 8.0 by J. O. Stobbe (Poznan, Poland). Van Biesbroeck said
the main tail extended 25 in PA 5, while there was only a suspicion of the
fainter secondary tail extending towards PA 275. P. Ahnert said the tail
extended 12 in PA 0. Burton said the comet was visible in the 13-cm finder.
On the 23rd, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 6.35, using binoculars.
He said the main tail extended towards PA 5, while the vague indication of the secondary tail extended towards PA 280. On the 25th, M. Beyer
(Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) gave the magnitude as 6.93.
On February 26, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.73 and said the tail extended
18 in PA 14.
The comet attained a maximum elongation of 179 on March 1. On the
3rd, the visual magnitude was given as 6.28 by Beyer, while the photographic magnitude was given as 7 by Moller,
and 8.0 by S. J. V. Arend and

L. Neven (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium), and Campa. The observations of Campa and Moller
were made during an eclipse of the moon. Beyer

said the coma was 7 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 8.5, while a tail
extended 30 in PA 17. Arend and Neven also gave the magnitude of the
central condensation as 9.2. On the 4th, Gialanella gave the magnitude as
8.50. On the 6th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.16. He said the coma was 9
across, with a nucleus of magnitude 8.5, while a tail extended 35 in PA 21.
On the 7th, Gialanella gave the magnitude as 7.65. On the 8th, the magnitude
was given as 6.40 by N. T. Bobrovnikoff (Perkins Observatory, Ohio, USA)
and 8.2 by Farnsworth. On the 9th, Krumpholz said the coma was 4 across,
with a very distinct condensation. A. Model said the tail extended towards
PA 35. On the 10th, the magnitude was given as 5.83 by van Biesbroeck
and 6.39 by Bobrovnikoff. Van Biesbroeck said there was a sharp, stellar
nucleus within a bright coma measuring 4 across. He said the main tail
extended 26 in PA 23, while the quite faint, narrow, and ill-defined secondary tail extended 40 in PA 69. J. Gramatzki said the tail extended 15
in PA 35. On the 11th, the magnitude was given as 6.06 by Beyer and 7.69
by Gialanella. Beyer said the coma contained a nucleus of magnitude 9.3,
while a tail extended towards PA 23. On the 12th, the magnitude was given
as 6.04 by Beyer, 7.0 by E. J. Delporte (Uccle), and 7.90 by Gialanella. Beyer
extended 40 in PA 22. On March 13, the magnitude was given as 5.92 by
Beyer, 6.36 by Bobrovnikoff, 7.5 by Neven, and 8.6 by Farnsworth. Beyer
163
catalog of comets
extended towards PA 26.
On March 16, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.34 and said the tail extended
towards PA 24. On the 18th, Model said the tail extended 18 in PA 45.
On the 19th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 6.2, using binoculars.
C. Fedtke (Konigsberg,
now Kaliningrad, Russia) said the tail extended 20

in PA 45. On the 20th, the magnitude was given as 6.31 by Bobrovnikoff
and 7.8 by M. R. Hunt (John Payson Williston Observatory). On the 21st,
Bobrovnikoff gave the magnitude as 6.48. Fedtke said the tail extended 15
in PA 50. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.58. He said the coma
was 8 across, with a nucleus of magnitude 8.9, while a tail extended 20
in PA 38. On the 23rd, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 6.4, using
binoculars. On the 24th, the magnitude was given as 8.0 by Campa and 8.2
by Krumpholz. On the 25th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.93. He said the
tail extended 12 in PA 42. Burton said the comet was barely visible in the
13-cm finder. On March 28, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.92 and said the
On April 3, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.05. He said the coma was
8 across, while a tail extended towards PA 48. On the 5th, Bobrovnikoff
gave the magnitude as 7.03, using 8 28 binoculars. On the 6th, the magnitude was given as 6.99 by Bobrovnikoff and 8.3 by Krumpholz. Krumpholz
said the coma was 3 across, with a central condensation. On the 10th,
Campa gave the photographic magnitude as 8.7. On the 13th, Campa gave
the photographic magnitude as 8.8. On the 14th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.66. On April 18, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.5, using
binoculars.
The comet attained a minimum elongation of 62 on June 11. It then
attained its most southerly declination of 87 on September 23 and reached
a maximum elongation of 93 on September 24.
The comet was photographed with the 154-cm reflector at Bosque
Alegre Observatory (Cordoba,
Argentina) on several occasions during

the period of 1942 October 2December 15 by R. P. Platzeck and M.
Dartayet. Photographs were also obtained at the National Observatory
(Cordoba,
Argentina) by J. Bobone and C. G. Torres during the period of

December 1429.
The comet was last detected on 1943 January 8.05, when Bobone found
it on a 14.5-minute exposure obtained with the 154-cm reflector at Bosque
Alegre Observatory by Dartayet. The position was given as = 22h 23.6m ,
= 42 03 .
The spectrum was observed by several astronomers. R. K. Marshall (Cook
Observatory, Pennsylvania, USA) reported that a grating spectrum of the
comet on February 13, obtained with the 25-cm Schmidt camera, revealed
emission lines of cyanogen. D. M. Popper and P. Swings (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) used a Schmidt camera and detected cyanogen, imidyl
radical, hydroxyl radical, and triatomic carbon.
164
catalog of comets
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by R. N. Thomas using the positions measured on Harvard plates from December 28, January 17, and January 25. He determined the perihelion date as 1942 April 30.89. This proved
an excellent representation as shown by the parabolic orbits calculated by
Fresa, Moller,
G. Kulin, J. Jackson, and Bobone.

An elliptical orbit was calculated by Kulin using positions from February
13, March 15, and April 17. He calculated a perihelion date of March 15.99
and a period of 172 thousand years.
A definitive calculation by G. M. Iannini (1945) proved that the orbit was
hyperbolic. He used 228 positions obtained between 1941 December 28, and
1943 January 8, as well as perturbations by five planets, and determined the
perihelion date as April 30.83 and the eccentricity as 1.000893. This orbit
is given below. B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart (1978) took
this orbit and derived an elliptical original orbit with a period of about
15.6-million years, and a hyperbolic future orbit with an eccentricity of
1.001187.
T
1942 Apr. 30.8333 (UT)
(2000.0)
223.4157 340.9347
i
79.4520
q
e
1.445303 1.000893
absolute magnitude: H0 = 4.40, n = 5.7 (Iannini, 1945); H10 = 6.0 (V1964)

full moon: Dec. 3, 1942 Jan. 2, Feb. 1, Mar. 3, Apr. 1, Apr. 30, May 30, Jun. 28,
Jul. 27, Aug. 26, Sep. 24, Oct. 24, Nov. 22, Dec. 22, 1943 Jan. 21
sources: F. L. Whipple and R. N. Thomas, HAC, No. 613 (1942 Feb. 2); R. N.
Thomas, HAC, No. 614 (1942 Feb. 3); G. Bernasconi and A. Fresa, IAUC, No.
897 (1942 Feb. 13); G. Kulin, IAUC, No. 898 (1942 Feb. 14); G. Kulin, BZAN,
24 (1942 Feb. 16), p. 1; H. E. Burton, G. Bernasconi, and R. K. Marshall, HAC,
No. 615 (1942 Feb. 16); F. Zagar and A. Fresa, IAUC, No. 899 (1942 Feb. 16); H.
Krumpholz, J. P. Moller,
and A. Becvar, IAUC, No. 900 (1942 Feb. 20); Y. Visl

and A. Fresa, IAUC, No. 901 (1942 Feb. 23); B. G. Karpov, HAC, No. 617 (1942
Feb. 27); C. Hoffmeister, J. O. Stobbe, J. P. Moller,
and G. Kulin, IAUC, No. 902

(1942 Feb. 27); J. Jackson, ASSAMN, 1 (1942 Mar.), pp. 45; G. Kulin, TK, 74 (1942
Mar.); M. Campa and J. P. Moller,
IAUC, No. 903 (1942 Mar. 5); A. Fresa and

J. O. Stobbe, IAUC, No. 904 (1942 Mar. 14); M. Campa, IAUC, No. 905 (1942 Mar.
17); S. J. V. Arend and L. Neven, IAUC, No. 906 (1942 Mar. 20); E. J. Delporte, L.
Neven, J. P. Moller,
and L. Gialanella, IAUC, No. 907 (1942 Mar. 24); J. Jackson

and D. du Toit, ASSAMN, 1 (1942 Apr.), pp. 56; D. du Toit, HAC, No. 622 (1942
Apr. 10); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 624 (1942 Apr. 16); M. Campa, IAUC, No. 910
(1942 Apr. 25); N. T. Bobrovnikoff, PA, 50 (1942 Jun.), p. 308; D. M. Popper and
P. Swings, APJ, 96 (1942 Jul.), pp. 1567; G. Kulin, IAUC, No. 915 (1942 Jul. 23);
M. Campa, AN, 273 (1943), p. 201; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1943 Mar. 26),
pp. 11417; F. L. Whipple, G. Bernasconi, G. Kulin, A. Becvar, and D. du Toit,
PASP, 55 (1943 Apr.), p. 114; A. H. Farnsworth and M. R. Hunt, PA, 51 (1943
May), p. 252; J. Bobone, C. G. Torres, R. P. Platzeck, and M. Dartayet, AJ, 50
(1943 Jul. 30), p. 134; H. Krumpholz, AN, 274 (1943 Jul.Aug.), pp. 478; H. E.
Burton, AJ, 50 (1944 Feb. 29), pp. 1857; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.), p. 63;
G. M. Iannini and J. Bobone, Observatorio Astronomico Universidad do la Plata
165
catalog of comets
Publicaciones, 21 (1945), pp. 521; M. Beyer, P. Ahnert, A. Model, J. Gramatzki,
and C. Fedtke, AN, 275 (1947 Dec. 31), pp. 23740; V1964, p. 74; B. G. Marsden,
Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), p. 68; personal correspondence
from K. Sarneczky (2005).
C/1942 C2 Discovered: 1942 February 12.01 ( = 3.57 AU, r = 4.54 AU, Elong. = 165)
(Oterma) Last seen: 1943 March 9.83 ( = 4.25 AU, r = 4.34 AU, Elong. = 88)
1942 VIII = 1942b Calculated path: LEO (Disc), CNC (Mar. 28), GEM (Nov. 28), TAU (1943 Jan.
25), ORI (Jan. 27), TAU (Jan. 31)
L. Oterma (Turku University Observatory, Finland) discovered this comet
on minor planet survey plate L4255, which had been exposed on 1942 February 12.01. The position was given as = 10h 36.8m , = +16 49 . Oterma
gave the magnitude as 15 and noted a diffuse coma, but no central condensation. Y. Visl (Turku University Observatory) confirmed the discovery
on February 17.97.
Physical descriptions were nonexistent during the remainder of this
comets apparition and the comet was only followed at Turku University
Observatory, where positions were provided by Oterma, Visl, and I.
Klemola. These astronomers provided 16 positions during the period of
February 19April 19. The comet attained a northerly declination of +23
on May 2 and then turned southward. The comet passed less than 3 from
the sun on July 30.
The latitude of Turku University Observatory prevented observations
during the summer months because of continuous sunlight, but the observatory resumed observations on October 7. Through the end of the year
they managed to photograph the comet on October 12, November 6, and
December 31. The comet attained a declination of +20 on October 10 and
then turned northward.
The comet attained a declination of +23 on 1943 January 8 and
then turned back toward the south. The Turku University Observatory
astronomers continued photographing the comet as it steadily faded. They
detected it on January 10 and 24, February 23, and March 1. The comet was
last detected on March 9.83, when Oterma photographed it and gave the
position as = 5h 04.5m , = +21 30 .
The first orbit was computed by Oterma and was published on March 5.
Based on precise positions obtained on February 11, 17, and 21, she gave the
perihelion date as 1942 September 7.18. She later revised the orbit using positions obtained through April 20 and gave the perihelion date as September
27.52.
S. Mikkola and J. Lehtinen (1978, 1982, 1985) took 35 positions spanning
the entire period of visibility, as well as perturbations by all nine planets.
They computed a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of September 27.37
and an eccentricity of 1.000943.
166
catalog of comets
B. G. Marsden (1982, 1985) also took 35 positions spanning the entire

period of visibility, as well as perturbations by all nine planets, and computed a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of September 27.28 and an
eccentricity of 1.003183. This orbit is given below.
G. van Biesbroeck (1942) and J. M. Vinter Hansen (1943) indicated
that news of this comet did not reach the USA until 1942 October 14,
because the mail service and telegraph were delayed by wartime conditions. The orbit included with this announcement was the first calculated by Oterma, which proved to have a perihelion date 20 days too
early.
T
1942 Sep. 27.2783 (TT)
(2000.0)
i
q
e
163.6206 281.0393 172.5144 4.113405 1.003183

full moon: Feb. 1, Mar. 3, Apr. 1, Apr. 30, May 30, Jun. 28, Jul. 27, Aug. 26, Sep.
24, Oct. 24, Nov. 22, Dec. 22, 1943 Jan. 21, Feb. 20, Mar. 21
sources: L. Oterma, IAUC, No. 900 (1942 Feb. 20); L. Oterma, IAUC, No. 903
(1942 Mar. 5); L. Oterma, IAUC, No. 923 (1942 Oct. 19); L. Oterma and Y. Visl,
HAC, No. 635 (1942 Oct. 20); G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 50 (1942 Dec.), p. 566; J. M.
Vinter Hansen, PASP, 55 (1943 Apr.), p. 114; V1964, p. 75; L. Oterma, Y. Visl, S.
Mikkola, and J. Lehtinen, Turku University Observatory Informo, No. 41 (1978 Dec.
20), pp. 19; J. Lehtinen, MPC, No. 4702 (1979 May 1); B. G. Marsden, S. Mikkola,
and J. Lehtinen, CCO, 4th ed. (1982), pp. 21, 53; B. G. Marsden, S. Mikkola, and
J. Lehtinen, QJRAS, 26 (1985 Mar.), pp. 11314.
C/1942 EA Discovered: 1942 March 11.86 ( = 0.34 AU, r = 1.33 AU, Elong. = 171)
(Visl 2) Last seen: 1942 April 17.88 ( = 0.72 AU, r = 1.56 AU, Elong. = 128)
1942 II = 1942c Calculated path: LEO (Disc), UMa (Mar. 31), CVn (Apr. 12)
The discovery of two interesting objects on the same plate, coupled with
inconsistent communications because of World War II, caused some confusion in the USA and a potentially interesting periodic comet was followed
for barely a month.
A photographic plate exposed by Y. Visl (University of Turku, Finland)
on 1942 March 11.86 revealed the presence of two objects which were designated 1942 EA and 1942 EC. Both were described as stellar, with the
former being magnitude 13 and the latter being magnitude 14. The latter
object was also said to have rapid motion. The object 1942 EA was given
a position of = 10h 56.5m , = 0 23 and a confirming observation was
obtained on March 13.77.
News of the discovery was sent to the appropriate authorities in Europe,
but a radiogram sent to Harvard College Observatory (Massachusetts, USA)
on March 17 told of only one object. The news was subsequently sent to key
observatories in the USA.
167
catalog of comets
The comet was photographed by H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) on March 18 and 19, using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and the 23-cm Schmidt. The magnitude was given as 12 and Giclas
noted, On both negatives the images are not stellar but are somewhat diffused and have the appearance of comet trails. In Europe, A. Fresa (Torino,
Italy) and J. O. Stobbe (Poznan, Poland) observed the comet on March 20 and
independently estimated the magnitude as 13. Fresa added that the comet
was stellar in appearance, while Stobbe noted it was diffuse, without a condensation. On March 21, H. Krumpholz (Vienna, Austria) observed using
the 68-cm refractor and estimated the magnitude as near 13, and described
the comet as round, nearly 20 across, with a weak condensation. On
March 22, Giclas photographed the comet again with the 33-cm A. Lawrence
Lowell Astrograph and gave the magnitude as 12.
Despite several attempts, Giclas was unable to locate the comet after the
March 22 observation, even after the receipt of an ephemeris around midApril. He wrote, More than 900 square degrees of the sky were examined
with a [20-cm] Schmidt, as well as other suspected regions with matched
13-inch plates.
The comet was last detected on April 17.88 by L. Oterma (University of
Turku). The position was given as = 12h 11.8m , = +37 04 .
The first orbit was calculated by Visl using several positions obtained
on six nights. The resulting perihelion date was 1942 February 16.21. M. E.
Stahr and L. E. Salanave took positions from March 12, 18, and 22, and calculated an orbit. They said the five available positions were very inconsistent
and therefore only provided an ephemeris. It later turned out that the March
12 position was in error.
The first elliptical orbit was calculated by Visl. He took positions from
March 11, 25, and April 12, and calculated a perihelion date of February
15.82 and a period of 85.52 years.
Oterma (1971, 1972) took 34 positions obtained between March 11 and
April 17. She determined the perihelion date as 1942 February 15.82 and
the period as 85.42 years. She suggested the orbital period was uncertain by
1.42 years.
T
1942 Feb. 15.8195 (TT)
(2000.0)
335.2229 172.2906
i
37.9961
q
e
1.287079 0.933639

full moon: Mar. 3, Apr. 1, Apr. 30
sources: Y. Visl, IAUC, No. 904 (1942 Mar. 14); Y. Visl, HAC, No. 619
(1942 Mar. 17); Y. Visl, IAUC, No. 906 (1942 Mar. 20); H. L. Giclas, HAC, No.
621 (1942 Mar. 24); A. Fresa, IAUC, No. 907 (1942 Mar. 24); J. O. Stobbe and H.
Krumpholz, IAUC, No. 908 (1942 Apr. 4); M. E. Stahr and L. E. Salanave, HAC,
No. 623 (1942 Apr. 13); Y. Visl, IAUC, No. 910 (1942 Apr. 25); A. Fresa, IAUC,
No. 912 (1942 May 29); H. Krumpholz, AN, 274 (1943 Jul.Aug.), pp. 478; H. L.
Giclas, PASP, 56 (1944 Apr.), pp. 867; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.), p. 63;
168
catalog of comets
V1964, p. 74; Y. Visl and L. Oterma, Astronomia-Optika Institucio Universitato
de Turku Informo, No. 35 (1971), pp. 16; L. Oterma, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 25, 47.
26P/Grigg Recovered: 1942 April 11.11 ( = 0.85 AU, r = 1.07 AU, Elong. = 70)
Skjellerup Last seen: 1942 July 12.15 ( = 0.39 AU, r = 1.14 AU, Elong. = 97)
1942 V = 1942d Calculated path: ORI (Rec), MON (Apr. 20), GEM (May 6), CMi (May 7), GEM
(May 11), CNC (May 20), LEO (Jun. 6), LMi (Jun. 11), UMa (Jun. 16), CVn
(Jun. 23), BOO (Jul. 4)
F. R. Cripps (1941) took the predicted orbit for the 1937 return, corrected
the perihelion date using observations obtained during 1937, and applied
perturbations for the period 193742. He predicted this comet would next
arrive at perihelion on 1942 May 23.25.
comet on a 22-minute exposure obtained with the 61-cm reflector on 1942
April 11.11. The position was given as = 5h 56.5m , = +3 48 . The comet
was described as a small, round, diffuse coma about 15 across. There was
a nucleus, and the magnitude was 15.5. The comet was only 4.4 from the
predicted position. An independent recovery was obtained on May 9.46, by
S. Kanda (Tokyo Observatory, Japan). He estimated the magnitude as 10. At
the time of the recovery, the comet was about 1 month from perihelion and
about 2 months from its closest approach to Earth.
On April 12 and 13, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the
61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 15.5. On April 18, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 15. He said the fuzzy nucleus measured
15 across and was situated within a very faint coma 1.2 across. On May 2,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14. He said the coma
extended mostly towards PA 280. On the 9th, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 13. He said the nucleus was only 10 across,
while the coma extended into a broad fan on the preceding side. On
May 19, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 12. He said
the fairly sharp nucleus was surrounded by a faint coma expanding on the
preceding side into a fan of 100 aperture, that can be followed to about 1.5
from the nucleus.
On June 5, van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet using the 61-cm
reflector and gave the magnitude as 9.4. He described the coma as very
diffuse with a diameter of about 5 . He said there was no visible nucleus.
On the 9th, van Biesbroeck gave the visual magnitude as 9.4, while H. L.
Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) photographed the comet using
the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and gave the magnitude as 12.
Van Biesbroeck said the coma was about 3 across, with no nucleus visible.
On the 15th, van Biesbroeck visually observed using the 61-cm reflector
and gave the magnitude as 9.1. He said the coma was 4 across. The nucleus
was diffuse and on the preceding side of the coma which is fan shaped,
169
catalog of comets
pointing toward 290. On the 17th, van Biesbroeck visually observed using
the reflector and gave the magnitude as 10.0. He said the coma was 5 across.
On the 19th, van Biesbroeck visually observed using the reflector and gave
the magnitude as 10.2. The comet attained its most northerly declination of
+42 on June 27.
On July 3, van Biesbroeck said the comet was similar in size and condensation to nearby NGC 5371, but about 1 magnitude fainter or about magnitude
12. On July 7, van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet using the 10-cm
finder and gave the magnitude as 12. He said the coma was 3 across and
contained an almost stellar nucleus of magnitude 14.
The comet was last detected on July 12.15, when van Biesbroeck found it
on a 16-minute exposure made with the 61-cm reflector. The position was
given as = 15h 15.2m , = +36 07 . No physical description was obtained.
B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1972, 1973) used 36 positions obtained
between 1942 and 1961, as well as perturbations by all nine planets and
nongravitational terms, and determined the perihelion date as May 23.38
and the orbital period as 4.90 years. Marsden, Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans
(1973) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.03 and A2 = 0.0025.
This orbit is given below.
T
1942 May 23.3800 (TT)
(2000.0)
356.3493 216.1166
i
17.6173
q
e
0.856003 0.703466

full moon: Apr. 1, Apr. 30, May 30, Jun. 28, Jul. 27
sources: F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1942 (1941 Nov.), p. 19; G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 623 (1942 Apr. 13); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 624 (1942
Apr. 16); S. Kanda, IAUC, No. 911 (1942 May 12); G. van Biesbroeck and S.
Kanda, The Observatory, 64 (1942 Jun.), p. 276; F. R. Cripps, MNRAS, 103 (1943),
pp. 11213; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1943 Mar. 26), pp. 11417; H. L. Giclas, AJ,
51 (1944 Aug.), p. 63; V1964, p. 75; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, CCO, 1st ed.
(1972), pp. 25, 47; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973
Mar.), pp. 214, 216.
37P/1942 L1 Recovered: 1942 June 15.35 ( = 1.42 AU, r = 1.66 AU, Elong. = 85)
(Forbes) Last seen: 1942 October 5.36 ( = 1.26 AU, r = 2.25 AU, Elong. = 174)
1942 III Calculated path: PSC (Rec), CET (Jun. 26), PSC (Oct. 6)
This comet was missed at its predicted return of 1935. F. R. Cripps (1934)
and H. Q. Rasmusen (1934) independently began with an orbit calculated for
the 1929 apparitions and applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. The
result was a predicted perihelion date of 1935 November 16.18 by Cripps
and November 16.00 by Rasmusen. These calculations revealed this was an
unfavorable apparition, as the comet was at a small solar elongation when
at maximum brightness.
170
catalog of comets
Two predictions became available for the upcoming 1942 apparition.

F. R. Cripps (1941) took his predicted orbit for the 1935 apparition and
applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. He predicted the comet would
next arrive at perihelion on 1942 April 16.90. N. Makarov (1942) took an
orbit for the 1929 apparition and integrated it up to this apparition by
applying perturbations by Venus to Saturn. The result was a perihelion of
April 17.76.
June 15.35. The position was given as = 0h 04.4m , = 4 50 . The comet
appeared on two plates as a 15th-magnitude object possessing a tail extending about 1 in PA 270. The position indicated the actual perihelion date
was only 0.5 day earlier than predicted by Cripps, and 1.25 days earlier than
predicted by Makarov.
Observations were made on two nights during July. Van Biesbroeck photographed the comet with the 61-cm reflector on the 11th and 12th. He
estimated the magnitude as 15.5 and said the coma was diffuse and about
20 across. H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) detected the
comet with the 33-cm Lawrence Lowell telescope on the 12th and estimated
the magnitude as 12.
Although well placed, the comet was not observed during August. It
attained its most northerly declination of +2 on August 20. It was photographed in September by van Biesbroeck, who was then using the 208-cm
reflector at McDonald Observatory in Texas. On the 4th he estimated the
magnitude as 15 and said there was a well-defined nucleus within a very
faint coma. The coma was about 20 across and extended mostly into the
first quadrant. Van Biesbroeck also said there was a trace of a tail extending
45 in PA 15. He estimated the magnitude as 16 on the 11th and simply
noted the nucleus was fainter than on the 4th. On the 13th van Biesbroeck
estimated the magnitude as 16.5 and said the nucleus was faint, but fairly
sharp.
The comet was last detected on October 4.30 and 5.36, when van
Biesbroeck photographed it with the 208-cm reflector at McDonald Observatory. He estimated the magnitude as 18 for each night. The 15-minute
exposure on the 4th showed a much less sharp nucleus, while a 20minute exposure on the 5th revealed a very fuzzy nucleus and a little changed coma. The comets position on the latter night was given as
= 0h 24.7m , = 0 00 .
1969, 1972). He applied perturbations by all nine planets and applied
nongravitational forces after 1968. The result was a perihelion date of
April 16.4116.42 and a period of 6.43 years. Marsden (1968) noted a
secular deceleration. Marsden (1969) gave the nongravitational terms as
A1 = +0.28845, A2 = +0.021529, and B2 = +1.2457. Marsden, Z. Sekanina,
171
catalog of comets
and D. K. Yeomans (1973) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.14

and A2 = +0.0733. The orbit of Marsden (1969) is given below.
T
1942 Apr. 16.4168 (TT)
(2000.0)
259.6593
26.2565
i
4.6288
q
e
1.548694 0.552045

full moon: Jun. 28, Jul. 27, Aug. 26, Sep. 24, Oct. 24
sources: F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1935 (1934), p. 29; H. Q. Rasmusen, AN,
253 (1934 Nov. 13), pp. 4258; F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1942 (1941 Nov.),
p. 18; G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 626 (1942 Jun. 18); N. Makarov, HAC, No.
627 (1942 Jul. 3); N. Makarov, AJ, 50 (1942 Aug. 13), pp. 338; MNRAS, 103
(1943), pp. 112113; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1943 Dec. 3), pp. 1668; G. van
Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1944 Feb. 29), pp. 1834; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.), p. 63;
QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31415; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.), pp. 725, 727;
B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 10 (1969 Sep.), pp. 2523; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 13 (1972
Sep.), pp. 4301; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973
Mar.), p. 213.
14P/Wolf Recovered: 1942 November 5.40 ( = 1.64 AU, r = 2.61 AU, Elong. = 164)
1942 VI Closest to the Earth: 1942 October 25 (1.6224 AU)
Calculated path: CET (Rec), ERI (Nov. 20), CET (Dec. 8)
W. P. Henderson and H. Whichello (1941) took M. Kamienskis orbit for
the 1934 apparition and applied perturbations for the period of 193442.
They predicted this comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1942 June
7.59. S. Kanda (1942) took the orbit calculated by M. Kamensky for the
1934 apparition and applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. Kanda
predicted the comet would next pass perihelion on June 23.55.
W. H. W. Baade (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) recovered
this comet on a 1-hour exposure obtained with the 254-cm reflector on
1942 November 5.40. The position was given as = 2h 59.4m , = +1
33 and the magnitude was given as 19.3. The comet was confirmed on
1-hour exposures obtained on November 6.29 and November 9.41. All
three of the photographic plates revealed a semi-stellar head with a faint
tail extending about 16 in PA 300. Baade gave the magnitude as 18.6 on
November 6.
The final observations were obtained by Baade, using the 254-cm reflector,
on December 11.24 and December 12.24. The position on the final date was
given as = 2h 42.0m , = 4 00 .
D. K. Yeomans (1975, 1978), and E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya (1977, 1978)
and these revealed a perihelion date of June 23.57 and a period of 8.29 years.
Yeomans (1975) and Kazimirchak-Polonskaya (1977) said nongravitational
172
catalog of comets
effects were apparently no longer active. The orbit of Yeomans is given

below.
T
1942 Jun. 23.5659 (TT)
(2000.0)
160.9628 205.0468
i
27.2976
q
e
2.437382 0.404776

full moon: Oct. 24, Nov. 22, Dec. 22
sources: W. P. Henderson and H. Whichello, BAA Handbook for 1942 (1941
Nov.), p. 20; S. Kanda, Tokyo Astronomical Bulletin, No. 615 (1942 Feb. 24),
p. 1229; W. H. W. Baade, HAC, No. 638 (1942 Nov. 12); W. H. W. Baade, PASP,
54 (1942 Dec.), pp. 25960; W. P. Henderson, H. Whichello, and W. H. W. Baade,
MNRAS, 103 (1943), pp. 11213; W. H. W. Baade, IAUC, No. 933 (1943 Jan. 5);
W. H. W. Baade, AJ, 50 (1943 Jul. 30), p. 142; M. Kamienski, AcA, 9 (1959),
pp. 6672; V1964, p. 75; D. K. Yeomans, PASP, 87 (1975 Aug.), pp. 6357; E. I.
Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, SvA, 21 (1977 Jan.Feb.), pp. 10712; D. K. Yeomans
and E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 523, 57.
38P/1942 V1 Prediscovery: 1942 November 5.23 ( = 0.74 AU, r = 1.69 AU,

(Stephan Elong. = 152)
Oterma) Discovered: 1942 November 6.00 ( = 0.74 AU, r = 1.68 AU, Elong. = 153)
Last seen: 1943 May 2.12 ( = 2.26 AU, r = 2.28 AU, Elong. = 78)
1942 IX = 1942f Closest to the Earth: 1942 December 7 (0.6308 AU)
Calculated path: TAU (Pre), PER (Jan. 13), AUR (Jan. 26), PER (Jan. 30), AUR
(Feb. 2), LYN (Apr. 10)
L. Oterma (Turku University Observatory, Finland) discovered this comet
on minor planet survey plate L4918, which was exposed on 1942 November
6.00. She gave the position as = 4h 11.1m , = +0 35 . The magnitude was
estimated as 13 and the comet was described as diffuse, without a condensation. Y. Visl (Turku University Observatory) confirmed the discovery
on November 6.84. It was described as magnitude 13, with a slow northward motion. A short time after the announcement, F. L. Whipple (Harvard
College Observatory, Massachusetts, USA) found a prediscovery image on a
patrol plate exposed on November 5.23. The magnitude was then estimated
as 13. In the USA, the comet was referred to as Oterma 2 until first orbital
computations became available.
It should be noted that some publications, including the Monthly Notices of
the Royal Astronomical Society and The Observatory, reported that Oterma discovered a comet on 1942 September 11, with the former publication claiming
this was the first observation of periodic comet StephanOterma. In reality,
the September observation was an accidental observation of periodic comet
SchwassmannWachmann 1.
USA) gave the magnitude as 10.6. He said the round coma measured
3 across and was centrally condensed into a sharp nucleus. He added,
173
catalog of comets
The coma is brightest in the second quadrant suggesting an embryonic

tail in that direction. On the 12th, J. M. Vinter Hansen (Lick Observatory,
California, USA) photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and gave the magnitude as 12. On the 13th and 14th, van Biesbroeck
visually observed the comet and gave the magnitudes as 10.6 and 10.6,
respectively. On the 17th, H. E. Burton (US Naval Observatory, Washington,
DC, USA) visually observed using the 66-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 13. He described the comet as diffuse, with a nucleus. On the
18th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10.5. On November 27, van
Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10.2. He said there was a short tail in the
second quadrant.
On December 1, H. Krumpholz (Vienna, Austria) gave the magnitude as
10.5. He said the coma was 23 across and contained a distinct condensation. On the 2nd, van Biesbroeck gave the visual magnitude as 10.0, while
H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) gave the photographic
magnitude as 12. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 3 across. On the 3rd,
van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.7. On the 4th, Krumpholz gave
the magnitude as 10.2. On the 5th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as
9.3. He said a fan-shaped tail pointing towards PA 130 emanated from a
well-defined nucleus, while a very diffuse tail extended 12 in PA 255. On
the 13th and 14th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.2. On the 30th,
Giclas photographed the comet using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and gave the magnitude as 12. On December 31, Krumpholz noted
the comet was very faint in the 30-cm refractor and it was invisible in the
finder.
Because of the interruption of communications between various countries
during World War II, word of this comet failed to reach many observatories. Consequently, the comet was independently found on December 26,
by G. A. Tevzadze (Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory, Georgia). He
estimated the magnitude as 10. His colleague E. K. Kharadze was able to
photograph the comet on December 26.68, and gave the position as = 4h
02.1m , = +23 09 . Kharadze also gave the magnitude as 10. The comet
was referred to in Russian publications as Tevzadze 1.
On 1943 January 4, Krumpholz gave the photographic magnitude as 11.
He said the coma was 1 across and contained a condensation. On the 6th,
gave the magnitude as 10. On the 7th, the photographic magnitude was
given as 10 by Kharadze and 12 by Krumpholz. On the 12th, van Biesbroeck
obtained a 1-minute exposure using the reflector and gave the magnitude
as 10. On the 26th and 27th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 11. He said there was a sharp nucleus and the coma spread into a
broad fan towards PA 130. On January 27, Kharadze gave the photographic
magnitude as 10.
The interruption of wartime communications allowed another independent discovery on January 30.80, when G. N. Neujmin (Kitab, Uzbekistan)
174
catalog of comets
found the comet on a photograph and gave the position as = 4h 41m ,

= +36 18 . Although he initially estimated the magnitude as 10, he later
revised this to 11.0. He confirmed the comet on January 31.
On February 3, Neujmin gave the photographic magnitude as 11.0. On
the 3rd and 4th, D. Y. Martynov (Engelhardt Observatory, Kazan, Russia)
found the comet on photographic plates obtained by his colleague N. I. Tchudovitchev, using the 12-cm Zeiss Astro-Tessar. He estimated the magnitude
as 12.0. On the 4th, Neujmin gave the photographic magnitude as 12.0. On
the 7th and 8th, Martynov was able to locate a faint nebulous object of magnitude 11 on plates exposed by Tchudovitchev. On the 8th, P. G. Kulikovsky
(Swerdlowsk, Ukraine) photographed the comets position using the 16-cm
refractor, but no trace was found. He noted that the limiting magnitude at
the center of the plate was 14.5. On February 27, van Biesbroeck visually
observed the comet using the 102-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as
13. He said there was a sharp nucleus of magnitude 14.5, and a tail extended
1 in PA 95. On March 8 and 10, Kulikovsky photographed the comets position, but no trace was found. He noted that the limiting magnitude at the
center of the plate was 14.5. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +41 on March 13. On March 31, van Biesbroeck obtained a 10-minute
exposure using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. He added
that there was a sharp nucleus, and the coma mostly extended towards PA
100. On April 2, van Biesbroeck obtained a 6-minute exposure using the
reflector and said the nucleus was almost stellar, while the coma extended
2 in PA 110. On April 9, van Biesbroeck obtained a 10-minute exposure and
gave the magnitude as 15.5. He said the coma was less condensed than during previous observations and extended in a broad fan towards the second
quadrant.
The comet was last detected on May 2.12, when van Biesbroeck obtained
a 10-minute exposure with the 208-cm reflector. The position was given as
= 8h 17.9m , = +36 44 . He estimated the magnitude as 17, and said
the nucleus was hazy and about 10 across. Van Biesbroeck added that the
extension of the coma towards PA 120 was barely visible.
The first orbit was calculated by Oterma using three precise positions that
she measured on November 6 and 8. The perihelion date was given as 1942
December 23.42. By mid-November, it became apparent that the comet was
moving in a short-period orbit, as Whipple took positions from November
5, 11, and 14, and determined the perihelion date as December 18.86 and
the period as 41.4 years. He added that the orbit was essentially identical to that of comet 1867 I (Stephan). The breakdown of communications
during World War II prevented news of the comet from reaching numerous
countries, including Russia. Subsequently, following the independent discovery of the comet by Tevzadze, A. D. Dubiago independently identified
the comet with Stephans comet of 1867.
Additional elliptical orbits were calculated by Oterma, J. Bobone, and
Dubiago, which established the period as 38 or 39 years.
175
catalog of comets
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by M. Y. Shmakova (1971,

1972), E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya and L. M. Belous (1974), Belous and
Kazimirchak-Polonskaya (1979), D. K. Yeomans (1982, 1985, 1986), Belous
(1985), P. Rocher (1995), and K. Kinoshita (2003). Planetary perturbations
were considered by everyone, with Rocher and Kinoshita also applying
nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion date of December 19.07
19.09 and a period of 38.8438.88 years. Nongravitational terms were given
as A1 = 0.46215 and A2 = 0.17296 by Rocher and A1 = 0.146460 and
A2 = 0.003112 by Kinoshita. Kinoshitas orbit is given below.
T
1942 Dec. 19.0886 (TT)
(2000.0)
358.2903
79.2869
i
17.9018
q
e
1.595294 0.860988

full moon: Oct. 24, Nov. 22, Dec. 22 1943, Jan. 21, Feb. 20, Mar. 21, Apr. 20,
May 19
sources: L. Oterma, The Observatory, 64 (1942 Oct.), p. 339; L. Oterma, IAUC, No.
924 (1942 Nov. 9); L. Oterma, HAC, No. 637 (1942 Nov. 10); F. L. Whipple and G.
van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 638 (1942 Nov. 12); L. Oterma, IAUC, No. 925 (1942
Nov. 12); F. L. Whipple, J. M. Vinter Hansen, and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No.
640 (1942 Nov. 16); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 641 (1942 Dec. 3); L. Oterma, IAUC, No.
927 (1942 Dec. 3); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 643 (1942 Dec. 15); J. Bobone and
F. L. Whipple, MNRAS, 103 (1943), pp. 11213; F. L. Whipple, G. van Biesbroeck,
and J. M. Vinter Hansen, IAUC, No. 933 (1943 Jan. 5); G. A. Tevzadze, HAC, No.
648 (1943 Jan. 8); A. D. Dubiago and G. A. Tevzadze, HAC, No. 650 (1943 Feb.
8); G. A. Tevzadze, E. K. Kharadze, G. N. Neujmin, D. Y. Martynov, N. I. Tchudovitchev, and A. D. Dubiago, ATsir, No. 11 (1943 Feb. 12); G. N. Neujmin, D. Y.
Martynov, and N. I. Tchudovitchev, ATsir, No. 12 (1943 Mar. 1); P. G. Kulikovsky,
ATsir, No. 14 (1943 Apr. 20); F. L. Whipple, The Observatory, 65 (1943 Apr.), p. 19;
A. D. Dubiago, ATsir, No. 17 (1943 Jun. 14); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1943 Dec.
3), pp. 1668; G. van Biesbroeck and H. E. Burton, AJ, 50 (1944 Feb. 29), pp. 183
4, 1867; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.), p. 63; J. Bobone and A. D. Dubiago,
MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11011, 113; H. Krumpholz, AN, 275 (1947 Oct. 24),
pp. 1857; V1964, p. 75; M. Y. Shmakova, QJRAS, 12 (1971 Sep.), pp. 2689, 272;
M. Y. Shmakova, IAUS, No. 45 (1972), pp. 2035; E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya
and L. M. Belous, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4523, 459; L. Oterma, MPC, No.
4424 (1978 Aug. 1); L. Oterma and Y. Visl, Astronomia-Optika Institucio Universitato de Turku Informo, No. 41 (1978 Dec. 20), pp. 1013; L. M. Belous and E. I.
Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 25, 51; D. K. Yeomans, CCO,
4th ed. (1982), pp. 21, 53; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 26 (1985 Mar.), p. 104; L. M.
Belous, QJRAS, 26 (1985 Sep.), pp. 3089; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Dec.),
p. 604; personal correspondence from P. Rocher (1995); personal correspondence
from K. Kinoshita (2003).
C/1942 X1 Prediscovery: 1942 November 5.34 ( = 1.22 AU, r = 1.90 AU, Elong.
(Whipple = 117)
FedtkeTevzadze) Discovered: 1942 December 8.24 ( = 0.74 AU, r = 1.61 AU, Elong. = 138)
Last seen: 1943 August 2.13 ( = 2.70 AU, r = 2.74 AU, Elong. = 81)
176
catalog of comets
1943 I Closest to the Earth: 1943 January 25 (0.4304 AU)

Calculated path: MON (Pre), GEM (Nov. 8), CMi (Nov. 10), GEM (Nov. 25),
CMi (Nov. 28), GEM (Nov. 30), CNC (Dec. 9), LYN (1943 Jan. 9), LMi (Jan.
13), LYN (Jan. 17), LMi (Jan. 19), UMa (Jan. 20), CVn (Mar. 14), COM (May
6), VIR (Jun. 19), BOO (Jun. 24), VIR (Jul. 12)
F. L. Whipple (Harvard College Observatory, Masschusetts, USA) was in the
process of examining Harvard patrol plates when he found this comet on
a plate exposed on 1942 December 8.24. The position was given as = 7h
50.2m , = +15 24 . The comet was described as magnitude 10, and was
diffuse with a nucleus. Whipple subsequently found prediscovery images
on about 20 patrol plates, with the earliest having been exposed on November 5.34, at which time the magnitude was about 12. He pointed out that
good quality patrol plates exposed during October did not reveal the
comet. Whipples magnitude estimates were 12 on November 17.34, 11 on
November 29.32, 10 on December 4.40, and 10 on December 7.32. C. Fedtke
(Konigsberg,
now Kaliningrad, Russia) independently discovered the comet

on December 11.
Because of the breakdown of communications during World War II,
an independent discovery was made by G. A. Tevzadze (Abastumani
Astrophysical Observatory, Georgia) on December 28. His colleague E. K.
Kharadze was able to photograph the comet on December 28.80, and gave
the position as = 8h 33.5m , = +25 04 . Kharadze also gave the
magnitude as 7. The comet was referred to in Russian publications as
Tevzadze 2.
On December 13, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin,
USA) gave the magnitude as 7.6. He said the coma was 7 across, with a
well-defined nucleus, while a slender tail extended 45 in PA 280. On the
14th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8. He said a tail extended 40
in PA 280. On the 15th, H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA)
and gave the magnitude as 7. On the 16th, the magnitude was given as 7
by Giclas, and 8 by J. M. Vinter Hansen (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
and van Biesbroeck. On the 19th, A. Model (Munich, Germany) gave the
magnitude as 7.06. He said the coma was 5 across. On the 27th, Model gave
the magnitude as 6.72 and nuclear magnitude as 9.5. On the 28th, M. Beyer
(Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) visually observed the comet
using a 5-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 6.28. On December 30,
Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 7.
On 1943 January 3, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.74. He determined the
nuclear magnitude as 8.16, the coma diameter as 15 , and added that the tail
extended 0.8 in PA 270. On the 4th, J. Junkes (Vatican Observatory, Italy)
photographed the comet and said the tail extended toward PA 262. On the
5th, the magnitude was given as 5.7 by Model and 5.8 by van Biesbroeck.
Model said the coma was 7 across and the nuclear magnitude was 9, while
177
catalog of comets
the tail extended 0.3 in PA 277. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 12 across
and contained a sharp nucleus. He added, The tail starts out as a threadlike filament but it soon broadens out and divides in lateral branches. On
the 6th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.77. Beyer determined the nuclear
magnitude as 8.0, the coma diameter as 14 , and added that the tail extended
0.7 in PA 263. H. E. Burton (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA)
said the comet was easily visible in the 5-cm finder, while a photograph with
the 66-cm refractor revealed a stellar nucleus. On the 7th, the magnitude was
given as 5.73 by Beyer and 6.2 by H. Krumpholz (Vienna, Austria). Beyer
gave the nuclear magnitude as 8.3, and added that the tail extended 0.4 in
PA 269. Krumpholz said the coma was 3 across and possessed a starlike
nucleus.
On January 8, Beyer gave the naked-eye magnitude as 5.50 and Giclas
gave the photographic magnitude as 7. Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 8.1, the coma diameter as 16 , and added that the tail extended 0.6
in PA 266. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.41. He determined
the nuclear magnitude as 8.7, the coma diameter as 13 , and added that the
tail extended 0.5 in PA 259. On the 10th, the magnitude was given as 5.16
by Beyer, 5.33 by Model, 5.4 by Krumpholz, and 5.8 by K. Himpel (Vienna,
Austria). Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 8.7, the coma diameter as 15 , and added that the tail extended 0.6 in PA 260. Krumpholz
said the round coma was 10 across and contained a starlike condensation
of magnitude 8. On the 11th, E. Buchar (Prague, Czech Republic) gave the
magnitude as 5.9. He said the coma was 10 in diameter. On the 12th, the magnitude was given as 5.3 by van Biesbroeck, 6 by A. M. Bakharev (Stalinabad,
now Dushanbe, Tajikistan), and 6.0 by Buchar. On the 13th, Model gave the
naked-eye magnitude as 5.3. He said the nuclear magnitude was about 8.75,
while the tail extended 0.5 in PA 257. J. L. Smith (US Naval Observatory)
said a photograph with the 66-cm refractor revealed considerable coma,
but no apparent tail. On January 14, Model gave the naked-eye magnitude
as 4.73, while Bakharev gave the magnitude as 5.54, using a 17-cm comet
seeker. Model said the coma was 11 across and the nuclear magnitude was
about 8.75, while the tail extended 0.6 in PA 250. Bakharev noted traces of
a tail.
On January 16, the magnitude was given as 4.47 by Model. L. Gialanella
(Monte Mario, Rome, Italy) gave the magnitude of the nuclear region as
7.22. On the 17th, the magnitude was given as 4.57 by Model. Gialanella
gave the magnitude of the nuclear region as 6.64. Model said the coma was
14 across, while the tail extended 0.35 in PA 250. M. Timmers (Vatican
Observatory) photographed the comet and said the tail extended toward
PA 241. On the 18th, the magnitude was given as 4.12 by Model and 4.34
by Beyer. Gialanella gave the magnitude of the nuclear region as 7.15. Model
said the coma was 12 across and the nuclear magnitude was about 9. On
the 19th, the magnitude was given as 3.79 by Beyer and 4.99 by Bakharev.
Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 7.0, and added that the tail
178
catalog of comets
extended 0.7 in PA 247. Bakharev noted a tail 1.5 long. On January 20,
Model observed the comet using 6 30 binoculars and gave the magnitude
as 4.37. He said the coma was 9 across and the nuclear magnitude was
about 9.25.
On January 23, Buchar gave the naked-eye magnitude as 4.6. He said
the coma was 10 across. On the 24th, the magnitude was given as 4.04.5
by Buchar and 4.15 by Beyer. Buchar said the coma was 12 in diameter.
Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 6.78, the coma diameter as 19 ,
and added that the tail extended 1.1 in PA 237. On the 25th, the magnitude was given as 3.84 by Beyer, 3.9 by G. A. Lange (Kitob, Uzbekistan) and
Krumpholz, 4.3 by W. Gliese (Potsdam Observatory, Germany), and 5.0 by
Himpel. Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 6.80, the coma diameter as 21 , and added that the tail extended 1.6 in PA 236. On the 26th,
the magnitude was given as 3.9 by van Biesbroeck, 3.92 by Beyer, 4.21 by
Bakharev, 4.4 by Gliese, and 4.5 by A. V. Soloviev (Stalinabad). Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 6.5, the coma diameter as 28 , and added
that the tail extended 1.5 in PA 238. Bakharev said the nucleus and coma
had grown since his previous observation. On the 27th, the visual magnitude was given as 3.9 by van Biesbroeck and Lange, 4.2 by Gliese, 4.35 by
Bakharev, and 4.5 by Soloviev. Kharadze gave the photographic magnitude
as 6. Bakharev noted a sharply defined nucleus and a tail 200 long that
exhibited complex structure. Junkes and Timmers photographed the comet
and said the tail extended toward PA 230. On the 28th, Gliese gave the
naked-eye magnitude as 4.4. Junkes and Timmers photographed the comet
and said the tail extended toward PA 233. On the 29th, the magnitude was
given as 4.1 by Buchar, 4.2 by Lange, 4.244.30 by Model, 4.3 by Gliese, 4.48
by C. Votrubec (Vodnany, Czech Republic), 4.51 by Bakharev, and 4.8 by
Soloviev. Model said the coma was 16 across, while the tail extended 0.4
in PA 235 on Jan. 29.01 and he said the coma was 15 across, while the tail
extended 0.4 in PA 240 on Jan. 29.82. Votrubec said the coma was 7.77
across. On January 30, the magnitude was given as 4.0 by Lange, 4.19 by
Beyer, 4.2 by van Biesbroeck, 4.34 by Bakharev, and 4.7 by Soloviev. Beyer
determined the nuclear magnitude as 6.8, and added that the tail extended
1.2 in PA 234.
On January 31, the magnitude was given as 3.96 by Votrubec, 4.2 by Lange,
4.20 by Beyer, 4.26 by Model, 4.4 by Buchar, 4.47 by Bakharev, 5.0 by Soloviev,
and 5.1 by Himpel. Votrubec said the coma was 7.80 across. Beyer said the
coma diameter was 22 , and added that the tail extended 1.6 in PA 235.
Model said the tail extended 0.7 in PA 228. Buchar said the coma was 20
across. Bakharev said the tail was 210 long.
On February 1, the magnitude was given as 4.4 by Buchar and Krumpholz,
and 5.0 by Himpel. Buchar said the coma diameter was 20 , while the tail
extended 3 in PA 240. Krumpholz said the coma was 10 across. On the
2nd, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 4.2 and S. J. V. Arend (Royal
Observatory, Uccle, Belgium) gave it as 5.5. Arend added that the central
179
catalog of comets
condensation was magnitude 6.9. On the 3rd, the magnitude was given
as 4.4 by Krumpholz, 4.47 by Bakharev, 4.5 by Lange, and 4.52 by Beyer.
Gialanella gave the magnitude of the nuclear region as 6.33. Krumpholz
said the coma was 12 across, and contained a starlike nucleus of magnitude
8. Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 7.41, the coma diameter as 21 ,
and added that the tail extended 1.3 in PA 231. A. Zirwes (Vatican Observatory) photographed the comet and said the tail extended toward PA 225.
On the 3rd, 4th, and 7th, D. Y. Martynov (Engelhardt Observatory, Kazan,
Russia) gave the visual magnitude as 5.08. N. I. Tchudovitchev (Engelhardt
Observatory) obtained 60-minute exposures using the 12-cm Zeiss AstroTessar, which Martynov said revealed a well developed tail, reaching over
6 in length, and changing its form and structure. The coma is very bright
and attains about 20 in diameter. On the 4th, the magnitude was given
as 4.6 by Lange, 4.74.8 by Himpel, 4.84 by Bakharev, and 5.3 by Soloviev.
On the 5th, the magnitude was given as 4.72 by Model, and 4.8 by Himpel
and Gliese. Model said the coma was 14 across, while the tail extended
0.7 in PA 229. On the 6th, the magnitude was given as 4.43 by Beyer, and
4.7 by F. Succi (Rome, Italy) and Buchar. Gialanella gave the magnitude of
the nuclear region as 7.63. Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 7.2,
the coma diameter as 20 , and added that the tail extended 1.0 in PA 236.
Timmers photographed the comet and said the tail extended toward PA
223. On February 7, the magnitude was given as 4.364.57 by Beyer, 4.84
by Bakharev, and 5.0 by Gliese and by Arend. Beyer determined the nuclear
magnitude as 7.2, the coma diameter as 22 , and added that the tail extended
1.6 in PA 230. Arend added that the central condensation was magnitude
7.0. Timmers photographed the comet and said the tail extended toward
PA 222.
On February 8, the magnitude was within the range 4.145.1, according
to Bakharev, Lange, Votrubec, Soloviev, Krumpholz, Beyer, Buchar, Himpel,
van Biesbroeck, Martynov, and Gliese, with an average of 4.6. Buchar said
the coma was 15 in diameter. Beyer said the tail extended 1.6 in PA 227. On
the 9th, the magnitude was given as 4.114.19 by Votrubec and 4.35 by M. E.
Nabokov (Shatsk, Russia), 4.4 by Buchar, and 4.6 by Himpel. Nabokov said
the tail was about 0.5 long. Buchar said the coma diameter was 16 , while
the tail extended 1.5 in PA 235. On the 10th, the magnitude was given
as 4.17 by Nabokov and 4.74.8 by Gliese. Nabokov said the tail was 1.5
long with a head 1530 across. Timmers photographed the comet and said
the tail extended toward PA 230. On the 11th, the magnitude was given as
4.47 by Beyer, 4.84 by Bakharev, and 4.97 by Votrubec. Beyer determined the
nuclear magnitude as 6.64, the coma diameter as 29 , and added that the tail
extended 0.9 in PA 229. Votrubec said the coma was 7.78 across. On the
12th, Himpel observed the comet using 3 49 binoculars. On the 13th, the
magnitude was given as 4.01 by Nabokov and 4.19 by Votrubec. Votrubec
said the coma was 8.84 across. On February 14, Gliese observed using
6 30 binoculars and gave the magnitude as 5.6.
180
catalog of comets
On February 15, A. Weber (Berlin-Steglitz, Germany) observed using

6 30 binoculars and gave the magnitude as 5.4. On the 16th, van Biesbroeck
gave the naked-eye magnitude as 3.8. On the 17th, the magnitude was given
as 3.8 by Weber, using a 4 20 monocular, and 4.38 by Beyer, using the
naked eye. On the 18th, the magnitude was given as 3.7 by Buchar and 5.1
by Gliese. Buchar said the coma was 18 across. On the 19th, the magnitude
was given as 4.08 by Votrubec, 4.2 by Buchar, and 4.25 by Model. Votrubec
said the coma was 5.89 across. Model said the nuclear magnitude was 9.
On the 20th, Model gave the magnitude as 3.85 and said the nucleus was
shining at magnitude 9. On February 21, the magnitude was given as 3.55
by Model, 3.77 by Votrubec, 3.8 by Weber, 4.2 by Himpel and Gliese, and 4.4
by Buchar. Model said the nuclear magnitude was about 8.75. On the 22nd,
the magnitude was given as 3.75 by Votrubec, 3.9 by Himpel, 3.97 by Model,
4.0 by Buchar and van Biesbroeck, and 4.1 by Krumpholz. Votrubec said the
coma was 8.84 across. Model said the coma was 20 across, while the tail
extended 2.6 in PA 221. Buchar said the coma diameter was 28 , while
the tail extended 3 in PA 225. Krumpholz said the coma was 15 across
and contained a starlike nucleus. Zirwes photographed the comet and said
the tail extended toward PA 219. On February 23, the comet attained its
most northerly declination of +55. The magnitude was given as 3.62 by
Votrubec, 3.7 by Himpel, 3.8 by Buchar, 3.9 by Gliese and Krumpholz, 4.00
by Model and G. B. Lacchini (Triest, Italy), and 4.42 by Nabokov. Votrubec
said the coma was 9.78 across. Buchar said the coma diameter was 20 , while
the tail extended 3 in PA 224. Model said the coma was 21 across and the
nuclear magnitude was 9, while the tail extended 3.4 in PA 220. Junkes
and Zirwes photographed the comet and said the tail extended toward
PA 221.
On February 24, the magnitude was given as 3.2 by J. Ashbrook (Leesburg,
Virginia, USA), 3.52 by Nabokov, 3.8 by Krumpholz, and 3.95 by Model.
Nabokov said the tail was 56 long. Model said the coma was 27 across,
while the tail extended 6.5 in PA 220. Zirwes photographed the comet
and said the tail extended toward PA 219. On the 25th, the magnitude
was given as 3.5 by Ashbrook, 3.7 by Himpel and Krumpholz, 3.713.75
by Model, and 4.10 by Lacchini. Krumpholz said the 7 50 binoculars
revealed a tail extending 4 in PA 220, while the 75-mm seeker showed a
coma 22 across, and a tail extending 2. Krumpholz added that the 30-cm
refractor showed a nucleus measuring 45 across. Model said the coma was
27 across, while the tail extended 8.6 in PA 221. Zirwes photographed the
comet and said the tail extended toward PA 221. On the 26th, the magnitude
was given as 3.64 by Beyer, 3.7 by Ashbrook, and 3.8 by Himpel. On the
27th, the magnitude was given as 3.7 by Nabokov, 3.9 by Himpel and van
Biesbroeck, 4.19 by Votrubec, 4.2 by Ashbrook, and 4.29 by Model. Nabokov
said the comet was 1 across. Van Biesbroeck said there was a sharp nucleus
of magnitude 6.0. Votrubec said the coma was 14.14 across. Model said the
coma was 23 across, while the tail extended 4.5 in PA 220. On February 28,
181
catalog of comets
the magnitude was given as 3.9 by Buchar, 4.0 by Himpel, 4.14 by Model, 4.18
by Votrubec, and 4.58 by D. Y. Martynov (Engelhardt Observatory, Kazan,
Russia). Buchar said the coma diameter was 20 , while the tail extended 2
in PA 220. Model said the coma was 24 across and elongated towards PA
220, while the tail extended 1.3 in PA 220. Votrubec said the coma was
9.78 across. Weber said the tail was 1 long in a 5-cm refractor.
On March 1, the magnitude was given as 3.6 by Ashbrook, 3.92 by Beyer,
4.0 by van Biesbroeck, and 4.3 by Succi. Succi said the binoculars revealed
a tail extending over 8. Zirwes photographed the comet and said the tail
extended toward PA 221.
On March 2, the magnitude was given as 4.07 by Beyer, 4.1 by Krumpholz,
4.2 by Himpel, 4.37 by Votrubec, 4.38 by Model, 4.4 by Succi, 4.66 by Lacchini, and 4.9 by N. V. Ginori (Florence, Italy). Beyer determined the nuclear
magnitude as 7.50, estimated the coma diameter as 23 , and said the tail
extended 3.5 in PA 213. Krumpholz said 7 50 binoculars revealed a
coma 20 across. Votrubec said the coma was 9.78 across. Model said the
coma was 20 across, while the tail extended 3.8 in PA 213. Succi said
the coma was 1820 across. Nabokov said the tail was 89 across. Zirwes
photographed the comet and said the tail extended toward PA 212.
On March 3, the magnitude was given as 4.15 by Beyer, 4.3 by van
Biesbroeck, 4.5 by Gliese and Buchar, 4.6 by Succi, 4.61 by Model, 4.9 by
Weber, and 5.0 by Soloviev and Ginori. Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 8.56, estimated the coma diameter as 28 , and said the tail extended
2.3 in PA 213. Buchar said the coma diameter was 14 , while the tail
extended 1.3 in PA 212. Model said the coma was 21 across and elongated
towards PA 214, while the tail extended 1.0 in PA 214. Weber said the tail
extended about 2 (50-mm telescope). Zirwes photographed the comet and
said the tail extended toward PA 215.
On March 4, the magnitude was within the range 4.25.1, according
to Succi, Nabokov, Soloviev, Ashbrook, Beyer, Votrubec, Ginori, Himpel,
Krumpholz, Lacchini, and Model, with an average of 4.5. Votrubec said
the coma was 8.84 across on March 4.14 and 11.78 across on March 4.88.
Nabokov observed with 6 binoculars and said the nucleus was brighter
and displaced to the front side of the coma. Succi detected a weak tail extending about 1 in binoculars, while the coma was 15 across. Model said the
coma was 22 across and elongated towards PA 223, while the tail extended
0.5 in PA 223. Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 7.50, estimated
the coma diameter as 23 , and said the tail extended 1.7 in PA 220.
On March 5, the magnitude was given as 4.09 by Nabokov, 4.6 by Succi
and Ashbrook, 5.0 by Soloviev, and 5.1 by Ginori. Nabokov said the nucleus
was fainter than on the 4th. Succi said the tail extended 2.5 in binoculars,
while the coma was 14 across. Zirwes photographed the comet and said
the tail extended toward PA 212.
On March 6, the magnitude was given as 4.27 by Beyer, 4.3 by Himpel,
4.6 by Gliese, 4.67 by Lacchini, 4.714.86 by Martynov, and 5.2 by
182
catalog of comets
G. Zimmermann (Felde, Germany). Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 8.01, estimated the coma diameter as 23 , and said the tail extended
2.3 in PA 214. Zimmermann said the coma was about 20 across and elongated towards PA 225, while the tail extended 1.5 in PA 230 and a bright
ray extended 0.5 in PA 260.
On March 7, the magnitude was given as 4.22 by Nabokov, 4.30 by Beyer,
4.32 by Votrubec, 4.4 by Himpel, 4.6 by Gliese, 4.67 by Lacchini, 4.7 by
Krumpholz, 4.74 by Model, 4.79 by Martynov, 4.8 by Ashbrook, and 5.0 by
Weber. Nabokov observed with 6 binoculars and said the nucleus was
but little conspicuous. He added, Head growing in size. Two streamers
in the head emerged in the direction of the tail. Beyer determined the
nuclear magnitude as 8.6, estimated the coma diameter as 23 , and said
the tail extended 3.6 in PA 212. Votrubec said the coma was 8.84 across.
Model said the coma was 17 across, while the tail extended 1.3 in PA
216. Zimmermann said one tail extended 3 in PA 230, and a second tail
extended 2 in PA 260.
On March 8, the magnitude was within the range 4.35.2, according
to Votrubec, Nabokov, Ashbrook, Buchar, van Biesbroeck, Beyer, Zimmermann, Krumpholz, Himpel, Weber, Lacchini, and Model, with an average
of 4.6. Buchar said the coma was 13 across. Votrubec said it was 9.42 across.
Model said the coma was 17 across, while the tail extended 0.3 in PA 216.
Zimmermann said a tail extended 22.5. Krumpholz said the 8-cm finder
revealed a coma 12 across. Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as
8.6, estimated the coma diameter as 21 , and said the tail extended 3.5 in
PA 213.
On March 9, the magnitude was given as 4.34 by Beyer, 4.52 by Nabokov,
4.6 by Himpel, 4.7 by Ashbrook, Krumpholz, and Gliese, 4.844.87 by
Martynov, 4.90 by Model, 5.0 by Weber, and 5.03 by Votrubec. Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 9.1, estimated the coma diameter as 21 ,
and said the tail extended 2.9 in PA 214. Krumpholz said the coma was
1012 across in the 8-cm finder. Model said the coma was 15 across, while
the tail extended 0.5 in PA 216. Weber said the tail extended about 1
in his 5-cm refractor. Votrubec said the coma was 9.42 across. On the
10th, the magnitude was given as 4.4 by Krumpholz, 4.42 by Beyer, 4.6 by
Gliese and Ashbrook, 4.75 by Model, and 5.0 by Soloviev. Beyer determined
the nuclear magnitude as 9.1, estimated the coma diameter as 20 , and
said the tail extended 1.3 in PA 213. Model said the coma was 15 across,
while the tail extended 0.5 in PA 213. P. G. Kulikovsky (Swerdlowsk,
Ukraine) obtained a 30-minute exposure using the 16-cm refractor and noted
a tail extending 3.5. On March 11, the magnitude was given as 4.3 by Gliese,
4.40 by Beyer, 4.47 by Model, 4.48 by Martynov, 4.5 by Krumpholz, 4.57 by
Lacchini, 4.63 by Nabokov, 4.7 by Himpel, 4.8 by Zimmermann, and 5.0 by
Ginori. Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 8.8, estimated the coma
diameter as 18 , and said the tail extended 2.5 in PA 211. Model said the
coma was 15 across.
183
catalog of comets
Moonlight hampered observations around mid-March. On March 12, the

magnitude was given as 4.42 by Beyer, 4.44 by Martynov, 4.57 by Lacchini,
4.6 by Gliese, Nabokov, and Model, 4.7 by Himpel, and 5.0 by Ginori. Beyer
estimated the coma diameter as 24 , and said the tail extended 1.8 in PA
208. Model said the coma was 14 across. On the 13th, the magnitude was
given as 4.52 by Nabokov, 4.66 by Model, 4.7 by Gliese, 4.8 by Succi, and
5.0 by Ginori and Weber. Model said the coma was 11 across, while the
tail extended 0.25 in PA 208. On the 14th, the magnitude was given as
4.52 by Nabokov, 4.56 by Beyer, 4.6 by Gliese, 4.66 by Model, 4.7 by Ashbrook, 4.774.86 by Martynov, and 5.0 by Ginori. Beyer estimated the coma
diameter as 17 , and said the tail extended 1.7 in PA 208. Model said the
coma was 14 across. On March 15, the magnitude was given as 4.52 by
Nabokov, 4.7 by Ashbrook and Himpel, 4.8 by Gliese, 5.0 by Weber, and
5.15 by Votrubec. Votrubec said the coma was 7.07 across. Model said the
coma was 17 across. On the 16th, the magnitude was given as 4.32 by Beyer,
4.59 by Nabokov, 4.9 by Gliese, 4.97 by Model, 5.16 by Votrubec, and 5.2 by
Ginori. Votrubec said the coma was 3.89 across. On the 17th, the magnitude was given as 4.59 by Nabokov, 4.7 by Gliese, 4.83 by Model, 5.19 by
Votrubec, 5.2 by Ginori, and 5.3 by Succi. Succi said the coma was 8 across.
On the 18th, the magnitude was given as 4.65 by Nabokov, and 4.8 by Gliese
and Ashbrook. On the 19th, the magnitude was given as 4.77 by Nabokov,
5.0 by Gliese, 5.19 by Votrubec, 5.47 by Model, and 5.5 by Succi. Votrubec
said the coma was 2.36 across. Succi said the tail was fan-shaped and
30 long.
On March 20, the magnitude was given as 5.19 by Votrubec, 5.6 by Succi,
5.7 by Gliese, 5.77 by Model, 5.8 by Ginori, and 5.97 by Martynov. Votrubec
said the coma was 2.36 across. On the 21st, the magnitude was given as 5.87
by Model and 5.9 by Gliese. Votrubec said the coma was 1.41 across. On the
22nd, the magnitude was given as 5.47 by Votrubec, 5.48 by Model, and 5.9
by Ginori and Gliese. Votrubec said the coma was 1.41 across. On March
23, the magnitude was given as 5.1 by Succi, 5.27 by Model, 5.3 by Buchar
and Gliese, 5.4 by Weber, 5.5 by Ginori, and 5.52 by Votrubec. Succi said the
coma was 7 across, while the nucleus was much fainter than BD+501941,
which has a magnitude of 7.07. Model said the coma was 6 across. Buchar
said the coma diameter was 8 . Votrubec said the coma was 2.94 across. On
the 24th, the magnitude was given as 4.9 by Ashbrook, 5.07 by Lacchini, 5.1
by Succi, 5.255.32 by Martynov, 5.3 by Gliese, 5.47 by Votrubec, and 5.6 by
Ginori. Buchar said the coma diameter was 8 . Votrubec said the coma was
3.89 across. Succi said the coma was 7 across. Lacchini said a 40-minute
exposure revealed a faint tail extending at least 40 in PA 205. On the 25th,
the magnitude was given as 4.88 by Nabokov, 5.0 by Ashbrook, 5.2 by van
Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) and Himpel, 5.24 by Beyer,
and 5.3 by Gliese. Smith said the comet was visible in the 5-cm finder. Beyer
determined the nuclear magnitude as 8.7, estimated the coma diameter as
22 , and said the tail extended 1.2 in PA 195.
184
catalog of comets
On March 26, the magnitude was given as 5.0 by Ashbrook, 5.04 by

Nabokov, 5.1 by van Biesbroeck, 5.36 by Martynov, and 5.4 by Gliese and
Succi. Nabokov said the binoculars revealed no tail, but showed an elongated envelope surrounding the nucleus. Timmers photographed the comet
and said the tail extended toward PA 185. Kulikovsky obtained an 18.5minute exposure and noted a tail extending 0.70.8. On the 27th, the magnitude was given as 5.15 by van Biesbroeck and 5.6 by Ginori. On the 29th,
van Biesbroeck gave the naked-eye magnitude as 5.2. Beyer said the tail
extended 0.6 in PA 199. On the 30th, the magnitude was given as 5.2 by
Himpel, 5.40 by Model, 5.5 by Gliese, 5.7 by Ashbrook, and 5.8 by Votrubec
and Ginori. Model said the coma was 9 across. Votrubec said the coma was
2.94 across. Krumpholz said the 75-mm seeker revealed a coma nearly 10
across, which possessed a distinct condensation. On March 31, the magnitude was given as 5.5 by Gliese, 5.7 by Succi, and 5.8 by Soloviev and
Ashbrook. Van Biesbroeck said two tails were present. The first was fairly
sharp and extended over 0.5 in PA 190, while the second was broad and
extended slightly over 3 in PA 230.
On April 1, the magnitude was given as 5.1 by E. Gregor (Konigsberg,
now
Kaliningrad, Russia), 5.4 by Weber, 5.77 by Votrubec, and 5.9 by Soloviev
and Ashbrook. Votrubec said the coma was 2.94 across. Van Biesbroeck
said two tails were present on 30-second exposures obtained with the 208cm reflector. The first extended beyond the limit of the plate (over 74 )
towards PA 190 and was composed of a bundle of filaments. The second tail
extended towards PA 220. On the 2nd, the magnitude was given as 5.6 by
Himpel, 5.8 by Weber, 5.90 by Votrubec, 6.0 by Ginori, 6.2 by Soloviev, and
6.5 by Succi. Votrubec said the coma was 2.00 across. On the 3rd, the nakedeye magnitude was given as 4.9 by Succi and 5.25 by van Biesbroeck. Van
Biesbroeck obtained a 30-second exposure with the 208-cm reflector which
revealed At the root of the tail in 190 there is a marked condensation giving the appearance of a second nucleus, some three magnitudes fainter than
the main one. He said there were several lateral streamers. Gregor said the
coma diameter was 12 . Timmers photographed the comet and said the tail
extended toward PA 186. On April 4, the magnitude was given as 5.6 by
Himpel, 5.7 by Gliese, 5.97 by Vortrubec, 6.0 by Krumpholz, 6.03 by Model,
6.1 by Ginori, 6.3 by Succi, 6.6 by G. Loreta (Bologna, Italy), and 6.74 by
Lacchini. Votrubec said the coma was 3.89 across. Model said the coma was
11 across and elongated towards PA 208. Zirwes photographed the comet
and said the tail extended toward PA 183.
On April 5, the magnitude was given as 5.7 by Himpel, 6.02 by Model,
6.06 by Martynov, 6.1 by Buchar, 6.2 by Ginori and Weber, 6.3 by Succi
and Loreta, and 6.5 by Krumpholz. Model said the coma was 16 across
and elongated towards PA 226. Buchar said the coma diameter was 6 .
Weber said the tail extended towards PA 220. Krumpholz estimated the
coma as 10 across in the 8-cm finder and 8 across in the 30-cm refractor
with a conspicuous condensation. On the 6th, the magnitude was given as
185
catalog of comets
5.82 by Beyer, 6.1 by Gliese, 6.10 by Martynov, 6.2 by Gregor, and 6.3 by
Soloviev and Loreta. Beyer estimated the coma diameter as 20 , and said
the tail extended 0.3 in PA 184. On the 7th, the magnitude was given as
5.7 by C. Fedtke (Konigsberg,
now Kaliningrad, Russia), 5.92 by Beyer, 6.2

by Ginori, 6.26.3 by Succi, and 6.3 by Gliese and Loreta. On the 8th, the
magnitude was given as 5.9 by Himpel, 6.08 by Martynov, 6.1 by Votrubec
and Gliese, and 6.3 by Loreta. Votrubec said the coma was 2.00 across. On
the 9th, the magnitude was given as 5.6 by Gregor, 5.8 by Fedtke, 6.0 by
Gliese, and 6.3 by Ginori and Loreta. Fedtke said the coma was elongated
and contained a nucleus of magnitude 9.0, while a tail extended 15 in PA
240. On the 10th, the magnitude was given as 6.1 by Gliese, 6.3 by Ginori
and Loreta, 6.36.4 by Succi, and 6.59 by Model. Model said the coma was
12 across and elongated towards PA 220. On the 11th, the magnitude was
given as 5.7 by Gliese and 6.0 by Loreta. On the 12th, Gliese observed using
10 50 binoculars and gave the magnitude as 6.1. On the 13th, the magnitude was given as 5.9 by Gregor, 6.3 by Fedtke, and 6.78 by Model. Votrubec
said the coma was 1.27 across. Model said the coma was elongated towards
PA 245. On the 14th, Ginori observed using 7 50 binoculars and gave the
magnitude as 6.6, while Martynov observed using a 16-cm comet seeker in
moonlight and gave the magnitude as 7.6. On April 15, the magnitude was
given as 6.3 by Loreta, 6.53 by Beyer, and 7.1 by Gliese. Martynov said the
comet seeker revealed a magnitude of 8.0 in moonlight.
On April 16, Gliese gave the magnitude as 7.3. On the 17th, the magnitude
was given as 6.9 by Ginori and fainter than 7.3 by Gliese. On the 18th,
the magnitude was given as 7.0 by Fedtke and 8.0 by Weber. On the 19th,
Martynov said the comet seeker revealed a magnitude of 8.2 in moonlight.
On the 20th, Gliese gave the magnitude as 7.3. On the 21st Gliese said the
comet was fainter than 7.3. On the 22nd the magnitude was given as 6.57
by Beyer, 7.0 by Fedtke, 7.08 by Model, and 7.1 by Gliese. Fedtke said the
coma was 5 across, with a nucleus, and a tail extending 10 in PA 240.
Model said the coma was 7 across and elongated towards PA 205. On the
23rd, the magnitude was given as 6.1 by Gregor, 6.6 by Krumpholz, 7.0
by Fedtke, 7.07 by Model, and 7.3 by Loreta. Krumpholz said the 75-mm
seeker revealed a coma 8 across, with a distinct condensation. On the 24th,
the magnitude was given as 6.58 by Beyer, 6.9 by Gliese, 7.1 by Fedtke, and
7.2 by Loreta. Beyer estimated the coma diameter as 14 , and said the tail
extended 1.0 in PA 260. On the 25th, the magnitude was given as 6.9 by
Gliese and Ginori, 6.95 by Model, and 7.2 by Loreta. Model said the coma
was 8 across and elongated towards PA 225. On the 26th, the magnitude
was given as 6.51 by Beyer and 6.75 by Model. The coma diameter was given
as 6 by Model and 12 by Beyer. On the 27th, the magnitude was given as
7.0 by Ginori, 7.1 by Gliese, and 7.2 by Loreta. On the 28th, Loreta observed
using 25-mm binoculars and gave the magnitude as 7.4. On the 29th, the
magnitude was given as 6.73 by Beyer and 7.2 by Ginori. Beyer estimated
the coma diameter as 14 , and said the tail extended 0.6 in PA 265. On April
186
catalog of comets
30, the magnitude was given as 6.91 by Beyer, 7.1 by Gliese, 7.2 by Ginori,
7.4 by Fedtke and Loreta, and 7.5 by Krumpholz. Beyer estimated the coma
diameter as 15 , and said the tail extended 0.6 in PA 261. Fedtke said the
coma was 5 across, with a tail extending towards PA 240. Krumpholz said
the 75-mm seeker showed a coma nearly 8 across, with a condensation.
On May 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.96. He estimated the coma
diameter as 12 , and said the tail extended 0.8 in PA 264. On the 2nd, the
magnitude was given as 6.99 by Beyer, 7.3 by Fedtke, and 7.7 by Weber.
Beyer estimated the coma diameter as 14 , and said the tail extended 0.5
in PA 263. Weber said the coma was 22 across in the 5-cm refractor. On
the 3rd, the magnitude was given as 7.0 by Buchar, 7.3 by Ginori, and 7.7
by Weber. Buchar said the coma was 3 in diameter. On the 4th, the magnitude was given as 7.5 by Gliese, Buchar, and Fedtke, and 8.2 by Weber.
Buchar said the coma was 3 across. Weber said the coma was 9 across.
On the 5th, the magnitude was given as 7.6 by Loreta and 8.2 by Weber.
Weber said the coma was 11 across. On the 6th, the magnitude was given
as 7.2 by Himpel and 7.8 by Krumpholz. Krumpholz said a 10-cm finder
showed a round coma 6 across, with a distinct condensation. On the 8th,
Loreta observed using 40-mm binoculars and gave the magnitude as 8.1.
On the 10th, Fedtke gave the magnitude as 7.7. On May 12, Model observed
using 6 30 binoculars. He gave the magnitude as 8.5 and the coma
diameter as 4 .
On May 22, the magnitude was given as 8.1 by Weber, 8.6 by Loreta, and
9.0 by van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory). Weber said the coma was 6 in
diameter. Van Biesbroeck said there was a sharply defined condensation. On
the 23rd, the magnitude was given as 7.99 by Beyer, 8.6 by Fedtke, and 8.8
by Loreta. Beyer estimated the coma as 9 across. Fedtke said the coma was
5 across and elongated towards PA 250. He added that the nucleus was
not situated in the center of the coma. On the 25th, Loreta gave the magnitude as 8.6, using 40-mm binoculars, while van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10.0, using the 61-cm reflector. On the 26th, Loreta gave the
magnitude as 8.6 using binoculars. On the 28th, the magnitude was given as
8.23 by Beyer, using a 5-cm refractor, and 10.2 by van Biesbroeck, using the
61-cm reflector. Beyer estimated the coma as 8 across. The comet attained
its minimum solar elongation of 66 on May 29, when the magnitude was
given as 8.58 by Beyer and 8.7 by Loreta. Beyer said the coma was 9 across.
On May 30, the magnitude was given as 8.8 by Loreta and 9.1 by Himpel.
On June 2, Krumpholz observed the comet using the 68-cm refractor and
gave the magnitude as 9.5. He said the round coma was 1.52 across, and
contained little condensation. On the 3rd, Loreta observed using 40-mm
binoculars and gave the magnitude as 9.0. On the 4th, Smith said the comet
was barely visible in the 13-cm finder. He added that a photograph with the
66-cm refractor revealed the comet as diffuse, with no well-defined nucleus.
On the 5th, the magnitude was given as 8.4 by Beyer, 9.0 by Loreta, and 10.1
by van Biesbroeck. Beyer and Loreta used small instruments, such as an
187
catalog of comets
8-cm refractor and 40-mm binoculars, while van Biesbroeck used the 61-cm
reflector. Van Biesbroeck said there was a well-defined nucleus, while a tail
was visible towards PA 280. On the 9th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude
as 10.6. On the 21st, the magnitude was given as 10.3 by van Biesbroeck,
10.4 by Himpel, and 11 by Krumpholz. On June 30, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 11.
On July 3, the magnitude was given as fainter than 11 by Himpel and
12 by Krumpholz. Krumpholz said the coma contained a weak condensation. On the 7th, Krumpholz gave the magnitude as 13. On the 23rd, van
Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the
magnitude as 14. He said the coma was diffuse. On July 31, van Biesbroeck
photographed the comet using the reflector when at a low altitude and gave
the magnitude as 15. On August 1, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet
at low altitude and gave the magnitude as 16. He said the comet appeared
as a vague nebulosity.
The comet was last detected at low altitude on August 2.13, when van
Biesbroeck obtained a 36-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector. The
position was given as = 14h 13.2m , = +2 35 . Van Biesbroeck described
the comet as magnitude 16.5.
W. Brunner-Hagger (Zurich,
Switzerland) reported that during February

and March his observatory photographed several knots of material that
left the comets head and traveled down the tail or alongside it. He said a
tail streak was seen during the period February 28March 4 that moved
away from the head at a rate of 2.4 per day. A conspicuous bright knot
appeared on March 2 and moved at the same rate as the tail streak. A
diffuse tail patch was photographed on March 29 and 31, which exhibited
a daily motion of 1.1. This last object was also photographed at the Royal
Observatory (Uccle, Belgium) on March 28 and was reported as a new comet
[see Appendix 1, under 1943].
N. T. Bobrovnikoff (1944) studied the light curve of this comet. He utilized
708 magnitude estimates and noted, The light curve from January 5 to July
3, 1943 shows a periodic variation in light with a period of about 30 days
and the semi-amplitude diminishing from 0.6 mag. in January to 0.2 mag. in
June. He also pointed out that the comet experienced a sudden increase in
brightness on February 21, after which it faded at a rate faster than prior to
this date. He subsequently noted it is impossible to represent the brightness
of the comet by any one formula.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by Whipple using three positions
spanning the period November 17December 13. He determined the perihelion date as 1943 February 6.66. This proved an excellent representation of
the comets motion, as shown by the later orbits of E. K. Rabe, J. P. Moller,
L.
Oterma, M. Davidson, M. B. Protitch, A. D. Dubiago, and B. de Jekhowsky.
A hyperbolic orbit was calculated by Rabe, using positions from December 12, 16, and 20. First published on 1943 January 5, it gave a perihelion
date of February 6.25 and an eccentricity of 1.10483.
188
catalog of comets
The first elliptical orbit was calculated by G. F. Kellaway and was published early in 1943 March. The result was a perihelion date of February 6.74
and a period of about 1160 years. Dubiago followed up with a very similar
orbit a couple of weeks later, which had a period of about 2700 years. A few
weeks after that, Dubiago calculated a revision which gave the period as
about 1860 years.
O. N. Barteneva (1972) used 544 positions obtained between 1942 December 12 and 1943 August 1, as well as perturbations by five planets, and
determined the perihelion date as February 6.72 and the period as about
2300 years.
B. G. Marsden (1978) used 166 positions obtained between 1942 November 17 and 1943 August 1, as well as perturbations by all nine planets, and
determined the perihelion date as February 6.72 and the period as about
2285 years. This orbit is given below. Marsden took this orbit and derived
an elliptical original orbit with a period of about 1586 years, and an elliptical
future orbit with a period of about 2075 years.
This comet became known as comet Whipple 2 in the USA and
Tevzadze 2 in Russia. Some sources gave the preliminary designation
as 1942g.
T
1943 Feb. 6.7211 (TT)
39.8432
(2000.0)
100.7990
i
19.7127
q
e
1.353647 0.992196
absolute magnitude: H0 = 6.60, n = 2 (Bobrovnikoff, 1944); H10 = 4.6 (V1964)

full moon: Oct. 24, Nov. 22, Dec. 22, 1943 Jan. 21, Feb. 20, Mar. 21, Apr. 20, May
19, Jun. 18, Jul. 17, Aug. 15
sources: F. L. Whipple, HAC, No. 642 (1942 Dec. 14); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC,
No. 643 (1942 Dec. 15); F. L. Whipple, G. van Biesbroeck, and J. M. Vinter Hansen,
HAC, No. 644 (1942 Dec. 19); E. K. Rabe, IAUC, No. 933 (1943 Jan. 5); J. P. Moller
and L. Oterma, IAUC, No. 935 (1943 Jan. 14); G. A. Tevzadze, HAC, No. 650 (1943
Feb. 8); G. A. Tevzadze, E. K. Kharadze, D. Y. Martynov, N. I. Tchudovitchev, and
A. D. Dubiago, ATsir, No. 11 (1943 Feb. 12); M. B. Protitch and L. Gialanella,
IAUC, No. 939 (1943 Feb. 23); G. F. Kellaway, JBAA, 53 (1943 Mar.), p. 95; A. M.
Bakharev, G. A. Lange, D. Y. Martynov, and A. D. Dubiago, ATsir, No. 13 (1943
Mar. 29); M. Davidson, The Observatory, 65 (1943 Apr.), p. 19; S. J. V. Arend,
IAUC, No. 943 (1943 Apr. 1); B. de Jekhowsky and G. B. Lacchini, IAUC, No.
944 (1943 Apr. 6); G. B. Lacchini, IAUC, No. 946 (1943 Apr. 16); D. Y. Martynov,
A. D. Dubiago, and P. G. Kulikovsky, ATsir, No. 14 (1943 Apr. 20); W. BrunnerHagger and S. J. V. Arend, IAUC, No. 950 (1943 May 27); M. E. Nabokov and A. V.
Soloviev, ATsir, No. 17 (1943 Jun. 14); J. Ashbrook, PA, 51 (1943 Aug.), pp. 362
3; J. Junkes, A. Zirwes, and M. Timmers, Ricerche Astronomiche, 1 (1943 Aug.),
pp. 21320; N. T. Bobrovnikoff, PA, 51 (1943 Nov.), pp. 4819; C. Votrubec, W.
Gliese, N. V. Ginori, E. Gregor, E. Buchar, C. Fedtke, G. Loreta, K. Himpel, A.
Weber, A. Model, and G. Zimmermann, AN, 274 (1943 Sep.Dec.), pp. 12132; G.
van Biesbroeck, AJ, 50 (1943 Dec. 3), pp. 1668; G. van Biesbroeck, H. E. Burton,
and J. L. Smith, AJ, 50 (1944 Feb. 29), pp. 1834, 1867; N. T. Bobrovnikoff, AJ, 51
189
catalog of comets
(1944 Jun.), p. 18; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.), p. 63; H. Krumpholz, AN, 275
(1947 Oct. 24), pp. 1857; M. Beyer, AN, 275 (1947 Dec. 31), pp. 2409; V1964,
p. 75; O. N. Barteneva, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 25, 47; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978
Jan.), pp. 66, 68.
39P/1943 G1 Prediscovery: 1942 February 17.81 ( = 2.64 AU, r = 3.45 AU, Elong. = 139)
(Oterma) Discovered: 1943 March 27.97 ( = 2.48 AU, r = 3.47 AU, Elong. = 177)
Last seen: Visible throughout orbit
1942 VII = 1943a Closest to the Earth: 1943 March 25 (2.4767 AU)
Calculated path: GEM (Pre), CNC (May 9), LEO (Jul. 18), VIR (Oct. 29), LIB
(1943 Oct. 23), SCO (1944 Jan. 13), OPH (Feb. 3), SCO (Jun. 5), OPH (Sep.
12), SGR (Dec. 1), CAP (1945 Dec. 10), AQR (1946 Feb. 17), CAP (Feb. 25),
AQR (Mar. 31)
This comet was discovered by L. Oterma (Turku University Observatory,
Finland) on a minor planet survey plate exposed with the 50-cm Schmidt
Visl camera on 1943 March 27.97. The position was given as = 12h
26.3m , = +0 18 . Confirmation plates were obtained by Y. Visl (Turku
University Observatory) on April 3.93 and Oterma on April 8.86. The magnitude was then given as 15 and the comet was described as diffuse, without a central condensation. Prediscovery images were later found on plates
exposed by Visl on 1942 February 17.81 and February 18.77. The comet
had attained its most northerly declination of +20 on 1942 April 6 and
passed about 0.3 from the sun on 1942 August 24. The comet had attained
a maximum solar elongation of about 177 on the day of its discovery.
On April 27 and May 1, H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA)
and gave the magnitude as 15. On May 7 and 8, G. P. Nagtegaal (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley
reflector. Although he initially gave the magnitude as 13, he later changed it
to 15. On the 22nd, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude
as 16. He said the round coma was 10 across, and was only slightly condensed. On the 23rd, Giclas photographed the comet using the astrograph
and gave the magnitude as 15. On the 26th, Giclas gave the photographic
magnitude as 15.4. On May 29, the photographic magnitude was given as
16 by van Biesbroeck and Giclas. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 12
across. On June 4, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 16. On the
8th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 15.7. Giclas photographs
of June 20, 22, and 26, revealed a magnitude of 16. On July 2, the photographic magnitude was given as 16 by van Biesbroeck and Nagtegaal. Van
Biesbroeck said the comet was at a low altitude and appeared as a vague
coma about 15 across. On July 5, the photographic magnitude was given
as 16 by Giclas and Nagtegaal. The comet passed about 3 from the sun on
November 2.
190
catalog of comets
On 1944 January 23 and 30, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using
the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 16.5. He said the small,
round coma contained little condensation. On May 1, G. H. Herbig (Lick
Observatory) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector
and gave the magnitude as 16. He described the comet as vague. The
comet attained a maximum solar elongation of about 175 on May 28.
On May 29, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 16. He
said the small, round coma contained little condensation. On June 14,
15, 20, and 21, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 16.5.
On June 28 and 30, Herbig gave the photographic magnitude as 16. He
described the comet as vague. The comet attained its most southerly declination of 20.5 on December 22 and passed about 3 from the sun on
December 23.
On 1945 April 14, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 18. He said the round coma was diffuse and 6 across, with little
central condensation. On May 11, 12, and 13, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 17.5. He said the round coma was 12 across, with
hardly a condensation. On July 4, the magnitude was given as 17 by van
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) and 17.5 by H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory). Van Biesbroeck said the coma was small and round. Jeffers said the
coma was faint and about 8 across, with a sharply condensed nucleus. The
comet attained a maximum solar elongation of about 177 on July 16. On
July 31, Jeffers photographed the comet using a 91-cm Crossley reflector and
gave the magnitude as 17.6. He said the coma was faint and about 8 across,
with a sharply condensed nucleus. On August 3 and 4, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as
17. He said the coma was small and round. On September 29, Jeffers gave
the photographic magnitude as 18.5. He said the coma was faint and about
8 across, with a sharply condensed nucleus.
The comet passed about 1 from the sun on 1946 February 2. With the
comets aphelion falling on July 31, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory)
obtained an excellent series of photographic plates from June 29 to July 31,
using the 208-cm reflector. All of these plates showed the coma to be nearly
stellar, with a diameter of 34 and a well-defined nucleus. He gave the
magnitude as 18.2 on June 29, 18.0 on June 30, 18.1 on July 1, 18.0 on July 4,
17.5 on July 24, 17.6 on July 25, 17.2 on July 26 and 27, 17.4 on July 28, and
17.5 on July 31. Most of these images revealed a tail, which extended 1 in
PA 260 on June 30, 1 in PA 245 on July 4, 4 in PA 250 on July 25, 3 in PA
250 on July 26, 2 in PA 250 on July 27, 3 in PA 250 on July 28, and 4 in
PA 255 on July 31. The tail was only suspected on July 1 and was very faint
on July 24. Also on July 28, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm
Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 17.5. He said the coma was
nearly stellar and exhibited a very faint tail extending 2 toward the west.
The comet was officially at aphelion on July 31.
191
catalog of comets
The comet was discovered at opposition and this coupled with its location
between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, meant it was moving very slowly.
The result was that the first orbit was not published until June. At that time,
Oterma took four positions spanning the period April 3June 8 and calculated an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of 1942 August 20.72 and a
period of 7.88 years. This orbit proved so accurate that Oterma (1957) said it
was still predicting fairly accurate positions in the fall of 1955. Other orbits
calculated in the months immediately following the discovery came from
L. E. Cunningham and R. N. Thomas, and G. H. Herbig and D. F. McMullin.
Cunningham and Thomas noted that the comet passed within 0.5 AU of
Jupiter in 1938 and remained there for a considerable time. They suggested that the present orbit is very much different from the one which it
had previous to that encounter. H. Q. Rasmusen noted on July 15 that the
orbit given by Oterma indicated that, during the period 193740, the comet
for a long time moved within a relatively small distance from Jupiter. Under
these circumstances rather large perturbations must have resulted. Herbig
and McMullin said the eccentricity grouped this object with the asteroids
rather than the comets. They added that there was a strong resemblance
between the orbit of this comet and the orbit for minor planet 334 (Chicago).
Using positions spanning 1943 and 1944, P. Herget (1946, 1947) calculated
orbits with a perihelion date of August 9.19 and a period of 7.89 years.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by Herget (1961), B. G.
Marsden (1970), S. Nakano (2001), and K. Kinoshita (2003). Herget applied
perturbations by Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn. Marsden applied perturbations
by all nine planets. Nakano and Kinoshita applied perturbations by the
planets and several minor planets. Marsden wrote, no detectable nongravitational forces were acting on this comet. The perihelion date was given
as August 21.72 by Herget and August 21.09 by everyone else. The period
was given as 7.89 years. Nakanos orbit is given below.
T
1942 Aug. 21.0884 (TT)
(2000.0)
354.7064 155.8384
i
3.9836
q
e
3.388901 0.144720

comets visibility
sources: L. Oterma and Y. Visl, IAUC, No. 946 (1943 Apr. 16); L. Oterma,
HAC, No. 656 (1943 Apr. 22); G. P. Nagtegaal, HAC, No. 657 (1943 May 11); G. P.
Nagtegaal, PASP, 55 (1943 Jun.), p. 157; G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 658 (1943
Jun. 11); H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 659 (1943 Jun. 25); L. Oterma, IAUC, No. 955 (1943
Jul. 5); L. E. Cunningham and R. N. Thomas, HAC, No. 660 (1943 Jul. 14); L. E.
Cunningham and R. N. Thomas, HAC, No. 661 (1943 Jul. 14); H. Q. Rasmusen,
IAUC, No. 956 (1943 Jul. 15); G. H. Herbig and D. F. McMullin, HAC, No. 662
(1943 Jul. 22); G. P. Nagtegaal, PASP, 55 (1943 Aug.), p. 197; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 50 (1943 Dec. 3), pp. 1668; G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 679 (1944 Feb. 1);
192
catalog of comets
L. E. Cunningham and R. N. Thomas, The Observatory, 65 (1944 Mar.), p. 132;
H. L. Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.), p. 63; G. H. Herbig, LOB, 19 (1945), p. 172; P.
Herget, HAC, No. 698 (1945 Jan. 15); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 702 (1945 Apr.
24); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 51 (1945 Mar.), pp. 11115; G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC,
No. 1018 (1945 Sep. 21); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 759 (1946 Jul. 25); G. van
Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 1052 (1946 Jul. 30); P. Herget, BAA Handbook for 1947 (1946
Nov.), p. 41; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1947), p. 184; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 52 (1947
May), pp. 2023; P. Herget, AJ, 53 (1947 Aug.), pp. 1821; H. M. Jeffers, HAC,
No. 834 (1947 Aug. 8); L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 8; L. Oterma and Y. Visl,
Astronomia-Optika Institucio Universitato de Turku Informo, No. 16 (1957), pp. 3
23; P. Herget, AJ, 66 (1961 Jun.), pp. 2468; V1964, p. 75; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75
(1970 Feb.), pp. 823; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 810 (2001 Aug. 24); personal
correspondence from K. Kinoshita (2003).
C/1943 R1 Discovered: 1943 September 3.1 ( = 0.72 AU, r = 0.80 AU, Elong. = 52)
(Daimaca) Last seen: 1943 September 23.1 ( = 0.37 AU, r = 0.98 AU, Elong. = 76)
1943 II Calculated path: LYN (Disc), UMa (Sep. 9), DRA (Sep. 15), UMa (Sep. 17),
DRA (Sep. 18), BOO-DRA-HER (Sep. 20)
V. Daimaca (Targu Jiu, Romania) discovered this comet on 1943 September 3.1. On September 5, he sent a telegram to the National Observatory
of Bucharest (Romania), where C. Popovici photographed the comet on
September 9.06 and gave the position as = 8h 22.3m , = +50 32 .
Popovici obtained additional photographic observations of September 10.09
and September 11.10. For all three observations, he estimated the magnitude
as 8 and described the comet as diffuse, with a short tail.
Due to wartime conditions, news of the comet did not immediately arrive
in the USA. News of the discovery was sent from the National Observatory
of Bucharest to the Central Bureau in Copenhagen, Denmark. From Copenhagen, a message was forwarded to Zurich,
Switzerland, from where a radio

message was sent to Harvard College Observatory (Masschusetts, USA) on
September 14. Word had finally arrived at the major American observatories by September 17. Unfortunately, the long delay, plus the comets rapid
motion, prevented any observations.
G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) had been searching for periodic comet dArrest during early September, but had been
unsuccessful due to the comets southern declination. He surmised that
the comet was still too faint, but he was also concerned by the fact that the
comets 20-year absence might make the predicted positions considerably
in error. Shortly before leaving on a journey between Yerkes Observatory
and McDonald Observatory (Texas, USA), van Biesbroeck asked L. C. Peltier
(Delphos, Ohio, USA) to explore the region. Peltier obliged, but intensive
searches for comet dArrest continued to reveal nothing. He began expanding his search and eventually was sweeping other areas of the sky for anything unusual. On September 19.1, Peltier discovered a diffuse object at
193
catalog of comets
= 15h 10m , = +59. He estimated the magnitude as 10.5 and noted a

rapid motion to the southeast.
The comet had attained its most northerly declination of +66 on September 16. Peltier gave the magnitude as 11.5 on September 20 and 12.0 on
September 22.
The comet was last detected on September 23.1, when Peltier gave the
magnitude as 13.0. Peltier wrote to van Biesbroeck and said this magnitude estimate was uncertain because of the comets close proximity to
Herculis.
The author notes that there is something wrong with this observation, as
the comet would have been 6 from Herculis at the time indicated. The
details were published by van Biesbroeck in the 1943 December issue of Popular Astronomy. The actual date was given as September 22, with no time
given. The author has noted that Peltier frequently gave his observations in
local time instead of universal time when writing to van Biesbroeck. Since
this comet was best seen during the hours immediately following sunset,
the date of September 23.1 seemed the likely time of the final observation.
Peltier was most likely using his 15-cm refractor, which would only have
had a field of view of a degree or so at best. If the date is considered accurate,
then it might be that the star should have been Herculis, since the comet
was within 2.5 of this star at the time of the observation; however, this is
still not a good fit. If the star designation is accurate, then perhaps the date
should have been September 24.1, as the comet was then about 1.7 from
Herculis. Another assumption that could be made is that the September
22 date was correct, which would mean the comet was observed very near
the horizon a little after midnight, which would make the date September
22.3. The comet would then have been about 2.5 from Herculis and about
1.5 from Herculis. Two other possibilities do not require a change in
the date or star designation, and these are that Peltier mistook something
else for the comet or that the comet had drifted from the path indicated by
the orbits of Popovici and Naur. Because there are so many possibilities,
the author has opted to keep the final observation details as given in the
previous paragraph.
Popovici obtained photographs of the expected positions of the comet
on September 15, 16, and 18, but nothing was found. His later calculations
revealed the comet was immediately beyond the edges of the plates. Using
the Zeiss astrograph, he obtained a 30-minute exposure on September 28
and a 45-minute exposure on September 29. The comet was not found on
either plate.
No searches were conducted immediately after van Biesbroecks arrival
at McDonald observatory due to the absence of published orbits and
ephemerides and the comets rapid motion. An epehmeris became available
when the first orbit was published in early October, and van Biesbroeck photographed the comets predicted position on October 24. Although stars to
magnitude 18 were detected, nothing cometary was recorded on the plates.
194
catalog of comets
The first orbit was calculated by Naur using Popovicis positions of

September 9, 10, and 11. The result was a perihelion date of 1943 August
21.54. About a month later, Popovici took the same positions and determined the perihelion date as August 21.55. Popovicis orbit is given below.
No further orbits have been calculated.
T
1943 Aug. 21.5465 (UT)
36.4129
(2000.0)
i
q
83.3863
161.3186 0.758300
e
1.0

full moon: Aug. 15, Sep. 14, Oct. 13
sources: V. Daimaca and C. Popovici, IAUC, No. 962 (1943 Sep. 12); V. Daimaca,
HAC, No. 663 (1943 Sep. 17); V. Daimaca and L. C. Peltier, HAC, No. 664 (1943
Sep. 21); V. Daimaca, C. Popovici, and L. C. Peltier, IAUC, No. 964 (1943 Sep. 29);
P. Naur, IAUC, No. 965 (1943 Oct. 4); L. C. Peltier, IAUC, No. 966 (1943 Oct. 6); P.
Naur, HAC, No. 668 (1943 Oct. 18); L. C. Peltier, IAUC, No. 968 (1943 Oct. 26); V.
Daimaca and L. C. Peltier, PA, 51 (1943 Nov.), p. 523; C. Popovici, IAUC, No. 970
(1943 Nov. 15); G. van Biesbroeck, L. C. Peltier, and P. Naur, PA, 51 (1943 Dec.),
pp. 5723; V. Daimaca, L. C. Peltier, and P. Naur, PASP, 55 (1943 Dec.), p. 290; V.
Daimaca and L. C. Peltier, MNRAS, 104 (1944), p. 108; V1964, p. 75.
32P/Comas Recovered: 1943 October 2.01 ( = 1.60 AU, r = 2.50 AU, Elong. = 146)
Sola Last seen: 1944 June 15.14 ( = 2.61 AU, r = 1.88 AU, Elong. = 36)
1944 II Calculated path: CET (Rec), PSC (Nov. 25), ARI (Jan. 10), TAU (Mar. 6), AUR
(Apr. 9), GEM (May 15), CNC (Jun. 13)
C. Dinwoodie and W. P. Henderson (1942) took the orbit for the 1935 apparition, corrected the perihelion date to 1935 October 6.6, and applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. They predicted this comet would next arrive
at perihelion on 1944 April 11.62.
L. Oterma (Turku University Observatory, Finland) recovered this comet
on 1943 October 2.01, at a position of = 2h 42.2m , = +1 20 . She described
it as very small and faint. Wartime conditions caused the comet to be
designated as 1943d in Europe.
On October 21, 23, 24, 25, and 26, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) obtained exposures of 515 minutes using the 208-cm
reflector and gave the magnitude as 13.5. He said the coma was 30 across
and contained a sharp nucleus of magnitude 14. A fan-shaped tail extended
3 in PA 270. The comet attained its most southerly declination of +1 on
October 26. On October 28, van Biesbroeck obtained a 5-minute exposure
using the reflector which gave the magnitude as 13, while H. Krumpholz
(Vienna, Austria) gave the visual magnitude as 13.5. Van Biesbroeck said the
tail extended towards PA 280. Krumpholz said the coma was round and
about 20 across, with a weak condensation. On November 2, Krumpholz
gave the visual magnitude as 13 and noted that the condensation was rather
195
catalog of comets
distinct. On the 4th, H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) photographed the comet using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and
gave the magnitude as 13. On November 25 and 28, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm
reflector and gave the magnitude as 14. He said the well-defined round
coma possessed a tail extended towards PA 60. On December 15 and 23,
van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave
the magnitude as 13.5. He noted that there was a small coma and a tail
extending 2 in PA 80. On December 24, G. H. Herbig (Lick Observatory,
California, USA) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 14. He said the coma was well defined and
about 5 across, and exhibited a short tail toward PA 60.
On 1944 January 13 and 21, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using
the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 13. He said the well-defined
small coma exhibited a tail extending 2 in PA 80. On the 17th, Krumpholz
gave the magnitude as 13 and said the coma was elliptical with measurements of 15 by 20 . He added that there was a weak condensation. On
the 18th, Herbig photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 13. He said seeing was very bad and the
comet appeared diffuse. On January 24, van Biesbroeck said a photograph
revealed that the well-defined coma was about 20 across and exhibited a
fan-shaped tail extending 3 in PA 70. On February 12, Herbig gave the photographic magnitude as 12.5. He said the coma was condensed and 6 across,
and exhibited a tail. On the 17th and 19th, van Biesbroeck photographed
the comet using the reflector and gave the magnitude as 13.5. He said the
tail extended 1.5 in PA 70. On February 24, Krumpholz gave the magnitude as 12.5. On March 21 and 27, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory)
photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 13. He said there was a fairly well-defined nucleus and a broad tail
extending over 1 in PA 75. On April 24, Krumpholz gave the magnitude
as 12.5. He said the oblong coma was about 30 across and contained little
condensation. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +32 on
May 12. On June 14, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed
the comet was poorly defined on the photographic plates because of its low
altitude.
The comet was last detected on June 15.14, when van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory, Wisconsin) obtained two 9-minute exposures with the 61-cm
reflector. He estimated the magnitude as 14 and said the image was poorly
defined due to the comets low altitude. The position was determined as
= 8h 10.5m , = +29 38 .
1972) and G. Forti (1983). They included perturbations by all nine planets,
as well as nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion date of April
11.50 and a period of 8.50 years. Marsden (1968) noted a very slight secular
196
catalog of comets
deceleration. Marsden, Z. Sekinina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973) gave the

nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.67 and A2 = +0.0402. Forti gave the
nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.58 and A2 = +0.0255. Fortis orbit is
given below.
T
1944 Apr. 11.4962 (TT)
38.8844
(2000.0)
66.3951
i
13.7341
q
e
1.766569 0.575761

full moon: Sep. 14, Oct. 13, Nov. 12, Dec. 11, 1944 Jan. 10, Feb. 9, Mar. 9, Apr. 8,
May 8, Jun. 6, Jul. 6
sources: C. Dinwoodie and W. P. Henderson, BAA Handbook for 1943 (1942 Nov.),
p. 30; C. Dinwoodie and W. P. Henderson, IAUC, No. 960 (1943 Sep. 6); L. Oterma,
IAUC, No. 967 (1943 Oct. 11); L. Oterma, HAC, No. 667 (1943 Oct. 14); C. Dinwoodie and W. P. Henderson, BAA Handbook for 1944 (1943 Nov.), pp. 323; L.
Oterma, PASP, 55 (1943 Dec.), pp. 2901; G. H. Herbig, LOB, 19 (1944), p. 164;
L. Oterma, C. Dinwoodie, and W. P. Henderson, MNRAS, 104 (1944), pp. 1089;
H. L. Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.), p. 63; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 51 (1945 Mar.),
pp. 11114; H. Krumpholz, AN, 275 (1947 Oct. 24), pp. 1857; V1964, p. 75; B. G.
Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 36970; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.),
pp. 31415; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 13 (1972 Sep.), pp. 4301; B. G. Marsden, Z.
Sekinina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), p. 213, 21516; G. Forti, AAP,
126 (1983), pp. 30710.
6P/d Recovered: 1943 October 24.10 ( = 1.09 AU, r = 1.43 AU, Elong. = 87)
Arrest Last seen: 1944 January 21.04 ( = 2.13 AU, r = 1.90 AU, Elong. = 63)
1943 III Calculated path: SGR (Rec), MIC (Oct. 30), CAP (Nov. 13), PsA (Nov. 15), AQR
(Nov. 30), CET (Jan. 5)
Predictions were published for the 1930 and 1937 apparitions of this comet.
T. Whitwell (1930) gave the perihelion date as 1930 May 10.04, while J. T.
Foxell and A. E. Levin applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn to the
1923 orbit and predicted the comet would pass perihelion on 1937 January
6.53. Later calculations by other astronomers indicated the general correctness of these predictions, but the comet was not well placed for observations. Nevertheless, it is known that G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory,
Wisconsin, USA) did search unsucessfully for the comet towards the end of
1936.
F. R. Cripps (1942) took the orbit predicted for the 1937 apparition and
applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. He predicted the comet would
next arrive at perihelion on 1943 September 18.81.
Unfavorable returns during 1930 and 1937 prevented astronomers from
observing this comet, but circumstances appeared much improved for
the 1943 return. Earlier that year, A. W. Recht took his orbit for the
1923 apparition, applied perturbations, and predicted a perihelion date of
197
catalog of comets
September 23.77. Although his published ephemeris covered the period of

1943 April 30June 5, no observations were obtained.
The comet was finally recovered by G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) on an 8-minute exposure made with the 208-cm reflector on 1943 October 24.10. The position was given as = 20h 02.8m , =
27 53 . The total magnitude was estimated as 12, while the coma possessed
a nucleus and a tail of more than 1. Van Biesbroeck obtained an additional
8-minute exposure on October 24.11 to confirm the recovery. Rechts orbit
had been used to compute a search ephemeris and van Biesbroeck noted that
the discrepancy between the observed and predicted positions indicated the
comets perihelion had occurred 1.2 days earlier than predicted.
On October 26, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet and said the
coma extended toward PA 275. On the 27th and 28th, H. L. Giclas (Lowell
Observatory, Arizona, USA) photographed the comet using the 33-cm A.
Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and gave the magnitude as 11. On October
28, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the reflector and gave
the magnitude as 13. He said the coma extended towards PA 280.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 28 on November 1.
On the 14th, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as
13.5. He said the coma was round, diffuse, and 3 across. On the 17th, van
Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He said the coma was
well condensed, without a sharp nucleus, and still extended towards PA
290. On the 23rd, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14
and said the coma was 4 across. On the 25th, van Biesbroeck said a photograph revealed a coma nearly 5 across, which exhibited a weak central
condensation. On the 28th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He said the coma was large and diffuse. On November 30, van
Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14.
On December 15, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the
61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 14. He said the coma was 3
across and extended towards PA 300. He added that there was a very
diffuse condensation. On the 16th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic
magnitude as 14. He said the condensation was better defined than on the
15th, while a faint tail extended towards PA 305. On the 19th and 22nd,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 15. He said the coma
was fairly well condensed. On December 25, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 15.5. He said the coma was faint and diffuse.
61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 16.5. He said the coma was
extremely diffuse, with little condensation. On the 15th, van Biesbroeck gave
the photographic magnitude as 17 and said the coma was extremely vague.
On January 18, the photographic magnitude was given as 17 by G. H. Herbig
(Lick Observatory, California, USA) and van Biesbroeck. Herbig described
198
catalog of comets
the comet as a weak coma about 4 across. Van Biesbroeck said the comet
appeared as a hardly measurable vague nebulosity.
obtained a 30-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector. He estimated the
magnitude as 17.5, and said the coma was 1 across. The position was given
as = 0h 31.1m , = 12 46 . Van Biesbroeck said a photograph with the
same telescope on January 22 revealed an image too vague to bisect (for
measurement). The reality of this object is not considered definite.
1972) and included perturbations by all nine planets. The result was a perihelion date of September 22.48 and a period of 6.72 years. Marsden (1968) noted
a secular deceleration. Marsden (1970) gave the nongravitational terms as
A1 = 0.028901, A2 = +0.060830, and B2 = +0.1172. Marsden, Z. Sekanina,
and D. K. Yeomans (1973) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.24,
A2 = +0.0961. The orbit of Marsden (1972) is given below.
T
1943 Sep. 22.4789 (TT)
(2000.0)
174.3951 144.3091
i
18.0053
q
e
1.385531 0.610772

full moon: Oct. 13, Nov. 12, Dec. 11, 1944 Jan. 10, Feb. 9
sources: T. Whitwell, The Observatory, 53 (1930 Mar.), pp. 912; T. Whitwell, PA,
38 (1930 Apr.), p. 244; T. Whitwell, BZAN, 12 (1930 Jul. 17), p. 63; T. Whitwell,
MNRAS, 91 (1931 Feb.), pp. 37880; J. T. Foxell and A. E. Levin, BAA Handbook
for 1936 (1935), p. 21; G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 60 (1937 Feb.), p. 55;
F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1943 (1942 Nov.), p. 26; A. W. Recht, HAC, No.
655 (1943 Apr. 15); A. W. Recht, IAUC, No. 951 (1943 Jun. 10); G. van Biesbroeck,
HAC, No. 669 (1943 Oct. 25); G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 968 (1943 Oct. 26);
A. W. Recht, HAC, No. 670 (1943 Nov. 4); G. van Biesbroeck, PASP, 55 (1943
Dec.), p. 291; G. H. Herbig, LOB, 19 (1944), p. 164; G. van Biesbroeck and F. R.
Cripps, MNRAS, 104 (1944), pp. 1089; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.), p. 63; G.
van Biesbroeck, AJ, 51 (1945 Mar.), pp. 11115; A. W. Recht, MNRAS, 107 (1947),
pp. 11011, 113; V1964, p. 75, B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 372, 3745;
B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31415; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970
QJRAS, 13 (1972 Sep.), pp. 4301; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans,
AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), p. 213.
33P/Daniel Prerecovery: 1943 October 23.31 ( = 0.84 AU, r = 1.56 AU, Elong. = 115)
Recovered: 1943 November 20.88 ( = 0.66 AU, r = 1.53 AU, Elong. = 135)
1943 IV Last seen: 1944 March 14.77 ( = 1.31 AU, r = 1.91 AU, Elong. = 111)
Calculated path: ORI (Pre), GEM (Oct. 29), AUR (Dec. 6), LYN (Dec. 22)
W. P. Henderson and H. Whichello (1942) took H. Hiroses orbit for the 1937
apparition and applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn for the period
199
catalog of comets
of 193743. They predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion on

1943 November 22.19.
D. Y. Martynov (Engelhardt Observatory, Kazan, Russia) recovered this
comet on 1943 November 20.88, with the 38-cm Schmidt reflector, and determined its position as = 6h 53.5m , = +26 52 . He confirmed the recovery
while using the same instrument on November 23.93. Martynov estimated
the magnitude as 1415 for both dates. Using an ephemeris prepared by
Henderson and Whichello, G. F. Kellaway (West Coker, England) visually
searched for the comet on November 30.92 with a 32-cm reflector and almost
immediately found a faint nebulous patch measuring about 80 across.
He described it as diffuse, and circular, with a slight brightening towards
the center. Kellaways out-of-focus comparison with stars in the field of the
nearby variable star SS Aurigae revealed a magnitude between 13.2 and
13.8. The comet was situated about 12 from the ephemeris position. Subsequently, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) found
an image of this comet near the edge of a plate exposed on October 23.31.
He said the magnitude was about 14, while the coma was small and round.
Martynov also found a prerecovery image on a search plate exposed on
October 26.94. He said the comets magnitude was then 1516.
On December 19, W. H. Steavenson (Cheltenham, England) was just able
to detect the comet in an 8-cm refractor. The comet was at its maximum
solar elongation of 160 on December 24.
On 1944 January 16, Martynov photographed the comet using the 38-cm
Schmidt reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. On January 25, Kellaway
said the comet had become so faint that averted vision was necessary in
order to visually detect the comet in the 32-cm reflector. The comet attained
its most northerly declination of +54 on February 1. On the 12th, Martynov
gave the photographic magnitude as 15. On the 16th, Kellaway said a
1-hour exposure with a Zeiss lens revealed an excessively faint object,
which seemed larger and more diffuse than ever. On the 24th, Kellaway
gave the magnitude as 15. He said the photographic plate obtained with a
Zeiss lens revealed a small faint patch so vague and difficult to see that
its authenticity was doubtful. Kellaway then measured the position of this
doubtful image and obtained a position so close to the computed place that
it is pretty certain it was the comets image. On February 27 and March 12,
Martynov gave the photographic magnitude as 16.
The comet was last detected on March 14.77, when Martynov photographed it with the 38-cm Schmidt reflector. He estimated the magnitude
as 16, and determined the position as = 7h 43.7m , = +49 30 .
Three astronomers calculated orbits using positions from only this apparition. Kellaway took three positions spanning the period 1943 December 2
1944 January 16. He gave the perihelion date as November 22.54 and the
period as 6.82 years. A. D. Dubiago (1946) took eight positions spanning
the period 1943 October 261944 March 14. He gave the perihelion date as
November 22.51 and the period as 6.79 years. F. R. Cripps (1949) modified
200
catalog of comets
Dubiagos orbit according to a suggestion by G. Merton. The modifications

were made in the semimajor axis, the daily motion, and the eccentricity, so
that the perihelion date remained November 22.51, but the orbital period
changed to 6.80 years.
1970, 1986) and L. M. Belous (1985). These considered perturbations by all
nine planets, with Marsden also considering nongravitational forces. The
result was a perihelion date of November 22.52 and a period of 6.80 years.
Marsden (1968) wrote, Evidently the comet has a secular deceleration,
but the precise value is hard to estimate. Marsden (1970) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.86734 and A2 = +0.054463. Marsden, Z.
Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973) gave the nongravitational terms as
A1 = +1.1 and A2 = +0.073. Marsden (1986) gave the nongravitational
terms as A1 = +1.14 and A2 = +0.0785. The orbit of Marsden (1986) is
given below.
T
1943 Nov. 22.5188 (TT)
6.1251
(2000.0)
71.1213
i
19.8537
q
e
1.526813 0.574618

sources: W. P. Henderson and H. Whichello, BAA Handbook for 1943 (1942 Nov.),
p. 29; W. P. Henderson, H. Whichello, and H. Hirose, IAUC, No. 949 (1943 May
17); W. P. Henderson and H. Whichello, BAA Handbook for 1944 (1943 Nov.), p. 32;
G. F. Kellaway, BAAC, No. 245 (1943 Dec. 3); G. F. Kellaway, W. P. Henderson,
and H. Whichello, MNRAS, 104 (1944), pp. 1089; G. F. Kellaway, IAUC, No. 977
(1944 Jan. 6); G. F. Kellaway and W. H. Steavenson, JBAA, 54 (1944 Mar.), pp. 68
9; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 51 (1945 Mar.), pp. 11112; D. Y. Martynov and A. D.
Dubiago, AJ, 52 (1946 Aug.), pp. 878; F. R. Cripps and G. Merton, BAA Handbook
for 1950 (1949 Nov.), p. 45; V1964, p. 75; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 372,
374; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31415; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970
Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), p. 213; L. M. Belous, QJRAS,
26 (1985 Mar.), pp. 11314; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 5th ed. (1986), pp. 22, 55, 66;
B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116.
C/1943 W1 Discovered: 1943 November 27.89 ( = 0.50 AU, r = 1.19 AU, Elong. = 100)
(van Gent Last seen: 1944 January 24.01 ( = 1.50 AU, r = 0.90 AU, Elong. = 35)
PeltierDaimaca) Closest to the Earth: 1943 December 9 (0.2499 AU)
Calculated path: PUP (Disc), PIC (Dec. 5), DOR (Dec. 7), HOR (Dec. 8), ERI
1944 I (Dec. 9), PHE (Dec. 10), SCL (Dec. 11), AQR (Dec. 15), PEG (Jan. 3)
H. van Gent (Leiden Observatory Southern Station, Johannesburg, South
Africa) discovered this comet during a photographic survey of variable
stars. The discovery was made on 1943 December 1, as he was examining
plates obtained at nearby Union Observatory. The first image was found
201
catalog of comets
on plate number 17893, which had been exposed with the FranklinAdams
Star Camera on 1943 November 27.89. It was a 30-minute exposure and the
position was given as = 8h 07.4m , = 34 16 . He estimated the magnitude as 9 and described the comet as diffuse, without a condensation. In
addition, van Gent found the comet on plate numbers 17894, 17895, and
17896, which were also exposed that evening. Two additional 30-minute
exposures were also made of the comet on November 28. The comet was
confirmed on December 3.44, by H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA). He estimated the magnitude as 9 (33-cm Lawrence Lowell
Telescope).
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 52 on December 7
and attained its greatest solar elongation of 120 on December 8. Despite the
fact that the comet was confirmed within a few days, it moved very quickly
across the sky and was thus announced as a new comet that was discovered by V. Daimaca (Targu Jiu, Romania) on December 16.7 and L. C. Peltier
(Delphos, Ohio, USA) on December 18.8. Peltiers announcement reached
the proper authorities first. Daimaca estimated the magnitude as 6, while
Peltier gave it as 7. Peltier also gave the position as = 23h 20m , = 16
and said the comet was moving slowly westward. Comet PeltierDaimaca
was confirmed by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
on December 18.99. He observed using the 61-cm reflector, gave the magnitude as 7.4, and suggested it was probably van Gent. Van Biesbroeck
added that the comet was diffuse, with a diameter of 5 , and a central stellar
nucleus of magnitude 10. G. F. Kellaway (West Coker, England) independently discovered this comet on December 19.88 and estimated the magnitude as 6. He added that there was no condensation. P. Finsler (Zurich,
Switzerland) independently discovered it on December 24. Wartime conditions caused the comet to be given preliminary designations of 1943e
(USA) and 1943f.
On December 14, R. P. de Kock (Paarl, South Africa) gave the magnitude
as 7.6. On the 18th, van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet using the
61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 7.4. He said a 1-minute exposure using the same telescope revealed a coma 5 across and a central, stellar
nucleus. On the 19th and 20th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.0. He
said a 20-minute exposure showed a faint tail extending over 0.5 in PA 80.
On the 21st, the magnitude was given as 7 by C. Fedtke (Konigsberg,
now
Kaliningrad, Russia) and 7.5 by van Biesbroeck. Fedtke described the comet
as diffuse, with a central condensation. On the 22nd, the visual magnitude
was given as 7.6 by van Biesbroeck, while the photographic magnitude was
given as 7 by G. H. Herbig (Lick Observatory, California, USA) and 8 by E.
Mdlow (Berlin, Germany). On the 23rd, van Biesbroeck visually observed
the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 8.4, while B.
Meyermann (Gottingen,
Germany) gave the photographic magnitude as 7.

On the 24th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.5, using the reflector. A
1-minute exposure with the reflector revealed a round, centrally condensed
202
catalog of comets
coma 5 across and a slender tail extending to the edge of the plate (over 1)
towards PA 72. He added, Several lateral streamers suspected. On the
26th, the magnitude was given as 8.3 by M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory,
Bergedorf, Germany), 8.9 by van Biesbroeck, and 9 by P. Naur (Copenhagen,
Denmark). Beyer said the coma was 6 across and contained a weak nucleus
of about magnitude 10. Van Biesbroeck said there was a sharp nucleus. On
the 28th, Giclas photographed the comet using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and gave the magnitude as 10. On the 30th, the magnitude
was given as 8.43 by Beyer and 9.8 by van Biesbroeck. On December 31,
Beyer observed using an 8-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 8.68,
while Naur estimated it as 9.
On 1944 January 3, C. Popovici (Bucharest, Romania) gave the magnitude
as 9. On the 3rd and 4th, Daimaca gave the magnitude as 9. On the 5th, the
magnitude was given as 8.67 by Beyer and 910 by H. Fischer (Poznan,
Poland). On the 6th, van Biesbroeck obtained a 1-minute exposure using
the reflector and gave the magnitude as 10.5. He said the condensation was
sharply defined, but not stellar. On the 13th, van Biesbroeck obtained a
3-minute exposure and gave the magnitude as 11. He said the coma was
much less defined and 2 across. On the 15th, van Biesbroeck obtained a
5-minute exposure and gave the magnitude as 13. He said the coma was
losing rapidly in brightness and becoming very diffuse. Van Biesbroeck
added that the coma was dissymmetrical which suggested a short tail
extending towards PA 85. On the 18th, van Biesbroeck obtained a 6-minute
exposure and gave the magnitude as 13.5. He said there was an indication
of a tail towards PA 80. On the 21st, van Biesbroeck obtained a 12-minute
exposure and gave the magnitude as 14. He said the comet was poorly
defined, with a tail pointing towards PA 110. On January 22, van Biesbroeck
obtained a 10-minute exposure and gave the magnitude as 15. He said the
coma was about 1.5 across and spread mostly in second quadrant. He
added that the coma contained little condensation.
The comet was last detected at low altitude on January 24.01, when van
Biesbroeck obtained a 10-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector. The position was given as = 21h 52.6m , = +7 41 . He estimated the magnitude
as 15.5, and said the coma was 2 across, without a central condensation.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by J. Jackson, using positions from
November 27, December 7, and December 15. He gave the perihelion date
as 1944 January 12.28. This proved to be an excellent representation of the
comets orbit. During the following days and weeks, parabolic orbits were
calculated by J. Bobone, A. Kahrstedt, and J. P. Moller.
B. G. Marsden and G. van Biesbroeck (1963) took 46 positions obtained

between 1943 November 27 and 1944 January 24, and applied perturbations
from Venus to Saturn. They computed a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion
date of January 12.18 and an eccentricity of 1.0026454. Despite this orbit,
Marsden (1972, 1985) took 27 positions spanning the period November 27
January 7, and found that a parabolic orbit still represented the positions
203
catalog of comets
best, with the perihelion date being January 12.25. Marsdens orbit is given
below.
T
1944 Jan. 12.250 (TT)
33.078
(2000.0)
58.631
i
136.181
q
0.87430
e
1.0

full moon: Nov. 12, Dec. 11, 1944 Jan. 10, Feb. 9
sources: H. van Gent, IAUC, No. 971 (1943 Dec. 4); H. van Gent, H. L. Giclas,
L. C. Peltier, G. van Biesbroeck, and O. Struve, HAC, No. 672 (1943 Dec. 20); V.
Daimaca and L. C. Peltier, IAUC, No. 972 (1943 Dec. 20); J. Jackson, HAC, No.
673 (1943 Dec. 22); J. Bobone and G. H. Herbig, HAC, No. 674 (1943 Dec. 23); C.
Fedtke, IAUC, No. 973 (1943 Dec. 24); E. Mdlow and B. Meyermann, IAUC, No.
974 (1943 Dec. 27); P. Naur, IAUC, No. 975 (1943 Dec. 29); J. P. Moller,
IAUC, No.
976 (1943 Dec. 30); V. Daimaca, L. C. Peltier, and G. F. Kellaway, MNRAS, 104
(1944), pp. 1089; R. P. de Kock and J. Jackson, ASSAMN, 3 (1944 Jan. 14), pp. 34;
H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 676 (1944 Jan. 17); C. Popovici, H. Fischer, A. Kahrstedt,
and J. P. Moller,
IAUC, No. 979 (1944 Jan. 22); J. P. Moller,
IAUC, No. 980 (1944

Jan. 24); V. Daimaca, IAUC, No. 982 (1944 Mar. 1); G. F. Kellaway, IAUC, No.
983 (1944 Mar. 25); H. van Gent, J. Jackson, and G. van Biesbroeck, ASSAMN,
3 (1944 Jul. 31), p. 91; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944 Aug.), p. 63; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 51 (1945 Mar.), pp. 11315; M. Beyer, AN, 275 (1947 Dec. 31), pp. 24950; H.
van Gent, BAN, 10 (1948 Nov. 20), p. 440; B. G. Marsden and G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 68 (1963 May), pp. 2357; V1964, p. 75; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 1st ed. (1972),
pp. 25, 48; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 26 (1985 Mar.), p. 114.
Recovered: 1944 March 24.49 ( = 1.28 AU, r = 1.89 AU, Elong. = 111)
1943 V = 1944a Closest to the Earth: 1944 April 16 (1.2455 AU)
Calculated path: OPH (Rec), SCO (May 3), LIB (May 19)
24P/Schaumasse
This comet was not detected during its 1935 perihelion passage. W. P. Henderson and M. G. Sumner (1934) had taken an orbit for the 1927 apparition
and applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. The result was a predicted perihelion date of 1935 September 13.89. Later calculations by other
astronomers revealed this prediction was about a day and a half early.
The recovery of this comet began with the prediction by Sumner (1942).
Sumner used the orbit predicted for the 1935 return and applied perturbations. He predicted this comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1943
November 4.46. Sumner added that the conditions for observation were not
very favorable. H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) recovered
this comet on 1944 March 24.49, at a position of = 16h 45.6m , = 9 26 .
He described it as magnitude 15, with a diffuse coma, but no central condensation. Giclas confirmed the photographic observation on March 25.48, with
a magnitude estimate of 15. The position indicated the perihelion should be
corrected to about November 27.50.
204
catalog of comets
On March 28, 29, 30, and 31, Giclas photographed the comet using the
33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and gave the magnitude as 15. On
April 1, 2, and 3, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 15. On April
22, the photographic magnitude was given as 16 by Giclas and 17.017.5
by G. H. Herbig (Lick Observatory, California, USA). On May 2, Herbig
magnitude as 17.9. He said the comet appeared like a faint haze. It was 4.5
across and contained a sharp nucleus. The comet attained its greatest solar
elongation of 170 on May 21. On May 24, Herbig gave the photographic
magnitude as 17.5. He said the comet was very similar in appearance as for
the May 2 observation.
The last two detections of the comet came on July 20.23 and July 20.27,
when Herbig photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. He gave the
position on the latter date as = 15h 30.4m , = 14 38 . Herbig estimated
the magnitude as 19.0 and described it as a very faint haze about 4 in
diameter . . .. He added, Although the position and motion correspond to
those of the comet, there is always an uncertainty arising in the identification
of an object so near the threshold limit of the plate. The comet could not be
found on plates of about the same exposure time taken on July 27 and
August 17.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by Sumner (1949) and
B. G. Marsden (1968, 1969, 1986). Although Sumner gave the perihelion date
as November 25.81, Marsden has given it as November 26.1926.21. Both
astronomers have given the period as 8.21 years. Marsden (1968) noted a secular acceleration. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.17536
and A2 = 0.019119 by Marsden (1969), A1 = +0.4 and A2 = 0.040
by Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973), and A1 = +0.36
and A2 = 0.0407 by Marsden (1986). The orbit below is from Marsden
(1986).
T
1943 Nov. 26.1948 (TT)
50.9384
(2000.0)
87.6607
i
12.0430
q
e
1.202128 0.704682

full moon: Mar. 9, Apr. 8, May 8, Jun. 6, Jul. 6, Aug. 4
sources: W. P. Henderson and M. G. Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1935 (1934),
p. 26; M. G. Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1943 (1942 Nov.), p. 27; M. G. Sumner.
IAUC, No. 949 (1943 May 17); M. G. Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1944 (1943 Nov.),
p. 31; H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 682 (1944 Mar. 30); H. L. Giclas, IAUC, No. 984
(1944 Apr. 3); J. P. Moller,
IAUC, No. 985 (1944 Apr. 4); H. L. Giclas, AJ, 51 (1944

Aug.), p. 63; G. H. Herbig, LOB, 19 (1945), pp. 1712; M. G. Sumner, MNRAS, 105
(1945), pp. 1367; M. G. Sumner, MNRAS, 109 (1949), pp. 2545; V1964, p. 75;
B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 373, 375; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968
Sep.), pp. 31415; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.), pp. 729, 731; B. G. Marsden,
205
catalog of comets
AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), p. 213; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 5th ed. (1986), pp. 22, 55; B. G.
Marsden, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116.
C/1944 H1 Discovered: 1944 April 18.91 ( = 2.69 AU, r = 3.66 AU, Elong. = 162)
(Visl) Last seen: 1946 January 2.09 ( = 4.82 AU, r = 4.44 AU, Elong. = 62)
1945 I = 1944b Calculated path: VIR (Disc), LIB (Sep. 26), SCO (Nov. 8), SGR (Dec. 30), MIC
(1945 Feb. 26), PsA (Mar. 24), SCL (May 28), AQR (May 31), SCL (Jul. 7), PsA
(Aug. 30), AQR (Oct. 10)
This comet was discovered by Y. Visl (University of Turku, Finland)
during a routine search for minor planets on 1944 April 18.91. He gave the
position as = 12h 51.0m , = +0 02 . It was confirmed on April 26.90,
at which time the magnitude was estimated as 14.5. Visl also described
the comet as a small nebulosity, with a diameter of 10 .
On May 22 and 27, C. Hoffmeister (Sonneberg, Germany) gave the photographic magnitude as 14. On the latter date, he described the comet as
diffuse, without a condensation. On August 7, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet at low altitude with
the 61-cm reflector and simply described it as a faint diffuse spot. On August
12 and 15, G. H. Herbig (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed
14.0. He said the plates were exposed when the comet was at a low altitude
in evening twilight. The comet was described as a globular haze about
15 in diameter. The comet attained its minimum solar elongation of 9 on
December 5.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 34 on 1945 January
20. The comet slowly moved in a northeasterly direction until June 18, when
it attained a declination of about 25. It then began moving southeasterly
and by mid-July was moving in a southwesterly direction. On August 7
and 8, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector
and described it as a diffuse spot of magnitude 15.5. On the 9th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14. He said the comet exhibited
a small coma. With the comet having generally moved in a southwesterly
direction for the last few weeks, it attained a declination of 27 on August
31 and turned to a northwesterly direction. On September 3 and 7, van
Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 15.5. He said the comet
was very diffuse. On October 10, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic
magnitude as 16. He said the round, fuzzy coma was 15 across. After
turning to a northerly direction in late October, the comet turned to a northeasterly direction early in November. On November 30, December 1, and
December 4, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude
as 16.5. He said the round, fuzzy coma was 12 across.
206
catalog of comets
On 1946 January 1, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as

16.5 and said the coma was 10 across.
obtained an 8-minute exposure with the 208-cm reflector at McDonald
Observatory. The magnitude was estimated as 16.5, while the coma
diameter was 10 . Van Biesbroeck gave the position as = 23h 09.6m ,
= 15 25 .
P. Naur computed parabolic elements which were first published on
June 3. The perihelion date was determined as 1944 December 27.81. Using
precise positions obtained on April 18, April 26, and May 27, L. Oterma computed a parabolic orbit which was first published on June 6. The perihelion
date was determined as 1945 January 2.51. P. Herget published an orbit on
September 21 which determined the perihelion date as January 3.66.
B. G. Marsden (1972, 1978) used 22 positions obtained between 1944
May 22 and 1945 November 30, as well as perturbations by all nine planets,
and computed an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of January 4.06 and a
period of about 7143 years. Marsden took this orbit and derived an elliptical
T
1945 Jan. 4.0622 (TT)
(2000.0)
238.9426
29.0848
i
17.2882
q
e
2.410856 0.993500

full moon: Apr. 8, May 8, Jun. 6, Jul. 6, Aug. 4, Sep. 2, Oct. 2, Oct. 31, Nov. 30,
Dec. 29, 1945 Jan. 28, Feb. 26, Mar. 28, Apr. 27, May 27, Jun. 25, Jul. 25, Aug. 23,
Sep. 21, Oct. 21, Nov. 19, Dec. 19, 1946 Jan. 17
sources: Y. Visl, IAUC, No. 986 (1944 May 13); C. Hoffmeister, IAUC, No.
988 (1944 May 30); P. Naur, IAUC, No. 989 (1944 Jun. 3); L. Oterma, IAUC,
No. 990 (1944 Jun. 6); C. Hoffmeister, IAUC, No. 991 (1944 Jul. 8); P. Herget,
HAC, No. 695 (1944 Sep. 21); G. H. Herbig, LOB, 19 (1945), pp. 1723; G. van
Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 722 (1945 Sep. 7); G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 1019
(1945 Oct. 8); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 52 (1947 May), pp. 2012; V1964, p. 75; B. G.
Marsden, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 25, 48; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66,
68.
66P/1944 K1 Prediscovery: 1944 April 22.95 ( = 0.65 AU, r = 1.47 AU, Elong. = 123)
(du Toit) Discovered: 1944 May 17.04 ( = 0.52 AU, r = 1.35 AU, Elong. = 118)
1944 III = 1944c Closest to the Earth: 1944 June 3 (0.4999 AU)
Calculated path: SCO (Pre), ARA (Apr. 23), TEL (Apr. 29), PAV (May 10), IND
(May 27), TUC (Jun. 1), PHE (Jun. 23), SCL (Aug. 25), AQR (Sep. 30)
D. du Toit (Harvard College Observatory, Boyden Station, Bloemfontein,
South Africa) discovered this comet on a photograph obtained on 1944 May
17.04. He estimated the magnitude as 10 and gave the position as = 19h
207
catalog of comets
54m , = 60 39 . Confirmation came from H. van Gent (Union Observatory,

Johannesburg, South Africa) when he photographed it on May 23.03. He
estimated the magnitude as 11. Van Gent also found a prediscovery image
on a plate exposed on April 22.95. He gave the magnitude as 12.5.
The comet was approaching both the sun and Earth when it was first
found, but was not widely observed. Van Gent estimated the photographic
magnitude as 11 on May 28. On May 29 and 30, J. Bobone and C. G. Torres
(National Astronomical Observatory, Cordoba,
Argentina) photographed
the comet using the astrograph. The comet attained its most southerly declination of 64 on May 31. Bobone and Torres continued to obtain a fine
series of photographs, with exposures on June 12, 14, 18, 27, and 28, July 14
and 28, and August 16 and 19. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 152 on September 14. On the 19th and 21st, Torres photographed the
comet using the reflector at the Astrophysical Station (Chile). On September
26, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed
the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 17.5. He said
the small coma was faintly condensed and 12 across. On October 19,
20, 21, and 22, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude
as 18. He said the round coma was centrally condensed and 10 across. On
October 20, G. H. Herbig (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed
the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 18.5.
He said the comet looked like a very weak haze.
The last two detections of the comet came on November 14.2 and
November 20.2, when van Biesbroeck obtained exposures with the 208-cm
reflector. The comet appeared as a very faint trace of about magnitude 19.5
on these photographs, but was too faint for measurement.
J. Jackson wrote that an attempt to find an orbit using the initial South
African positions from Johannesburg and Bloemfontein that spanned the
period April 22May 28 did not yield a parabola. He suggested that
an error might have existed with one of the positions, but noted that his
attempts indicated perihelion in late June or July. During early June,
Bobone computed a parabolic orbit which gave the perihelion date as 1944
June 10.57. Bobone published two elliptical orbits during the next couple of
months. At the end of June, he gave the perihelion date as June 17.52 and
the period as 14.02 years, and, at the beginning of September, he gave the
perihelion date as June 17.49 and the period as 14.87 years.
A reinvestigation of this comets orbit was published by Bobone (1955). He
took 18 positions from the period spanning May 29October 22, as well as
perturbations by three planets, and determined the perihelion date as June
17.50 and the period as 14.79 years. Very similar orbits were later calculated by G. Sitarski (1973, 1978) and N. A. Belyaev, V. V. Emelyanenko, and
N. Yu. Goryajnova (1974).
Following the comets recovery, orbits using multiple apparitions and
planetary perturbations were calculated by Belyaev and Emelyanenko
208
catalog of comets
(1985), Sitarski (1985), S. Nakano (1978, 2000, 2003), and K. Kinoshita (2004).
They all revealed a perihelion date of June 17.49 and a period of 14.78 years.
Kinoshita determined nongravitational terms of A1 = +0.01 and A2 =
0.0111, and this orbit is given below.
T
1944 Jun. 17.4934 (TT)
(2000.0)
257.0228
23.1486
i
18.7501
q
e
1.276932 0.787986

full moon: Apr. 8, May 8, Jun. 6, Jul. 6, Aug. 4, Sep. 2, Oct. 2, Oct. 31, Nov. 30
sources: D. du Toit, HAC, No. 685 (1944 May 29); D. du Toit, IAUC, No. 988
(1944 May 30); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 686 (1944 Jun. 5); J. Bobone, IAUC, No. 990
(1944 Jun. 6); D. du Toit, H. van Gent, and J. Jackson, ASSAMN, 3 (1944 Jun.
25), p. 63; J. Bobone, HAC, No. 689 (1944 Jun. 29); J. Bobone, IAUC, No. 993
(1944 Jul. 24); D. du Toit and H. van Gent, ASSAMN, 3 (1944 Jul. 31), p. 80;
J. Bobone, HAC, No. 692 (1944 Sep. 1); G. H. Herbig, LOB, 19 (1945), p. 173;
J. Bobone and C. G. Torres, AJ, 51 (1945 Mar.), p. 108; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ,
52 (1947 May), p. 202; H. van Gent, BAN, 10 (1948 Nov. 20), p. 440; J. Bobone,
Observatorio Astronomio Cordoba Contribuciones, No. 1 (1955), p. 6; V1964, p. 75;
G. Sitarski, AcA, 23 (1973), pp. 3735; N. A. Belyaev, V. V. Emelyanenko, and N.
Yu. Goryajnova, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4523, 459; S. Nakano, Nakano Note,
No. 326 (1978 Jun. 20); G. Sitarski, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 523, 57; N. A.
Belyaev and V. V. Emelyanenko, QJRAS, 26 (1985 Mar.), pp. 7980; G. Sitarski,
QJRAS, 26 (1985 Mar.), p. 91; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 714 (2000 May 13); S.
Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 922 (2003 Mar. 17); personal correspondence from K.
Kinoshita (2004).
C/1944 K2 Prediscovery: 1944 May 15.79 ( = 1.92 AU, r = 2.34 AU, Elong. = 101)
(van Gent) Discovered: 1944 May 23.77 ( = 1.91 AU, r = 2.31 AU, Elong. = 100)
1944 IV Closest to the Earth: 1944 May 20 (1.9128 AU)
Calculated path: VEL (Pre), ANT (Jun. 5), HYA (Jun. 22), CRT (Jul. 1), CRV
(Aug. 6), VIR (Aug. 8), BOO (Dec. 2), SER (Dec. 29), CrB (1945 Jan. 29), HER
(Mar. 1), BOO (Mar. 12), DRA (Mar. 31), UMa (May 17)
H. van Gent (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) discovered
this comet on 1944 May 23.77, at a position of = 9h 24.8m , = 49 20 . The
comet was described as diffuse, with a magnitude of 12. Van Gent found a
prediscovery image on a plate exposed on May 15.79. Wartime conditions
caused this comet to sometimes be known as 1944d.
News of the comet was considerably delayed because of the war.
The International Astronomical Union normally issued announcements of
comet discoveries, but in this case an announcement was not made until
August 1945, more than a year after the discovery. Fortunately, van Gent
continued to observe the comet and astronomers in Argentina and the USA
were also alerted.
209
catalog of comets
Van Gent obtained 13 photographs using the FranklinAdams camera

during the period June 1August 16. J. Bobone and C. G. Torres (National
Astronomical Observatory, Cordoba,
Argentina) photographed the comet

using an astrograph on June 14, June 27, July 8, and July 14.
The last two observations of the comet before it disappeared in evening
twilight were on August 6.96 and August 6.98 when Bobone and Torres
photographed it using the astrograph. An observation was reported by van
Gent for August 16.72, which was considered very uncertain, but in this
case another object had been mistaken for the comet.
The comet passed about 8 from the sun on October 11 and remained
lost in the suns glare until 1945 January 12.51, when G. H. Herbig (Lick
Observatory, California, USA) photographed it using the 91-cm Crossley
reflector. He estimated the magnitude as 15.5 and described the comet
as a round, strongly condensed coma, with a diameter of 8 . On March
8, Herbig gave the photographic magnitude as 16.0. He said the comet
appeared nearly stellar. On May 8, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector
and gave the magnitude as 18. Two 15-minute exposures revealed a fairly
sharp trail with hardly a coma. On May 10, Herbig gave the photographic magnitude as 17.8. He described the comet as a weak, indistinct
haze about 10 across. The comet attained its most northerly declination
of +62 on May 26. On July 5, Herbig gave the photographic magnitude
as 18.5. He described the comet as small and without condensation. On
July 12, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 18.5. He described the comet as small and
without condensation.
The comet was last detected on August 11.23, when Jeffers photographed
it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. He gave the position as = 13h 58.3m ,
= +56 18 . Jeffers estimated the magnitude as 19.0 and described the
comet as small and without condensation.
The first orbit was calculated by J. Jackson, using positions from May
15, May 23, and June 1. He gave the perihelion date as 1944 July 18.70. He
published a revised orbit on September 1 which gave the perihelion date as
July 17.67.
A. Przybylski (1952) took ten positions spanning the period 1944 June 14
1945 July 12, but did not apply perturbations. He determined a perihelion
date of July 17.62 and the eccentricity of 1.0019948.
A. Przybylski (1956) used 34 positions obtained between 1944 June 1 and
1945 August 11, as well as perturbations by the planets Venus to Neptune,
and computed a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of July 17.61 and
an eccentricity of 1.002085.
B. G. Marsden (1973, 1978) used 25 positions obtained between 1944
June 1 and 1945 August 11, as well as perturbations by all nine planets,
and computed a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of July 17.61 and an
eccentricity of 1.0020846. This orbit is given below. Marsden took this orbit
210
catalog of comets
years, and a hyperbolic future orbit with an eccentricity of 1.001162.
T
1944 Jul. 17.6133 (TT)
(2000.0)
336.9741 203.5003
i
95.0056
q
e
2.225933 1.002085

full moon: May 8, Jun. 6, Jul. 6, Aug. 4, Sep. 2, Oct. 2, Oct. 31, Nov. 30, Dec. 29,
1945 Jan. 28, Feb. 26, Mar. 28, Apr. 27, May 27, Jun. 25, Jul. 25, Aug. 23
sources: H. van Gent, HAC, No. 686 (1944 Jun. 5); J. Jackson, HAC, No. 688 (1944
Jun. 16); H. van Gent and J. Jackson, ASSAMN, 3 (1944 Jun. 25), p. 63; H. van
Gent, ASSAMN, 3 (1944 Jul. 31), p. 80; J. Bobone, HAC, No. 693 (1944 Sep. 1);
G. H. Herbig, LOB, 19 (1945), p. 173; J. Bobone and C. G. Torres, AJ, 51 (1945
Mar.), p. 108; H. van Gent and J. Bobone, IAUC, No. 1019 (1945 Oct. 8); G. H.
Herbig and H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1947), p. 184; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 52 (1947
May), p. 203; H. van Gent, BAN, 10 (1948 Nov. 20), p. 441; A. Przybylski, IAUC,
No. 1362 (1952 Jun. 14); A. Przybylski, AcA, 6 (1956), pp. 11725; V1964, p. 75;
B. G. Marsden, AJ, 78 (1973 Dec.), pp. 111920; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.),
p. 68.
95P/Chiron Prediscovery: 1941 January 23.86 ( = 9.31 AU, r = 10.28 AU, Elong. = 170)
Last seen: 1969 September 11.34 ( = 17.86 AU, r = 18.82 AU, Elong.
= 163)
Closest to the Earth: 1945 March 22 (7.4881 AU), 1946 April 8 (7.5003 AU)
Calculated path: CNC (Pre), CMi (Feb. 2), GEM (Feb. 11), CNC (May 16), LEO
(1942 Aug. 14), SEX (Oct. 24), LEO (1943 Mar. 2), SEX (Jul. 24), LEO (Nov. 3),
SEX (1944 Feb. 28), LEO (Jul. 5), VIR (Oct. 6), LIB (1947 Jan. 10), VIR (Apr.
9), LIB (Sep. 11), SCO (1948 Dec. 8), OPH (1949 Jan. 23), SCO (May 23), OPH
(Oct. 10), SGR (1950 Dec. 27)
This object was discovered by C. T. Kowal (Palomar Observatory, California, USA) on 1977 October 18 and was described as a slow-moving object
of stellar appearance. The slow motion initially made the orbit difficult to
determine, although it did quickly become obvious that the object was much
farther from the sun than a normal minor planet. Additional positions during the next month enabled the orbit to be refined and Kowal found images
on two photographic plates he had exposed during 1969 September. Taking
the positions from 1969 and 1977 enabled B. G. Marsden to calculate a very
accurate orbit. Marsden said it was obvious that the object could reach magnitude 14.5 around the time of perihelion and suggested it might be found
on plates around the perihelion passages in 1945 and 1895. Less than a
week after the publication of Marsdens new orbit, images were found on
three plates exposed in 1941, 1943, and 1952.
W. Liller and L. J. Chaisson (Center for Astrophysics, Massachusetts, USA)
found the object on plates exposed at the Boyden Station of Harvard College
Observatory (Bloemfontein, South Africa) on 1941 January 23.86 and 1943
211
catalog of comets
March 8.80. The position on the first date was given as = 7h 54.9m ,
= +13 02 and the exposure had been 3 hours long. The plates had been
obtained using the Bruce 61-cm astrograph and the magnitude of the stellar
object was estimated as 15 on each date. Kowal, Liller, and Marsden (1979)
noted, Curiously enough, this [1941] trail had been marked, but apparently
never followed up, when the plate was examined in 1951 for faint galaxies.
Kowal also found the object on a blue Palomar Sky Survey plate obtained
on 1952 August 23.17. He estimated the magnitude as 17.
A couple of weeks later, Liller and Chaisson found another image on a
plate exposed using the 61-cm astrograph at Bloemfontein. The date of the
exposure was given as 1948 August 4.76 and the magnitude was 16. The
discovery of a further image was announced during May of 1978, when A.
Niemi (Turku University Observatory, Finland) noted a very weak image
near the limit of a plate exposed at Turku on 1945 April 16.86. He gave the
magnitude as 16.
As it turned out, the images Kowal found from 1969 September were
actually obtained a little over a year prior to the comet passing aphelion
and would be the last observations of this apparition. He had obtained the
exposures with the 122-Schmidt telescope on September 10.37 and September 11.34. Kowal estimated the magnitude as 18 and gave the position on
the last date as = 0h 13.7m , = +4 48 .
The object received the minor planet designation 2060 and Kowal
named it Chiron. As early as 1979, Marsden had expressed his opinion that
this might be a comet. Interestingly, observers reported an outburst in brightness during 1988. This was unheard of for a minor planet and seemed to
strengthen the possibility that this was a comet. Several astronomers began
monitoring Chiron more frequently and were even obtaining longer exposures in the hope of catching a coma or tail. A coma was actually detected
in 1989, thus confirming that Chiron was a comet. It eventually received the
cometary designation 95P.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +14 on 1941 May 3
and attained its most southerly declination of 18 on 1950 January 26.
The most recent multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by
K. Kinoshita (2003) and S. Nakano (2004). These included planetary perturbations. They determined a perihelion date of 1945 August 29.15 and a
period of 50.89 years. Nakanos orbit is given below.
T
1945 Aug. 29.1533 (TT)
(2000.0)
338.8997 209.4894
i
6.9195
q
e
8.462514 0.383751

full moon: Full moons did not limit the overall period of the comets visibility
sources: C. T. Kowal, IAUC, No. 3129 (1977 Nov. 4); C. T. Kowal and B. G. Marsden, IAUC, No. 3145 (1977 Nov. 30); C. T. Kowal, W. Liller, and L. J. Chaisson,
IAUC, No. 3147 (1977 Dec. 5); W. Liller and L. J. Chaisson, IAUC, No. 3151 (1977
212
catalog of comets
Dec. 13); W. Liller and L. J. Chaison, IAUC, No. 3156 (1977 Dec. 30); A. Niemi,
IAUC, No. 3215 (1978 May 1); C. T. Kowal, W. Liller, and B. G. Marsden, IAUS, 81
(1979), pp. 24550; personal correspondence from K. Kinoshita (2003); S. Nakano,
Nakano Note, No. 1102 (2004 Oct. 15).
79P/1945 G1 Discovered: 1945 April 9.71 ( = 0.29 AU, r = 1.25 AU, Elong. = 146)
(du ToitHartley) Last seen: 1945 June 4.71 ( = 0.47 AU, r = 1.36 AU, Elong. = 129)
1945 II = 1945c Calculated path: LEO (Disc), CRT (Apr. 18), CRV (May 9), HYA (May 26)
South Africa) discovered this comet on 1945 April 9.71, at = 10h 58.8m ,
= 1 03 . He estimated the magnitude as 10 and gave the comets daily
motion as +1m in and 35 in . The comet was confirmed by H. van Gent
(Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) on April 12.90, when he
photographed it using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera. The comet
was known by the name du Toit 2 up until its rediscovery in 1982.
A radiogram announcing the discovery was received at Harvard (Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA) on April 12, but subsequent photographic
searches at Harvard College Observatorys Cambridge and Oak Ridge Stations in the following days revealed nothing. A letter was written requesting
the South African astronomers to confirm the comet, but an answer was not
received until June 9, when J. S. Paraskevopoulos (Harvard College Observatory, Boyden Station) responded, and mentioned that the comet had been
followed for 2 months at the Boyden station, as well as at Union Observatory
(Johannesburg, South Africa). Paraskevopoulos also included an orbit and
magnitude predictions by J. Jackson, which indicated the comet had become
too faint to be detected by Harvards 25-cm photographic telescope.
Van Gent was the most prolific observer of this comet as he photographed
it on nine occasions with the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera during
the period April 12May 31.
The comet was last detected on June 4.71, when astronomers at Boyden
Station obtained a 45-minute exposure using the 25-cm Metcalf Triplet and
gave a position of = 13h 07.1m , = 26 23 .
The first orbit was calculated by Jackson, using positions from April 12,
May 1, and May 17. The result was a perihelion date of 1945 April 16.93.
The first elliptical orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham (1947) using
positions spanning 58 days. He gave the perihelion date as April 20.30
and the period as 4.56 years. K. Hurukawa (1952) took nine positions
obtained at Johannesburg during the period April 12May 31 and calculated an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of 1945 April 18.71 and
a period of 5.27 years. M. P. Candy (1961) revised the orbit by taking
30 positions spanning the period April 9June 4, reducing them to five
Normal places, and applying perturbations by Venus, Earth, Jupiter, and
Saturn. The result was a perihelion date of April 18.72 and a period of
5.28 years.
213
catalog of comets

G. Forti (1989), and S. Nakano (1999). Marsdens orbit was actually an
approximate linkage of the 1945 and 1982 apparitions following the suggestion by Nakano that a comet discovered by Hartley was the return of
this comet found by du Toit. Marsden and Forti applied perturbations by
nine planets, while Nakano applied perturbations by the eight major planets and the minor planets Ceres, Pallas, and Vesta. Each astronomer gave
the perihelion date as April 18.72 and the period as 5.28 years. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.57, A2 = +0.0030 by Forti and
A1 = +0.561, A2 = +0.0040 by Nakano. Nakanos orbit is given below.
T
1945 Apr. 18.7209 (TT)
(2000.0)
201.5339 359.5530
i
6.9295
q
1.249902
e
0.587986

sources: D. du Toit, H. van Gent, and J. Jackson, ASSAMN (1945 May 31),
p. 54; D. du Toit, HAC, No. 709 (1945 Jun. 12); D. du Toit, IAUC, No. 1008
(1945 Jun. 14); D. du Toit and [Harvard College Observatory], PASP, 57 (1945
Aug.), pp. 2212; D. du Toit and [Harvard College Observatory], PA, 53 (1945
Dec.), p. 362; L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11011, 114; H. van
Gent, BAN, 10 (1948 Nov. 20), p. 441; K. Hurukawa, NAZ, 6 (1952), p. 24; K.
Hurukawa, IAUC, No. 1368 (1952 Aug. 7); K. Hurukawa, MNRAS, 113 (1953),
pp. 3901; M. P. Candy and K. Hurukawa, IAUC, No. 1754 (1961 Mar. 23); M. P.
Candy, QJRAS, 2 (1961 Oct.), pp. 1579; V1964, p. 75; B. G. Marsden and S.
Nakano, IAUC, No. 3668 (1982 Feb. 19); G. Forti, AAP, 215 (1989), pp. 3812, 384;
S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 706 (1999 Nov. 23).
7P/Pons Recovered: 1945 May 1.83 ( = 0.69 AU, r = 1.45 AU, Elong. = 116)
1945 IV = 1945a Calculated path: CVn (Rec), COM (Jun. 7), VIR (Jun. 27), LIB (Jul. 23), HYA
(Jul. 30), CEN (Aug. 3), LUP (Aug. 4), NOR (Aug. 17), ARA (Aug. 23), TEL
(Sep. 10), IND (Oct. 11)
C. Dinwoodie, K. Pollock, J. G. Porter, and M. G. Sumner (1944) used positions from this comets 1939 apparition to determine a definitive orbit. They
then applied perturbations by Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, and integrated the comets motion forward. They predicted the comet would next
pass perihelion on 1945 July 8.02.
D. Y. Martynov (Engelhardt Observatory, Kazan, Russia) photographed
the comets predicted position using the 38-cm Schmidt reflector on 1945
April 30.8, May 1.83, May 2.86, and May 4.90. On May 5, Martynov examined the photographic plates and found cometary images of magnitude
13 on the three May exposures, with the position given on May 1 as
= 13h 00.9m , = +45 32 . H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona,
214
catalog of comets
USA) independently recovered this comet on May 3.23, using the 33-cm A.
Lawrence Lowell Astrograph. He gave the magnitude as 13.8, and noted
the coma was diffuse, with a nucleus. The comets position indicated the
prediction by Dinwoodie, Pollock, Porter, and Sumner was 2.53 days too
early. The comet was then about 2 months from its closest approach to the
sun and Earth.
On May 8, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 13.8. On the 11th,
G. H. Herbig (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet
using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 14.0. He
said the coma was featureless and about 8 across. There was a possible
tail extending toward PA 160. On the 12th and 20th, Martynov gave the
photographic magnitude as 13. On May 16, Giclas gave the photographic
magnitude as 13.5.
On June 4 and 5, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin,
USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 12.5. He said the round coma was 3.5 across and contained a
well-condensed central nucleus. On the 5th, Giclas gave the photographic
magnitude as 13.5. On the 8th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude
as 13.3. On the 12th, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 13. He said there was no definite nucleus. On the 13th, Giclas gave
the photographic magnitude as 13.0. On the 14th, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 12. He said the coma was 3 across. On the
28th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 12.7. The comet attained
a minimum solar elongation of 43 on June 30. On June 30 and July 3, van
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin USA) photographed the comet
using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 12. He said the round
coma was 5 across and, although well condensed, did not possess a stellar
nucleus. On July 7, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 11.5.
On August 3 and 4, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as
about 13. He said the comet was at low altitude and only the central part of
the nucleus was detected. The comet attained its most southerly declination
of 52 on September 15.
The last two detections of this comet came on plates exposed with the
astrographic telescope at the National Astronomical Observatory, Cordoba,
Argentina, on October 10.05 and October 10.08. The first plate was obtained
by C. G. Torres and the second was by D. McLeish. Although no physical descriptions were obtained, the comets position on the latter date was
determined as = 20h 20.6m , = 48 24 .
J. Bobone (1946) took positions from the 1945 apparition and determined
the perihelion date as July 10.59 and the period as 6.23 years.
Multiple apparition orbits were calculated by Porter (1949), B. G. Marsden
(1968, 1978), L. Ya. Ananeva and E. A. Reznikov (1974), and Reznikov (1978).
These applied various planetary perturbations, with nongravitational terms
being applied by Marsden. The result was a perihelion date of July 10.59
215
catalog of comets
and a period of 6.16 years. Marsden (1968) noted an extremely slight secular deceleration for this comet. Marsden (1970) gave the nongravitational
terms as A1 = 0.012726 and A2 = +0.00064604, using positions spanning 19391964. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973) gave the
nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.01, A2 = +0.0024, using positions from
19331951.
T
1945 Jul. 10.5895 (TT)
(2000.0)
170.1315
95.1355
i
21.6928
q
1.159202
e
0.654860

full moon: Apr. 27, May 27, Jun. 25, Jul. 25, Aug. 23, Sep. 21, Oct. 21
sources: C. Dinwoodie, K. Pollock, J. G. Porter, and M. G. Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1945 (1944 Nov.), p. 33; G. H. Herbig, LOB, 19 (1945), p. 172; C. Dinwoodie,
K. Pollock, J. G. Porter, and M. G. Sumner, IAUC, No. 998 (1945 Jan. 23); D. Y.
Martynov, ATsir, No. 41 (1945 May 5); H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 706 (1945 May
11); H. L. Giclas, IAUC, No. 1005 (1945 May 12); D. Y. Martynov, ATsir, No. 42
(1945 Jun. 1); D. Y. Martynov, ATsir, No. 43 (1945 Aug. 5); J. Bobone, HAC, No.
725 (1945 Sep. 25); J. Bobone, MNRAS, 106 (1946), pp. 779; C. G. Torres and D.
McLeish, AJ, 52 (1946 Jun.), pp. 212; G. van Biesbroeck and H. L. Giclas, AJ, 52
(1947 May), pp. 2046; J. G. Porter, MNRAS, 109 (1949), pp. 2545; V1964, p. 75;
B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 3701; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970 Feb.),
pp. 801; Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), pp. 214,
216; L. Ya. Ananeva and E. A. Reznikov, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4523, 459;
E. A. Reznikov and B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88.
22P/Kopff Recovered: 1945 May 7.38 ( = 0.78 AU, r = 1.79 AU, Elong. = 172)
1945 V = 1945b Closest to the Earth: 1945 June 9 (0.6849 AU)
Calculated path: LIB (Rec), SCO (Aug. 6), OPH (Aug. 14), SER (Sep. 4), SCT
(Sep. 26), SGR (Oct. 9), CAP (Nov. 2), AQR (Nov. 14)
This comet passed 0.57 AU from Jupiter on 1943 March 8, which made
predictions for this return more difficult than usual. W. E. Beart and W. P.
Henderson took an orbit predicted for the 1939 apparition, corrected it using
positions from that apparition, and applied perturbations by Jupiter. They
predicted the next perihelion date would be 1945 August 9.54. Interestingly, F. Kepinski had worked intensively on the motion of this comet when
records of his computations were destroyed in the Warszawa, Poland, insurrection of 1944 August. An accurate ephemeris based on this work was
published in 1946. With the original orbit gone, J. G. Masters (1947) used
Kepinskis ephemeris and deduced an orbit. He found that Kepinski had
predicted a perihelion date of August 11.29, which was only about 30 minutes too late.
H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) recovered this comet
with the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph on 1945 May 7.38, at = 15h
216
catalog of comets
00.5m , = 24 29 . He said the coma was diffuse, with a magnitude of 12,
and contained a nucleus.
On May 12, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as
12.5. He added that the coma was 25 across and contained a well-defined
nucleus, while a faint tail extended 1 in PA 355. On the 13th, van Biesbroeck said a 20-second exposure with the 208-cm reflector showed the
sharp nucleus. On the 30th, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the
magnitude as 12. He said the coma was 50 across and was centrally condensed into a sharp nucleus. On May 31, Giclas photographed the comet
using the astrograph and gave the magnitude as 10.5.
On June 4, A. F. A. L. Jones (Timaru, New Zealand) gave the visual magnitude as 12.0, while van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as
12. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 1 across. On June 7, Jones observed
using a 14-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 12.0. On June 9 and 11,
Jones said the refractor revealed a magnitude of 11.5. On the 14th, the photographic magnitude was given as 10.3 by Giclas and 11.5 by van Biesbroeck.
Van Biesbroeck noted a sharp nucleus. Jones observed using a 14-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 11.7 on the 15th, 11.4 on the 16th, 11.0 on the
17th, 11.4 on the 19th and 20th, and 10.5 on the 29th. On June 30, Jones gave
the visual magnitude as 10.4, while van Biesbroeck gave the photographic
magnitude as 11. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was nearly 3 across.
On July 1, Jones gave the magnitude as 10.2. On the 2nd, Jones gave
the magnitude as 9.8. Also on this date, L. C. Peltier (Delphos, Ohio)
was involved in a routine comet-hunting session when he located a 10thmagnitude object at = 14h 45m , = 15. He said the comet was heading
northeastward. In the following days it was identified as comet Kopff. On
the 3rd, Jones gave the visual magnitude as 10.0, while van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 10.5. On the 4th, H. M. Jeffers (Lick
Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 91-cm
Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 11. He said a 5-minute exposure showed a faint coma 20 across, which contained a well-condensed
nucleus in the southern part. On the 5th, Jones gave the magnitude as
9.6. On the 7th, Jones gave the visual magnitude as 9.0, while van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10.5. Jones gave the magnitude as 8.8 on the 9th and 9.0 on the 10th. On the 12th, Jones gave
the visual magnitude as 9.0, while Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 10.7. Jones said the tail extended toward PA 330. Jones gave the
magnitude as 8.5 on the 14th and 8.6 on the 15th. On the 28th, F. Weber
and R. Weber (Paris, France) gave the magnitude as 9.510. The comet
attained its most northerly declination of 14 on the 29th and then began
an east-southeasterly motion. The magnitude was given as 8.0 by Jones,
9.510 by F. and R. Weber, and 9.7 by van Biesbroeck. Jones said the tail
extended toward PA 310. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 4 across, with
217
catalog of comets
a sharp nucleus. On July 31, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.0, using his
14-cm refractor.
On August 2, van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet using the 61-cm
reflector and gave the magnitude as 8.8. Van Biesbroeck gave it as 8.6 on
the 3rd. On the 4th, the magnitude was given as 8.0 by Jones and 8.7 by
van Biesbroeck. On the 7th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.9. On
the 10th, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.5 and said the tail extended toward
PA 315. On the 13th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 10.6. The
comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 36 on August 21. On the
28th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.9. On August 30, Giclas gave
On September 1, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.0. On the 3rd, the magnitude was given as 9.0 by Jones and 9.2 by van Biesbroeck. On the 4th, Jones
gave the magnitude as 8.7. Van Biesbroeck visually observed the comet
using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 9.0 on the 5th and
9.1 on the 7th. On the 10th, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.7. On the 12th,
Jones gave the magnitude as 9.0. He said the tail extended toward PA 315.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of 15 on September 13
and then began an east-northeasterly motion. On that same date, Giclas
and gave the magnitude as 10.1. On September 24, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 10.5.
On October 7, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 10.2. On the
11th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 11. He said the
round coma was 5 across and contained a sharp nucleus. Van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 11.5 on October 23 and 26. On November 6, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and
gave the magnitude as 12.5. He said the coma was 4 across, with a central
nucleus. On November 14, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 10.4.
On November 30 and December 1, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory,
Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave
the magnitude as 13.5. He noted a tail extending 2 in PA 50.
found it on a 5-minute exposure obtained with the 208-cm reflector. The
magnitude was estimated as 14 and a fan-shaped tail extended 2 in PA 65.
Van Biesbroeck gave the position as = 22h 28.8m , = 3 17 .
Using positions from 1945, J. Bobone calculated an orbit with a perihelion
date of August 11.28 and a period of 6.19 years.
astronomers used perturbations by the planets Mercury to Neptune and the
dwarf planet Pluto. Yeomans and Sitarski also solved for nongravitational
effects. Although Kepinski determined the perihelion date as August 11.27,
the other astronomers gave the date as August 11.27. Everyone gave the
218
catalog of comets
period as 6.18 years. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.66

and A2 = 0.0455 by Yeomans (1973), A1 = +0.832 and A2 = 0.0216 by
Yeomans (1974), and A1 = +0.534, A2 = 0.019, and A3 = 0.181 by Sitarski.
The orbit by Sitarski is given below.
T
1945 Aug. 11.2717 (TT)
31.4898
(2000.0)
253.8684
i
7.2215
q
1.495673
e
0.556075

full moon: Apr. 27, May 27, Jun. 25, Jul. 25, Aug. 23, Sep. 21, Oct. 21, Nov. 19,
Dec. 19, 1946 Jan. 17
sources: W. E. Beart and W. P. Henderson, BAA Handbook for 1945 (1944 Nov.),
p. 35; W. E. Beart and W. P. Henderson, IAUC, No. 1000 (1945 Jan. 31); H. L.
Giclas, HAC, No. 707 (1945 May 14); H. L. Giclas, IAUC, No. 1006 (1945 May 15);
G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 708 (1945 May 18); L. C. Peltier, IAUC, No. 1011
(1945 Jul. 6); F. Weber and R. Weber, IAUC, No. 1013 (1945 Aug. 21); J. Bobone,
HAC, No. 723 (1945 Sep. 10); G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 1018 (1945 Sep. 21); J.
Bobone, IAUC, No. 1019 (1945 Oct. 8); J. Bobone, MNRAS, 106 (1946), pp. 779;
J. G. Masters and F. Kepinski, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11011, 114; H. M. Jeffers,
LOB, 19 (1947), pp. 1834; G. van Biesbroeck and H. L. Giclas, AJ, 52 (1947 May),
pp. 2034, 206; F. Kepinski, AcA, 7 (1957), pp. 1039; V1964, p. 75; D. K. Yeomans,
QJRAS, 14 (1973 Dec.), pp. 4046; D. K. Yeomans, PASP, 86 (1974 Feb.), p. 126;
Y. A. Chernetenko, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88; A. F. A. L. Jones, ICQ, 5
(1983 Oct.), pp. 99100; G. Sitarski, AcA, 44 (1994), pp. 95, 424.
C/1945 L1 Discovered: 1945 June 11.13 ( = 0.75 AU, r = 1.09 AU, Elong. = 74)
(du Toit) Last seen: 1945 July 15.75 ( = 0.66 AU, r = 1.41 AU, Elong. = 112)
1945 III = 1945d Calculated path: CET (Disc), SCL (Jun. 15), PHE (Jun. 21), GRU-TUC (Jun.
26), IND (Jun. 28), PAV (Jun. 29), ARA (Jul. 2), TrA-ARA (Jul. 3), NOR (Jul.
3), LUP (Jul. 6), CEN (Jul. 10), HYA (Jul. 14)
South Africa) discovered this comet on 1945 June 11.13, at = 1h 08.0m ,
= 20 00 . He estimated the magnitude as 10 and said the daily motion
was 1m 45s in and 1 07 in .
H. van Gent (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) photographed the comet on ten occasions using the 25-cm FranklinAdams
Star Camera during the period June 14July 14. The comet attained its most
southerly declination of 69 on June 30.
The comet was last detected on July 15.75, when van Gent obtained a
30-minute exposure using the FranklinAdams I camera. The position was
given as = 14h 37.0m , = 28 24 .
All of the positions obtained by van Gent were considered very uncertain, according to G. Pels (1948). Consequently, few orbital calculations
have been provided. The first orbit was calculated by J. Bobone and was
published on June 25. He gave the perihelion date as 1945 May 17.13. The
219
catalog of comets
only other orbit calculated was also by Bobone and was published on August
29. It took three positions spanning the period June 17July 12 and gave the
perihelion date as May 17.15. This last orbit is given below.
T
1945 May 17.1456 (UT)
280.1236
(2000.0)
255.0453
i
156.5080
q
0.998063
e
1.0

full moon: May 27, Jun. 25, Jul. 25
sources: D. du Toit, HAC, No. 710 (1945 Jun. 15); D. du Toit, IAUC, No. 1009
(1945 Jun. 16); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 713 (1945 Jun. 25); J. Bobone, IAUC, No. 1010
(1945 Jun. 29); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 719 (1945 Aug. 29); G. Pels and H. van Gent,
BAN, 10 (1948 Nov. 20), p. 441; V1964, p. 75.
(FriendPeltier) Last seen: 1945 December 7.55 ( = 0.76 AU, r = 0.40 AU, Elong. = 22)
1945 VI = 1945f Calculated path: CrB (Disc), HER (Nov. 24), SER (Dec. 5), OPH (Dec. 7)
C. L. Friend (Escondido, California, USA) discovered this comet early in the
evening on 1945 November 23.1, at = 16h 20m , = +30. He described
it as magnitude 7, and gave the daily motion as +2m 30s in and 2 in .
L. C. Peltier independently discovered this comet on November 24. He estimated the magnitude as 8. Confirmations came on November 24.94, when
E. F. Reilly, R. C. Leclaire and J. L. Gossner (Harvard College Observatory,
Cambridge Station, Massachusetts, USA) estimated the magnitude as 8. On
November 24.95, I. King and M. P. Savedoff (Harvard College Observatory,
Oak Ridge Station, Massachusetts, USA) estimated the magnitude as 8.
On November 27, King and Savedoff gave the magnitude as 8. H. L. Giclas
(Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) photographed the comet using the
33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and gave the magnitude as 8.8. On
November 28 and 29, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 7.0. On
the latter date, he noted that the coma was diffuse, with a nucleus, and a tail
less than 1 long. On December 6, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude
as 6.0.
The comet was last detected on December 7.55, when Giclas photographed it with the 33-cm photographic telescope at Lowell Observatory.
He estimated the magnitude as 5.5 and gave the position as = 16h 19.8m ,
= 2 19 . H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) obtained exposures of 40 minutes or more of the predicted positions of the comet with the
91-cm Crossley reflector on 1946 May 9 and 10, but nothing was found.
The comet was lost in the suns glare for the next few months and actually
passed about 3 from the sun on February 11. The comet did not sufficiently
exit twilight for observation until May and, although its magnitude was
then predicted as between 16 and 20, the low accuracy of the orbit due to
the short observational arc prevented a recovery.
220
catalog of comets
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham using positions obtained through the end of November. He determined the perihelion
date as 1945 December 17.28, which ended up being an excellent representation of the comets motion.
B. G. Marsden (1972) used seven positions obtained between November
24 and December 7, and computed a parabolic orbit with a perihelion date
of December 17.28. This orbit is given below.
T
1945 Dec. 17.281 (TT)
216.712
(2000.0)
326.204
i
49.480
q
0.19435
e
1.0

full moon: Nov. 19, Dec. 19
sources: C. L. Friend and L. C. Peltier, HAC, No. 726 (1945 Nov. 26); C. L. Friend,
IAUC, No. 1021 (1945 Nov. 26); L. C. Peltier, IAUC, No. 1022 (1945 Nov. 29); H. L.
Giclas, HAC, No. 727 (1945 Nov. 30); E. F. Reilly, R. C. Leclaire, J. L. Gossner, and
H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 728 (1945 Dec. 3); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 729 (1945
Dec. 4); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1023 (1945 Dec. 4); L. E. Cunningham,
HAC, No. 730 (1945 Dec. 13); C. L. Friend, Time, 46 (1945 Dec. 24); E. F. Reilly,
R. C. Leclaire, J. L. Gossner, H. L. Giclas, and L. C. Peltier, IAUC, No. 1025 (1946
Jan. 8); I. King and M. P. Savedoff, HAC, No. 746 (1946 May 17); I. King and M. P.
Savedoff, IAUC, No. 1049 (1946 Jun. 20); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1947), p. 183;
H. L. Giclas, AJ, 52 (1947 May), p. 206; V1964, p. 75; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 13
(1972), pp. 4301.
C/1945 X1 Discovered: 1945 December 11.05 ( = 0.62 AU, r = 0.72 AU, Elong. = 47)
(du Toit) Last seen: 1945 December 15.07 ( = 0.63 AU, r = 0.60 AU, Elong. = 36)
1945 VII = 1945g Calculated path: TrA (Disc), ARA (Dec. 14)
South Africa) discovered this comet on 1945 December 11.05, at a position
of = 15h 09.1m , = 65 13 . He estimated the magnitude as 7 and gave
the daily motion as +30m in and +1 13 in . Du Toit obtained only four
additional observations: on December 12.05, December 13.07, December
14.07, and December 15.07.
During the first week of January 1946, L. E. Cunningham took the five
rough positions given by du Toit, and computed a parabolic orbit with a
perihelion date of 1945 December 28.01. Two additional orbits were given
which represented the likely limits. Cunningham said the comet might have
been a brilliant, naked-eye object within a couple of degrees of the sun
on the day of perihelion, but his hope that the comet might have been
detected by coronagraphs, either before or after its occultation by the sun,
was never fulfilled. In addition, nothing was located along Cunninghams
search ephemerides during 1946 January, with Enrique Gaviola (Cordoba
221
catalog of comets
Observatory, Argentina) reporting that observations were hampered by bad

weather. Fred Whipple pointed out that Cunninghams orbit was very similar to comets 1668, 1843 I, 1880 I, 1882 II, and 1887 I.
B. G. Marsden (1967, 1972, 1989) took five precise positions measured
by A. G. Mowbray in 1952 and calculated five orbits. Ultimately, he noted
that the four positions obtained on December 11, 12, 13, and 15, gave the
smallest residuals and computed a parabolic orbit with a perihelion date of
December 27.97. This orbit is given below.
T
1945 Dec. 27.9652 (TT)
72.0619
(2000.0)
i
q
351.2006 141.8734 0.007516
e
1.0

sources: D. du Toit, IAUC, No. 1024 (1945 Dec. 17); D. du Toit, HAC, No. 732
(1945 Dec. 18); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 733 (1946 Jan. 8); L. E. Cunningham,
HAC, No. 734 (1945 Jan. 8); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1025 (1946 Jan. 8);
V1964, p. 75; B. G. Marsden and A. G. Mowbray, AJ, 72 (1967 Nov.), pp. 11701,
11767; B. G. Marsden, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Preprint Series,
No. 2905 (1989 Jun. 9); B. G. Marsden, AJ, 98 (1989 Dec.), pp. 231214.
C/1946 C1 Prediscovery: 1946 January 23.36 ( = 1.08 AU, r = 2.01 AU, Elong. = 154)
(Timmers) Discovered: 1946 February 2.01 ( = 1.02 AU, r = 1.95 AU, Elong. = 153)
1946 I = 1946a Closest to the Earth: 1946 February 6 (1.0155 AU)
Calculated path: LMi (Pre), UMa (Feb. 1), CAM (Mar. 7), UMi (Jun. 16), DRA
(Jul. 16), HER (Aug. 9), OPH (Oct. 27), AQL (Nov. 28), SER (Dec. 5), AQL
(Dec. 7), DEL (1947 Mar. 15), AQR (May 22), AQL (Jun. 24)
M. Timmers (Vatican Observatory, Castel Gandolfo, Italy) discovered this
comet on the edge of a plate exposed for 2 hours, using the 40-cm Zeiss
quadruplet, on Kapteyns Selected Area No. 29 in Ursa Major on 1946 February 2.01. The position was given as = 9h 47.5m , = +42 24 . The plate
showed trails of both the head and tail, and Timmers estimated the magnitude as 9. The comet was confirmed by A. Zirwes (Vatican Observatory)
on February 2.78. F. L. Whipple found prediscovery images of this comet on
meteor patrol plates exposed for an hour using the 4-cm Ross Xpress camera
on January 23.36, January 24.36, and January 28.34. Whipple also found a
prediscovery image on a patrol plate exposed using the 8-cm Ross Fecker
camera on January 29.24. An independent discovery was made on February
24, by I. Nikoloff (University Observatory, Vienna, Austria). At the time of
the discovery, the comet was a few days from its closest approach to Earth
and a little over 2 months from perihelion.
On February 4, S. Daro (Harvard College Observatory, Oak Ridge Station,
Massachusetts, USA) said the comet contained a fairly sharp nucleus, but
222
catalog of comets
no conspicuous tail. On the 5th, the magnitude was given as 9 by S. Plakidis

(National Observatory, Athens, Greece) and 9.5 by H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA). Jeffers photographed the comet using the 30-cm
reflector and said the coma was round, with an indistinct nucleus. On the
6th, the photographic magnitude was given as 8.5 by H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA), 9.5 by A. Schmitt (Alger, now al-Jazair,
Algeria), and 10.0 by F. Rigaux (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium). On the
8th, the photographic magnitude was given as 9.0 by Giclas, 9.1 by G. van
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA), and 9.5 by Jeffers. Van
Biesbroecks photograph using the 61-cm reflector revealed a sharp nucleus.
Jeffers photographed the comet using the 30-cm refractor and said the coma
was round, with an indistinct nucleus. On the 9th, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 9.1, while Jeffers visually observed the comet
with the 91-cm refractor and said the coma was 40 across, with a stellar
nucleus just north of the center. On the 10th, Giclas photographed the comet
using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and gave the magnitude
as 10.0. On the 12th, F. Koebcke (Poznan Observatory, Poland) gave the
magnitude as 9. On February 15, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude
as 11.5.
On February 18, the magnitude was given as 9.4 by van Biesbroeck and 9.6
by Koebcke. On the 19th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 11.8.
On the 21st, K. Hurnik (Poznan Observatory, Poland) gave the magnitude
as 9.5. On the 23rd, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 10.5. On
February 28, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 9.6. He
said a 20-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector showed a broad and
bright tail extending 35 in PA 190, and a faint, narrow tail extending 15 in
PA 148.
On March 2 and 8, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 10.0.
On the 3rd, the visual magnitude was given as 7.8 by Hurnik, while the
photographic magnitude was given as 8.7 by van Biesbroeck. On the 20th,
the visual magnitude was given as 9.0 by Hurnik, while the photographic
magnitude was given as 9.5 by van Biesbroeck. On the 23rd, Giclas gave
the photographic magnitude as 9.4. On the 25th, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 10.5. On March 27, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 9.4. He made a special remark concerning
the comets increased brightness and described the comet as elliptical with a
major axis of 3 in PA 140, and a minor axis of 2 . The nucleus was well condensed, but not stellar. Van Biesbroeck said a 20-minute exposure showed
a complex tail. He said, the brighter part is a narrow streamer starting
threadlike from the nucleus in 92 without much widening to a distance of
8 ; from this point it broadens to a diffuse extension to a distance of 20 from
the nucleus. Van Biesbroeck added that another streamer extended 10 in
PA 110, while the very diffuse, broad tail extended 20 in PA 145.
On April 4, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10.3. He
said nothing was left of the complex tail except for a short stub extending
223
catalog of comets
3 in PA 110. On April 29, an observer at Kyoto Observatory (Japan) gave

the magnitude as 9. On May 17, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic
magnitude as 10.0. On the 22nd, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic
magnitude as 10.2. He said the coma was 4 across and contained a centrally
condensed, but not stellar, nucleus. Van Biesbroeck added that a short diffuse tail extended towards 120. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +84 on May 23. On June 7 and 11, van Biesbroeck said the large
coma was difficult to see in moonlight. On July 4, the photographic magnitude was given as 12 by Schmitt and Jeffers. Jeffers said the round coma was
40 across and centrally condensed. On the 5th, Jeffers visually observed
the comet using the 91-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 12. He said
the comet was barely visible in the 15-cm finder. On the 23rd, L. Boyer
(Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 12.9.
On the 25th, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas) photographed
the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 12. Boyer
gave the photographic magnitude as 12.9. On July 28, Jeffers photographed
He said the round coma was 40 across and centrally condensed.
On August 4, W. H. Steavenson (Cambridge, England) gave the magnitude as 10.5. On the 15th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 13.0.
On the 20th and 21st, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed
the faint coma was 2 across and contained a well-condensed nucleus, while
a diffuse tail extended 8 in PA 310. On the 22nd, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 13. He said the coma was 20 across and centrally
condensed. On August 30, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14. On September 20 van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 15. On September 26, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as
14.5. On October 24, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 16.5. He
said the comet was nearly stellar. On October 27, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 16. He said the coma was 10 across.
On 1947 February 20, the comet attained a southerly declination of +2
and began moving slowly northeastward. On April 25, the comet attained a
northerly declination of +3 and began moving southwestward. On June 24
and 25, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector
and gave the magnitude as 19.3. He described the comet as a nearly stellar
nebulosity. On July 13, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 19.4 and
said the comet was not quite stellar.
The comet was last detected on August 9.27, when Jeffers obtained photographs with the the 91-cm Crossley reflector. He gave the comets position
on the last date as = 20h 04.8m , = 4 28 . Jeffers estimated the magnitude as 19.4 and described the comet as not quite stellar.
The first parabolic orbits were independently calculated by L. E. Cunningham and M. E. Stahr using positions spanning the first week following
the discovery. Cunningham gave the perihelion date as 1946 April 18.82,
224
catalog of comets
while Stahr gave it as April 26.66. Using precise positions obtained between
February 5 and February 12, P. Naur computed a parabolic orbit giving
the perihelion date as April 12.89, which proved only a few hours early, as
shown by the calculations of M. B. Protitch, Cunningham, G. Merton, M.
Davidson, A. Schmitt, J. Bobone, and H. Krumpholz during the next few
weeks and months.
Although Schmitt calculated an elliptical orbit with a period of 18.5 years
using positions spanning the period February 610, the orbit actually proved
to be hyperbolic. The first hyperbolic orbit was calculated by Cunningham
using positions spanning the period February 5October 24. Published on
1947 May 1, the orbit gave the perihelion date as April 13.27 and the eccentricity as 1.0013.
Definitive orbits were calculated by G. Pels (1960) and Z. Sekanina and
B. G. Marsden (1978). Pels took 373 positions obtained during the period
1946 February 41947 July 16, reduced them to 30 Normal positions, and
applied the perturbations of Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Sekanina and Marsden took 183 positions spanning the period 1946 February
21947 August 9, as well as perturbations by all nine planets. Both orbits
gave the perihelion date as April 13.26, while the eccentricity was given as
1.0011770 by Pels and 1.0011691 by Sekanina and Marsden. Sekanina and
Marsden took their orbit and derived a hyperbolic original orbit with an
eccentricity of 1.000022, and an elliptical future orbit with a period of about
139 thousand years. The orbit of Sekanina and Marsden is given below.
T
1946 Apr. 13.2632 (TT)
54.3280
(2000.0)
129.6650
i
72.8427
q
1.724129
e
1.001169

Sep. 11, Oct. 10, Nov. 9, Dec. 8, 1947 Jan. 7, Feb. 5, Mar. 7, Apr. 5, May 5, Jun. 3,
Jul. 3, Aug. 2, Aug. 31
sources: M. Timmers, IAUC, No. 1027 (1946 Feb. 4); M. Timmers, F. L. Whipple,
and S. Daro, HAC, No. 735 (1946 Feb. 5); H. M. Jeffers and H. L. Giclas, HAC, No.
736 (1946 Feb. 8); L. E. Cunningham and A. Zirwes, IAUC, No. 1028 (1946 Feb.
10); G. van Biesbroeck, H. L. Giclas, L. E. Cunningham, and M. E. Stahr, HAC,
No. 737 (1946 Feb. 11); F. L. Whipple, H. M. Jeffers, H. L. Giclas, F. Koebcke, and
F. Rigaux, IAUC, No. 1029 (1946 Feb. 16); P. Naur, A. Schmitt, and S. Plakidis,
IAUC, No. 1030 (1946 Feb. 23); M. B. Protitch, IAUC, No. 1031 (1946 Feb. 27);
L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 743 (1946 Apr. 12); [Kyoto Observatory], HAC,
No. 746 (1946 May 17); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 753 (1946 Jun. 18); A. Schmitt,
IAUC, No. 1052 (1946 Jul. 30); W. H. Steavenson, IAUC, No. 1057 (1946 Aug. 22);
W. H. Steavenson, L. E. Cunningham, G. Merton, M. Davidson, and A. Schmitt,
The Observatory, 66 (1946 Oct.), p. 350; I. Nikoloff, IAUC, No. 1064 (1946 Oct.
18); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1947), pp. 1856; M. Timmers, G. van Biesbroeck,
F. L. Whipple, L. Boyer, A. Schmitt, and L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 107 (1947),
p. 105; F. Koebcke and K. Hurnik, IAUC, No. 1078 (1947 Feb. 4); H. Krumpholz,
225
catalog of comets
IAUC, No. 1081 (1947 Mar. 26); H. L. Giclas, AJ, 52 (1947 May), p. 206; L. E.
Cunningham, HAC, No. 809 (1947 May 1); H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 826 (1947 Jul.
8); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948), p. 190; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.),
pp. 812; M. Timmers and A. Zirwes, RA, 2 (1950), pp. 191201; L. Boyer, JO, 34
(1951), p. 1; G. Pels, BAN, 15 (1960 Dec. 30), pp. 13849; V1964, p. 75; Z. Sekanina
and B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68.
10P/Tempel 2 Recovered: 1946 May 1.39 ( = 1.14 AU, r = 1.54 AU, Elong. = 91)
1946 III = 1946b Closest to the Earth: 1946 August 21 (0.6350 AU)
Calculated path: AQR (Rec), PSC (Jul. 4), CET (Jul. 9)
This comet was missed at its expected returns in 1935 and 1941. A. C. D.
Crommelin (1934) provided an excellent prediction for the former apparition. He began with an orbit calculated for the 1930 apparition and applied
perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. The result was a perihelion date of
1935 December 7.54. Crommelin noted that the comet was inconveniently
placed near the sun around the time of perihelion. For the latter apparition,
F. R. Cripps (1939) took an orbit from the 1925 return, corrected it using
observations from 1930, and applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn
for the period 192541. The result was a predicted perihelion date of 1941
February 12.60.
Two predictions were published for the 1946 apparition. W. E. Beart and
W. P. Henderson (1945) applied perturbations to the orbit predicted by
Cripps (1939) for the 1941 apparition and determined a perihelion date
of 1946 June 20.57. P. Ramensky (1946) took the orbit for the 1930 apparition
and applied perturbations from Jupiter for the period 193046. The result
was a predicted perihelion date of 1946 July 2.27.
May 1.39, using Ramenskys prediction. The position was given as = 20h
36.1m , = 9 24 . He estimated the magnitude as 17 and said the round
coma was 10 across and diffuse. Van Biesbroeck confirmed the recovery
on May 5.39, and estimated the magnitude as 16.5.
Van Biesbroeck provided excellent physical descriptions of the comet during the remainder of May. On the 8th, his photograph using the reflector
revealed a magnitude of 16. He said the diffuse nucleus was 8 across and
was surrounded by a faint coma measuring 25 across. There was a vague
indication of a tail extending towards PA 345. On the 26th, his photograph
revealed a magnitude of 13 and a coma 2 across. On May 29, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 10.6.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 31 on June 19. From
the time of the recovery, the comet steadily moved northeastward until June
23, when it attained a declination of 6. Thereafter it began to move toward
the southeast. On July 6, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
226
catalog of comets
magnitude as 12. He said the comet was easily seen in the reflector, but not
in the 10-cm finder. He added that the coma was 2 across and contained
a condensed nucleus in the southern portion. On the 7th, the comet was
observed from Alger (now al-Jazair, Algeria) where the magnitude was
given as 11.0 by A. Schmitt and 11.5 by L. Boyer. On July 27, Jeffers gave
the photographic magnitude as 8. He said the coma was fan-shaped and
contained a condensed nucleus in the southern portion. On August 22,
H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) photographed the comet
as 11.4. On August 28, Giclas estimated the photographic magnitude as 12.
On September 2, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10.6.
He said the diffuse coma contained a well-defined condensation. The coma
widened into a fan-shaped tail extended 2 in PA 40.
On October 4, M. J. Bester (Harvard College Observatory, Boyden Station,
Bloemfontein, South Africa) gave the magnitude as 9. He described the
comet as diffuse, with a central condensation. On the 5th, E. L. Johnson
(Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) photographed the comet
using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera and gave the magnitude as
10.5. He described the comet as diffuse, with a central nucleus. On the 7th,
Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. The comet attained its most
southerly declination of 21 on October 8. On the 17th, Johnson gave the
photographic magnitude as 11.5. On the 28th, Boyer gave the magnitude
as 14.0. On the 30th, Johnson gave the photographic magnitude as 13.0. He
described the comet as diffuse, without a central condensation. On October
31, Boyer gave the magnitude as 14.2. On November 19, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 16. He said the coma was 10 across
and was slightly extended towards PA 45. On November 27, Giclas gave
found it on a 20-minute exposure obtained with the 61-cm reflector. He
estimated the magnitude as 17 and said the coma was tiny and round. The
position was given as = 1h 46.4m , = 2 50 .
L. E. Cunningham (1947) took positions from May 1, August 22, and
November 27, and calculated an orbit for this apparition in the hope that the
comet might be observed during the latter months of 1947. The perihelion
date was given as 1946 July 2.34 and the period was 5.31 years.
Multiple apparitions orbits have been calculated by B. G. Marsden (1968,
1971), Z. Sekanina and Marsden (1979, 1985), and S. Nakano (2001, 2002).
Perturbations by Mercury to Neptune, as well as other minor bodies, were
considered, and nongravitational terms were also included for the calculations published in 1971 and later. The result was a perihelion date of July 2.34
and a period of 5.31 years. Marsden (1968) noted an extremely slight secular deceleration. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = 0.0179
and A2 = +0.000508 by Marsden (1971), A1 = 0.04 and A2 = +0.0008 by
227
catalog of comets
Sekanina and Marsden (1979), A1 = +0.035 and A2 = +0.00140 by Nakano

(2001), and A1 = +0.034 and A2 = +0.00140 by Nakano (2002). The orbit
of Nakano (2002) is given below.
T
1946 Jul. 2.3432 (TT)
(2000.0)
190.8814 120.0886
i
12.4273
q
1.393324
e
0.542240

Dec. 8, 1947 Jan. 7, Feb. 5
sources: A. C. D. Crommelin, BAA Handbook for 1935 (1934), p. 30; A. C. D. Crommelin, The Observatory, 59 (1936 May), p. 176; F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1940
(1939), p. 31; F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1941 (1940 Nov.), p. 16; W. E. Beart
and W. P. Henderson, BAA Handbook for 1946 (1945 Nov.), p. 36; W. E. Beart
and W. P. Henderson, IAUC, No. 1026 (1946 Jan. 24); G. van Biesbroeck and P.
Ramensky, HAC, No. 745 (1946 May 7); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 747 (1946
May 17); G. van Biesbroeck and P. Ramensky, IAUC, No. 1040 (1946 May 29);
A. Schmitt, IAUC, No. 1052 (1946 Jul. 30); G. van Biesbroeck and P. Ramensky,
The Observatory, 66 (1946 Oct.), p. 351; M. J. Bester, IAUC, No. 1063 (1946 Oct.
7); E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1069 (1946 Nov. 14); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1947),
p. 186; P. Ramensky and L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11011, 114;
H. L. Giclas, AJ, 52 (1947 May), p. 207; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 842 (1947
Sep. 2); L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 108 (1948), pp. 1289; E. L. Johnson, UOC,
5 (1948 Apr. 13), p. 190; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.), p. 82; L. Boyer,
JO, 34 (1951), p. 1; V1964, p. 76; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 371, 374;
B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31415; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 12 (1971
Sep.), pp. 2689; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 76 (1971 Dec.), pp. 11378; B. G. Marsden,
CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 25, 48; Z. Sekanina and B. G. Marsden, CCO, 3rd ed.
(1979), pp. 25, 52; Z. Sekanina and B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 26 (1985), pp. 11314;
S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 776 (2001 Apr. 4); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 841
(2002 May 5).
21P/Giacobini Prerecovery: 1946 May 26.32 ( = 1.21 AU, r = 1.81 AU, Elong. = 109)
Zinner Recovered: 1946 May 29.40 ( = 1.18 AU, r = 1.78 AU, Elong. = 109)
1946 V = 1946c Closest to the Earth: 1946 September 20 (0.2577 AU)
Calculated path: VUL (Pre), CYG (May 28), CEP (Jul. 23), CAS-CAM (Aug.
30), AUR (Sep. 11), GEM (Sep. 22), MON (Sep. 29), CMa (Oct. 12), PUP (Nov.
6), COL (Dec. 6)
F. R. Cripps (1945) took his orbital prediction from this comets 1939 apparition, corrected it, and applied perturbations by Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn.
His final prediction was that the comet would arrive at perihelion on 1946
September 18.63.
a 70-minute exposure obtained with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on 1946
228
catalog of comets
May 29.40. He gave the position as = 19h 48.4m , = +29 26 . Jeffers
estimated the magnitude as 16.5, and added that the comet was diffuse,
20 across, with a central nucleus. The comet was found with the aid of the
ephemeris published by Cripps, which required a correction of less than
4 hours. A short time thereafter, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory,
Wisconsin, USA) found a prerecovery image of the comet on a plate exposed
with the 61-cm reflector on May 26.32. The comet appeared as a very faint
trail. Van Biesbroeck also noted the comet on a plate exposed on May 29.29,
at which time the magnitude was estimated as 17, while the comet appeared
as small, round, and diffuse.
On June 6, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 16. On the 26th, Jeffers gave the photographic
magnitude as 15. He said the faint coma was condensed and exhibited a tail
extending 0.7 toward the northeast. On June 30, van Biesbroeck (McDonald
Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. He said the coma was 10 across, with a
well-defined nucleus. A tail extended 1.5 in PA 200.
On July 3, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14. L.
Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) photographed the comet using a
refractor on July 22 and 23, and gave the magnitudes as 12.7 and 12.6,
respectively. On the 24th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 13 and noted a short tail extending toward PA 185. On the 25th, van
Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and noted
a well-condensed coma 20 across, with a short tail extending toward PA
190. On the 26th, van Biesbroecks photographic observation revealed a
coma 25 across and a tail extending 2 in PA 190. On the 27th, Jeffers
magnitude as 12. He said the comet was visible in the 10-cm finder. On
July 31, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 12.
On August 5, F. H. Hooke (London, England) gave the magnitude as
11.5. On the 16th, H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) photographed the comet using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and
gave the magnitude as 9.9. On the 17th, G. Armellini (Monte Mario Observatory, Rome, Italy) gave the magnitude as 11. On the 18th, the magnitude was given as 10 by van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) and 11 by
Armellini. On the 20th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the
61-cm reflector and noted a sharp nucleus and a tail extending 8 in PA
220. On the 22nd, K. Hurnik (Poznan Observatory, Poland) gave the magnitude as 10. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +80 on
August 24. On the 27th, I. Nikoloff (University Observatory, Vienna, Austria) accidentally found this comet and reported it as new. On the 28th, the
magnitude was given as 7.3 by Hurnik and 8.6 by H. Krumpholz (Vienna).
Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 10.0. On August 30, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 9.7 and said the tail extended 14
in PA 260.
229
catalog of comets
On September 1, 2, and 5, Hurnik gave the magnitudes as 6.9, 7.5, and

6.8, respectively. On the 13th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using
the 61-cm reflector in bright moonlight and gave the magnitude as 8.3. The
comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 80 on September 16. On the
21st, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 10.1. On the 24th, Hurnik
gave the magnitude as 7.4. On September 27, Jeffers saw the comet using the
10-cm finder and gave the magnitude as 7.0. He said a 2-minute exposure
with the 91-cm Crossley reflector showed a faint tail extending 4 toward
the west.
On October 2, Hurnik gave the magnitude as 6.1. Giclas gave the photographic magnitudes as 9.9 and 10.8 on the 3rd and 7th, respectively. On
the 14th, E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa)
photographed the comet using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera
and gave the magnitude as 9.0. On the 19th, Boyer gave the photographic
magnitude as 11.7. On the 24th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 11.4. On the 25th, the photographic magnitude was given as 11.9
by Giclas and 12 by Jeffers. Jeffers said a 10-minute exposure using the
91-cm Crossley reflector showed a coma 0.7 across, which contained a condensed nucleus. On October 27, Johnson gave the photographic magnitude
as 10.0.
On November 1 and 5, Giclas photographed the comet using the 33-cm
A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and gave the magnitude as 12.4. On the
6th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 12.5. On the 13th, Johnson
and gave the magnitude as 11.5. On November 29, Johnson gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. The comet attained its most southerly declination of 41 on December 7.
The comet was last detected on 1947 January 24.24, when Jeffers photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. He gave the position as
= 5h 50.6m , = 28 51 . Jeffers gave the magnitude as 18.2 and said the
comet was nearly stellar.
This comet left a lasting impression on the minds of many people not
generally interested in observing comets. On 1946 June 19, Cunningham
pointed out that Earth would cross the orbital plane of this comet on October
10, and added that conditions would be very close to those present during
the spectacular shower of 1933. On September 24, Cunningham noted that
Earth would remain within 500 000 miles of the comet for about 28 hours. On
the night of October 9/10, people in North America and Europe reported
that meteors were falling at a rate of 13 per second at the height of the
meteor storm!
Using positions obtained during the 1946 apparition, Cunningham and
C. Dinwoodie (1951) independently corrected the prediction published by
Cripps. Cunningham first used a position from May 29 and gave the perihelion date as September 18.50. Over 3 months later, Cunningham used
precise positions from July 25 and 27 to further refine the perihelion date to
230
catalog of comets
September 18.49. Dinwoodie used several positions and gave the perihelion
date as September 18.50.
were published by Y. V. Evdokimov (1972) and D. K. Yeomans (1971, 1972,
1986). These revealed a perihelion date of September 18.49 and a period of
6.59 years. Yeomans 1986 orbit is given below. Yeomans (1986) gave the
nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.2856 and A2 = +0.0393.
T
1946 Sep. 18.4864 (TT)
(2000.0)
171.8058 196.9961
i
30.7209
q
0.995706
e
0.716675

full moon: May 16, Jun. 14, Jul. 14, Aug. 12, Sep. 11, Oct. 10, Nov. 9, Dec. 8, 1947
Jan. 7, Feb. 5
sources: F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1946 (1945 Nov.), p. 38; H. M. Jeffers,
HAC, No. 748 (1946 Jun. 1); H. M. Jeffers, IAUC, No. 1046 (1946 Jun. 11); L. E.
Cunningham, HAC, No. 755 (1946 Jun. 19); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 756
(1946 Jun. 19); F. H. Hooke, IAUC, No. 1058 (1946 Sep. 9); G. Armellini, IAUC,
No. 1060 (1946 Sep. 17); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1061 (1946 Sep. 24); H. M.
Jeffers, The Observatory, 66 (1946 Oct.), p. 351; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 775
(1946 Oct. 3); I. Nikoloff, IAUC, No. 1064 (1946 Oct. 18); L. E. Cunningham, HAC,
No. 776 (1946 Oct. 22); E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1074 (1946 Dec. 21); K. Hurnik,
IAUC, No. 1075 (1946 Dec. 27); H. M. Jeffers, F. R. Cripps, and L. E. Cunningham,
MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11014; L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1076 (1947 Jan.
3); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1947), p. 186; H. Krumpholz, IAUC, No. 1081 (1947
Mar. 26); H. L. Giclas, AJ, 52 (1947 May), pp. 2057; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948),
p. 190; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5 (1948 Apr. 13), p. 191; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951),
p. 1; C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for 1952 (1951 Nov.), p. 44; V1964, p. 76;
D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 12 (1971 Sep.), pp. 2689, 272; Y. V. Evdokimov and D. K.
Yeomans, IAUS, No. 45 (1972), pp. 176, 185; D. K. Yeomans, ESA Proceedings of
the 20th ESLAB Symposium on the Exploration of Halleys Comet. Volume 2: Dust
and Nucleus (1986), p. 424; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116.
(Pajdusakov
a
RotbartWeber) Closest to the Earth: 1946 June 1 (0.1613 AU)
Calculated path: CYG (Disc), LYR (May 31), HER (Jun. 1), BOO (Jun. 3), CVn
1946 II = 1946d (Jun. 5), COM (Jun. 7), LEO (Jun. 27), VIR (Jul. 19)
During the course of a routine search for comets with 25 100 Somet binoculars, L. Pajdusakova (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) discovered this
comet on 1946 May 30.02, at = 20h 36.8m , = +30 04 . She estimated
the magnitude as 8, and said the comet was diffuse, with a central nucleus,
and a tail less than 1 long. D. Rotbart (Washington, DC, USA) independently discovered this comet on May 30.29, while observing star clusters
with 80-mm binoculars. He estimated the magnitude as 6. On May 31.38,
231
catalog of comets
A. H. Mikesell (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA) estimated the

magnitude as 6. On May 31.98, V. Guth (Prague, Czech Republic) estimated
the magnitude as 7.
The third independent discovery of this comet was made by A. Weber
(Berlin, Germany) on May 31.01. The discovery details are unusual, but have
been confirmed by M. Meyer (2002), after corresponding with E. Mdlow
(Berlin, Germany). Webers home was in a part of Berlin called Steglitz and
had suffered damage during World War II namely numerous windows
were missing. On the fateful night of the comet discovery, Weber was sitting on the toilet, looking through one of those windowless holes into the
night sky, when he spotted a diffuse object with the naked eye. He got
his pair of binoculars, confirmed this was a comet, and notified the proper
authorities.
The comet was discovered about 3 weeks after it had passed perihelion
and just a couple of days before passing closest to Earth. On June 1, B. P.
Sharpless (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA) gave the magnitude as 6, and E. G. Reuning (US Naval Observatory) gave it as 67. The
comet attained its most northerly declination of +46 and also its greatest
solar elongation of 111 on June 2. On that same date, the visual magnitude
was given as 6.3 by M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
and 7 by H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA), while H. L. Giclas
(Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) gave the photographic magnitude as
6.4. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was about 10.5, the elliptical coma
measured 4 by 9 , and the tail extended 1 in PA 165. Jeffers said the coma
was elongated and exhibited a tail extending 1 toward the south. He added
that the stellar nucleus was magnitude 10.
On June 3, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
observed using binoculars and gave the magnitude as 6.3, while Giclas
and gave the magnitude as 6.16.2. Van Biesbroeck said the comet was easy
to the naked eye. He noted that the 8th-magnitude stellar nucleus was situated on the west side of an oval coma. A straight tail extended 1.5 in PA
162 and was sharply defined on the preceding side and washed out on the
following side. A bright jet extended 1 in PA 20. E. Vandekerkhove (Royal
Observatory, Uccle, Belgium) said the comet was diffuse, with a central
condensation, and a tail 1 long.
On June 4, the magnitude was given as 6.34 by Beyer and 6.5 by Giclas.
Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was about 10, the elliptical coma measured 3 by 7 , and the tail extended 0.7 in PA 148. On the 5th, Giclas gave
the photographic magnitude as 6.8. On the 6th, the magnitude was given as
7.37 by Beyer and 7.4 by Giclas. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 9.3,
the coma measured 5.5 , and the tail extended 0.7 in PA 123. On the 7th,
the magnitude was given as 7.64 by Beyer and 7.8 by Giclas. Beyer said the
nuclear magnitude was about 10.5, and the tail extended 0.4 in PA 118.
Van Biesbroeck said the stellar nucleus was magnitude 8.7, while the coma
232
catalog of comets
and tail were fainter than on the 3rd. On the 8th, Giclas gave the magnitude
as 7.9. On the 9th, Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was about 10.5, and
the tail extended 0.2 in PA 115. On the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
8.16. He said the nuclear magnitude was about 10.5, and the tail extended
0.3 in PA 119. On the 11th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.35. He said the
Van Biesbroeck photographed the comet with the 61-cm reflector in moonlight and detected a tail extending towards PA 122 and a jet extending over
2 in PA 5. On the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.72. He said the
nuclear magnitude was about 10.7, and the tail extended 0.2 in PA 111. On
the 13th, A. Schmitt (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic
magnitude as 9.0. On the 14th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as
9.3. On June 15, the magnitude was given as 9.10 by Beyer and 9.3 by Jeffers.
Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was about 11, and the tail extended 0.1 in
PA 110. Jeffers was observing using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and noted
a nucleus of magnitude 12 and a small tail extending eastward which was
difficult to see in moonlight.
On June 16, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.54. He said the nuclear magnitude was about 11, and the tail extended 0.1 in PA 112. On the 18th, the
magnitude was given as 9.5 by Schmitt and 9.58 by Beyer. Beyer said the
On the 20th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 11.0. On the 21st,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 11. On the 23rd, Giclas gave the photographic
magnitude as 12.0. On the 25th, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory,
Texas, USA) saw the comet using a 15-cm finder and gave the magnitude as
10.3. He noted the nucleus was very fuzzy and magnitude 12. On the 29th,
van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10.8. He said a bright tail extended
10 in PA 120, and a fainter one extended 40 in PA 350. On June 30, van
magnitude as 12.0.
On July 2, the photographic magnitude was given as 12.5 by Schmitt,
Giclas, and van Biesbroeck. On the 3rd, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair,
Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 12.5. On the 4th, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. He said a 10-minute exposure showed a faint, slender tail
extending 5 in PA 345. On the 24th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic
magnitude as 14.7. He said faint tails were visible at PA 120 and PA 345,
with the former appearing dissymmetrical as first noted on June 3. On the
25th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14.9. On the 26th,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 15.1. On July 28, the
photographic magnitude was given as 15.3 by van Biesbroeck and 17 by
Jeffers.
on a 10-minute exposure obtained with the 208-cm reflector at McDonald
Observatory. He determined the magnitude as 15.5 and said traces
233
catalog of comets
of the two tails were still visible. The position was given as = 11h 53.2m ,
= +9 31 .
P. Ahnert (Sonneberg, Germany) obtained a spectrographic observation
on June 3 which revealed a continuous spectrum, a strong cyanogen band
at 3880, but no trace of the carbon bands.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham and E. L.
Scott, using positions spanning the period May 30June 1. They determined
the perihelion date as 1946 May 11.75. They indicated the comet might
be identical to comet C/1862 N1 (Schmidt). Although the possible link to
C/1862 N1 was proven not to be possible, the perihelion date was only
7.4 hours off, as shown by the later calculations of Guth, Cunningham and
Scott, J. Bouska, J. Bobone, and C. Vick.
B. G. Marsden (1974) used 49 positions obtained between June 1 and July
28, and computed a parabolic orbit with a perihelion date of May 11.44. This
T
1946 May 11.4366 (TT)
22.2328
(2000.0)
301.9765
i
169.5619
q
1.018252
e
1.0

full moon: May 16, Jun. 14, Jul. 14, Aug. 12
sources: L. Pajdusakova, HAC, No. 748 (1946 Jun. 1); D. Rotbart, A. H. Mikesell,
V. Guth, B. P. Sharpless, E. G. Reuning, H. L. Giclas, H. M. Jeffers, L. E. Cunningham, and Scott, HAC, No. 749 (1946 Jun. 4); V. Guth, IAUC, No. 1045 (1946 Jun.
7); E. Vandekerkhove, IAUC, No. 1047 (1946 Jun. 14); D. Rotbart, A. H. Mikesell,
B. P. Sharpless, E. G. Reuning, H. L. Giclas, H. M. Jeffers, G. van Biesbroeck, L. E.
Cunningham, E. L. Scott, and J. Bouska, IAUC, No. 1049 (1946 Jun. 20); J. Bobone,
HAC, No. 757 (1946 Jun. 21); A. Schmitt, A. Weber, and J. Bobone, IAUC, No.
1050 (1946 Jul. 1); A. Schmitt, C. Vick, and P. Ahnert, IAUC, No. 1052 (1946 Jul.
30); L. Boyer, P. Ahnert, L. E. Cunningham, and E. L. Scott, The Observatory, 66
(1946 Oct.), pp. 3501; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1947), pp. 1867; L. Pajdusakova,
D. Rotbart, A. Weber, H. M. Jeffers, and L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 107 (1947),
pp. 106, 11011; G. van Biesbroeck and H. L. Giclas, AJ, 52 (1947 May), pp. 205,
207; M. Beyer, AN, 278 (1950 Jul. 14), p. 221; V1964, p. 75; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS,
15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4523; personal correspondence from M. Meyer (2002).
1946 IV = 1946e Closest to the Earth: 1946 October 27 (0.9867 AU)
Calculated path: PSC (Rec), ARI (Jul. 19), TAU (Sep. 29), ARI (Oct. 20), CET
(Oct. 28), ARI (Jan. 14)
The recovery of this comet began with the calculations of F. R. Cripps (1945)
and A. D. Dubiago (1946). Cripps corrected the orbit he calculated for the
1939 apparition, applied perturbations, and predicted a perihelion date of
1946 August 25.97. Dubiago investigated the motion of this comet for the
234
catalog of comets
period 192540, and then predicted the next perihelion would fall on August
on a 50-minute exposure obtained with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on 1946
June 28.41. He gave the position as = 1h 02.9m , = +7 53 . Jeffers
estimated the magnitude as 17.5 and said the comet was diffuse, centrally
condensed, with a faint tail extending 1 toward the southwest. L. E. Cunningham pointed out that this observation indicated the prediction made
by Cripps was only 4.8 hours too late. The comet was approaching both the
sun and Earth when recovered.
G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed
the comet using the 208-cm reflector on July 1 and gave the magnitude as
17.5. He said the round coma was 5 across, while a tail extended 50 in PA
250. Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 17.3 on the 4th. On the 26th
and 28th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 17 and noted
a tail extending 1 in PA 250. On July 27, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 16.5. H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA)
photographed the comet using the 33-cm telescope on August 22 and gave
the magnitude as 14. On August 30, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 16. He said a 30-minute exposure revealed a faint tail extending 3 toward the west-southwest. On September 2, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) obtained a 12-minute exposure using the
61-cm reflector and said the coma was small, with a tail extending 1.5
in PA 260. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +14 on
September 3. On the 21st, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 14. On
September 26, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 15.
On October 24, the photographic magnitude was given as 11.7 by Giclas,
using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph, and 15 by Jeffers using the
91-cm Crossley reflector. On November 1, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair,
Algeria) photographed the comet using a refractor and gave the magnitude
as 13.0. On November 19 and 20, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet
using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 16. He said the coma
was centrally condensed and 30 across. On December 19, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 16. He said the coma was diffuse and
20 across. On December 20, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as
17.2. He noted the coma was small and nearly stellar.
On 1947 January 18 and 21, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 17. He said the coma was ill defined on the first date and noted
the comet was only vaguely visible on the second date.
The last two detections of the comet came on January 24.15 and January
24.18, when Jeffers photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector at Lick
Observatory. R. B. Mathews gave the position on the last date as = 3h
19.3m , = +11 11 . Jeffers estimated the magnitude as 17.5.
Very similar orbits using several apparitions were ultimately published
by Dubiago (1951), B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1972), I. Y. Evdokimov (1978), I. Y. Evdokimov and Y. V. Evdokimov (1980), and Sekanina and
235
catalog of comets
D. K. Yeomans (1985). They gave the perihelion date as August 25.80 and
the period as 6.96 years. The studies of 1972 and 1985 both added nongravitational terms to these calculations. Marsden, Sekanina, and D. K.
Yeomans (1973) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +1.12 and A2 =
0.1911. Sekanina and Yeomans (1985) gave the nongravitational terms as
A1 = +1.22 and A2 = 0.2336. The orbit of Sekanina and Yeomans is given
below.
T
1946 Aug. 25.8018 (TT)
(2000.0)
195.6062 178.3996
i
5.5329
q
e
1.878839 0.484589

full moon: Jun. 14, Jul. 14, Aug. 12, Sep. 11, Oct. 10, Nov. 9, Dec. 8, 1947 Jan. 7,
Feb. 5
sources: F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1946 (1945 Nov.), p. 37; A. D. Dubiago,
Astronomieceskij Cirkuljar USSR, No. 47 (1946 Jan. 27); H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 758
(1946 Jul. 1); H. M. Jeffers, IAUC, No. 1050 (1946 Jul. 1); L. E. Cunningham, HAC,
No. 761 (1946 Aug. 6); H. M. Jeffers, The Observatory, 66 (1946 Oct.), p. 351; H. M.
Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1947), p. 187; A. D. Dubiago, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11011, 113;
H. L. Giclas, AJ, 52 (1947 May), p. 207; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948), p. 190; G. van
Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.), p. 83; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 2; A. D. Dubiago,
MNRAS, 111 (1951), pp. 2403; V1964, p. 76; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina,
CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 25, 48; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, QJRAS, 13 (1972
Mar.), pp. 21315; I. Y. Evdokimov, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88; I. Y.
Evdokimov and Y. V. Evdokimov, KomMe, No. 2931 (1980), p. 79; Z. Sekanina
and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 90 (1985 Nov.), p. 2336; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 27 (1986
Dec.), p. 604.
C/1946 P1 (Jones) Discovered: 1946 August 6.76 ( = 2.43 AU, r = 1.69 AU, Elong. = 35)
1946 VI = 1946h Closest to the Earth: 1946 October 4 (1.9944 AU)
Calculated path: PUP (Disc), HYA (Aug. 16), PYX (Aug. 27), HYA (Aug. 28),
LIB (Nov. 15), SCO (Nov. 27), OPH (Dec. 10), SER (Dec. 26), OPH (1947 Jan.
5), SER (Jan. 15), AQL (Feb. 2), SER (Feb. 9), AQL (Feb. 12), SGE (Mar. 18),
VUL (Mar. 26), SGE (Mar. 29), VUL (Apr. 1), CYG (Apr. 21), LYR (Jul. 14),
CYG (Nov. 30)
A. F. A. L. Jones (Timaru, New Zealand) discovered this comet with a 14-cm
refractor (42) on 1946 August 6.76, while in the process of locating the field
of the variable star U Puppis. He estimated the magnitude as 9 and said the
coma was 1 across, with a central condensation. Jones gave the position
as = 7h 56.0m , = 13 15 . He confirmed his discovery on August
7.76, and again estimated the magnitude as 9. The comet was discovered
2 months before passing closest to Earth and nearly 3 months before passing
perihelion.
236
catalog of comets
On August 10, Jones gave the magnitude as 9.1. On the 13th, E. L. Johnson
using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera and gave the magnitude
as 9.0. He described the comet as large and diffuse. On the 15th, Jones
gave the magnitude as 8.5. On the 20th, 23rd, and 26th, Johnson gave the
photographic magnitude as 8. On the 29th, the magnitude was given as 7.5
by Johnson and 8 by Jones. On August 31, Jones gave the magnitude as 8
and said the tail extended 0.02 in PA 235.
On September 1 and 2, Jones observed using a 14-cm refractor and gave
the magnitude as 7.8. On the former date, he said the tail extended toward
PA 200. On the 3rd, the photographic magnitude was given as 7.6 by D. C.
Berry (Dunedin, New Zealand) and 8.0 by Johnson. Berry said the coma was
2 across, while the tail was 10 long. On the 4th, Jones gave the magnitude
as 7.5 and said the tail extended 0.06 in PA 210. On the 7th, Jones observed
with a 14-cm refractor (42) and said the tail extended 0.02 in PA 243. On
the 10th, Jones said the tail extended 0.02 in PA 245. On the 15th, Jones
gave the magnitude as 7.5 and said the tail extended 0.02 in PA 230. On
the 19th, Jones said the tail extended 0.03 in PA 230. On September 21,
Jones observed with a 13-cm reflector (36) and said the tail extended 0.05
in PA 260.
On October 3, Jones observed with a 14-cm refractor (42) and gave the
magnitude as 7. He said the tail extended 0.03 in PA 240. On the 7th, Jones
gave the magnitude as 8 and said the tail extended 0.02 in PA 240. The
comet attained its most southerly declination of 29 on October 16. The
comet passed about 6 from the sun on November 25.
On 1947 January 3, H. L. Gilcas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) photographed the comet using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and
gave the magnitude as 10.2. The comet was then only 23 from the sun and
Giclas noted that the comet was diffuse, with no central condensation, and
at a very low altitude. On the 5th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude
as 10.2. He said the comet was diffuse, with no central condensation. On the
17th, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) obtained a
2-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 8.8.
He said the round fuzzy coma was 20 across, while a diffuse tail extended
3 in PA 220. On the 21st, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.0. He said
the comet was very diffuse. On January 30, Giclas gave the photographic
magnitude as 10.9. On February 19, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as
9.6. He obtained a 2-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and noted a
faint tail extended towards PA 210. On February 22, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 12.4. On March 28, Giclas gave the photographic
magnitude as 11.3.
On April 1, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic
magnitude as 12.3. On the 19th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as
12.0. On the 20th, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
observed using the 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 11.31. He said
237
catalog of comets
the nuclear magnitude was about 13, while the coma was 1.3 across. On
the 24th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.43. He said the nuclear magnitude
was 12.88, while the coma was 1.4 across. On the 26th, Boyer gave the
photographic magnitude as 13.0. On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 11.54. He noted that the coma was 1.4 across and exhibited a nucleus
of magnitude 13.07. On April 28, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude
as 12.9.
On May 10, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.44 and said the coma was 1.3
across. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.74. He said the coma was
1.0 across, while the nuclear magnitude was about 13. On the 20th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 11.68. He said the nuclear magnitude was 12.94,
while the coma was 1.0 across. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as
11.92. He said the coma was 1.3 across and exhibited a nucleus of magnitude
13.25. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 11.7711.82, while
Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.0. Beyer said the coma was
1.2 across. On the 25th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.20 and the coma
diameter as 1.1 . On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.06. On the
28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.20. He noted a coma diameter of 0.7
and a nuclear magnitude of 13.28. On the 29th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
12.25 and the coma diameter as 1.0 . On May 31, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 12.33 and the coma diameter as 1.0 .
On June 13, the photographic magnitude was given as 13.4 by Boyer
and 13.5 by H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA). Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the coma
was condensed, with a tail extending 1.2 in PA 290. On the 14th, Boyer gave
the photographic magnitude as 13.3. On the 15th, Giclas photographed the
comet using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and gave the magnitude as 11.4. On the 16th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 11.2.
On the 19th, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.4. On June 25,
the magnitude as 12.5. He said the tail extended 2 in PA 150.
The comet steadily faded during the remainder of 1947. On July 6, van
well defined, with a short tail extending towards PA 160. On the 8th, Jeffers
gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He said the coma was condensed
and exhibited a faint tail extending 0.8 in PA 260. On the 9th, Boyer gave the
photographic magnitude as 13.3. On the 11th, Boyer gave the photographic
magnitude as 13.4. The comet reached a maximum solar elongation of 112
on July 23. On September 6, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 14.8.
He said the coma was condensed and exhibited a faint tail. On October 6,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 16. He noted a round
coma. On November 3, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 16. On November 6, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 16.5. He
said the coma was very small. On December 9, van Biesbroeck obtained a
20-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as
238
catalog of comets
16. He said the comet exhibited a round coma, but was difficult to locate
in very dense region of the Milky Way.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 49 on 1948 February 11. On May 9 Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley
reflector and gave the magnitude as 18.4. On July 10, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 17.8. He noted a stellar nucleus and a faint fan-shaped
tail extending toward PA 135. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +50 on July 27. On August 11, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and
gave the magnitude as 17.5. He said the round coma was 15 across and
was slightly condensed, while a broad tail extended 1 in PA 140. The comet
attained a maximum solar elongation of 116 on August 30. On September
5, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 18. He noted that the
round coma was 10 across and was slightly condensed, while a broad tail
extended 1 in PA 130. On October 2, 3, and 4, van Biesbroeck photographed
the fuzzy coma was 8 across, while a broad tail extended towards PA 130.
The comet was last detected on November 23.19, when Jeffers photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. The position was given as
= 20h 28.8m , = +40 19 . Jeffers determined the magnitude as 19.3
and said the comet appeared nearly stellar. He commented that the comets
image appeared real on the photograph and that a second plate was obtained
later that evening, when the comet was at a low altitude, which showed
a questionable image in the proper place.
The first orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham and M. E. Stahr. They
took approximate positions spanning 9 days and computed an uncertain
parabolic orbit which gave the perihelion date as 1946 October 4.87. Nearly
a month and a half after the comets discovery, Cunningham revised the
earlier calculations and gave the perihelion date as October 27.19. Later
calculations by Cunningham and G. Merton revealed the general correctness
of this orbit.
G. Pels (1960) took 124 positions obtained during the period 1946 August
241948 October 3, reduced them to 18 Normal positions, and applied perturbations by Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The result was a
perihelion date of October 26.77 and an eccentricity of 1.0007942.
Z. Sekanina (1974, 1978) used 101 positions obtained between 1946 August
16 and 1948 November 23, as well as perturbations by all nine planets,
to determine the perihelion date as October 26.78 and the eccentricity as
1.0007764. He took this orbit and derived an elliptical original orbit with a
period of about 3.4 million years and an elliptical future orbit with a period
of about 15.6 million years.
T
1946 Oct. 26.7791 (TT)
239
(2000.0)
320.4130 238.3356
i
56.9647
q
e
1.136113 1.000776
catalog of comets
full moon: Jul. 14, Aug. 12, Sep. 11, Oct. 10, Nov. 9, Dec. 8, 1947 Jan. 7, Feb. 5,
Mar. 7, Apr. 5, May 5, Jun. 3, Jul. 3, Aug. 2, Aug. 31, Sep. 30, Oct. 29, Nov. 28,
Sep. 18, Oct. 18, Nov. 16, Dec. 16
sources: A. F. A. L. Jones, HAC, No. 763 (1946 Aug. 8); A. F. A. L. Jones, IAUC,
No. 1054 (1946 Aug. 9); L. E. Cunningham and M. E. Stahr, HAC, No. 766 (1946
Aug. 21); L. E. Cunningham and M. E. Stahr, IAUC, No. 1057 (1946 Aug. 22);
E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1058 (1946 Sep. 9); E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1060 (1946
Sep. 17); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 769 (1946 Sep. 19); A. F. A. L. Jones, L. E.
Cunningham, and M. E. Stahr, The Observatory, 66 (1946 Oct.), p. 351; L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1063 (1946 Oct. 7); L. E. Cunningham and D. C. Berry, The
Observatory, 66 (1946 Dec.), p. 398; A. F. A. L. Jones, H. L. Giclas, and L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 107 (1947), p. 106; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 790 (1947
Jan. 4); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1077 (1947 Jan. 11); H. L. Giclas, HAC,
No. 791 (1947 Jan. 13); H. L. Giclas, The Observatory, 67 (1947 Feb.), p. 36; H. L.
Giclas, IAUC, No. 1079 (1947 Feb. 12); L. E. Cunningham, The Observatory, 67
(1947 Apr.), p. 75; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 52 (1947 May), p. 207; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19
(1948), pp. 1901; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5 (1948 Apr. 13), p. 191; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.), p. 82; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1949), p. 34; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 54
(1949 Jun.), p. 165; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 54, 59; M. Beyer,
AN, 278 (1950 Jul. 14), pp. 2212; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 2; G. Pels, BAN, 15
(1960 Dec. 30), pp. 14955; V1964, p. 76; Z. Sekanina, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.),
pp. 4523; Z. Sekanina, CCO, 2nd ed. (1975), pp. 25, 50; Z. Sekanina, AJ, 83 (1978
Jan.), pp. 66, 68; A. F. A. L. Jones, ICQ, 6 (1984 Jan.), p. 15.
C/1946 U1 Discovered: 1946 October 31.9 ( = 2.06 AU, r = 2.64 AU, Elong. = 114)
(Bester) Last seen: 1948 October 2.16 ( = 6.30 AU, r = 6.32 AU, Elong. = 87)
1947 I = 1946k Calculated path: COL (Disc), CAE (Nov. 1), ERI (Nov. 13), FOR (Nov. 25), CET
(Dec. 21), PSC (1947 Feb. 19), TRI (May 7), AND (Jun. 7), PER (Jul. 10), AND
(Jul. 15), PER (Jul. 18), CAS (Jul. 28), CEP (Sep. 1), CYG (Oct. 23), CEP (1948
May 5), CYG (May 30), CEP (Jun. 4), DRA (Jun. 21), HER (Sep. 22)
M. J. Bester (Harvard College Observatory, Boyden Station, Bloemfontein,
South Africa) discovered this comet on a plate exposed on 1946 October 31.9
with the 8-cm RossFecker patrol camera. He estimated the magnitude as
11 and said the round coma was 2 across and contained a well-condensed
nucleus. Bester confirmed the find on November 1.83, and determined the
position as = 5h 01.0m , = 38 47 . He estimated the magnitude as
10.5 and gave the daily motion as 3m 00s in and 5 in . E. L. Johnson
(Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) confirmed the discovery
on November 2.92. He estimated the magnitude as 10.0 and described the
comet as diffuse, with a central condensation.
On November 4, Johnson gave the photographic magnitude as 11.0. On
the 5th, the photographic magnitude was given as 11.0 by G. van Biesbroeck
(Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) and H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory,
240
catalog of comets
Flagstaff, Arizona, USA). Van Biesbroeck described the round, diffuse coma
as 2 across, with a central condensation. H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet with the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph
and described it as small, round, and without a sharp nucleus. The comet
attained its most southerly declination of 39 on November 6. On the
6th and 12th, Giclas photographed the comet using the 33-cm A. Lawrence
Lowell Astrograph and gave the magnitude as 11.0. On the 13th, Johnson
and gave the magnitude as 9.0. On the 15th, Jeffers photographed the comet
using the astrograph and described it as small, round, and without a sharp
nucleus. On the 19th, E. G. Reuning (US Naval Observatory, Washington,
DC, USA) photographed the comet, but the altitude of 13.5 prevented an
accurate magnitude estimate. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 123 on November 22. On the 26th, Giclas gave the photographic
magnitude as 11.0. On November 28, A. Schmitt (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 11.
On December 1, Johnson gave the photographic magnitude as 8.5. On
the 11th, the photographic magnitude was given as 9.0 by Johnson and 11
by Giclas. On the 17th, R. J. Tufts (Students Observatory, Berkeley, California, USA) photographed the comet using a 10-cm Ross lens and indicated a
magnitude of 8.5. On the 19th, van Biesbroeck said the diffuse tail extended
6 in PA 100. On the 20th, Jeffers photographed the comet with the 51-cm
Carnegie astrograph and described it as small, round, and without a sharp
nucleus. On the 21st, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 12.0. On December 22, Giclas photographed the comet
as 11.2.
On 1947 January 4, Johnson photographed the comet using the 25-cm
FranklinAdams Star Camera and gave the magnitude as 9.3. On the 8th,
Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 12.1. On the 14th, H. Krumpholz
(Vienna, Austria) gave the magnitude as 11. On the 15th, the photographic
magnitude was given as 9.6 by van Biesbroeck and 11.5 by Boyer. On the
16th, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) observed the
comet using a 26-cm refractor (70) and gave the magnitude as 10.50. He
said the nuclear magnitude was about 12, the coma diameter was 2.6 , and
10.63. On the 18th, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 11.9. On the
19th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.22. He said the nuclear magnitude
was 13.43, the coma diameter was 2.7 , and the tail extended 6 in PA 125.
On the 20th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.29. He said the nuclear magnitude was 13.07, the coma diameter was 2.7 , and the tail extended 5 in PA
118. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.28. He said the nuclear
magnitude was 12.87, the coma diameter was 3.5 , and the tail extended 5
in PA 132. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 10.40, while
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10.4. Beyer said the
241
catalog of comets
nuclear magnitude was about 13, the coma diameter was 3.0 , and the tail
extended 7 in PA 129. Jeffers described the comet as round, 40 across, with
a stellar nucleus. On the 24th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.55. He said
the nuclear magnitude was about 13, the coma diameter was 3.3 , and the
tail extended 7 in PA 128. On January 29, Johnson gave the photographic
magnitude as 9.5.
On February 7, Beyer observed the comet using the 26-cm refractor (70)
and gave the magnitude as 10.67. He said the nuclear magnitude was about
12.5, the coma diameter was 3.3 , and the tail extended 6 in PA 128. On
the 8th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.60. He said the nuclear magnitude was 13.38, the coma diameter was 2.7 , and the tail extended 5 in PA
132. On the 11th, van Biesbroeck obtained a 3-minute exposure using the
61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 10.3. He said the coma was well
condensed, while the tail extended 3 in PA 110. On the 12th, Giclas photographed the comet using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and
gave the magnitude as 11.6. On the 14th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.99.
He said the coma diameter was 3.1 , and the tail extended 6 in PA 123. On
the 16th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.08. He said the nuclear magnitude was 13.03, the coma diameter was 2.2 , and the tail extended 5 in PA
141. On the 17th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.12. He said the nuclear
magnitude was 13.43, the coma diameter was 2.9 , and the tail extended 4
in PA 145. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.16. He said the
coma diameter was 2.3 , and the tail extended 6 in PA 130. On the 19th,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 11. On the 20th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 11.13. He said the coma diameter was 2.2 , and the
tail extended 4 in PA 136. On February 22, Boyer gave the photographic
magnitude as 12.6.
The final observation before conjunction with the sun came on March
15.22, when Giclas photographed the comet at low altitude in the evening
sky with the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph. He gave the magnitude
as 11.7.
The comet passed about 10 from the sun on April 17. Following conjunction, the comet was found in the morning sky on June 22.34 by Reuning.
On June 23, the photographic magnitude was given as 13.2 by Boyer and 15
by Jeffers. Jeffers photograph, which was obtained using the 91-cm Crossley reflector, revealed a round coma, 20 across, and a stellar nucleus. On
July 20, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.6. On July 25, van
magnitude as 15. He said the round coma was 6 across. On August 20,
Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 14. He described the comet as
round, 20 across, with a stellar nucleus.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +65 on September 9.
On the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.19 and said the coma was 0.5
across. On the 11th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.33. On the 12th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 13.65 and said the coma was 1.0 across. On the 21st,
242
catalog of comets
Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.18. He said the nuclear magnitude was 14.6
and the coma was 1.0 in diameter. The comet attained a maximum solar
elongation of 113 on September 26.
On October 9, van Biesbroeck obtained a 12-minute exposure using the
61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 14.5. On the 17th, Boyer gave
the photographic magnitude as 14.4. On the 18th, Beyer gave the visual
magnitude as 13.1013.35, while Boyer gave the photographic magnitude
as 14.5. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 14.8, and the coma was
1.6 in diameter. On October 19, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.11 and
said the coma was 1.6 across. On November 3, van Biesbroeck obtained a
15-minute exposure using the reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. Van
Biesbroeck said the coma was well defined and round. On November 8,
the photographic magnitude was given as 15.0 by Boyer and 16 by Jeffers.
Jeffers photograph, which was obtained using the 91-cm Crossley reflector,
revealed a round coma 5 across. On December 9, van Biesbroeck obtained
an 18-minute exposure using the reflector and gave the magnitude as 17.
He said there was a small coma.
On 1948 January 2, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 16.0. On
January 15, van Biesbroeck obtained an 18-minute exposure using the 61cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 17. The comet attained a minimum
solar elongation of 57 on February 24. Jeffers made the only two observations during the next 6 months, determining the magnitude as 18.2 with the
91-cm Crossley reflector on May 11 and 18.7 with the same telescope on July
27. For the former date he said the coma was faint, with a sharp nucleus,
while on the latter date he simply described the coma as small and round.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 98 on August 2.
The comet was last detected on October 2.16, when van Biesbroeck
obtained a 12-minute exposure with the 208-cm reflector at McDonald
Observatory. The magnitude was estimated as 18.5, while the diffuse coma
was 20 across. The position was given as = 17h 55.8m , = +48 50 .
The first parabolic orbits were calculated around mid-November by
J. Bobone and L. E. Cunningham. Bobone determined the perihelion date
as 1947 January 22.48, while Cunningham gave it as February 7.04. Cunninghams orbit proved a few hours early. Additional parabolic orbits came
from Schmitt, Bobone, and Cunningham.
Using precise positions obtained on November 4, 10, and 13, W. P. Hirst
computed an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of February 8.05 and an
orbital period of about 953 years. Hirst added, Any estimate of the period
at present is liable to very large error, but it can scarcely be less than 500
years and is probably greater than this.
The first definitive orbit came from van Biesbroeck (1970), who used
108 positions spanning the period 1946 November 21948 October 2. After
applying perturbations by seven planets, he determined a hyperbolic orbit
with a perihelion date of February 7.33 and an eccentricity of 1.000589.
B. G. Marsden took this orbit, applied perturbations by all nine planets, and
243
catalog of comets
found that both the original and future orbits were elliptical. The period of
the original orbit was about 1.1 million years, while the period of the future
orbit was about 724 thousand years.
Marsden (1973, 1978) used 97 positions obtained between 1946
November 2 and 1948 October 2, as well as perturbations by all nine planets, to determine the perihelion date as February 7.36 and the eccentricity as
1.0009472. Marsden took this orbit and derived a hyperbolic original orbit
with an eccentricity of 1.000002, and an elliptical future orbit with a period
of about 7.5 million years. This orbit is given below.
T
1947 Feb. 7.3634 (TT)
(2000.0)
i
q
e
348.6250
35.5588 108.1742 2.407663 1.000947
absolute magnitude: H0 = 3.12, n = 5.71 (Beyer, 1950); H10 = 4.46.0 (V1964)

full moon: Oct. 10, Nov. 9, Dec. 8, 1947 Jan. 7, Feb. 5, Mar. 7, Apr. 5, May 5, Jun.
3, Jul. 3, Aug. 2, Aug. 31, Sep. 30, Oct. 29, Nov. 28, Dec. 27, 1948 Jan. 26, Feb. 24,
Mar. 25, Apr. 23, May 23, Jun. 21, Jul. 21, Aug. 19, Sep. 18, Oct. 18
sources: M. J. Bester, HAC, No. 778 (1946 Nov. 4); M. J. Bester, IAUC, No. 1067
(1946 Nov. 4); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 779 (1946 Nov. 8); H. L. Giclas and
J. Bobone, HAC, No. 780 (1946 Nov. 13); E. L. Johnson, G. van Biesbroeck, and J.
Bobone, IAUC, No. 1069 (1946 Nov. 14); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 783 (1946
Nov. 21); E. G. Reuning, HAC, No. 784 (1946 Nov. 29); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC,
No. 1071 (1946 Nov. 29); A. Schmitt, IAUC, No. 1073 (1946 Dec. 20); E. L. Johnson,
IAUC, No. 1074 (1946 Dec. 21); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1947), p. 187; M. J. Bester, J.
Bobone, A. Schmitt, and L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 107, 11011,
114; J. Bobone and R. J. Tufts, HAC, No. 788 (1947 Jan. 3); R. J. Tufts, IAUC, No.
1076 (1947 Jan. 3); W. P. Hirst and L. E. Cunningham, MNASSA, 6 (1947 Feb.),
pp. 1213; J. Bobone, The Observatory, 67 (1947 Feb.), p. 36; A. Schmitt and E. L.
Johnson, IAUC, No. 1079 (1947 Feb. 12); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 794 (1947 Feb. 14);
W. P. Hirst, ASSAMN, 6 (1947 Feb. 28), pp. 1213; H. Krumpholz, IAUC, No.
1081 (1947 Mar. 26); J. Bobone and A. Schmitt, The Observatory, 67 (1947 Apr.),
p. 75; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 52 (1947 May), p. 207; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 811
(1947 May 6); E. G. Reuning, HAC, No. 827 (1947 Jul. 18); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19
(1948), p. 191; L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1140 (1948 Mar. 6); E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5 (1948
Apr. 13), p. 192; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.), p. 83; H. M. Jeffers, LOB,
20 (1949), p. 34; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.), p. 165; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55
(1950 Jan.), pp. 54, 59; M. Beyer, AN, 278 (1950 Jul. 14), pp. 2234; L. Boyer, JO,
34 (1951), pp. 23; V1964, p. 76; G. van Biesbroeck, CLPL, 8 (1970), pp. 1758;
B. G. Marsden, AJ, 78 (1973 Dec.), pp. 111920; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.),
p. 68.
26P/Grigg Recovered: 1947 March 11.14 ( = 0.33 AU, r = 1.03 AU, Elong. = 87)
Skjellerup Last seen: 1947 July 14.28 ( = 0.68 AU, r = 1.50 AU, Elong. = 124)
1947 II = 1947a Calculated path: COL (Rec), CAE (Mar. 16), ERI (Mar. 22), FOR (Mar. 30),
ERI-CET (Apr. 5), PSC (Apr. 17), PEG (Apr. 25), CYG (Jun. 22)
244
catalog of comets
F. R. Cripps (1946) conducted an elaborate analysis of this comets orbit.

After determining a reliable set of elements for the 1942 apparition, he
applied perturbations by Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn and predicted the perihelion date as 1947 April 20.44. H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff,
Arizona, USA) recovered this comet with the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell
Astrograph on 1947 March 11.14, at a position of = 5h 19.2m , = 31 04 .
The position indicated Cripps predicted perihelion date needed a correction of 2.8 days. He determined the magnitude as 11.2 and said the comet
was diffuse, with a central condensation. E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) independently recovered this comet with
the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera on March 11.74. The comet was
near the edge of the plate and was about magnitude 11.0. Johnson said the
comet was diffuse, without a condensation. The comet had attained its most
southerly declination of 31 on March 8.
On March 12, Giclas photographed the comet using the astrograph and
gave the magnitude as 11.2. He described the comet as a diffuse coma, with
a central condensation. On the 13th, 14th, and 15th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 11.5. On the 15th, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector
and gave the magnitude as 11. On the 16th, Giclas gave the photographic
magnitude as 11.7. On the 22nd, Johnson gave the photographic magnitude
as 10.0. On the 28th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 13.6. The
comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 38 on April 20. A. F. A. L.
Jones (Timaru, New Zealand) visually observed the comet using the 14-cm
refractor on April 29 and 30, and gave the magnitude as 9.5. He also gave
the coma diameters as 3 and 2.5 , respectively. On April 30, Giclas gave the
On May 2, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 9.8. On the 18th,
M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) observed using the
25-cm refractor (70) and gave the magnitude as 10.62. He said the coma
was 3 across. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.0711.13 and the
coma diameter as 3.2 . On the 26th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.24 and
the coma diameter as 3.3 . On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.25
and the coma diameter as 2.9 . On May 30, Giclas gave the photographic
magnitude as 14.
On June 14, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) said a 20minute exposure with the 91-cm Crossley reflector showed a faint, round
coma 0.7 across and a nucleus of magnitude 16.6. On the 15th, Giclas gave
the photographic magnitude as 12.2. On the 16th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 12.5. On the 25th, van Biesbroeck photographed the
comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 16.5. He said the
round coma was 12 across and centrally condensed. The comet attained its
most northerly declination of +30 on June 27.
The comet was last detected on July 14.28, when van Biesbroeck obtained
a 10-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector at Yerkes Observatory. The
245
catalog of comets
magnitude was estimated as 16 and the comet was described as very diffuse.
Van Biesbroeck gave the position as = 21h 12.4m , = +28 44 . About 1
month later, Jeffers used the 91-cm Crossley reflector, but failed to find the
comet on a 30-minute exposure obtained on August 8 or a 1-hour 20-minute
exposure obtained on August 14.
L. E. Cunningham (1947) computed new elements for this apparition
using positions from March 14, 28, and May 2. The resulting perihelion
date was 1947 April 18.14, while the period was 4.90 years.
Multiple apparition orbits were calculated by Sitarski (1964, 1981) and
B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1972, 1973). They gave the perihelion date
as April 18.14 and the period as 4.90 years. Sitarski (1964) noted that a nongravitational acceleration existed in the motion of this comet. B. G. Marsden
and Z. Sekanina (1973) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.03,
A2 = 0.0025. The orbit of Marsden and Sekanina is given below.
T
1947 Apr. 18.1370 (TT)
(2000.0)
356.3825 216.0897
i
17.6414
q
e
0.853133 0.704273

full moon: Mar. 7, Apr. 5, May 5, Jun. 3, Jul. 3, Aug. 2
sources: F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1947 (1946 Nov.), p. 37; F. R. Cripps,
IAUC, No. 1077 (1947 Jan. 11); H. L. Giclas and E. L. Johnson, HAC, No. 796
(1947 Mar. 13); E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1080 (1947 Mar. 13); L. E. Cunningham,
HAC, No. 797 (1947 Mar. 18); E. L. Johnson, The Observatory, 67 (1947 Apr.), p. 74;
L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 821 (1947 Jun. 18); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No.
1096 (1947 Jun. 24); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948), p. 191; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5
(1948 May), p. 254; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.), p. 84; H. L. Giclas, AJ,
54 (1949 Jun.), p. 165; M. Beyer, AN, 278 (1950 Jul. 14), p. 224; G. Sitarski, AcA,
14 (1964), pp. 15; V1964, p. 76; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, CCO, 1st ed.
(1972), pp. 25, 48; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), pp. 214,
216; G. Sitarski, AcA, 31 (1981), pp. 4812; A. F. A. L. Jones, ICQ, 6 (1984 Jan.),
p. 24.
C/1947 F1 Discovered: 1947 March 24.0 ( = 0.49 AU, r = 1.31 AU, Elong. = 120)
(Rondanina Last seen: 1947 September 21.52 ( = 2.01 AU, r = 2.30 AU, Elong. = 93)
Bester) Closest to the Earth: 1947 April 5 (0.4104 AU)
Calculated path: CEN (Disc), MUS (Mar. 26), CHA (Mar. 30), OCT (Apr. 3),
1947 IV = 1947b MEN (Apr. 4), HYI (Apr. 9), HOR (Apr. 11), ERI (Apr. 19), FOR (Apr. 24),
CET (May 5), ARI (Jun. 3), TAU (Jun. 28), PER (Jun. 30), AUR (Aug. 10),
CAM (Aug. 17), AUR (Aug. 25), CAM (Aug. 28)
This comet was first discovered by E. Rondanina (Montevideo Observatory,
Uruguay) while examining a photographic plate exposed on the Crucis
region with the 16-cm Zeiss astrographic camera on 1947 March 24.0. An
independent discovery was made by M. J. Bester (Harvard College Observatory, Boyden Station, Bloemfontein, South Africa) when he found the
246
catalog of comets
comet on a patrol plate exposed with the 4-cm Cooke lens camera on March
24.81. The position was given as = 13h 17m , = 60 42 . The comet was
described as magnitude 11, with a daily motion of 6m in and 2 18 in .
Rondanina did not confirm the discovery until March 26.04, when the comet
was described as diffuse, without a condensation, and with a magnitude
of 11. Despite Rondaninas delay, news of his discovery actually reached
the proper authorities before Besters announcement, although there was
a mistaken identity involved. Rondaninas colleague C. A. Etchecopar sent
the announcement and was originally thought to be the discoverer.
On March 27, the photographic magnitude was given as 7 by M. Itzigsohn
(Cordoba
Observatory, Argentina) and 9.5 by E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa). Itzigsohn described the comet as diffuse,
with a central condensation. On March 30, Johnson photographed the comet
using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera and gave the magnitude
as 9.0.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 83 on April 4.
Johnson gave the photographic magnitude as 7.0 on the 8th and 6.0 on the
12th. On the 26th, A. F. A. L. Jones (Timaru, New Zealand) observed using
2 50 binoculars and gave the magnitude as 5.0. He said a 13-cm reflector
(36) revealed a coma 3 across, with a degree of condensation (DC) of 5,
and a tail extending 0.75 in PA 180. On the 29th, Jones gave the magnitude
as 5.1. He said a 14-cm refractor (42) revealed a coma 3 across, with a
DC of 5, and a tail extending 0.75 in PA 180. On April 30, Jones gave the
magnitude as 5.3. He said the 14-cm refractor revealed a coma 3 across,
with a DC of 6, and a tail extending 0.33 in PA 182.
On May 5, Jones observed using a 3-cm refractor and gave the magnitude
as 6.0. He said the 14-cm refractor revealed a coma 3.5 across, with a DC of
6, and a tail extending 0.23 in PA 182. On the 7th, Jones gave the magnitude as 5.1. He said the 14-cm refractor revealed a coma 3 across, with a DC
of 6, and a tail extending 0.25 in PA 190. On the 8th, Jones gave the magnitude as 4.9. He said the 14-cm refractor revealed a coma 3 across, with a
DC of 6, and a tail extending 0.17 in PA 195. On the 9th, Jones gave the
magnitude as 4.9. He said the 14-cm refractor revealed a coma 4 across,
with a DC of 6, and a tail extending 0.58 in PA 192. On May 11, Jones gave
the magnitude as 4.7. He said the 14-cm refractor revealed a coma 5 across,
with a DC of 6, and a tail extending 0.67 in PA 193.
On May 16, Jones observed with a 3-cm refractor and gave the magnitude
as 5.2. He said the 14-cm refractor (42) revealed a coma 4 across, with a DC
of 7, and a tail extending 1 in PA 204. On the 17th, Jones gave the magnitude
as 5.6. He said the 14-cm refractor revealed a coma 3.25 across, with a DC
of 6, and a tail extending 1.33 in PA 208. On the 20th, G. van Biesbroeck
(Bocajuva eclipse camp, Brazil) observed the comet with the naked eye just
before dawn. He said it exhibited a tail some 3 long in binoculars. That
same night, Jones gave the magnitude as 5.4. He said the 14-cm refractor
revealed a coma 3.5 across, with a DC of 7, and a tail extending more than
247
catalog of comets
1 in PA 210. On the 23rd, Jones observed using 2 50 binoculars and

gave the magnitude as 5.2. He said the 14-cm refractor revealed a coma 4.5
across, with a DC of 7, and a tail extending more than 1 in PA 220. Jones
added that an 8-cm refractor (18) showed a tail 2 long. On the 24th, D. C.
Berry (Dunedin, New Zealand) gave the magnitude as 4.4 and noted a tail
7 long. The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 32 on May 28.
On the 29th, Jones gave the magnitude as 5.8. He said the 14-cm refractor
revealed a coma about 5 across, with a DC of 7, and a tail extending 0.67 in
PA 235. On May 30, Jones gave the magnitude as 6.0 6.3. He said the 14-cm
refractor revealed a coma 3.5 across, with a DC of 6, and a tail extending
0.33 in PA 232.
On June 1, Jones observed the comet using 2 50 binoculars and gave the
magnitude as 5.9. He said a 13-cm reflector revealed a coma 3 across, with
a DC of 6, and a tail extending 0.37 in PA 230. On the 2nd, Jones said the
14-cm refractor (42) revealed a magnitude of 6.6. He said the DC was 5,
and a tail extended 0.33 in PA 235. On the 4th, Jones gave the magnitude
as 6.6. He said the coma was 2 across, with a DC of 5, and a tail extending
0.10 in PA 230. On the 7th, Jones gave the magnitude as 6.5. He said the
coma was 2 across, with a DC of 4, and a tail extending 0.07 in PA 240.
in bright morning twilight using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph.
On the 8th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 6.5. He described
the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation, and a tail extending about
1
in PA 240. On the 11th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 6.5.
4
On the 19th, Jones gave the magnitude as 7.8. He said the coma was 2
across, with a DC of 4, and a tail extending 0.07 in PA 220. On the 21st,
Jones gave the magnitude as 8.3. He said the coma was 2 across, with a DC
of 4, and a tail extending 0.07 in PA 245. On the 23rd, H. M. Jeffers (Lick
Observatory, California, USA) said a 17-minute exposure with the 91-cm
Crossley reflector showed a centrally condensed round coma 2 across. He
also noted two faint tails: a straight, thin tail extending toward PA 270 and
a short, broad tail extending toward PA 220. On the 24th, Jones observed
using a 14-cm refractor (42) and gave the magnitude as 8.7. He said the
coma was 1.5 across, with a DC of 3. On June 25, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) gave the magnitude as 8.1. He said the coma
was round, fuzzy, and 1 across. He added that two tails were present. A
slender tail extended 15 in PA 260, while a broad, diffuse tail extended 6
in PA 220.
On July 20, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm
reflector and gave the magnitude as 11. He said the coma was about 30
across. On August 20, Jeffers photographed the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and described it as very diffuse.
The last two detections of the comet came on September 21.48 and
September 21.52, when Jeffers photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley
reflector. S. J. Inglis measured the comets position on the last exposure as
248
catalog of comets
= 5h 17.8m , = +63 56 . Jeffers said the comet was very diffuse, with
a nucleus of magnitude 18.5. Jeffers obtained 1-hour and 1-hour 15-minute
exposures with the reflector on October 25, but the comet was not found.
The first parabolic orbits were published on April 11, with L. E. Cunningham giving a perihelion date of 1947 May 20.91 and J. Bobone giving it as
May 20.92. During May and June, Bobone published revised orbits which
both gave the perihelion date as May 20.91.
The first elliptical orbit was published by Cunningham in November.
Using three positions spanning the period March 27August 20, he gave
the perihelion date as May 20.97 and the period as 3356 years.
B. G. Marsden (1974, 1978) used 27 positions obtained during the period
March 26September 21, as well as perturbations by all nine planets, and
determined an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of May 20.96 and an
orbital period of about 3210 years. Marsden took this orbit and derived an
elliptical original orbit with a period of about 2195 years, and an elliptical
future orbit with a period of about 3245 years. Marsdens orbit is given
below.
T
1947 May 20.9628 (TT)
(2000.0)
303.7545 353.9098
i
39.3015
q
e
0.559799 0.997427

full moon: Mar. 7, Apr. 5, May 5, Jun. 3, Jul. 3, Aug. 2, Aug. 31, Sep. 30
sources: C. A. Etchecopar and J. Bobone, HAC, No. 799 (1947 Mar. 27); C. A.
Etchecopar and M. J. Bester, HAC, No. 800 (1947 Mar. 28); C. A. Etchecopar and
J. Bobone, IAUC, No. 1082 (1947 Mar. 28); I. Wallbrecher and E. Rondanina, HAC,
No. 801 (1947 Mar. 31); L. E. Cunningham and J. Bobone, HAC, No. 804 (1947
Apr. 11); L. E. Cunningham and E. L. Johnson, HAC, No. 810 (1947 May 6); J.
Bobone, HAC, No. 813 (1947 May 20); L. E. Cunningham, The Observatory, 67
(1947 Jun.), p. 115; H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 820 (1947 Jun. 13); J. Bobone, IAUC,
No. 1097 (1947 Jun. 30); G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 55 (1947 Aug.), p. 378; D. C. Berry,
The Observatory, 67 (1947 Aug.), p. 155; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 857 (1947
Nov. 4); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948), p. 191; E. Rondanina, M. J. Bester, G. van
Biesbroeck, and L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 108 (1948), p. 125; E. L. Johnson,
UOC, 5 (1948 May), p. 255; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.), p. 84; H. L.
Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.), p. 165; V1964, p. 76; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 15 (1974
Dec.), pp. 4523; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68; A. F. A. L. Jones,
ICQ, 6 (1984 Jan.), pp. 1516.
(Becvar)

1947 III = 1947c Calculated path: DRA (Disc), CEP-UMi-CEP (Mar. 29), CAM (Apr. 2), AUR
(Apr. 10), GEM (Apr. 27), ORI (May 4)
A. Becvar (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) discovered this comet on
1947 March 27.85, at a position of = 19h 30.5m , = +81 47 . He described
249
catalog of comets
it as diffuse, without a condensation, and estimated the magnitude as 9.

A. Mrkos and L. Pajdusakova (Skalnate Pleso Observatory) obtained a 20minute exposure which confirmed the discovery on March 27.93. The comet
was found a few days before passing close to Earth and about a month before
passing perihelion.
On March 28, Mrkos gave the magnitude as 9. The comet attained its most
northerly declination of +87 on March 30 and L. E. Salanave (Students
Observatory, Berkeley, California, USA) gave the photographic magnitude
as 10. On March 31, Salanave gave the photographic magnitude as 10 and
said the comet was diffuse.
On April 1, H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) photographed the comet using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and
gave the magnitude as 11. On the 2nd, the photographic magnitude was
given as 10 by Salanave and 11.0 by Giclas. Salanave described the comet
as diffuse. On the 11th, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
obtained a 12-minute exposure with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and found
a coma 1.3 across, with a sharp nucleus, and a tail extending 2.5 in PA 70.
On the 12th and 16th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 12.0. On
the 18th, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) observed
using a 26-cm refractor (70) and gave the magnitude as 10.27. He said
the nuclear magnitude was about 13, and the coma was 2.2 across. On
the 19th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 10.61, while L. Boyer (Alger,
now al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 12.1. On the
20th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 10.87, while Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 12.1. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 12.8,
and the coma was 2.3 in diameter. Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.47 on
the 21st, 10.33 on the 24th, and 10.31 on the 26th.
The comet was last detected on May 8.16, when Giclas obtained an exposure with the 33-cm photographic telescope. He determined the magnitude
as 11.7, and gave the position as = 6h 01.6m , = +18 58 .
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham. Using positions up to April 2, he determined the perihelion date as 1947 May 3.97.
Cunningham also provided the only other orbit calculated for this comet.
Taking positions from April 2, 8, and 16, he gave the perihelion date as May
3.92. This last orbit is given below.
T
1947 May 3.9198 (UT)
182.1286
(2000.0)
323.0708
i
129.1558
q
0.961836
e
1.0

sources: A. Becvar, IAUC, No. 1083 (1947 Mar. 29); A. Becvar and L. E. Salanave,
HAC, No. 801 (1947 Mar. 31); L. E. Salanave, HAC, No. 802 (1947 Apr. 3); A. Mrkos
and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 803 (1947 Apr. 4); L. E. Cunningham, HAC,
No. 807 (1947 Apr. 24); L. E. Cunningham, The Observatory, 67 (1947 Jun.), p. 115;
250
catalog of comets
H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948), pp. 1912; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.), p. 165;
M. Beyer, AN, 278 (1950 Jul. 14), p. 225; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 3; V1964, p. 76;
A. Mrkos and L. Pajdusakova, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 115.
(Bester) Last seen: 1947 August 7.23 ( = 2.12 AU, r = 1.71 AU, Elong. = 52)
Closest to the Earth: 1947 May 23 (0.4482 AU)
1947 V = 1947d Calculated path: CIR (Disc), CEN-LUP (May 19), CEN (May 20), HYA (May
26), VIR (May 28), COM (Jun. 15)
South Africa) discovered this comet on 1947 May 18.85, at a position of
= 14h 41m , = 56 18 . The magnitude was estimated as 11.5, while
the comet was described as diffuse, without a condensation or nucleus. The
comet was confirmed by E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg,
South Africa) on May 19.90. He estimated the magnitude as 11.0 and said
the comet was diffuse, without a condensation. The comet was discovered
just days before its closest approach to both the sun and Earth.
The comet attained its maximum solar elongation of 146 on May 22.
On May 26, Johnson photographed the comet using the 25-cm Franklin
Adams Star Camera and gave the magnitude as 10.0. On the 28th, H. L.
Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) photographed the comet using
the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and gave the magnitude as 11.5.
On May 29, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 12.0.
On June 7, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 11.5. On the 9th,
G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed
the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 12. He
said the coma was elongated into a tail extending 2 in PA 160. On the
13th, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) photographed the comet
with a refractor and gave the magnitude as 13.3. Around mid-June, W. H.
Steavenson and G. Merton (England) described the comet as very diffuse,
about 3 across, with a magnitude of about 11.5. They noted only very
slight condensation, but Steavenson reported a sensibly stellar nucleus of
magnitude 14. On the 16th, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as
13.8. On the 17th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 12.4. On
June 19 and 21, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.9 and 13.7,
respectively.
On July 7, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. He said the round coma was centrally
condensed, while there was a faint indication of tail in second quadrant.
On the 8th, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed
the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and noted a faint coma
1 across, with a sharp nucleus of magnitude 16. On the 10th, Giclas gave the
photographic magnitude as 12.3. On July 20, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 16.
251
catalog of comets
The last two detections of the comet came on August 7.20 and August
7.23, when Jeffers photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. He
gave the position on the final date as = 12h 48.1m , = +31 26 . Jeffers
gave the magnitude as 17.3, and described the comet as faint, round, and
centrally condensed. Jeffers obtained another photograph centered on the
predicted position of the comet on November 25.53. He found an object
which appeared to have been moving, but as no second confirmation plate
was obtained he commented the possibility remains that this is only a
defect. The author took the orbit below and calculated the comets position
for November 25.53. The observed position for November 25.53 differs from
the calculated position by several arc minutes, so that it seems this was not
comet C/1947 K1 (Bester).
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham, using positions from May 24, 26, and 28. First published on June 4, he gave the perihelion date as 1947 May 31.05. This proved an excellent representation of
the orbit as was later proven by Cunninghams revision using positions
through July 10, which gave the perihelion date as May 31.12.
Z. Sekanina and B. G. Marsden (1974) used 16 positions obtained between
1947 May 19 and August 7 and computed a parabolic orbit with a perihelion
date of May 31.11. This orbit is given below.
T
1947 May 31.1131 (TT)
357.3889
(2000.0)
233.0629
i
111.4094
q
1.402863
e
1.0

full moon: May 5, Jun. 3, Jul. 3, Aug. 2, Aug. 31
sources: M. J. Bester and E. L. Johnson, HAC, No. 814 (1947 May 21); M. J. Bester
and E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1091 (1947 May 21); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC,
No. 1093 (1947 Jun. 2); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 817 (1947 Jun. 4); H. L.
Giclas, HAC, No. 820 (1947 Jun. 13); E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1094 (1947 Jun.
17); W. H. Steavenson and G. Merton, The Observatory, 67 (1947 Aug.), p. 155;
L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 838 (1947 Aug. 26); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948),
p. 192; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5 (1948 May), p. 255; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948
Dec.), p. 84; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.), p. 165; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 3;
V1964, p. 76; Z. Sekanina and B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 15 (1974), pp. 4523.
4P/Faye Recovered: 1947 June 19.45 ( = 2.15 AU, r = 1.93 AU, Elong. = 64)
1947 IX = 1947f Closest to the Earth: 1947 December 3 (0.8725 AU)
Calculated path: PSC (Rec), ARI (Jun. 30), TAU (Aug. 9), ORI (Oct. 9), MON
(Nov. 3), ORI (Dec. 17), MON (1948 Mar. 1)
The recovery of this comet began when W. E. Beart and W. P. Henderson
(1946) took the orbit for this comets 1940 apparition, applied perturbations
by Jupiter and Saturn, and predicted a perihelion date of 1947 September
252
catalog of comets

with the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph on 1947 June 19.45. He gave the position
as = 1h 18.8m , = +13 40 . Jeffers estimated the magnitude as 17 and
said the comet appeared diffuse, with a condensation. Jeffers confirmed the
recovery with photographic exposures on June 20.42 and June 20.46. These
were obtained with the 91-cm Crossley reflector in poor seeing, but showed
the comet as a diffuse object of magnitude 16. The comet was approaching
both the sun and Earth when recovered and would do so for the next few
months.
the comet using the 61-cm reflector on July 22. He gave the magnitude as 15.5
and noted a faint tail extending towards PA 260. Jeffers photographed the
comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector on July 25 and gave the magnitude
as 14. He said a 30-minute exposure showed a coma 10 across, with a narrow
tail extending 4 in PA 260. On August 23, the comet attained its most
northerly declination of +21. Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as
14.5 and noted a faint tail extending 2 toward the west. H. L. Giclas (Lowell
Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA) photographed the comet using the
33-cm refractor on September 13 and estimated the magnitude as 13. Van
Biesbroeck photographed the comet on September 14 and 27, and noted
magnitudes of 14 and 13, respectively. On the first date, he said the tail
extended toward PA 265, while, on the second date, it extended 5 toward
PA 270.
During the next couple of months, the comet was moving away from the
sun, but still approaching Earth. Van Biesbroeck photographed the comet on
October 14 and 23, and gave the magnitude as 14. He said the tail extended
3 in PA 280 on the former date, and 4 in PA 290 on the latter date. Jeffers
photographed the comet on October 24 and gave the magnitude as 16.5.
He said the coma was faint and contained a sharp nucleus. Jeffers photographed the comet on November 22 and gave the magnitude as 14. He
said the coma was fan-shaped and extended mostly toward the north. There
was also a condensed nucleus. On November 23, van Biesbroeck gave the
For the remainder of the apparition, the comet was moving away from
both the sun and Earth. On December 9, van Biesbroeck photographed a fanshaped tail that extended 3 toward the fourth quadrant. On the 20th, van
Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10. He said the bright coma
measured 15 across and was surrounded by a faint halo which extended
into a short tail in PA 310. The comet attained its greatest solar elongation
of 160 on December 25. The comet attained its most southerly declination
of +3 on December 27.
On 1948 January 2, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 14.3. On the 7th, van Biesbroeck photographed the
comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 12. He said
the coma was dissymmetrical and extended mostly towards PA 0. On the
253
catalog of comets
10th, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 14.5. He said the coma
was faint and contained a condensed nucleus. On the 13th, Boyer gave the
photographic magnitude as 14.4. On January 29, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 14. He said the coma was dissymmetrical and
extended mostly towards PA 0. On February 1, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 16.5. Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 15.0
on February 2 and 15.5 on February 9.
The comet was last detected on March 28.22, when Jeffers photographed it
with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. R. B. Mathews gave the position as = 6h
49.0m , = +11 04 . Jeffers determined the magnitude as 17.8 and said the
comet was not quite stellar.
L. E. Cunningham calculated a revised orbit using positions obtained on
June 19, July 25, and August 23, and assuming a semimajor axis of 3.8114
AU. The perihelion date was given as September 28.40.
Multiple apparition orbits were calculated by F. B. Khanina and O. N.
Barteneva (1960, 1962) and B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1971). Khanina
and Bartenevas calculations were purely gravitational, while Marsden and
Sekaninas calculations considered both gravitational and nongravitational
effects. The perihelion date was given as September 28.4128.42 and the
period as 7.447.45 years. Marsden and Sekanina gave the nongravitational
terms as A1 = +0.262 and A2 = 0.00040. The orbit of Marsden and
Sekanina is given below.
T
1947 Sep. 28.4107 (TT)
(2000.0)
200.5106 207.0669
i
10.5283
q
e
1.663263 0.563723

full moon: Jun. 3, Jul. 3, Aug. 2, Aug. 31, Sep. 30, Oct. 29, Nov. 28, Dec. 27, 1948
Jan. 26, Feb. 24, Mar. 25, Apr. 23
sources: W. E. Beart and W. P. Henderson, BAA Handbook for 1947 (1946 Nov.),
p. 38; H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 824 (1947 Jun. 23); H. M. Jeffers, IAUC, No. 1096
(1947 Jun. 24); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 825 (1947 Jul. 2); IAUC, No. 1098
(1947 Jul. 22); H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 834 (1947 Aug. 8); L. E. Cunningham, HAC,
No. 853 (1947 Oct. 22); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948), p. 192; H. M. Jeffers and L. E.
Cunningham, MNRAS, 108 (1948), pp. 12830; L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1140 (1948
Mar. 6); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.), p. 84; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949
Jun.), p. 166; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 3; F. B. Khanina and O. N. Barteneva,
QJRAS, 1 (1960 Dec.), pp. 2323; F. B. Khanina and O. N. Barteneva, QJRAS, 3
(1962 Sep.), pp. 1735; V1964, p. 76; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 76 (1971
Dec.), pp. 11367.
36P/Whipple Recovered: 1947 June 21.40 ( = 2.40 AU, r = 3.30 AU, Elong. = 147)
1948 VI = 1947g Closest to the Earth: 1948 November 14 (1.6509 AU)
Calculated path: AQL (Rec), SGR (Sep. 29), CAP (Nov. 17), AQR (Dec. 10),
CAP (1948 Jan. 8), AQR (Jan. 23), PSC (Mar. 1), ARI (Jun. 1), TAU (Jul. 29)
254
catalog of comets
Beginning with the predicted orbit calculated by Sadler and McBain for the
1940 apparition, C. Dinwoodie (1947) corrected the perihelion date by 0.23
day, and predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1948 June
with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on 1947 June 21.40. He gave the position as
= 19h 52.3m , = 6 46 . Jeffers determined the magnitude as 18.4 and
said the comet appeared nearly stellar. He confirmed it on June 21.45. An
independent recovery was made by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory,
Wisconsin, USA) on June 25.28. He obtained a 12-minute exposure using the
61-cm reflector and noted a small coma of magnitude 18.
The comet remained a very faint object during the remainder of 1947 and
was only observable from a couple of observatories. On June 26, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 18.4. He described the comet as nearly stellar. The comet attained a
declination of 7 on June 28 and then began moving southward. On July 1,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 17. On July 10, Jeffers
gave the photographic magnitude as 18.0. The comet attained a maximum
solar elongation of about 166 on July 17. The comet attained a declination of
13 on November 9 and then began moving more northerly. On November
12, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 18.0. He said the comet was
nearly stellar.
The comet passed about 3 from the sun on 1948 March 7. On July 18,
the magnitude as 17. He described the coma as small and round. The comet
attained its most northerly declination of +15 on August 13. On September
3 and 5, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed
the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 14. He noted
that the fuzzy coma was 5 across, while the tail extended 1 in PA 250. On
September 28, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 16.8. He said the
coma was small and exhibited a faint tail extending 1 toward the west. On
October 1 and 2, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14.
He said the well-defined, round coma was 6 across, while the fan-shaped
tail extended 1 in PA 265. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation
of 167 on November 23. On the 27th, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory)
as 14.5. He said the coma was 10 across and surrounded a sharply defined
nucleus, while a short tail extended towards PA 200. On November 30,
Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 15.3. He described the coma as
round. On December 29, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the
16. He said the fuzzy coma was 10 across, while there was a suggestion of
a tail extending towards PA 80.
The comet was last detected on January 27.29, when Jeffers photographed
it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. B. J. Mattson gave the position as = 3h
255
catalog of comets
52.1m , = +8 18 . Jeffers estimated the magnitude as 16.5 and said the coma
was about 0.1 across.
Dinwoodie (1960) made a differential correction to his orbit published in
the BAA Handbook for 1948. The result was a perihelion date of June 25.79
and a period of 7.41 years.
1969, 1986), S. Nakano (2000), and P. Rocher (2005). They applied perturbations by at least nine solar system bodies to determine the perihelion date
as June 25.74 and the period as 7.417.46 years. Marsden (1968) noted a
very slight secular acceleration. Nongravitational terms were given as
A1 = +0.60516 and A2 = 0.062093 by Marsden (1969), A1 = +0.6
and A2 = 0.063 by Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973),
A1 = +0.332 and A2 = 0.05283 by Nakano, and A1 = +0.49054 and
A2 = 0.04709 by Rocher. Nakanos orbit is given below.
T
1948 Jun. 25.7388 (TT)
(2000.0)
190.1027 189.3036
i
10.2412
q
e
2.448891 0.355573

full moon: Jun. 3, Jul. 3, Aug. 2, Aug. 31, Sep. 30, Oct. 29, Nov. 28, Dec. 27, 1948
Jan. 26, Feb. 24, Mar. 25, Apr. 23, May 23, Jun. 21, Jul. 21, Aug. 19, Sep. 18, Oct.
18, Nov. 16, Dec. 16, 1949 Jan. 14, Feb. 13
sources: H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 824 (1947 Jun. 23); H. M. Jeffers, IAUC, No. 1096
(1947 Jun. 24); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 829 (1947 Jul. 24); C. Dinwoodie,
BAA Handbook for 1948 (1947 Nov.), p. 43; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948), pp. 1923;
H. M. Jeffers, G. van Biesbroeck, and C. Dinwoodie, MNRAS, 108 (1948), pp. 126,
1289; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.), p. 84; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1949),
p. 34; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 54, 59; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 4;
C. Dinwoodie, QJRAS, 1 (1960 Dec.), pp. 2323; V1964, p. 77; B. G. Marsden, AJ,
73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 370, 374; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31415; B. G.
p. 213; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116; S. Nakano, Nakano Note,
No. 711 (2000 May 12); personal correspondence from P. Rocher (2005).
(Wirtanen) Last seen: 1948 October 2.12 ( = 5.31 AU, r = 5.08 AU, Elong. = 71)
1947 VI = 1947h Calculated path: AQR (Disc), AQL (Jul. 29), DEL (Aug. 1), AQL (Aug. 3), OPH
(Oct. 6), HER (Oct. 18), AQL (Dec. 1), SGE (Dec. 14), VUL (1948 Jan. 4), CYG
(Feb. 5), VUL (Feb. 8), CYG (Feb. 11), DRA (May 8)
C. A. Wirtanen (Lick Observatory, California) discovered this comet on a
photographic plate exposed with the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph on 1947
July 18.38. The position was given as = 21h 05.0m , = 2 01 . Although
Wirtanen initially estimated the magnitude as 12, he later revised it to 1314.
256
catalog of comets
He added that the comet was diffuse, with a well-condensed coma and a
tail extending 3 in PA 175. Wirtanen confirmed the discovery on July 23.32
and noted the comets physical appearance was unchanged. On July 23.45,
Wirtanen and his colleague H. M. Jeffers photographed the comet with the
astrograph and gave the magnitude as 13. The comet was discovered on
the day of its perihelion passage and was 10 days from passing closest to
Earth.
On July 24, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley
reflector and gave the magnitude as 14.5. He said a 12-minute exposure
showed a faint tail extending 2 toward the south. On the 25th, the photographic magnitude was given as 12 by E. G. Reuning (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA), 13.5 by H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory,
Arizona, USA), and 14.5 by Jeffers. Reuning and Giclas independently
described the comet as diffuse, with a nucleus. Jeffers said a 12-minute
exposure showed a faint tail extending 2 toward the south. On the 26th,
the photographic magnitude was given as 12 by S. J. V. Arend (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium), 13 by Reuning, and 13.2 by Giclas. On the 28th,
G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the
comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 13. He said
there was a well-condensed, round coma, while a tail extended 3 in PA
170. The comet attained a maximun solar elongation of 160 on July 29.
Also on that date, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley
reflector and gave the magnitude as 14.5. He said a 12-minute exposure
showed a condensed coma about 10 across, and a faint tail extending 2
in PA 165.
The comet was moving away from both the sun and Earth during the
remainder of the year. On August 7, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 14.5. He said a 12-minute exposure showed a faint tail extending 2 toward the south. On August 20, Jeffers gave the photographic
magnitude as 15 and noted a very faint tail extending toward the southeast. On September 9, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 18 and reported a vague suspicion of a tail in the second quadrant.
On September 14, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 17
and said a broad tail extended 1 in PA 140. On November 7, Jeffers gave
the photographic magnitude as 17.5. He described the coma as small and
round.
The comet passed 44 from the sun on 1948 January 6. On May 14, Jeffers
gave the photographic magnitude as 18.5. He said a 1-hour exposure using
the 91-cm reflector showed the comet as a nearly stellar object. The comet
attained a maximum solar elongation of 88 on June 9. On June 12, Jeffers
gave the photographic magnitude as 18.1. He said the coma was nearly
stellar. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +68 on June
29. On July 30, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 19.0. He said
the comet appeared nearly stellar. On September 5 and 6, van Biesbroeck
(McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the
257
catalog of comets
208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 19. He reported a round coma
3 across. On October 1, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 20. He said the diffuse coma was 4 across.
Observatory. The magnitude was estimated as 20, and the diffuse coma
was 4 across. The position was given as = 15h 40.3m , = +57 14 .
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by A. D. Maxwell, using three
positions from the period July 2326. He gave the perihelion date as 1947
August 4.39. A couple of weeks later, L. E. Cunningham took three positions
from the period July 2329 and determined the perihelion date as July 18.94.
The first hyperbolic orbit was calculated by Cunningham, using positions
spanning the period 1947 July 251948 May 14. He gave the perihelion date
as July 18.36 and the eccentricity as 1.00104.
Van Biesbroeck (1965) used 41 positions obtained between 1947 July 23
and 1948 October 2, as well as perturbations by seven planets, to determine
the perihelion date as July 18.35 and the eccentricity as 1.000836. He also
determined that the comets original orbit was elliptical with an orbital
period of about 7.3 million years.
B. G. Marsden (1973, 1975, 1978) used 31 positions obtained between 1947
July 23 and 1948 October 2, as well as perturbations by all nine planets, to
determine the perihelion date as July 18.35 and the eccentricity as 1.0010520.
Marsden took this orbit and derived an elliptical original orbit with a period
of about 279 thousand years, and a hyperbolic future orbit with an eccentricity of 1.000659.
T
1947 Jul. 18.3452 (TT)
9.3752
(2000.0)
311.7961
i
97.3313
q
e
2.827968 1.001052

full moon: Jul. 3, Aug. 2, Aug. 31, Sep. 30, Oct. 29, Nov. 28, Dec. 27, 1948 Jan.
26, Feb. 24, Mar. 25, Apr. 23, May 23, Jun. 21, Jul. 21, Aug. 19, Sep. 18, Oct. 18
sources: C. A. Wirtanen, HAC, No. 828 (1947 Jul. 24); C. A. Wirtanen, IAUC, No.
1099 (1947 Jul. 25); E. G. Reuning and H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 831 (1947 Jul. 28);
E. G. Reuning and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 832 (1947 Jul. 29); S. J. V. Arend
and A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 833 (1947 Jul. 30); S. J. V. Arend, IAUC, No. 1100
(1947 Aug. 1); H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 834 (1947 Aug. 8); L. E. Cunningham,
HAC, No. 839 (1947 Aug. 26); G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 55 (1947 Oct.), p. 456; C. A.
Wirtanen and H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948), p. 193; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No.
921 (1948 Aug. 2); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.), p. 85; H. M. Jeffers, LOB,
20 (1949), p. 34; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.), p. 165; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ,
55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 54, 59; V1964, p. 76; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1649 (1964
Jun. 18); G. van Biesbroeck, CLPL, 3 (1965), pp. 911; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 78 (1973
Dec.), pp. 111920; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 2nd ed. (1975), pp. 25, 50; B. G. Marsden,
AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), p. 68.
258
catalog of comets
2P/Encke Recovered: 1947 August 14.40 ( = 1.56 AU, r = 1.84 AU, Elong. = 89)
1947 XI = 1947i Closest to the Earth: 1947 October 20 (0.4203 AU)
Calculated path: ARI (Rec), TAU (Aug. 24), PER (Aug. 25), AUR (Sep. 19),
LYN (Oct. 5), UMa (Oct. 15), LMi (Oct. 18), UMa (Oct. 22), LMiUMa (Oct.
23), LEO (Oct. 25), COM (Oct. 28), VIR (Nov. 2), LIB (Nov. 21)
This comet was missed at its predicted return of 1944. M. G. Sumner (1943)
had taken A. C. D. Crommelins orbit for the 1941 return, applied perturbations by Venus and Earth where sensible, and predicted a perihelion
date of 1944 August 7.32. He noted this was a most unfavourable return.
He also noted that the comet would pass 0.38 AU from Venus in 1944
August. Considering multiple apparitions of this comet, B. G. Marsden and
Z. Sekanina (1974) confirmed the general correctness of Sumners calculations and noted a perihelion date of August 6.23. The 1944 apparition
was the first missed return since the comet was identified as periodic in
1819.
Despite the missed return, C. Dinwoodie and Sumner (1946) began with
the predicted orbit for 1944 and applied perturbations by Jupiter. They predicted the comet would arrive at perihelion on 1947 November 28.91. Beginning with the 1941 orbit of this comet, G. Merton (1946) applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn, according to the 59.5 year perturbation cycle
found by Crommelin, and predicted the comet would arrive at perihelion
on November 28.7. L. Matkiewicz determined the orbit for the 1944 and
1947 apparitions. He included perturbations by the six major planets. The
result was a perihelion date of 1947 November 26.59.
One of the first attempts to detect this comet was made by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) on 1947 June 25, but, despite
the fact that the exposures revealed stars to magnitude 15, no cometary
image was found.
The comet was finally recovered on 1947 August 14.40, when H. M. Jeffers
(Lick Observatory, California, USA) obtained an exposure of over an hour
with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. The comet appeared as a diffuse object of
about magnitude 18, with a centrally condensed coma 2 in diameter. There
was apparently a stellar nucleus of magnitude 18.3. Jeffers gave the position
as = 3h 05.8m , = +27 59 . He confirmed the recovery on August 14.46
and August 15. On the latter date, a 1-hour exposure revealed a faint coma
1 across and a stellar nucleus of magnitude 18.3.
On September 12, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
observed using a 26-cm refractor (70) and gave the magnitude as 12.72.
He added that the coma was 1.9 across. On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.50 and said the coma was 2.2 across. On the 14th, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 15. On the 16th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.77 and said the coma was 2.7 across. The comet attained a
maximum solar elongation of 100 on September 17. On the 21st, Jeffers
259
catalog of comets
obtained a 20-minute exposure with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said
the broad, fan-shaped tail extended 0.7 toward the northeast, while the stellar nucleus was about magnitude 16.5. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.43 and said the coma was over 2 across. On September 27,
van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and
found a well-defined coma, with a broad, fan-shaped tail extending 3
in PA 45.
On October 7, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.82 and noted a coma
4.4 across. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +48 on
October 8. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.31. Van Biesbroeck
obtained a 1-minute exposure using the reflector and found a well-defined
nucleus within a large coma which fanned out in a tail towards PA 80. On
the 11th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.97. He said the coma diameter was
10 , the nuclear magnitude was about 13.5, and a short tail extended towards
PA 90. On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.16. On October 15, van
Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.7. He noted a strong dissymmetry in
the coma.
On October 16, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.557.62. He said the coma
diameter was 10 , and a short tail extended toward PA 97. On the 17th,
as 9.1. On the 19th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.26. He said the coma
diameter was 16 , while a short tail extended toward PA 99. On the 20th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.22. He said the coma diameter was 13 and
a short tail extended toward PA 106. On the 21st, Beyer gave the visual
magnitude as 6.887.09, while van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 8.3. Beyer said the coma diameter was 14 , and a short tail extended
towards PA 107. Van Biesbroeck said a 1-minute exposure showed a diffuse nucleus and a fan-like tail pointing towards PA 100. On the 23rd, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 6.87. Beyer said the coma diameter was 12 , and a
short tail extended towards PA 101. Van Biesbroeck obtained a 30-second
exposure using the 61-cm reflector and reported a coma diameter of 4 and
a fan-like tail pointing toward PA 130. A sharp nucleus was located on
the preceding side of the coma. On the 25th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
6.91. He said the coma diameter was 13 and a short tail extended toward
PA 110. On the 27th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 7.5. On
the 28th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 6.80, while Giclas gave the
photographic magnitude as 8.0. Beyer said the coma diameter was 14 . On
the 29th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.86 and the coma diameter as 12 .
On October 30, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.71 and the coma diameter as
about 15 .
The comet gradually moved into morning twilight as November progressed. Giclas photographed the comet using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph on November 4 and 8, and gave the magnitudes as 7 and 5.3,
respectively. On the 9th, W. Malsch (Karlsruhe, Germany) observed with an
260
catalog of comets
8-cm refractor (28) and described the comet as diffuse, without a nucleus.
On the 11th, the photographic magnitude was given as 5 by Giclas and 7
by van Biesbroeck. Van Biesbroecks 0.5-minute exposure using the 61-cm
reflector revealed a poorly defined nucleus within an elongated coma. On
November 15, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 5.
The comet was last detected on November 22.85, when K. Tomita (Tokyo
Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka Station, Japan) estimated the total magnitude as 5.5 in morning twilight. He gave the position as = 14h 28.3m ,
= 13 15 , although S. G. Makover and S. Y. Luchich (1963) indicated
there was a large error in .
Merton (1948) applied a correction to the orbit predicted by Matkiewicz
and gave the perihelion date as November 26.33. J. T. Foxell (1950) used
four positions from this apparition and corrected Mertons predicted orbit
for this apparition. The result was a perihelion date of November 26.33.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by Makover (1956),
Luchich (1958), Makover and Luchich (1963), B. G. Marsden (1969, 1970),
N. A. Bokhan and Y. A. Chernetenko (1974), and Marsden and Z. Sekanina
(1974). All of these orbits included planetary perturbations, while those from
1969 and later also included the effects of nongravitational terms. The result
was a perihelion date of November 26.33 and a period of 3.30 years. Marsden and Sekanina (1974) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.05,
A2 = 0.00822.
T
1947 Nov. 26.3273 (TT)
(2000.0)
185.1818 335.4490
i
12.3565
q
e
0.341028 0.846292

full moon: Aug. 2, Aug. 31, Sep. 30, Oct. 29, Nov. 28
sources: M. G. Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1944 (1943 Nov.), pp. 334; M. G.
Sumner, IAUC, No. 985 (1944 Apr. 4); C. Dinwoodie, M. G. Sumner, and G.
Merton, BAA Handbook for 1947 (1946 Nov.), p. 39; L. Matkiewicz, IAUC, No.
1090 (1947 May 19); G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 55 (1947 Aug.), p. 378; L. Matkiewicz,
The Observatory, 67 (1947 Aug.), p. 156; H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 835 (1947 Aug.
19); L. Matkiewicz, IAUC, No. 1106 (1947 Sep. 10); H. M. Jeffers and G. van
Biesbroeck, PA, 55 (1947 Oct.), p. 455; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948), p. 193; H. M.
Jeffers, G. van Biesbroeck, [Tokyo Observatory], L. Matkiewicz, and G. Merton,
MNRAS, 108 (1948), pp. 12630; W. Malsch, AN, 276 (1948 Aug. 6), p. 184; G.
van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.), p. 85; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.), p. 166;
J. T. Foxell, MNRAS, 110 (1950), pp. 1768; M. Beyer, AN, 278 (1950 Jul. 14),
pp. 2257; S. G. Makover, TrITA, 6 (1956), pp. 6979; K. Tomita, Tokyo Astronomical
Bulletin, 2nd series, No. 82 (1956 May 20), pp. 84950; S. Y. Luchich, MNRAS, 119
(1959), pp. 4423; S. G. Makover and S. Y. Luchich, BITA, 9 (1963), pp. 22433;
QJRAS, 11 (1970 Sep.), pp. 2323; N. A. Bokhan and Y. A. Chernetenko, QJRAS,
15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4523, 459; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 79 (1974 Mar.),
pp. 41319.
261
catalog of comets
44P/1947 R1 Discovered: 1947 September 10.91 ( = 0.89 AU, r = 1.88 AU, Elong. = 165)
(Reinmuth 2) Last seen: 1948 February 1.19 ( = 2.40 AU, r = 2.31 AU, Elong. = 72)
1947 VII = 1947j Calculated path: PEG (Disc), PSC (Dec. 8)
During the course of a routine photographic survey of minor planets with
the 40-cm Bruce photographic telescope, K. Reinmuth (Konigstuhl
Observatory, Heidelberg, Germany) discovered this comet on 1947 September 10.91

at a position of = 23h 26.9m , = +9 52 . The magnitude was estimated
as 13. The comet was about 3 weeks past perihelion and just hours away
from passing closest to Earth.
On September 15, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
gave the visual magnitude as 12.79, while F. Rigaux (Royal Observatory,
Uccle, Belgium) gave the photographic magnitude as 12.5. Beyer said the
nuclear magnitude was 14.5, and the coma was 1.3 across. On the 16th,
Beyer observed with a 26-cm refractor (70) and gave the magnitude as
12.82, while H. M. Jeffers and C. A. Wirtanen (Lick Observatory, California,
USA) observed using the 91-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 13.
Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 14.3 and the coma diameter was
1.2 . Jeffers and Wirtanen described the comet as diffuse, with a nucleus.
The comet attained a declination of +10 on September 17, and then began
a southerly motion. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of
167 on September 18. On the 19th, Jeffers gave the magnitude as 13. He
described the comet as diffuse, with a nucleus. On the 20th, the magnitude was given as 12.54 by Beyer and 13 by Jeffers. Jeffers described the
comet as diffuse, with a nucleus. On the 21st, the visual magnitude was
given as 12.51 by Beyer, while the photographic magnitude was given as
13.7 by H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona). Beyer said
the nuclear magnitude was 14.0, and the coma diameter was 1.4 . On the
22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.55 and noted a nucleus of magnitude 14. On the 23rd, the photographic magnitude was given as 13.5 by
Giclas and 14.1 by L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria). On September
24, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and
gave the magnitude as 14.5. He said the comet showed some irregular
coma.
On October 4, Giclas photographed the comet using the 33-cm A.
Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and gave the magnitude as 13.5. On the 7th,
Beyer observed using a 26-cm refractor (70) and gave the magnitude as
12.90. He said the nuclear magnitude was 14.19, and the coma diameter was
1.5 . On the 9th, the visual magnitude was given as 12.80 by Beyer, while the
photographic magnitude was given as 13.5 by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) and 15.0 by Jeffers. Van Biesbroeck obtained
a 10-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and said the coma was 10
across. Jeffers described the comet as round and condensed. On the 11th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.7912.80. He said the nuclear magnitude
262
catalog of comets
was 14.4 and the coma diameter was 1.4 . On October 14, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 13. He said the round coma surrounded
a sharp nucleus.
On October 16, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.9313.05. He said the
nuclear magnitude was 14.5 and the coma diameter was 1.4 . On the 18th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.04. He said the nuclear magnitude was 15.0
and the coma diameter was 1.4 . On the 20th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 13.05. He said the nuclear magnitude was 14.7 and the coma diameter
was 1.2 . On the 21st, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 13.25, while van
Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14. Beyer said the nuclear
magnitude was 14.8 and the coma diameter was 1.2 . Van Biesbroeck said
the round coma was 8 across and was surrounded by a faint halo 1 across.
On October 22, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.53. He said the nuclear
magnitude was 15.0 and the coma was 1.2 across.
On November 3, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as
14. He noted a well-defined coma 10 across. On the 4th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 13.75. He said the nuclear magnitude was 15.0 and the coma
was 1.0 across. On the 6th, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as
15.5. He described the comet as round and condensed. The comet attained
its most southerly declination of +8 on November 8 and then began moving
northward. On the 14th and 15th, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude
as 14.5 and 14.4, respectively. On November 19, Beyer observed using a
26-cm refractor (70) and gave the magnitude as 13.57. He said the nuclear
magnitude was 15.1 and the coma was about 1 across.
reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. He said the round coma possessed
a good nucleus. On December 16, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude
as 16.5.
The last two observations of this comet were made on 1948 February 1.16
and February 1.19, when Jeffers and B. J. Mattson photographed it with
the 91-cm Crossley reflector. They gave the magnitude as 17.7 and Mattson
gave the position at the time of the final observation as = 1h 18.8m ,
= +15 14 .
The first orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham and was published
12 days after the comets discovery. It was elliptical, with a perihelion
date of 1947 October 3.37 and a period of 7.12 years. Three days later,
A. D. Maxwell published an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of
November 1.88 and a period of 7.52 years. Using three precise positions
obtained between September 16 and 24, Cunningham revised his elliptical orbit. First published on October 3, the revised orbit gave the perihelion date as August 24.30 and the orbital period as 6.40 years. E. K. Rabe
took positions from September 10, 23, and October 7 and calculated an
elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of August 18.58 and a period of 6.57
years. Rabe suspected that this comet might be a return of the lost periodic comet TuttleGiacobini (later TuttleGiacobiniKresak). He pointed
263
catalog of comets
out that it probably suffered large perturbations by Jupiter during its last
revolution. A further revision by Cunningham (1948) was published on
February 9. Using positions spanning the period September 16December
16, he determined the perihelion date as August 19.57 and the period
as 6.59 years.
Rabe (1947, 1948) completed an analysis of the orbit at the beginning
of February 1948. His idea that the comet might be identical to Tuttle
Giacobini . . . cannot any more be assumed because the values of , 297 and
161 respectively, are too different. A computation of perturbations backwards furthermore shows that Comet (1947j) before its last Jupiter approach
had a value of equal to 303, which makes the assumption still more
untenable.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by Rabe (1961, 1965) and
B. G. Marsden (1968). Perturbations by Venus to Neptune were applied by
Rabe, while those by Mercury to Pluto were applied by Marsden. The perihelion date was determined as August 19.5119.52 and the period was given
as 6.59 years. Marsden commented, There is not the slightest indication of
any secular variation in the motion . . .. Marsdens orbit is given below.
T
1947 Aug. 19.5134 (TT)
43.8906
(2000.0)
298.1087
i
7.1297
q
e
1.866588 0.468923

full moon: Aug. 31, Sep. 30, Oct. 29, Nov. 28, Dec. 27, 1948 Jan. 26, Feb. 24
sources: K. Reinmuth, HAC, No. 843 (1947 Sep. 15); K. Reinmuth, IAUC, No.
1107 (1947 Sep. 15); H. M. Jeffers, C. A. Wirtanen, and L. E. Cunningham, HAC,
No. 844 (1947 Sep. 22); F. Rigaux and L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1108 (1947
Sep. 24); A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 845 (1947 Sep. 25); L. E. Cunningham, HAC,
No. 849 (1947 Oct. 3); E. K. Rabe, IAUC, No. 1114 (1947 Nov. 5); E. K. Rabe, The
Observatory, 67 (1947 Dec.), p. 238; H. M. Jeffers and C. A. Wirtanen, LOB, 19
(1948), pp. 1934; E. K. Rabe, IAUC, No. 1137 (1948 Feb. 7); L. E. Cunningham,
HAC, No. 888 (1948 Feb. 9); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1138 (1948 Feb. 11);
L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 931 (1948 Aug. 31); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948
Dec.), p. 85; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.), p. 166; M. Beyer, AN, 278 (1950 Jul. 14),
pp. 2278; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 4; E. K. Rabe, QJRAS, 2 (1961 Oct.), pp. 1579;
V1964, p. 76; E. K. Rabe, QJRAS, 6 (1965 Dec.), pp. 3423; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73
(1968 Jun.), pp. 369, 371.
C/1947 S1 Discovered: 1947 September 25.09 ( = 1.99 AU, r = 2.49 AU, Elong. = 108)
(Bester) Last seen: 1949 February 6.48 ( = 4.09 AU, r = 4.89 AU, Elong. = 140)
1948 I = 1947k Calculated path: ERI (Disc), HORERI (Oct. 28), HOR (Oct. 30), ERI (Nov. 2),
HOR (Nov. 3), ERI (Nov. 5), HOR (Nov. 6), ERI (Nov. 7), PHE (Nov. 16), GRU
(Dec. 2), MIC (1948 Jan. 11), CAP (Feb. 3), AQL (Mar. 5), SGE (Mar. 23), VUL
(Mar. 25), CYG (Mar. 28), LYR (Mar. 31), DRA (Apr. 5), UMi (Apr. 17), DRA
(Apr. 26), UMa (May 4), LMi (Jul. 18), UMa (Jul. 28)
264
catalog of comets

South Africa) discovered this comet on 1947 September 25.09, at a position
of = 4h 47.0m , = 19 35 . He described it as magnitude 11. The comet
was discovered nearly 5 months prior to perihelion and more than 6 months
prior to its closest approach to Earth.
On September 28, C. D. Shane and S. J. Inglis (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph
and gave the magnitude as 11. They added that the comet was diffuse, with
a central condensation. On September 30, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory)
photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and gave the
magnitude as 11. He described the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation.
On October 4, E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South
Africa) photographed the comet using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera and gave the magnitude as 10.0. He noted it was small and diffuse, with
a central condensation. On the 5th, A. F. A. L. Jones (Timaru, New Zealand)
observed the comet using a 14-cm refractor (42) and gave the magnitude
as 11.0. He said the coma was 1.5 across, with a degree of condensation (DC)
of 4. On the 6th, Jones gave the magnitude as 11.0. He said the coma was 1.5
across, with a DC of 3. On the 9th, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory,
Wisconsin, USA) obtained a 2-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector
and gave the magnitude as 9.8. He noted a broad tail extending toward PA
350. On the 13th, Jones gave the magnitude as 10.9. He said the coma was
2 across, with a DC of 3. On the 14th, Jones gave the magnitude as 10.7. He
said the coma was 2 across, with a DC of 4, and a tail extending toward PA
350. Van Biesbroecks 2-minute exposure revealed a well-defined nucleus
and a tail extending 10 in PA 350. On October 15, Jones gave the magnitude
as 10.6. He said the coma was 1.5 across, with a DC of 4.
On October 19, H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) photographed the comet using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and
gave the magnitude as 11.3. On the 20th, Giclas gave the magnitude as
12. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 122 on October 21.
The magnitude was then given as 9.3 by van Biesbroeck and 10.3 by Jones.
Van Biesbroeck said a faint tail extended toward PA 350. Jones said the
On the 22nd, Jones gave the magnitude as 10.210.3. He said the coma
was 2 across, with a DC of 5, and a tail extending 0.10 in PA 345. On
the 23rd, the magnitude was given as 8.8 by van Biesbroeck and 10.2 by
Jones. Van Biesbroeck said the comet was at a low altitude and noted a
fairly large coma. He added that a tail was suspected towards PA 0.
Jones said the coma was 2.5 across, with a tail extending 0.10. On the
24th, Jones gave the magnitude as 10.0. He said the coma was 2 across,
with a DC of 7, and a tail extending 0.10 in PA 360. On October 31,
Jones gave the magnitude as 10.0. He said the coma was 2 across, with
a DC of 7.
265
catalog of comets
On November 1, Jones gave the magnitude as 10.0. He said the coma was
2.5 across, with a DC of 7, and a tail extending 0.09 in PA 360. On the 2nd,
Jones gave the magnitude as 9.7. He said the DC was 7, and the tail extended
0.13. On the 3rd, Jones gave the magnitude as 9.9. He said the coma was 4
across, and a tail extended 0.17. On the 4th, Jones gave the magnitude as
10.2. He said the tail extended toward PA 5. On November 5, Jones gave the
magnitude as 10.1. He said the coma was 2.75 across, with a tail extending
0.07 in PA 8. On the 7th, Jones gave the magnitude as 9.5. On the 15th,
Jones gave the magnitude as 9.6. He said the coma was 2 across, with a tail
extending 0.13 in PA 50. On the 16th, Jones gave the magnitude as 9.9.
He said the coma was about 2.25 across, with a tail extending 0.13. On the
19th, Jones gave the magnitude as 9.6. He said the coma was about 3.25
across, with a tail extending 0.13. The comet attained its most southerly
declination of 55 on November 21. Jones then gave the magnitude as 9.5.
He said the coma was 3 across, with a DC of 6, and a tail extending 0.13 in
PA 60. On November 29, Jones gave the magnitude as 9.7. He said the DC
was 7, and there was a possible tail.
On December 3, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.9. He said the coma was
5 across, with a DC of 6, and a tail extending 0.13 in PA 78. On the 11th,
Jones gave the magnitude as 8.7. He said the coma was 5 across, with a tail
extending 0.13 in PA 83. On the 13th, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.6. He
said the coma was 5 across, with a DC of 4, and a tail extending 0.13. On
the 16th, Johnson photographed the comet with the 25-cm FranklinAdams
Star Camera and said the tail was 30 long. On the 19th, Jones observed
using the 13-cm reflector (36) and gave the magnitude as 8.4. He said
there was a possible tail. On the 22nd, G. V. Simonow (Canberra, Australian
Capital Territory, Australia) estimated the magnitude as 9. On the 27th,
Jones observed using a 20-cm reflector (35) and gave the magnitude as
8.0. He said the coma was 2.5 across, with a DC of 3. On the 29th, Jones
gave the magnitude as 8.2. He said the coma was 3 across, with a DC
of 3, and a tail extending about 0.21. On December 30, Jones gave the
magnitude as 8.0. He said the coma was 5 across, with a DC of 5, and a tail
extending 0.33.
On 1948 January 1, Jones gave the magnitude as 7.8. He said the coma
was 5 across, with a DC of 5, and a tail extending 0.28 in PA 97. On the
2nd, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.0. He said the coma was 4 across, with
a DC of 6, and a tail extending 0.13 in PA 100. On the 3rd, Jones gave
the magnitude as 8.0. He said the coma was 4 across, with a DC of 6, and
a tail extending 0.25 in PA 100. On the 4th, Johnson photographed the
comet using the 41-cm Leiden Twin refractor and gave the magnitude as
7.0. On the 5th, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.0. He said the coma was 4
across, with a DC of 6, and a tail extending 0.17 in PA 110. On the 6th,
Jones gave the magnitude as 8.0. He said the coma was 4 across, with a DC
of about 5, and a tail extending 0.17 in PA 95. Johnson photographed the
comet with the 41-cm Leiden Twin refractor and said the tail was 1 long.
266
catalog of comets
On January 11, Jones observed using a 14-cm refractor (42) and gave the
magnitude as 8.0. He said the coma was 4 across, with a DC of 5, and a tail
extending 0.25.
The comet was last detected before conjunction with the sun on January
12, when Johnson photographed it with the 41-cm Leiden Twin refractor
and Jones visually observed it with the 14-cm refractor (42). Jones gave
the magnitude as 7.8, and said the coma was 2.5 across, with a DC of 5, and
a tail extending 0.10 in PA 100.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 11 on February 2. It
was recovered by Johnson on February 20, after it had moved to a solar
elongation of about 25. Johnson gave the magnitude as 56.
On March 3, H. Hirose (Tokyo Astronomical Observatory, Japan) gave the
magnitude as 7. On the 5th, the magnitude was given as 6 by van Biesbroeck
and 6.8 by R. C. Leclaire (Georgetown College Observatory, Washington,
DC, USA). Van Biesbroeck observed the comet through haze, but said the
round coma was centrally condensed. Leclaire wrote, The comet is considerably fainter than was expected. On the 6th, Jones gave the magnitude
as 8.0 and the DC as 5. On the 8th, Jones gave the magnitude as 6.9. He
said the coma was 2.5 across, with a DC of 5, and a possible tail extending toward PA 270. On the 9th, Jones gave the visual magnitude as 7.1,
while G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory, Athens, Greece) gave the
photographic magnitude as 7. Jones said the coma was 3 across, with a
DC of 5. On the 12th, Jones observed using an 8-cm refractor (30) and
gave the visual magnitude as 6.6, while L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair,
Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 5. Jones said the 20-cm reflector (35) revealed a coma 5 across, with a DC of 5. On the 13th, Jones
gave the magnitude as 6.3. He said the 20-cm reflector revealed a coma
5 across, with a DC of 5, and a tail extending toward PA 240. On the
14th, Jones observed using a 14-cm refractor (42) and gave the magnitude as 6.5. He said the coma was 4.5 across, with a DC of 4, and a tail
extending toward PA 195. On March 15, P. Ahnert (Sonneberg, Germany)
observed using a 5-cm refractor (12) and gave the magnitude as 6.46,
while a photograph revealed a magnitude of 7.3. He added that a patrol
plate revealed the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation, but no
tail. Using a 16-cm refractor, Ahnert said no nucleus was visible within the
condensation.
On March 17, Jones observed using a 3-cm refractor (15) and gave the
magnitude as 6.3. He said the 32-cm reflector (62) revealed a DC of 5. On
the 19th, the magnitude was given as 5.96 by M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) and 6.33 by Ahnert. Beyer said the coma measured about 15 across, while a slight tail extended towards PA 199. On
the 20th, Jones observed using an 8-cm refractor (30) and gave the magnitude as 6.6. He said the 20-cm reflector (35) revealed a tail extending 0.03
toward PA 230. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.91. He said the
coma measured about 12 across, while a fan-shaped tail extended towards
267
catalog of comets
PA 231. On the 24th, the magnitude was given as 6.18 by Beyer and 6.70
by Ahnert. On the 25th, Ahnert observed using a 5-cm refractor (12) and
gave the magnitude as 6.73. On the 26th, Ahnert gave the magnitude as 6.80.
On the 27th, the magnitude was given as 6.47 by Beyer and 6.71 by Ahnert.
Beyer said the coma diameter was 6 , the nuclear magnitude was 11.5, and
the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 264. On the 28th, the magnitude
was given as 6.54 by Beyer and 6.88 by Ahnert. Beyer said the coma diameter was 6 , the nuclear magnitude was 11, and the fan-shaped tail extended
towards PA 282. Ahnert said the nuclear magnitude was 10.8. On the 29th,
the magnitude was given as 5.81 by Beyer and 6.96 by Ahnert. Beyer said the
coma diameter was 6 , the nuclear magnitude was 12, and the fan-shaped
tail extended towards PA 281. Ahnert said the nuclear magnitude was 11.0.
On the 30th, the magnitude was given as 6.00 by Beyer and 6.96 by Ahnert.
Beyer said the coma diameter was 7 , the nuclear magnitude was 12, and
the tail extended 15 in PA 267. On March 31, the magnitude was given as
6.48 by Beyer and 7.00 by Ahnert. Beyer said the coma diameter was 9.5 ,
and the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 277. Ahnert said the nuclear
magnitude was 10.5.
On April 3, Ahnert observed using a 5-cm refractor (12) and gave the
magnitude as 6.92. On the 5th, the magnitude was given as 5.87 by Beyer
and 6.67 by Ahnert. Beyer said the coma diameter was 10 , the nuclear
magnitude was 10, and the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 250. On
the 6th, the magnitude was given as 6.096.19 by Beyer and 6.65 by Ahnert.
Beyer said the coma diameter was 8 , the nuclear magnitude was 10.61, and
the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 247. On April 7, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 6.42. He said the coma diameter was 9 , the nuclear magnitude
was 11.5, and the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 249.
On April 8, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.42. He said the coma diameter
was 7 , the nuclear magnitude was 11.14, and the fan-shaped tail extended
towards PA 247. On the 10th, the magnitude was given as 6.326.37 by Beyer
and 7.04 by Ahnert. Beyer said the coma diameter was 9.6 , the nuclear magnitude was 11, and the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 230. Ahnert
said the nuclear magnitude was 10.5. On the 11th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.35. He said the coma diameter was 11.0 , and the fan-shaped tail
extended towards PA 225. On the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.60.
He said the coma diameter was 8.5 , the nuclear magnitude was 11.67, and
the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 233. On the 13th, C. Hoffmeister
(Sonneberg) said a star-like nucleus of magnitude 12 was sometimes visible
within the diffuse condensation which measured 10 across. On April 14,
the magnitude was given as 6.79 by Beyer and 7.35 by Ahnert. Beyer said
the coma diameter was 8.5 , the nuclear magnitude was 11.5, and the fanshaped tail extended towards PA 224. Ahnert said the nuclear magnitude
was 11.0. Hoffmeister said the brightest part of the coma was 15 across,
while the central nucleus was less distinct and more diffuse than on the
13th, with a diameter of 2 .
268
catalog of comets
On April 15, the magnitude was given as 6.72 by Beyer and 7.55 by
Ahnert. Beyer said the coma diameter was 6.8 , and the fan-shaped tail
extended towards PA 224. On the 16th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.73
6.88. He said the coma diameter was 5.8 , the nuclear magnitude was 11.5,
and the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 211. On the 17th, the magnitude was given as 6.76 by Beyer and 7.657.78 by Ahnert. Beyer said the coma
diameter was 5.2 , the nuclear magnitude was 11.5, and the fan-shaped tail
extended towards PA 211. Hoffmeister said the brightest part of the coma
was 10 across. On the 18th, the magnitude was given as 7.45 by Beyer and
8.0 by Ahnert. Beyer said the coma diameter was 4.8 , the nuclear magnitude
was 11.3, and the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 203. On the 19th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.62. He said the coma diameter was 7 , the
nuclear magnitude was 11.3, and the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA
194. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 95 on April 20.
Beyer then gave the magnitude as 7.29. He said the coma diameter was 6.3 ,
the nuclear magnitude was 11.5, and the fan-shaped tail extended towards
PA 189. On April 21, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.74. He said the coma
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +73 on April 22.
Beyer then gave the magnitude as 7.89. He said the coma diameter was 9.1 ,
PA 182. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.74. He said the coma
extended towards PA 177. On the 24th, the magnitude was given as 7.40 by
Beyer and 8.85 by Ahnert. Beyer said the coma diameter was 7.2 , the nuclear
magnitude was 11.7, and the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 167. On
the 25th, the magnitude was given as 7.56 by Beyer and 8.6 by Ahnert.
Beyer said the coma diameter was 10.6 , the nuclear magnitude was 11.5,
and the tail extended 30 in PA 139. Hoffmeister said the starlike nuclear
condensation was magnitude 11.5. On the 26th, the magnitude was given
as 7.52 by Beyer and 8.85 by Ahnert. Beyer said the coma diameter was
8.9 , and the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 138. Hoffmeister said
the nuclear condensation of the 25th was less distinct, while the brightest
part of the coma was 5 across. On the 27th, Ahnert observed using an
8-cm refractor (11) and gave the magnitude as 9.02. He said the nuclear
magnitude was 12.0. Hoffmeister said the nuclear condensation was nearly
stellar and magnitude 11. On the 28th, the magnitude was given as 7.71
by Beyer and 8.99 by Ahnert. Beyer said the coma diameter was 10.2 , and
the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 121. On April 30, Beyer observed
using a 10-cm comet seeker (23) and gave the magnitude as 7.79.
On May 1, Ahnert gave the magnitude as 9.3. Hoffmeister said the nuclear
condensation was diffuse and 3 across. On the 4th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.77. He said the coma diameter was 5.9 , and the fan-shaped tail
extended towards PA 101. On the 5th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.69.
269
catalog of comets
He said the coma diameter was 8.9 , the nuclear magnitude was 12.25, and
the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 97. On the 6th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 8.12. He said the coma diameter was 7.7 , the nuclear magnitude was 12.3, and the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 94. On the 7th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.30. He said the coma diameter was 7.4 , and
8.34. He said the coma diameter was 6.6 , the nuclear magnitude was 12.5,
and the tail extended 15 in PA 103. On the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 8.72. He said the coma diameter was 8.8 , the nuclear magnitude was
about 13, and the tail extended 20 in PA 91. On the 14th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 8.89. He said the coma diameter was 6 , the nuclear magnitude was about 13, and the tail extended towards PA 90. On May 15, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 9.01. He said the coma diameter was 6 , the nuclear
magnitude was 13.2, and the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 85.
On May 16, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.87. He said the coma diameter was 6 , the nuclear magnitude was 13.0, and the tail extended 12 in PA
96. On the 17th, Beyer observed using a 26-cm refractor (70) and gave
the magnitude as 8.82. He said the coma diameter was 4.2 , the nuclear
magnitude was 13.16, and the tail extended 10 in PA 95. On the 18th,
nuclear magnitude was 13.27, and the tail extended 9 in PA 98. On the 21st,
nuclear magnitude was about 13, and the tail extended towards PA 100. On
the 25th, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 11.4. On the 27th, the
visual magnitude was given as 10.12 by Beyer and the photographic magnitude was given as 11.5 by Boyer. Beyer said the coma diameter was 4.8 , the
nuclear magnitude was 13.8, and the fan-shaped tail extended towards PA
97. On the 28th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm
reflector and gave the magnitude as 11. He said the coma was 1 across and
surrounded a sharp nucleus, while the tail extended 20 in PA 91. On May
31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.42. He said the coma diameter was 4.5 ,
PA 88.
On June 3, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.33. He said the coma diameter
was 3.9 , the nuclear magnitude was 13.8, and the fan-shaped tail extended
towards PA 89. On the 8th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.97. He said
the coma diameter was 3.0 , and the nuclear magnitude was about 14. On
the 9th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 11.25, while van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. Beyer said the coma was 2.3
across. Van Biesbroeck said the tail extended 15 in PA 95. On June 24,
Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 12.5. On July 3, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 14. He said the comet was then at a
low altitude, but he could vaguely detect a tail extending towards PA 100.
On July 24, van Biesbroeck said a trace of tail was photographed toward PA
60, despite the low altitude.
270
catalog of comets
On August 1, van Biesbroeck could hardly measure the comets image

on a 12-minute exposure obtained with the 61-cm reflector at Yerkes
Observatory. The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 28 on
August 27. On November 11, Jeffers photographed the comet using the
appeared nearly stellar.
The last two detections of the comet came on 1949 February 6.45 and
February 6.48, when Jeffers photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector at Lick Observatory. B. J. Mattson measured the position on the last date
as = 10h 43.3m , = +50 52 . Jeffers estimated the magnitude as 17.5 and
described the comet as nearly stellar.
The spectrum was examined by N. Richter (Sonneberg) on March 15. He
noted the presence of cyanogen and diatomic carbon.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham and was published on October 3. He determined the perihelion date was 1948 February
17.73. Three days later, A. D. Maxwell determined the perihelion date as
February 17.20. Cunningham revised his calculations using positions from
September 28, October 3, and October 7. First published on October 30, this
orbit gave the perihelion date as February 16.43.
G. Merton (1954) took six positions acquired at Lick Observatory that
covered 291 days, reduced them to three Normal places, and calculated a
parabolic orbit with a perihelion date of February 16.42. He also calculated
a general solution and obtained an elliptical orbit with a period of less than
900 years.
Van Biesbroeck (1961) used 243 positions spanning the period 1947
September 281949 February 6, as well as perturbations by Venus to Neptune, and determined a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of February
16.42 and an eccentricity of 1.0003071. At the request of Van Biesbroeck,
B. G. Marsden took this orbit and derived an elliptical original orbit with
a period of about 1.2 million years, and a hyperbolic future orbit with an
eccentricity of 1.000237.
Marsden (1974, 1978) used 123 positions obtained between 1947
September 28 and 1949 February 6, as well as perturbations by all nine
planets, and determined a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of February 16.42 and an eccentricity of 1.0003626. This orbit is given below. Marsden
took this orbit and derived an elliptical original orbit with a period of
about 8.5 million years, and a hyperbolic future orbit with an eccentricity
of 1.000274.
T
1948 Feb. 16.4233 (TT)
(2000.0)
i
q
e
350.2146 271.4398 140.5681 0.748125 1.000363
absolute magnitude: H0 = 6.31, n = 2.97 (Beyer, 1950); H10 = 5.67.3 (V1964)

25, Apr. 23, May 23, Jun. 21, Jul. 21, Aug. 19, Sep. 18, Oct. 18, Nov. 16, Dec. 16,
1949 Jan. 14, Feb. 13
271
catalog of comets
sources: M. J. Bester, HAC, No. 846 (1947 Sep. 29); C. D. Shane, S. J. Inglis, and
H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 847 (1947 Oct. 2); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 848
(1947 Oct. 3); A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 850 (1947 Oct. 6); E. L. Johnson, IAUC,
No. 1112 (1947 Oct. 20); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 855 (1947 Oct. 30); L. E.
Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1114 (1947 Nov. 5); C. D. Shane, S. J. Inglis, and H. M.
Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948), p. 194; J. Bester and L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 108
(1948), pp. 1279; G. V. Simonow, IAUC, No. 1133 (1948 Jan. 22); E. L. Johnson,
IAUC, No. 1140 (1948 Mar. 6); R. C. Leclaire, HAC, No. 891 (1948 Mar. 15); N.
Richter and P. Ahnert, IAUC, No. 1146 (1948 Apr. 1); L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1147
(1948 Apr. 7); G. Adamopoulos, IAUC, No. 1148 (1948 Apr. 24); E. L. Johnson,
UOC, 5 (1948 May), p. 256; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.), pp. 856; H. M.
Jeffers and B. J. Mattson, LOB, 20 (1949), p. 34; P. Ahnert, AN, 277 (1949 May 23),
pp. 1357; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.), p. 166; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950
Jan.), pp. 54, 59; M. Beyer, AN, 278 (1950 Jul. 14), pp. 22830; C. Hoffmeister, AN,
279 (1950 Dec. 15), pp. 956; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 4; G. Merton, MNRAS,
114 (1954), pp. 3679; G. van Biesbroeck and B. G. Marsden, AJ, 66 (1961 Oct.),
pp. 4249; V1964, p. 76; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68; A. F. A. L.
Jones, ICQ, 6 (1984 Jan.), pp. 1617.
31P/Schwassmann Recovered: 1947 October 20.23 ( = 1.99 AU, r = 2.96 AU, Elong. = 165)
Wachmann 2 Last seen: 1949 June 26.28 ( = 2.63 AU, r = 2.96 AU, Elong. = 99)
1948 VII = 1947l Calculated path: CET (Rec), PSC (Nov. 30), CET (1948 Jan. 12), ARI (Feb. 3),
TAU (Mar. 20), ORI (Jun. 1), GEM (Jun. 5), CNC (Jul. 27), LEO (Sep. 1), VIR
(Nov. 8)
Two predictions were provided for this comets return. H. Q. Rasmusen
(1947, 1948) continued his years of investigation into the motion of this
comet. Taking an orbit he determined for the 1942 apparition, he applied
perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn for the period of 194248, and predicted a perihelion date of August 23.63. W. E. Beart and W. P. Henderson
(1947) took the predicted orbit for the 1941 apparition, added a correction
of 0.035 day, and applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. The result
was a prediction that the comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1948
August 24.24.
October 20.23, using Rasmusens ephemeris. The position was given as
= 2h 34.5m , = +9 19 . He estimated the magnitude as 17, and described
the comet as a round, well-defined coma 6 across. A second 20-minute
exposure obtained on October 20.25 confirmed the recovery.
On October 24, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the coma
was nearly stellar and magnitude 17.8. The comet attained a maximum
solar elongation of 174 on October 31. On December 9, van Biesbroeck
272
catalog of comets
as 17. He said the coma was small and diffuse. The comets southwesterly
motion came to an end on December 10, when it attained a southerly declination of +7, came to a near-standstill, and turned toward the northeast.
On 1948, January 14, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 17.0.
He said the condensed head exhibited a tail extending 2 in PA 80. The
comet attained its most northerly declination of +22 on June 14. The comet
passed about 1 from the sun on July 10. On October 4 and 5, van Biesbroeck
208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. He said the diffuse coma was
centrally condensed. On November 30, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory)
as 15.5. He said the coma was well condensed, while a faint tail extended 2
in PA 290.
16. He said the faint tail extended towards PA 280. On the 27th and 28th,
Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 16.2. He said the coma was 3
across and exhibited a very faint tail extending 1 in PA 280. On January 30,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 16. He said the faint
tail extended towards PA 290.
On February 2, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 16. He
said the centrally condensed coma was 15 across, while the tail extended
1.5 in PA 290. The comet had been moving along a southeasterly path
during the last several months, and then it attained its most southerly declination of 5 on February 4. During the next several days, the comet turned
toward the northwest. On February 26 and 28, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 16.5. He said the fuzzy coma was little condensed
and 12 across, while a tail extended 2 in PA 290.
On April 2, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 15. He
said the small coma was centrally condensed, while a faint tail extended
3 in PA 280. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 174 on
April 5. On the 25th and 28th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using
the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 16. He said the coma was
round and diffuse. On April 30, Jeffers photographed the comet using the
91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 17.0. He said the coma
was round and condensed. Around mid-May, the comets northwesterly
motion slowed and it turned southward and, after a couple of weeks, moved
southeasterly.
The last two detections of the comet were on June 26.23 and June 26.28,
when Jeffers photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. His colleague S. Vasilevskis gave the position on the last date as = 12h 54.9m ,
= 1 20 . Jeffers estimated the magnitude as 18 and described the coma
as diffuse.
After the comet had been observed for several months, Rasmusen (1948)
determined the perihelion date as August 23.58. C. Dinwoodie (1953)
took the predicted orbit for this apparition and corrected it using seven
273
catalog of comets
positions obtained at Lick Observatory. The result was a perihelion date of

August 23.62.
1969, 1973) and G. Forti (1983). These included perturbations by the planets
Mercury to Neptune, as well as the dwarf planet Pluto. Marsden (1968)
noted a definite secular acceleration. All other calculations determined
nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion date of August 23.64
23.65 and a period of 6.53 years. Marsden (1969) gave the nongravitational
terms as A1 = +1.5300, A2 = 0.17186, and B2 = +0.3013. Marsden, Z.
Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973) determined the nongravitational terms
as A1 = +1.01 and A2 = 0.1972. Forti gave the nongravitational terms as
T
1948 Aug. 23.6450 (TT)
(2000.0)
358.2056 126.6381
i
3.7191
q
e
2.152261 0.383756

full moon: Sep. 30, Oct. 29, Nov. 28, Dec. 27, 1948 Jan. 26, Feb. 24, Mar. 25, Apr.
23, May 23, Jun. 21, Jul. 21, Aug. 19, Sep. 18, Oct. 18, Nov. 16, Dec. 16, 1949 Jan.
14, Feb. 13, Mar. 14, Apr. 13, May 12, Jun. 10, Jul. 10
sources: H. Q. Rasmusen, IAUC, No. 1112 (1947 Oct. 20); G. van Biesbroeck and
H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 854 (1947 Oct. 28); W. E. Beart and W. P. Henderson, BAA
Handbook for 1948 (1947 Nov.), p. 44; H. M. Jeffers and G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC,
No. 1114 (1947 Nov. 5); G. van Biesbroeck and H. Q. Rasmusen, The Observatory,
67 (1947 Dec.), p. 238; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948), p. 194; H. Q. Rasmusen,
MNRAS, 108 (1948), pp. 12830; H. Q. Rasmusen, IAUC, No. 1176 (1948 Sep. 15);
W. E. Beart and W. P. Henderson, BAA Handbook for 1949 (1948 Nov.), p. 47; H. M.
Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1949), p. 35; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 545, 59;
H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1950), p. 40; C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for 1954 (1953
Nov.), p. 49; V1964, p. 77; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 373, 375; B. G.
Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.), pp. 7215; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 14 (1973 Dec.),
pp. 213, 215; G. Forti, AAP, 126 (1983), pp. 30710.
(Honda) Last seen: 1947 December 19.77 ( = 1.31 AU, r = 0.97 AU, Elong. = 48)
1947 X = 1947m Calculated path: CRV (Disc), HYA (Nov. 13), CEN (Nov. 18), CIR (Dec. 2), TrA
(Dec. 5), APS (Dec. 7), PAV (Dec. 13)
During a routine systematic search for comets with a 38-cm reflector (23),
M. Honda (Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan) discovered this comet on 1947
November 13.83, at = 12h 09.6m , = 24 34 . It was described as a
slightly condensed object of magnitude 8.0. Honda confirmed the discovery
on November 14.84 and gave the magnitude as 9.0. He roughly determined
the daily motion as +4m in and 2 in . Honda sent an announcement
274
catalog of comets
to Tokyo Observatory, from where it was forwarded to the Supreme Command of the Asiatic Pacific, and then to Harvard College Observatory in
Cambridge, USA. By the time the news reached the Harvard College Observatory on November 18, the comets southward motion had taken it out of
reach of Northern Hemisphere observers. H. Hirose (Tokyo Astronomical
Observatory, Japan) later searched for prediscovery images, but was unsuccessful. A plate taken at Tokyo on October 24 should have shown the comet
if it had been brighter than magnitude 10.5, but no trace was found. The
comet was discovered just a few days before it passed perihelion and about
12 days before it passed closest to Earth.
Honda provided the only Northern Hemisphere observations prior to
the comet moving into the skies of the Southern Hemisphere. He gave the
magnitude as 8.5 on November 15 and 8.0 on November 16.
On November 28, E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South
Africa) photographed the comet using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star
Camera and gave the magnitude as 8.0. He described the comet as large and
diffuse, with a central condensation. The comet attained its most southerly
declination of 71 on December 10, and also attained its maximum solar
elongation of 49. On December 13, Johnson gave the photographic magnitude as 10.0.
The comet was last detected on December 19.77, when Johnson photographed it with the 41-cm Leiden Twin refractor at Union Observatory. He
gave the position as = 19h 50.2m , = 66 44 . Johnson photographed a
faint unconfirmed nebulous object on 1948 January 12, and estimated the
magnitude as 14. He measured the position and sent it to L. E. Cunningham,
but it is uncertain whether this was the comet.
The first orbit was calculated by Cunningham, using three positions from
the period spanning November 13 and 28. His resulting parabolic orbit had
a perihelion date of 1947 November 12.01. Over a week later, Hirose took
the four semiprecise positions provided by Honda for the period spanning
November 13 and 16, and determined the perihelion date as November
19.45.
On Harvard Announcement Card number 906, Cunningham wrote,
Mr. Victor Stern has determined improved elements . . .. Deviation from
parabolic motion appears to be demanded by the available positions. Additional observations are urgently desired.
K. Hurukawa (1953) took eight positions obtained during the period
November 28December 19, reduced them to three Normal places, and computed a parabolic orbit with a perihelion date of November 17.91. Hurukawa
considered this orbit uncertain because of the diffuse nature of the images.
He noted that the Normal places have errors of about 20 . This orbit is given
below.
T
1947 Nov. 17.906 (TT)
275
221.236
(2000.0)
312.659
i
106.291
q
0.75309
e
1.0
catalog of comets
full moon: Oct. 29, Nov. 28, Dec. 27
sources: M. Honda, HAC, No. 859 (1947 Nov. 18); M. Honda, HAC, No. 861
(1947 Nov. 25); E. L. Johnson and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 862 (1947 Dec. 2);
M. Honda and H. Hirose, HAC, No. 864 (1947 Dec. 12); H. Hirose, HAC, No. 865
(1947 Dec. 15); E. L. Johnson, ASSAMN, 7 (1948 Jan. 30), p. 9; E. L. Johnson, UOC,
5 (1948 May), p. 257; L. E. Cunningham and A. V. Stern, HAC, No. 906 (1948 Jun.
11); K. Hurukawa, NAZ, 7 (1953), p. 33; V1964, p. 76.
(Southern Comet) Last seen: 1948 January 20.01 ( = 2.12 AU, r = 1.36 AU, Elong. = 30)
1947 XII = 1947n Calculated path: SCO (Disc), SGR (Dec. 8), MIC (Dec. 20), CAP (Dec. 26), PsA
(Dec. 31), CAP (Jan. 1), AQR (Jan. 12)
This comet made a very sudden appearance to observers in the Southern
Hemisphere. H. E. Krumm, the editor of the Monthly Notes of the Astronomical
Society of South Africa, wrote, The new Comet was picked up in the evening
twilight on Monday, December 8th and was reported by many persons
simultaneously from many parts of the Western Cape Coast. J. Jackson
(Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa) wrote, This bright
comet was seen by people all over the Union on the evening of December 8
as it became dark . . .. He added, On the evening of December 7 it would
be about 10 east of the sun but although there are reports of it having been
seen that evening we have no official information. Also on the evening of
December 8, J. S. Paraskevopoulos (Harvard College Observatory, Boyden
Station, Bloemfontein, South Africa) said, The Observatory telephone rang
almost continually with local and long distance calls from various parts of
the Union and each person claimed to be the first to have seen the comet.
The approximate date of the South African discoveries of December 8 is
December 8.8, while the possible discoveries of December 7 is December
7.8. The comet passed 6 from the sun on December 3.
This comet was reported to have been seen in daylight on December 8
from Horsham, Australia. The observation may represent one of the most
spectacular comets to have ever been seen in daylight. The observers were
Harold Pallot, Shirley Pallot, Betty Hill, Graham Coster, and two teenage
children. The children spotted the object in the sky on December 8 at 6:30
p.m. local time (December 8.35 UT). This was about 1 hour before local
sunset. The children went to H. Pallot, who had taught astronomy classes
at the local high school, and he and the other adults went outside and first
saw the object at 6:40 p.m. local time. Pallot said the sky was starting to
clear, with a sharp edge to the cloud bank to the west and rain clouds in the
east. He suspected the children saw the comet as the clouds receded from
its position. He described the comet as not [shiny like a star], but rather a
flat white with a very slight appearance of yellow in the coma. He said he
was most astonished that in bright sunlight the tail was visible as a clearly
276
catalog of comets
defined fan about 30 in length and about 25 wide at its extremity. Pallot
added that this fan was divided into five segments. He said the magnitude
of the comet was at least 5 and added, Venus could not even be pared
with it. He measured the comets altitude as 25. This account was given
to D. A. J. Seargent (1985) by H. Pallot from memory and from notes he had
written in the back of an old astronomy book at the time of the observation.
On December 8.8, Paraskevopoulos said the tail length was not less than
25 degrees. Jackson received his first of many phone calls reporting the
comet on December 8.82. He wrote, I was informed by a gentleman at
Sea Point [a suburb of Cape Town] that there was a bright comet in the
southwest. It was to the left of Venus, about the same height as Venus, and
had a long tail nearly vertically upwards. Jackson said the comet would
then have been behind Table Mountain from his location and a brief look at
the sky did not reveal the comets tail.
I. L. Thomsen (Carter Observatory, Wellington, New Zealand) reported
that on 1947 December 9.38 the crew of a ship off the coast of New Zealand
sighted a comet of magnitude 2, with a Tail many degrees long. On
December 9.43, R. Woolley (Commonwealth Observatory, Canberra, Australia) estimated the magnitude as 1. He added, Spectacular comet much
brighter than Halleys; earth may pass through tail within few days. On
December 9.8, Paraskevopoulos estimated the magnitude as 1. He said the
coma contained a nucleus, while the tail stretched 25. Also on December
9.8, Mrs. Wood (Cape Town, South Africa) estimated the magnitude as 2
and said the tail was 20 long. On December 9.8, Jackson travelled to a
point west of Table Mountain. He wrote, I was rewarded by a fine view
of the comet. There was a good deal of cloud about, especially on the east
side of the mountains. The comet was easily picked up in the twilight with
binoculars when about level with Venus, although on account of its more
southerly declination it did not go down as fast. The tail could be followed
for a full 10; sometimes the head was seen on one side of clouds and the
tail far beyond the other side. The tail could be seen after the head had set.
Jackson, who had seen the Great January Comet of 1910, remarked that this
new comet was easily the brightest comet I have ever seen.
On December 10, J. Bobone (National Astronomical Observatory,
Cordoba,
Argentina) gave the magnitude as 2. He also noted that the comet

was discovered by Bussolini. A photographic observation using the 67-cm
refractor was made by W. H. van den Bos (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa). He said when the comet was first visually seen in this
telescope he at once noted two nuclei. The main nucleus was magnitude
4.5, while the secondary was magnitude 8.5 and situated 6.3 away toward
PA 192.0. Wood saw the comet a short time later and gave the tail length
as 30.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 35 on December
11. A. F. A. L. Jones (Timaru, New Zealand) said the tail extended 10 as
seen with the naked eye. He said the 14-cm refractor (42) revealed a tail
277
catalog of comets
extending 1.33 in PA 125, and the 8-cm refractor (13) revealed it extending 3. On the 12th, G. W. Clark (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC,
USA) relayed a message from the SS Sterlet (situated about 760 miles north
of New Britain in the Pacific). He said the crew had discovered a large
comet clearly visible [to the] naked eye. It was at an elevation of 8 and
exhibited a tail 5 long. Wood said the tail was 30 long. On the 13th, Jones
observed using 2 50 binoculars and gave the magnitude as 2.9. He said a
14-cm refractor (42) revealed a tail extending 0.67 in PA 125. Van den Bos
obtained a micrometric measure with the 67-cm refractor and said nucleus
A was magnitude 5.5, while nucleus B was magnitude 8.5 and situated 7.74
away in PA 166.3. On the 14th, K. Gottlieb (Canberra, Australian Capital
Territory, Australia) gave the magnitude as 4. He described the comet as
diffuse, with a nucleus, and a tail greater than 1 long. Van den Bos said
nucleus A was magnitude 6.0, while nucleus B was magnitude 8.5 and situated 8.04 away in PA 159.3. On December 15, A. Blaauw, P. D. Jose, T.
Page, and P. Swings (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) estimated the
tail length as 1. G. V. Simonow (Canberra) gave the magnitude as 5. He
described the comet as diffuse, with a nucleus, and a tail greater than 1
long. Van den Bos said nucleus A was magnitude 7.8, while nucleus B was
7.6 and situated 8.80 away in PA 152.9.
On December 16, the magnitude was given as 2.53 by Paraskevopoulos
and 4.6 by R. P. de Kock (Paarl, South Africa). Paraskevopoulos obtained
a 45-minute exposure which revealed a triple tail consisting of two long
and one short components, and noted a possible fourth component. Wood
described the tail as very ragged. Blaauw, Jose, Page, and Swings estimated the tail length as 1.5. Van den Bos said nucleus A was magnitude
8.5, while nucleus B was magnitude 8.3 and situated about 10.18 away in
about PA 142.3.
On December 17, Wood wrote, Getting much fainter and little to be
seen. Paraskevopoulos obtained a 40-minute exposure using the 25-cm
photographic triplet and noted a quintuple tail. Van den Bos obtained micrometric measures of the two nuclei with the refractor. He said nucleus A was
magnitude 9.0, while nucleus B was 9.5 and situated 9.51 away in PA 139.5.
On December 18, Gottlieb gave the magnitude as 7. Blaauw, Jose, Page,
and Swings photographed the comet and detected a sharp nucleus and a
tail extending 2.5. Van den Bos said nucleus A was magnitude 9.0, while
nucleus B was 9.5 and situated 10.96 away in PA 135.3.
On December 19, Jones gave the visual magnitude as 5, while H. L. Giclas
(Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) gave the photographic magnitude as
4. Jones said the 8-cm refractor (13) revealed a tail extending 2 in PA 102.
Giclas added that the comet was diffuse, without a nucleus, and with a tail
longer than 1. Blaauw, Jose, Page, and Swings said the nucleus appeared
split into two components of equal brightness. They were separated by 5
in PA 135. Van den Bos said nucleus A was magnitude 9.3, while nucleus
B was magnitude 9.7 and situated 11.39 away in PA 134.7.
278
catalog of comets
On December 20, the visual magnitude was given as 5 by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) and 5.4 by de Kock, while
the photographic magnitude was given as 4 by Giclas. Van Biesbroeck said
the comet was at low altitude. He added that the second nucleus was only
vaguely visible in PA 130. Blaauw, Jose, Page, and Swings said the nuclei
were separated by 7.5 , with one being three times brighter than the other.
Van den Bos said nucleus A was magnitude 9.0, while nucleus B was magnitude 10.5 and situated 11.89 away in PA 129.7.
On December 21, the visual magnitude was given as 4 by van Biesbroeck.
He said, the comet appeared more condensed and somewhat brighter than
on the day before, but added, the estimations are uncertain because of
low altitude and very poor [photographic] images. Van Biesbroeck said a
tail was faintly visible towards PA 100, while the second, fainter nucleus
merged with the first. V. A. Estremadoyro (Lima, Peru) observed the comet
using a 10-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 5.8. Simonow gave the
magnitude as 8.
On December 23, Simonow gave the magnitude as 8. On the 24th, the
magnitude was given as 6.5 by Jones and 6.9 by van Biesbroeck. Jones said
the 8-cm refractor (13) revealed a tail extending 0.83 in PA 95, while
a 20-cm reflector (36) showed a coma about 2.5 across, with a degree
of condensation (DC) of 5, and a tail 0.47 long. Van Biesbroeck said the
two nuclei were diffuse, with the fainter one situated 12 from the brighter
one and in PA 126. On the 25th, de Kock gave the magnitude as 6.3. On
the 26th, B. S. Whitney (Norman, Oklahoma, USA) gave the photographic
magnitude as 7.0. He added that the two nuclei were separated by 15 in PA
132, and differed in brightness by 0.2 magnitude. On the 27th, Jones gave
the magnitude as 7.9, using the 20-cm reflector (36). He said the DC was 4,
and the tail extended 0.13 in PA 90. The comet attained a maximum solar
elongation of 37 on December 28. On the 29th, Jones gave the magnitude
0.17 in PA 105. On the 30th, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.3. He said the
On December 31, Paraskevopoulos exposed a photographic plate using the
155-cm reflector and noted a tail about 5 long. He wrote, The brighter of
the two nuclei which had previously been observed was at the tip of the
head of the comet. Further in in the direction of the axis of the comet
there was a secondary nucleus which was much fainter. Paraskevopoulos
said the nuclei were about 20 apart. Z. Sekanina (1978) examined this plate
and observed the two nuclei. He said nucleus B was situated 17.27 away
in PA 113.4.
On 1948 January 2, Jones observed using the 20-cm reflector (36) and
gave the magnitude as 8.6. He said the coma was 3 across, with a DC of 4,
and a tail extending 0.12 in PA 95. On the 3rd, Jones gave the magnitude
as 8.9. He said the coma was 2.5 across, with a DC of 4, and a tail extending 0.17 in PA 112. On the 4th, de Kock gave the visual magnitude as 9.5,
279
catalog of comets
while E. L. Johnson and A. J. Wesselink (Union Observatory, Johannesburg,

South Africa) photographed the comet using the 41-cm Leiden Twin refractor and gave the magnitude as 8.0. Johnson initially made a mistake and
measured the open cluster M30 instead of the comet. He said the cluster
looked exactly like the comet on short-exposure plates. Paraskevopoulos photographed the comet with the 155-cm reflector and observed two
nuclei. Sekanina later measured the plates and said nucleus B was situated 17.97 away in PA 111.0. On the 5th, Jones gave the magnitude as
9.3. He said the coma was 2 across, with a DC of 3. Paraskevopoulos photographed the comet with the 155-cm reflector and detected both nuclei.
Sekanina later measured the plates and said nucleus B was situated 18.27
away in PA 111.6. On January 6, the magnitude was given as 7.7 by van
Biesbroeck and 9.0 by Jones. Van Biesbroeck said the brighter preceding
condensation measured 5 15 , with the longer axis directed towards PA
45. The second condensation was 0.6 magnitude fainter and 15 in diameter, with its center located 21 in PA 115 from the first nucleus. The tail
extended over 20 in PA 100. Jones said the tail extended 0.04 in PA 90.
M. J. Bester (Harvard College Observatory, Boyden Station) photographed
the comet with the 155-cm reflector and detected two nuclei. Sekanina
later measured the plate and said nucleus B was situated 19.51 away
in PA 109.5.
On January 8, van Biesbroeck found the comet at low altitude and said
it was fainter than magnitude 8. He noted that the first nucleus was round,
while the second was situated 18 away in PA 119 and was 0.6 magnitude
fainter. A 4-minute exposure showed a tail extending 10 in PA 90. On the
11th, Bester photographed the comet using the reflector and detected two
nuclei. Sekanina later measured the plate and said nucleus B was situated
20.28 away in PA 106.6. On the 13th, Bester photographed the comet using
the reflector and detected two nuclei. Sekanina later measured the plate
and said nucleus B was situated 19.73 away in PA 106.0. On the 14th,
H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) obtained 6- and 8-minute
exposures using the 91-cm Crossley reflector, when the comet was at a low
altitude, and said the coma was 1 across, with two condensations or nuclei.
The brighter nucleus was magnitude 13.5, while the fainter was magnitude
15 and situated to the east by 22.4 on the first plate and 23.0 on the second.
On the 15th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 9. He
said the coma was poorly defined and 20 across. There was only a vague
suspicion of the fainter secondary nucleus situated 20 towards the second
quadrant. On January 17, van Biesbroeck said the comet appeared very
diffuse, with the secondary nucleus being seen as a vague hazy spot too
indistinct for bisection. Van Biesbroeck said the secondary nucleus was
about 1 magnitude fainter than the primary nucleus.
obtained a 2-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector, despite the comets
low altitude. The comet appeared as an extremely diffuse spot, with no trace
280
catalog of comets
of duplicity. The magnitude was estimated as 10.5. The position was given
as = 22h 11.7m , = 18 42 .
A series of spectragrams was obtained by Swings and Page (McDonald Observatory) during the period December 15January 9. These were
obtained by taking a plane-grating spectrograph equipped with an f/0.65
Schmidt camera and installing it at the prime focus of the 208-cm reflector.
They detected bands representing the imidyl radical, cyanogen, methylene,
methylidyne, diatomic carbon, the amidogen radical, the hydroxyl radical,
and possibly diatomic nitrogen.
Sekanina (1978) published a work investigating the motions of the nuclei
of split comets. From an analysis of the measures he concluded the nucleus
split on 1947 November 30.53 or 2.05 days prior to passing through perihelion.
The first orbit was calculated by Bobone and appeared on Harvard
Announcement Card number 865, which was published on December 15.
He gave the perihelion date as 1947 December 2.59. This proved very close
to the comets true orbit as shown by additional calculations during the next
few weeks by L. E. Cunningham, C. V. Jackson, A. Schmitt, and W. P. Hirst.
The first attempt at a definitive orbit was made by G. Guigay (1950).
Using 35 positions obtained during the period December 10January 20,
he determined the perihelion date as December 2.59 and the eccentricity
as 1.000032. B. G. Marsden (1972) later noted there was an error in the
calculation of aberration, and that a parabola would have sufficed.
Guigay (1955) took 44 positions obtained during the same period, and
computed an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of December 2.58 and
an orbital period of about 3798 years. He hypothesized three orbits for the
secondary nucleus. All three had perihelion dates of December 2.58, but the
periods were 5107 years, 3141 years, and 3822 years. The first hypothesis
showed the most promise. Guigays orbits for each nucleus are given below,
with the first orbit representing comet A and the second comet B.
T
1947 Dec. 2.5845 (UT)
1947 Dec. 2.5847 (UT)
(2000.0)
i
q
e
196.1521 337.3040 138.5419 0.110032 0.999548
196.1504 337.3059 138.5332 0.110023 0.999629

full moon: Nov. 28, Dec. 27, 1948 Jan. 26
sources: H. E. Krumm, ASSAMN, 6 (1947 Nov. 29), p. 95; I. L. Thomsen, R. Woolley, J. S. Paraskevopoulos, J. Bobone, and Bussolini, HAC, No. 863 (1947 Dec. 11);
G. W. Clark and J. Bobone, HAC, No. 865 (1947 Dec. 15); A. Blaauw, P. D. Jose,
T. Page, and P. Swings, HAC, No. 866 (1947 Dec. 16); L. E. Cunningham, HAC,
No. 867 (1947 Dec. 17); C. V. Jackson and H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 868 (1947 Dec.
19); K. Gottlieb, G. V. Simonow, H. L. Giclas, A. Blaauw, P. D. Jose, T. Page, and
P. Swings, HAC, No. 869 (1947 Dec. 23); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 870 (1947
Dec. 31); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948), p. 194; B. S. Whitney, HAC, No. 871 (1948
Jan. 5); L. E. Cunningham and W. H. van den Bos, HAC, No. 873 (1948 Jan. 6);
281
catalog of comets
A. Schmitt, IAUC, No. 1132 (1948 Jan. 20); K. Gottlieb and G. V. Simonow, IAUC,
No. 1133 (1948 Jan. 22); J. Jackson, R. P. de Kock, J. S. Paraskevopoulos, and Wood,
ASSAMN, 7 (1948 Jan. 30), pp. 58; J. Jackson, The Observatory, 68 (1948 Feb.),
pp. 278; E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1138 (1948 Feb. 11); A. Schmitt, IAUC, No.
1139 (1948 Feb. 25); V. A. Estremadoyro, PA, 56 (1948 Mar.), p. 164; W. H. van den
Bos and W. P. Hirst, IAUC, No. 1144 (1948 Mar. 23); W. P. Hirst, ASSAMN, 7 (1948
Mar. 31), pp. 202; E. L. Johnson, A. J. Wesselink, and W. H. van den Bos, UOC,
5 (1948 May), pp. 2589; P. Swings and T. Page, APJ, 108 (1948 Nov.), pp. 526
36; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.), p. 86; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.),
p. 166; G. Guigay, JO, 33 (1950 May), pp. 6170; G. Guigay, JO, 38 (1955 Aug.),
pp. 189216; V1964, p. 76; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 1st edition (1972), pp. 25, 48; Z.
Sekanina, Icarus, 33 (1978), pp. 1823; A. F. A. L. Jones, ICQ, 6 (1984 Jan.), p. 16;
personal correspondence from D. A. J. Seargent (1985).
C/1947 Y1 Discovered: 1947 December 20.25 ( = 2.29 AU, r = 1.71 AU, Elong. = 43)
(Mrkos) Last seen: 1948 November 30.01 ( = 3.36 AU, r = 3.85 AU, Elong. = 112)
1948 II = 1948a Calculated Path: SER (Disc), HER (Jan. 7), OPH (Jan. 20), HER (Jan. 23), LYR
(Feb. 14), CYG (Feb. 26), LAC (Apr. 2), AND (Apr. 18), CAS (May 3), AND
(Jul. 9), CAS (Jul. 25), AND (Aug. 11), CAS (Aug. 17), AND (Aug. 24), PEG
(Oct. 11)
While conducting a routine search for comets in the morning sky, A.
Mrkos (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) discovered this comet on 1947
December 20.25, at a position of = 15h 10.0m , = 1 06 . He estimated the
magnitude as 9, and described the comet as diffuse, without a condensation.
Unfortunately, a long period of cloudy weather moved in and prevented
Mrkos from confirming the observation, so it was not reported. Mrkos confirmed the comet on 1948 January 18.19, when the weather finally broke. The
comet was then at a position of = 16h 41.8m , = +9 45 . Mrkos estimated
the magnitude as 10, and described the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation, and a tail less than 1 long. A precise position was obtained on
January 18.20, and the daily motion was subsequently given as +3m 32s in
and +28 in , which meant the extrapolated position placed the January
comet sufficiently close to the December object to assume they were one
and the same. M. B. Protitch (Belgrade, Yugoslavia, now Serbia) independently discovered the cometary object on a photographic plate exposed on
January 10.19, but no physical description was given. Unfortunately, bad
weather prevented his confirming the object until after Mrkos confirmed
and announced his discovery. The comet was discovered about 2 months
before its closest approach to both the sun and Earth.
On January 19, Mrkos gave the photographic magnitude as 10. On the
20th, the photographic magnitude was given as 11 by G. van Biesbroeck
(Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) and 11.5 by H. L. Giclas (Lowell
Observatory, Arizona, USA). Van Biesbroecks photograph using the 61-cm
reflector revealed a diffuse, condensed coma 8 across and a tail extending 7
282
catalog of comets
in PA 255. Giclas photograph using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph revealed a diffuse, centrally condensed coma and a short tail. On the
21st, the photographic magnitude was given as 10.5 by van Biesbroeck and
11.3 by Giclas. On the 22nd, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 11. On the 23rd, Mrkos gave the photographic magnitude as 10. He
described the comet as diffuse, with a condensation, and a short tail. On
January 24, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 11.3.
On February 15, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10
and noted a faint tail. On the 16th, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria)
solar elongation of 63 on February 17. On the 19th, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley
reflector and gave the magnitude as 14. He said a 6-minute exposure showed
a round coma about 1 across, with a central condensation. On February 20,
Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.0.
On March 12 and 16, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.2. On
using the 26-cm refractor (70) and gave the magnitude as 11.96. He said
the coma was 1.0 across. On March 30, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.81
and the coma diameter as about 1 .
On April 6, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.12 and the coma diameter
as about 1 . On the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.07 and the coma
diameter as 0.9 . On the 11th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.20 and the
the coma diameter as about 1 . On the 15th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
12.0512.17 and the coma diameter as 1.1 . On April 16, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 11.98 and the coma diameter as 1.2 .
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 50 on May 4. Beyer
was unable to detect the comet using the 26-cm refractor on May 5.99 and
May 6.96 and concluded it must have been fainter than magnitude 12.5.
On May 20, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.0. On June 12,
Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.8. The comet attained its
most northerly declination of +50 on July 1. On July 8, Boyer gave the
On September 2, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 14.8. On
the 5th and 6th, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude
as 12. He said the well-defined coma was 5 across, while a vague diffuse
extension was in PA 185. On the 6th, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 14.8. On September 26, Jeffers photographed the comet using the
91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. He said the coma
was round and 0.2 across.
On October 1, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 14.6. On the 3rd,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 13. He said the round
coma was 4 across, while a faint tail extended 20 in PA 150. On the 4th,
283
catalog of comets
Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 14.5. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 150 on October 11. On October 27, Jeffers gave the
photographic magnitude as 16. He said the coma was round and 0.2 across.
On November 27, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the
diffuse coma was about 25 across.
The comet was last detected on November 30.01, when van Biesbroeck
obtained an 11-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector. He estimated
the magnitude as 15 and said the diffuse coma was about 25 across. The
position was given as = 23h 35.8m , = +16 11 . Mrkos reported two
additional observations using the 60-cm reflector. He said a photograph on
December 5 showed the comet at magnitude 16.0, while a 100-minute exposure obtained on 1949 January 28, revealed the comet at magnitude 17.5.
Neither of these observations was published in later papers detailing the
comet observations obtained at Skalnate Pleso Observatory.
The first orbit was calculated by P. Naur using positions from the period
January 1820. He determined the perihelion date as 1948 February 16.41.
This proved less than 7 hours early and very accurately represented the orbit,
as shown by the later calculations of A. D. Maxwell, L. E. Cunningham, and
E. Buchar.
Buchar calculated an elliptical orbit using three positions spanning the
period January 1030. Published on February 11, it gave the perihelion date
as February 17.25 and the period as 500.6 years.
Z. Sekanina (1974, 1978) used 78 positions obtained between 1948 January
18 and November 30, as well as perturbations by all nine planets, and computed a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of February 16.69 and an
eccentricity of 1.0010851. This orbit is given below. Sekanina took this orbit
years and an elliptical future orbit with a period of about 2.6 million years.
T
1948 Feb. 16.6923 (TT)
61.9241
(2000.0)
199.3010
i
77.5331
q
e
1.499557 1.001085

full moon: Nov. 28, Dec. 27, 1948 Jan. 26, Feb. 24, Mar. 25, Apr. 23, May 23, Jun.
21, Jul. 21, Aug. 19, Sep. 18, Oct. 18, Nov. 16, Dec. 16
sources: H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948), p. 194; A. Mrkos, HAC, No. 881 (1948
Jan. 19); A. Mrkos, IAUC, No. 1132 (1948 Jan. 20); G. van Biesbroeck and H. L.
Giclas, HAC, No. 882 (1948 Jan. 21); A. Mrkos, HAC, No. 883 (1948 Jan. 22); A.
Mrkos and H. L. Giclas, IAUC, No. 1133 (1948 Jan. 22); P. Naur, IAUC, No. 1134
(1948 Jan. 24); A. Mrkos, H. L. Giclas, P. Naur, and A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 884
(1948 Jan. 26); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 885 (1948 Jan. 27); M. B. Protitch,
A. Mrkos, E. Buchar, and L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1135 (1948 Jan. 31); E.
Buchar, IAUC, No. 1138 (1948 Feb. 11); L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1140 (1948 Mar. 6);
L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1147 (1948 Apr. 7); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 924 (1948
Aug. 10); L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1183 (1948 Oct. 20); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54
284
catalog of comets
(1948 Dec.), p. 86; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1949), p. 35; A. Mrkos, MNRAS, 109
(1949), p. 249; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.), p. 166; A. Mrkos, MNRAS, 110
(1950), p. 174; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 55, 59; M. Beyer, AN, 278
(1950 Jul. 14), pp. 2302; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), pp. 45; M. B. Protitch, MNRAS,
111 (1951), p. 243; V1964, p. 76; A. Mrkos, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 116; Z. Sekanina,
QJRAS, 15 (1974), pp. 4523; Z. Sekanina, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68; A. Mrkos,
CAOSP, 12 (1984), p. 24.
46P/1948 A1 Discovered: 1948 January 17.32 ( = 0.85 AU, r = 1.69 AU, Elong. = 135)
(Wirtanen) Last seen: 1948 March 11.24 ( = 1.46 AU, r = 1.89 AU, Elong. = 99)
1947 XIII = 1948b Calculated path: TAU (Disc), AUR (Jan. 29)
C. A. Wirtanen (Lick Observatory, California, USA) discovered this comet on
photographic plates exposed with the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph on 1948
January 17.32. H. M. Jeffers gave the position as = 4h 37.9m , = +26 30 .
Wirtanen estimated the magnitude as 16, and described the comet as diffuse,
with a central condensation. Wirtanen and Jeffers obtained confirmatory
plates on January 18.33 and January 19.38, and estimated the magnitude
as 16 on each date. It should be noted that the Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Society incorrectly published the discovery date as January 15.2.
On January 20 and 29, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the
magnitude as 17. He said the diffuse coma was 15 across with a slight condensation. On January 30, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 51-cm
Carnegie astrograph and gave the magnitude as 16. He said there was some
coma.
The comet was last detected on March 11.24, when Jeffers photographed it
with the 91-cm Crossley reflector at Lick Observatory. B. J. Mattson gave the
position on the last date as = 6h 01.3m , = +33 37 . Jeffers said the comet
appeared practically stellar and magnitude 19.4. The comet reached its
most northerly declination of +34 on March 22.
L. E. Cunningham used three precise positions obtained on January 17, 18,
and 19, to compute the first orbit, which was first published on January 27.
He said a parabolic solution left a residual of 7, which is probably significant in view of the low inclination. He then provided an elliptical orbit
with a perihelion date of 1947 November 30.57 and an orbital period of
4.98 years. He said, the period and eccentricity are wholly undetermined.
A revised elliptical orbit by Cunningham used positions obtained through
January 19 and gave a perihelion date of December 3.59 and a period of
7.25 years. G. Merton (1954) took six positions obtained at Lick Observatory
spanning a period of 54 days and determined a perihelion date of December
3.04 and a period of 6.72 years. Merton (1955) took nine positions spanning
the entire apparition and determined the perihelion date as December 2.93
and the period as 6.71 years.
285
catalog of comets
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by P. Herget (1960), Herget and B. G. Marsden (1961), M. P. Imnadze (1964), and Marsden (1968, 1970,
1986). These all applied planetary perturbations and Marsden (1970, 1986)
also solved for nongravitational forces. The result was a perihelion date of
December 2.932.94 and a period of 6.71 years. The orbit from Marsden
(1986) is given below. Marsden (1968) noted a secular acceleration. Marsden (1970) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.20412 and A2 =
0.071500. Marsden (1986) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.52
and A2 = 0.0871.
T
1947 Dec. 2.9379 (TT)
(2000.0)
343.5511
87.1812
i
13.3558
q
e
1.634969 0.540478

full moon: Dec. 27, 1948 Jan. 26, Feb. 24, Mar. 25
sources: C. A. Wirtanen and H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948), p. 195; C. A. Wirtanen,
HAC, No. 881 (1948 Jan. 19); C. A. Wirtanen and H. M. Jeffers, IAUC, No. 1132
(1948 Jan. 20); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 882 (1948 Jan. 21); C. A. Wirtanen,
HAC, No. 883 (1948 Jan. 22); H. M. Jeffers and G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 1133
(1948 Jan. 22); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 886 (1948 Jan. 27); L. E. Cunningham,
IAUC, No. 1135 (1948 Jan. 31); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 892 (1948 Mar. 16);
L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1143 (1948 Mar. 20); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948
Dec.), p. 86; C. A. Wirtanen, H. M. Jeffers, and L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 109
(1949), pp. 249, 2545; G. Merton, IAUC, No. 1468 (1954 Aug. 27); G. Merton,
MNRAS, 115 (1955), pp. 1967; P. Herget, AJ, 65 (1960 Aug.), pp. 3856; P. Herget
and B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 2 (1961 Oct.), pp. 1579; M. P. Imnadze, QJRAS, 5
(1964 Sep.), pp. 2345, 238; V1964, p. 76; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 373,
375; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970 Feb.), p. 82; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 11 (1970 Sep.),
27 (1986 Mar.), pp. 116.
C/1948 E1 Prediscovery: 1948 February 15.47 ( = 2.69 AU, r = 2.36 AU, Elong. = 60)
Discovered: 1948 March 13.05 ( = 2.22 AU, r = 2.24 AU, Elong. = 78)
(Pajdusakov
Mrkos) Last seen: 1950 February 9.28 ( = 6.43 AU, r = 6.65 AU, Elong. = 99)
1948 V = 1948d Calculated path: OPH (Pre), HER (Mar. 7), LYR (Mar. 27), DRA (Apr. 20), UMi
(Jun. 3), CAM (Jun. 19), DRA (Jul. 14), CAM (Oct. 13), UMi (Nov. 3), CEP
(Nov. 6), CAS (Dec. 5), PER (1949 Jan. 14), AND (Feb. 3), PER (Feb. 24), AUR
(Jun. 25), TAU (Nov. 2)
L. Pajdusakova (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) first observed this
comet with the 25 100 Somet binoculars on 1948 March 13.05, but wrongly
identified it as NGC 6615 after consulting A. Becvars recently published star
atlas Atlas Coeli. Later that night A. Mrkos (Skalnate Pleso Observatory) realized NGC 6615 could not have been detected in Pajdusakovas binoculars
and was successful in obtaining a 10-minute exposure of the comet with the
286
catalog of comets
60-cm reflector on March 13.09, at a position of = 18h 25.2m , = +15 42 .

Pajdusakova and Mrkos both estimated the magnitude as 10, and described
the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation. Prediscovery images were
subsequently found by G. van Biesbroeck on photographic plates exposed
with the 61-cm reflector at Yerkes Observatory (Wisconsin, USA) on February 15.47 and March 5.45. On the former date, the 2-minute exposure showed
the comets magnitude as 11.
On March 15, Mrkos and Pajdusakova obtained 8- and 30-minute exposures using the 60-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 10. On the 16th,
the photographic magnitude was given as 10.5 by H. L. Giclas (Lowell
Observatory, Arizona, USA) and 11.0 by L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair,
Algeria). On the 20th, the magnitude was given as 10.5 by A. Schmitt
(Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) and 11 by E. G. Reuning (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA). On the 22nd, K. Reinmuth (Konigstuhl
Observatory, Heidelberg, Germany) gave the photographic magnitude as

10. On the 24th, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
observed using the 26-cm refractor (70) and gave the magnitude as 10.47.
He said the coma was 1.0 across and extended slightly towards PA 282,
while the nuclear magnitude was 12.18. On the 26th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.26. He said the coma was 1.5 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 12.5. On the 28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.47. He said
the coma was 2.2 across and extended slightly towards PA 261, while
the nuclear magnitude was 11.63. On the 29th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 9.87. He said the coma was 3.2 across and extended slightly towards
PA 264, while the nuclear magnitude was 11.60. On the 30th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 9.57. He said the coma was 2.8 across and extended
slightly towards PA 261, while the nuclear magnitude was 12.33. On
March 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.45. He said the coma was 3.5
across and extended slightly towards PA 241, while the nuclear magnitude
was 12.16.
was 11.90. On the 8th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.80. He said the coma
was 4.2 across and extended slightly towards PA 254. On the 10th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 9.37. He said the coma was 3.4 across and extended
slightly towards PA 231, while the nuclear magnitude was 12.04. On the
11th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.27. He said the coma was 3.0 across and
extended slightly towards PA 240. On the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 9.04. He said the coma was 3.1 across and extended slightly towards PA
237, while the nuclear magnitude was about 12. On the 14th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 8.678.69, using a 10-cm comet seeker (23). He said the coma
was 3.4 across and extended slightly towards PA 221, while the nuclear
magnitude was 12.34. On April 15, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.89. He
said the coma was 3.6 across and extended slightly towards PA 226, while
the nuclear magnitude was about 12.
287
catalog of comets
On April 16, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.919.04. He said the coma
was 3.4 across and extended slightly towards PA 228. On the 17th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 9.57, using the 26-cm refractor (70). He said the
coma was about 3 across and extended slightly towards PA 236. On the
18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.12. He said the coma was 3.2 across
and extended slightly towards PA 233, while the nuclear magnitude was
11.8. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 91 on April 19.
Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.41. He said the coma was 3.1 across and
extended slightly towards PA 223, while the nuclear magnitude was about
2.5 across and extended slightly towards PA 226, while the nuclear magnitude was 11.5. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.72. He said the
coma was about 2 across and extended slightly towards PA 221. On the
22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.21. He said the coma was 2.5 across
and extended slightly towards PA 225, while the nuclear magnitude was
11.8. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.41. He said the nuclear
magnitude was about 12, and the coma was slightly extended towards PA
227. On the 24th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.17. He said the coma
magnitude was 11.96. On the 25th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.29. He
said the coma was 3.2 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 12, and
the tail extended 6 in PA 223. On the 26th, Beyer gave the magnitude
was 2.6 across, the nuclear magnitude was 11.91, and the tail extended
10 in PA 223. On April 30, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude
as 10.6.
On May 4, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 9.15, while Boyer gave
the photographic magnitude as 10.7. On the 5th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 9.039.10, using a 10-cm comet seeker (23). He said the coma was 2.5
across, the nuclear magnitude was 12.02, and the tail extended 8 in PA
3.1 across, the nuclear magnitude was 11.8, and the tail extended 11 in PA
3.4 across, the nuclear magnitude was 12.02, and the tail extended 15 in
PA 227. On the 8th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.17. He said the coma was
about 3 across, the nuclear magnitude was 12.07, and the tail extended 15 in
PA 220. On the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.698.78, using a 10-cm
comet seeker (23). He said the coma was 3.6 across, the nuclear magnitude
was about 12, and the tail extended 15 in PA 223. On the 11th, Beyer said the
short tail extended towards PA 228. On the 14th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 9.38. He said the coma was 3.8 across, the nuclear magnitude was 11.84,
and the tail extended 15 in PA 227. On May 15, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 9.42, using the 26-cm refractor (70). He said the coma was 4.2 across,
the nuclear magnitude was 11.97, and the tail extended 12 in PA 221.
288
catalog of comets
On May 16, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.13. He said the coma was
PA 222. On the 17th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.05. He said the coma
was 3.6 across, the nuclear magnitude was 12.23, and the tail extended 13
in PA 221. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.13. He said the coma
in PA 218. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.22. He said the coma
was about 4 across, the nuclear magnitude was 12.5, and the tail extended 7
in PA 218. On the 26th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 9.1. He said a 10-minute exposure revealed a tail extending 30 in PA
PA 214. On the 28th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 9.1. On May 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.17. He said the coma
in PA 209.
across, the nuclear magnitude was 12.8, and the tail extended 18 in PA 203.
On the 8th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 9.52, while van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 10.2. Beyer said the coma was 2.5
was 2.5 across, the nuclear magnitude was 13.5, and the tail extended 12 in
in PA 158. On the 17th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 9.6. The comet attained a declination of +85 and then began moving
southward on June 18. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.38. He
said the coma was 2.4 across, the nuclear magnitude was 13.5, and the tail
extended 15 in PA 127. On June 30, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic
magnitude as 10.0.
On July 3, Beyer observed using a 26-cm refractor (70) and gave the
magnitude as 10.34, while van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using
the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 10.2. Beyer said the coma
was 2.9 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 14, and the tail extended
about 7 in PA 96. On the 4th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.35. He said
289
catalog of comets
the coma was 2.6 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 14, and the tail
extended about 9 in PA 95. On the 6th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.51.
He said the coma was about 2 across, and the tail extended about 8 in
PA 78. On July 14, Beyer observed using a 10-cm comet seeker (23) and
On July 17, Beyer observed using a 26-cm refractor (70) and gave the
magnitude as 10.38. He said the coma was 2.5 across, the nuclear magnitude
was about 14, and the tail extended 10 in PA 64. On the 18th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 10.67. He said the coma was about 2 across, and the tail
extended 8 in PA 77. On the 19th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.55. He
said the coma was about 2 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 14,
and the tail extended 8 in PA 76. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 10.65. He said the coma was 2.2 across, and the tail extended 6 in PA
81. On July 25, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 10.9, while H. M. Jeffers
(Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 91cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 11. Beyer said the coma
6 in PA 76. Jeffers said the round coma was 0.7 across. On the 26th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 10.58. He said the coma was 2.5 across, the nuclear
magnitude was about 14, and the tail extended 6 in PA 73. On the 27th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.58. He said the coma was 2.5 across, the
nuclear magnitude was 14.0, and the tail extended 6 in PA 75. On the 28th,
29th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.43. He said the coma was 2.5 across,
the nuclear magnitude was 13.25, and the tail extended 7 in PA 73. On
the 30th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.43. He said the coma was 2.5
79. On July 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.66. He said the coma was
PA 79.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 60 on August 1. Beyer
then gave the magnitude as 10.56. On the 4th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
10.59. On the 5th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.66. He said the coma was
PA 85. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
as 11. He said a nearly starlike nucleus was surrounded by a faint halo which
extended mostly towards the first quadrant. On August 11, Beyer gave the
was 13.8, and the tail extended 9 in PA 81.
290
catalog of comets
On August 24, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.79. He said the coma was
about 2 across, the nuclear magnitude was 13.16, and the tail extended 8 in
was about 2 across, the nuclear magnitude was 13.27, and the tail extended
coma was 2.3 across, the nuclear magnitude was 13.5, and the tail extended
10 in PA 79. The comet attained a declination of +74 on August 30 and
then began moving northward again. Beyer the gave the magnitude as
10.86. He said the coma was 2.3 across, the nuclear magnitude was 13.3,
and the tail extended 12 in PA 79. On August 31, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 10.90. He said the coma was 2.3 across, the nuclear magnitude was 13.5,
and the tail extended 10 in PA 81.
was about 2 across, the nuclear magnitude was 13.41, and the tail extended
10 in PA 82. On the 4th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
PA 83. On September 13, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.16 and said the
in PA 83. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.35. He said the coma
PA 90. On September 30, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.26. He said the
6 in PA 79.
On October 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.24. He said the coma was
77. On the 4th and 5th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 12.5. He said there was a well-condensed small coma. On the 8th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 11.15. He said the coma was about 2 across, the
nuclear magnitude was 13.5, and the tail extended 4 in PA 83. On the 13th
and 14th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.32 and said the coma was 1.5
291
catalog of comets
across. On October 19, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.51. He said the coma
was 1.5 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 13.5.
On November 5, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.6611.71. He said the
coma was 2.2 across and extended slightly towards PA 7, while the nuclear
magnitude was 13.3. On the 6th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.54. He said
the coma was 2.2 across and extended slightly towards PA 35, while the
nuclear magnitude was 13.5. On the 8th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.38.
He said the coma was 2.4 across and extended slightly towards PA 20, while
the nuclear magnitude was 13.71. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +87 on November 10. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as
12.13 and said the coma was 1.5 across. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.47. He said the coma was 1.9 across and extended slightly towards
PA 355, while the nuclear magnitude was about 14. On the 24th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 11.62, while the coma was 1.9 across and extended slightly
toward PA 314. On the 25th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.72. He said
nuclear magnitude was 14.5. On the 26th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.78.
He said the nuclear magnitude was 14.5, and the coma extended slightly
towards PA 8. On November 27, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic
magnitude as 12. He said the small coma fanned out towards PA 280.
On December 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.66. He said the coma
magnitude was 14.5. On the 2nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.38. He
said the coma was 2.4 across and extended slightly towards PA 291, while
the nuclear magnitude was 13.89. On the 3rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as
11.88. He said the coma was 2.3 across and extended slightly towards PA
308, while the nuclear magnitude was about 14. On the 5th, Beyer gave
slightly towards PA 305, while the nuclear magnitude was about 14. On
was about 14. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 122 on
December 13.
was 1.5 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 14.5. On the 21st, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 11.99. He said the coma was 2.3 across, and the nuclear
magnitude was 14.37. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.07. He
said the coma was 2.7 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 13.98. On the
and the nuclear magnitude was 14.0. On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 11.97. He said the coma was 2.2 across, and the nuclear magnitude was
2.3 across, and the nuclear magnitude was about 14. On the 29th, Beyer
observed using the 60-cm refractor (205) and gave the magnitude as 12.39.
He said the coma was 2.1 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 14.5. On
292
catalog of comets
December 30, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.2712.29. He said the coma
magnitude was 14.2.
On 1949 January 2, Beyer determined the magnitude as 12.42. He said
the coma was 1.9 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 14.5. On the 18th,
van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 14. He said the well-condensed round coma was
10 across. On the 19th, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 14.0.
On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.63 and noted the coma was
1.5 across. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.84. He said the
coma was 1.0 across, and the nuclear magnitude was about 15. On the
and the nuclear magnitude was about 15.5. On January 28, Beyer gave the
visual magnitude as 13.09, while Jeffers photographed the comet using
the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16. Beyer said
the coma was 0.8 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 15.3. Jeffers said the
round coma was 0.2 across. On the 29th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.99.
across, and the nuclear magnitude was 15.2. On January 31, Beyer gave
magnitude was 15.5.
On February 1, Beyer observed using the 60-cm refractor (205) and gave
magnitude was 15.5. On the 16th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet
using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 14.5. He said
there was a round nucleus measuring 10 across surrounded by a faint coma
measuring 50 across. On the 19th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.65. He
said the coma was about 1 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 16.5. On
February 20, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.29. He said the coma was 0.9
across, and the nuclear magnitude was 16.0.
During the next few months, the comets solar elongation steadily
decreased, while it continued to fade. On March 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.66. He said the coma was 0.8 across, and the nuclear magnitude
was 16.0. On March 24, Mrkos found the comet on a 45-minute exposure
using the 60-cm reflector. On April 2 and 3, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 16. He said the ill-defined round coma was 25
across. On April 23, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 16.5. He said the comet was at a low altitude and hardly measurable. The
comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 15 on May 31.
On October 25, Mrkos photographed the comet and estimated the magnitude as 17. He noted a very short tail. On November 18, Jeffers estimated the
photographic magnitude as 18. He said the coma was round and 5 across,
with a sharp nucleus. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of
174 on November 30.
293
catalog of comets
The comet was last detected on 1950 February 9.22 and February
9.28, when Jeffers photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. S.
Vasilevskis measured the position on the final date as = 3h 43.8m , = +21
32 . Jeffers determined the magnitude as 19.2 and said the faint coma was
34 across.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by P. Naur using positions from
March 13, 15, and 16. He gave the perihelion date as 1948 May 19.51. Two
days later, A. D. Maxwell took three positions spanning the period March
1320 and gave the perihelion date as May 16.16. After another day, V. Guth
gave the perihelion date as April 27.12. Additional calculations by Schmitt,
Guth, Boyer, and L. E. Cunningham finally narrowed the perihelion date
down to May 16.6.
O. N. Barteneva (1969) took 149 positions obtained during the period
spanning 1948 March 13 and 1950 February 9, reduced them to 11 Normal
places, applied perturbations by five planets, and determined a hyperbolic
orbit with a perihelion date of May 16.61 and an eccentricity of 1.000789.
Z. Sekanina and B. G. Marsden (1974, 1978) used 95 positions obtained
between 1948 March 13 and 1950 February 9, as well as perturbations by
all nine planets, and determined a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date
of May 16.61 and an eccentricity of 1.0007869. This orbit is given below.
Sekanina and Marsden took this orbit and derived an elliptical original
orbit with a period of about 5.0 million years, and an elliptical future orbit
with a period of about 5.8 million years.
T
1948 May 16.6123 (TT)
66.8980
(2000.0)
247.6525
i
92.9194
q
e
2.107056 1.000787

Sep. 18, Oct. 18, Nov. 16, Dec. 16, 1949 Jan. 14, Feb. 13, Mar. 14, Apr. 13, May 12,
Jun. 10, Jul. 10, Aug. 8, Sep. 7, Oct. 7, Nov. 5, Dec. 5, 1950 Jan. 4, Feb. 2, Mar. 4
sources: L. Pajdusakova and A. Mrkos, HAC, No. 891 (1948 Mar. 15); L. Pajdusakova, IAUC, No. 1142 (1948 Mar. 15); L. Pajdusakova and L. Boyer, HAC,
No. 893 (1948 Mar. 17); L. Pajdusakova, A. Mrkos, L. Boyer, and P. Naur, IAUC,
No. 1143 (1948 Mar. 20); A. Mrkos, H. L. Giclas, P. Naur, and A. D. Maxwell, HAC,
No. 894 (1948 Mar. 22); V. Guth, IAUC, No. 1144 (1948 Mar. 23); E. G. Reuning,
HAC, No. 897 (1948 Apr. 1); A. Schmitt, K. Reinmuth, and V. Guth, IAUC, No.
1146 (1948 Apr. 1); K. Reinmuth, L. Boyer, and V. Guth, IAUC, No. 1147 (1948 Apr.
7); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 938 (1948 Sep. 23); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1949),
p. 35; L. Pajdusakova, A. Mrkos, V. Guth, A. Schmitt, and L. E. Cunningham,
MNRAS, 109 (1949), pp. 250, 2545; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.), p. 166; H. M.
Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1950), p. 40; A. Mrkos and H. M. Jeffers, MNRAS, 110 (1950),
p. 174; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 556, 59; M. Beyer, AN, 278 (1950
Jul. 14), pp. 2326; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 5; H. M. Jeffers, MNRAS, 111 (1951),
p. 238; V1964, p. 77; A. Mrkos, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 116; O. N. Barteneva, QJRAS,
10 (1969 Sep.), pp. 2523; Z. Sekanina and B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.),
pp. 4523; Z. Sekanina and B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68.
294
catalog of comets
37P/Forbes Recovered: 1948 May 14.29 ( = 1.03 AU, r = 1.97 AU, Elong. = 149)
1948 VIII = 1948e Closest to the Earth: 1948 May 17 (1.0338 AU)
Calculated path: VIR (Rec), LIB (Aug. 3), SCO (Sep. 6), OPH (Sep. 26)
The recovery of this comet began with the calculations of F. R. Cripps (1947).
He took the orbit from the previous apparition, corrected the perihelion date
by 0.5 day, applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn, and predicted the
comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1948 September 16.19. H. M. Jeffers
(Lick Observatory, California, USA) used the 91-cm Crossley reflector to
expose a photograph on the predicted position on 1948 May 14.29 and found
the comet at a position of = 13h 22.5m , = 10 46 . It was then only 8
from Virginis (Spica). Jeffers estimated the magnitude as 17, and described
the comet as diffuse, without a central condensation. Jeffers confirmed the
recovery on May 14.33. When recovered, the comet was just 3 days from its
closest approach to Earth, but still 4 months from perihelion.
The comet moved slightly northward following its recovery and, after
attaining a declination of 10 42 on May 21, it began a southerly motion,
which eventually took it toward the southeast. G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
reflector on May 26 and gave the magnitude as 17. He said the round diffuse coma was 10 across. Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm
Crossley reflector on June 7 and gave the magnitude as 17.8. He said the
coma was condensed and nearly stellar, with a trace of tail extending toward
PA 120.
On July 3, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 17.5. He said the coma was very diffuse. On
July 9, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector
and gave the magnitude as 17.5. He described the comet as nearly stellar. On
September 2 and 3, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
as 14.5. He said the fuzzy coma possessed a tail-like section extending 3 in
PA 110. On September 27, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 15,
with the comet at a low altitude and with bad seeing. On October 1, van
Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 15. He said a denser round
coma measured 20 across and was on the preceding side of an elliptical
fainter halo nearly 3 across.
Observatory. The magnitude was estimated as 15, while a denser round
coma measured 20 across and was on the preceding side of an elliptical
fainter halo nearly 3 across. The position was given as = 17h 06.5m ,
= 27 24 .
Orbits have been calculated based purely on the positions obtained during 1948. Cripps corrected his predicted orbit, using positions from this
295
catalog of comets
apparition. B. G. Marsden (1959) took 13 positions spanning the entire

apparition, reduced them to five Normal places, and applied perturbations
by Jupiter. Both orbits revealed a perihelion date of September 16.12 and a
period of 6.42 years.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by Marsden (1968, 1969,
1972). He applied perturbations by all nine planets and applied nongravitational forces after 1968. The result was a perihelion date of September
16.12 and a period of 6.42 years. Marsden (1968) noted a secular deceleration. Marsden (1969) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.28845,
A2 = +0.021529, and B2 = +1.2457. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K.
Yeomans (1973) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.65 and
A2 = +0.0497. The orbit of Marsden (1969) is given below.
T
1948 Sep. 16.1224 (TT)
(2000.0)
259.7779
26.1062
i
4.6265
q
e
1.545216 0.552742

full moon: Apr. 23, May 23, Jun. 21, Jul. 21, Aug. 19, Sep. 18, Oct. 18
sources: F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1948 (1947 Nov.), p. 45; H. M. Jeffers,
HAC, No. 900 (1948 May 18); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 914 (1948 Jul. 12);
F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1949 (1948 Nov.), p. 48; H. M. Jeffers and B. J.
Mattson, LOB, 20 (1949), p. 35; F. R. Cripps, MNRAS, 109 (1949), pp. 2546; G.
van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 56, 59; B. G. Marsden, MNRAS, 119 (1959),
pp. 4423; V1964, p. 77; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 372, 3745; B. G.
pp. 725, 727; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 10 (1969 Sep.), pp. 2523; B. G. Marsden,
AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), p. 213.
28P/Neujmin 1 Recovered: 1948 May 6.41 ( = 1.98 AU, r = 2.90 AU, Elong. = 150)
1948 XIII = 1948f Closest to the Earth: 1948 June 30 (1.6631 AU)
Calculated path: NOR (Rec), LUP (May 20), SCO (Sep. 10), SGR (Oct. 23), CAP
(Dec. 3)
G. van Biesbroeck (1935) recalculated the orbit of this comet for 1913 and
1931, and then applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. He predicted
the comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1948 December 19.13. During
the same year, A. C. D. Crommelin examined van Biesbroecks orbit and said
the 1948 apparition would be more favorable than that of 1931. He added,
the comet will be best placed for southern observers before perihelion; it
will remain near the sun after perihelion.
S. B. Nicholson (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) recovered
this comet on 1948 May 6.41, at a position of = 15h 59.5m , = 42 14 . He
estimated the magnitude as 17.5, and said no coma was present. Interestingly, another stellar object with almost the same motion was located on the
296
catalog of comets
same plate at = 15h 57.7m , = 42 18 . At first it was uncertain which

object was the expected periodic comet, but L. E. Cunningham provided
data which established the correct identification. The comets perihelion
date was 3.4 days earlier than predicted by G. van Biesbroeck.
The comet attained its greatest solar elongation of 157 on May 23 and its
most southerly declination of 43 on May 25. D. McLeish (Bosque Alegre
Observatory, Argentina) obtained a photographic confirmation of the comet
on July 12.01, using the 152-cm reflector. On September 3, 4, and 5, G. van
Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet
was 3 across and slightly elongated towards PA 20. On November 28 and
30, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the
diffuse, round coma was 10 across.
The comet was last detected on December 3.03, when McLeish obtained
a photograph using the 152-cm reflector. The comet was then at an altitude
of about 20 and McLeish gave the position as = 20h 03.8m , = 24 44 .
Cunningham (1949) took four positions from the period May 6December
3, and calculated an elliptical orbit with an assumed semimajor axis of
6.850910 AU. The result was a perihelion date of December 15.95 and a
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by H. K. Raudsaar (1960),
B. G. Marsden (1968, 1995), and S. Nakano (1999, 2001). Raudsaar applied
perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn, while everyone else used eight planets
and some smaller bodies. The result was a perihelion date of December
15.9315.94 and a period of 17.97 years. Nakanos orbit from 2001 is given
below.
T
1948 Dec. 15.9343 (TT)
(2000.0)
346.6834 347.8746
i
15.0095
q
e
1.547416 0.774426

Dec. 16
sources: G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 44 (1935 August 24), pp. 11317; G. van Biesbroeck and A. C. D. Crommelin, The Observatory, 58 (1935 Dec.), pp. 3756; G. van
Biesbroeck, MNRAS, 96 (1936 Feb.), pp. 3467; G. van Biesbroeck, BAA Handbook for 1948 (1947 Nov.), p. 47; S. B. Nicholson, HAC, No. 901 (1948 May 26);
L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 910 (1948 Jun. 30); S. B. Nicholson, IAUC, No. 1188
(1948 Nov. 19); L. E. Cunningham and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 967 (1948
Dec. 20); S. B. Nicholson and G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 1195 (1948 Dec. 28);
D. McLeish and G. van Biesbroeck, MNRAS, 109 (1949), pp. 250, 2545; L. E.
Cunningham, HAC, No. 1037 (1949 Oct. 10); L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 110
(1950), pp. 1767; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 56, 59; H. K. Raudsaar, QJRAS, 1 (1960 Dec.), pp. 2323; V1964, p. 77; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968
Jun.), pp. 369; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31415; B. G. Marsden,
297
catalog of comets
CCO, 10th ed. (1995), pp. 545; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 702 (1999 Nov. 1);
S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 798 (2001 May 1); [Bosque Alegre Observatory],
personal correspondence from S. Nakano (2007).
(Honda Last seen: 1948 September 3.24 ( = 1.70 AU, r = 2.34 AU, Elong. = 117)
Bernasconi) Closest to the Earth: 1948 June 14 (0.4897 AU)
Calculated path: PER (Disc), AND (Jun. 5), PER (Jun. 7), CAS (Jun. 11), LAC
(Jun.
21), CEP (Jun. 25), CYG (Jun. 26), LYR (Jul. 19), VUL (Jul. 29), HER
1948 IV = 1948g
(Aug. 4), AQL (Aug. 25)
M. Honda (Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan) discovered this comet with the
naked eye on 1948 June 3.7, and confirmed it with a 15-cm reflector on June
3.72. The position was given as = 2h 40m , = +43. He estimated the
magnitude as 4, and said the comet possessed a tail longer than 1. Honda
reobserved the comet on June 4.73. He estimated the magnitude as 4 and
described the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation and a tail greater
than 1 long. An independent discovery was made by G. Bernasconi (Como,
Italy) on June 4.98. He said the comet was located at = 2h 30.0m , = +44
40 , and was moving with a daily motion of 10m in and +2 30 in . A
further independent discovery was made by T. Higasi on June 5, while on
a ship returning to Japan from the eclipse expedition of May 9. At the time
of discovery, the comet was about 3 weeks past perihelion, but was about
11 days from its closest approach to Earth.
On June 7, C. A. Wirtanen and B. J. Mattson (Lick Observatory, California,
USA) photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and
gave the magnitude as 5. They added that the comet was diffuse, with a
nucleus, and a tail less than 1 long. On the 8th, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) observed using binoculars and gave the magnitude as 5.1. He also photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and
described the comet as diffuse, 5 across, with a central nucleus, and a tail
that was more than 2 long and extended towards PA 288. On the 9th, P.
Ahnert (Sonneberg, Germany) observed using 6 30 binoculars and gave
the magnitude as 5.08. Using a 7 50 monocular, he noted the nuclear
magnitude was 8.8, while the tail extended 2 in PA 108. C. Hoffmeister
(Sonneberg) said the central coma was 8 across, while the nucleus was
briefly glimpsed at magnitude 12. On the 10th, the magnitude was given as
5.19 by M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) and 5.2 by
van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was about 7 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 11, and the tail extended 20 in PA 291. Van Biesbroeck said
the coma was 5 across, with a sharp nucleus, and a tail greater than 2 long.
Ahnert said the tail extended 2 in PA 98. On the 11th, the magnitude was
given as 4.94 by Ahnert and 5.3 by Beyer. Ahnert said the nuclear magnitude
was 9.5. Beyer said the coma was 5.4 across, the nuclear magnitude was
about 11, and the tail extended 15 in PA 289. Hoffmeister said the starlike
298
catalog of comets
condensation was magnitude 11.5, while the brightest part of the coma was
6 across. Wirtanen obtained a 1-minute exposure with the 51-cm Carnegie
astrograph and said the comet appeared round, centrally condensed, and
about 2 across. On June 12, the magnitude was given as 4.75 by Ahnert and
5.09 by Beyer. Beyer said the coma was 7.7 across, the nuclear magnitude
was about 11.5, and the tail extended 40 in PA 286. H. L. Giclas (Lowell
Observatory, Arizona, USA) said the comet was diffuse, with a nucleus, and
a tail greater than 1 long.
On June 13, the magnitude was given as 4.99 by Beyer, 5.0 by van
Biesbroeck, and 5.30 by Ahnert. Beyer said the coma was 10.5 across, the
nuclear magnitude was about 11.5, and the tail extended 45 in PA 283.
Van Biesbroeck said the main tail extended at least 2 in PA 280, a slender
branch extended 6 in PA 260, and a diffuse streamer extended 4 in PA
310. Hoffmeister said the inner coma was 12 across. Wirtanen obtained a
1-minute exposure with the astrograph and said the comet appeared round,
centrally condensed, and about 2 across.
On June 14, Beyer gave the magnitude as 4.955.02. He said the coma
was 6.4 across, the nuclear magnitude was 10.58, and the tail extended
25 in PA 272. Hoffmeister said the inner coma was more diffuse, and contained a nucleus of magnitude 12. W. W. Shane (Lick Observatory) obtained a
1-minute exposure with the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and said the comet
appeared round, centrally condensed, and about 2 across.
On June 15, Ahnert gave the magnitude as 5.81. On the 16th, the magnitude was given as 5.49 by Beyer and 5.96 by Ahnert. Beyer said the coma
was 6 across, the nuclear magnitude was 10.83, and the tail extended 30 in
PA 270. Wirtanen obtained a 1-minute exposure with the astrograph and
said the comet appeared round, centrally condensed, and about 2 across.
On the 17th, van Biesbroeck gave the visual magnitude as 5.8, while Giclas
and gave the magnitude as 6.3. Van Biesbroeck said the tail was much fainter
but still extended 1. He added, The slender branch noted on June 13 has
vanished but the diffuse branch is well marked. On the 18th, the magnitude
was given as 5.78 by Beyer and 7.30 by Ahnert. Beyer said the coma was
about 6 across and extended slightly towards PA 269. The comet attained
its most northerly declination of +55 on June 19. On the 20th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 5.64. He said the coma was about 6 across and extended
slightly towards PA 254, while the nuclear magnitude was about 12. On the
23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.36. He said the coma was 5.6 across,
the nuclear magnitude was about 12, and the tail extended 25 in PA 241.
On the 24th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 6.42,while L. Boyer (Alger,
now al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 8. Beyer said
the tail extended 20 in PA 240. On June 25, van Biesbroeck determined the
magnitude as 6.7 using binoculars.
On July 1 and 2, van Biesbroeck observed using the 10-cm finder of the
61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 8.8. On the 3rd, Beyer gave the
299
catalog of comets
magnitude as 8.43, while van Biesbroeck visually observed using the 61-cm
reflector and gave the magnitude as 9.6. Beyer said the coma was 6 across,
the nuclear magnitude was about 14, and the tail extended 18 in PA 226.
On the 4th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.48. He said the coma was 6
across, the nuclear magnitude was about 14, and the tail extended 20 in PA
224. On the 6th, Beyer observed using the 26-cm refractor (70) and gave
the magnitude as 9, while van Biesbroeck observed using the reflector and
gave the magnitude as 9.8. Beyer said the coma was about 5 across and
extended slightly towards PA 217. Van Biesbroeck said the comet was very
diffuse, with a tail still visible towards PA 200. On the 8th, van Biesbroeck
On the 10th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.0. On the 13th, Beyer
gave the visual magnitude as 8.49, while Giclas photographed the comet
as 12.0. Beyer said the coma was 6 across, and the tail extended 12 in PA
216. On July 14, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.45. He said the coma was
about 6 across, and the tail extended 10 in PA 225.
On July 17, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.04 and said the coma was
4.7 across. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.69 and noted the
coma was about 5 across. On the 19th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.59.
He said the coma was about 6 across, and the tail extended 10 in PA 232.
On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.79 and said the coma was
about 4 across. On the 24th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using
the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 14.5. He said the diffuse
coma was 30 across, while the tail extended 2 in PA 190. On the 25th,
extended slightly towards PA 249. On the 26th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 10.67 and said the coma was about 4 across. On the 27th, Beyer gave
slightly towards PA 209. On the 28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.87.
He said the coma was 4.5 across and extended slightly towards PA 208.
across and extended slightly towards PA 222. On the 30th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 11.22. He said the coma was 3.1 across and extended slightly
towards PA 198. On July 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.29. He said
the coma was 4.5 across and extended slightly towards PA 223.
On August 1, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 10.06, while van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 15.5. Beyer said the coma was
4.3 across and extended slightly towards PA 221. Van Biesbroeck said the
coma was 20 across, while the tail extended 1 in PA 175. On the 4th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.34 and said the coma was 4.2 across. On
208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16.5. Beyer said the coma
was 4.2 across. Van Biesbroeck said the diffuse coma was 15 across. On the
300
catalog of comets
11th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 11.70, while van Biesbroeck gave
the photographic magnitude as 17. Beyer said the coma was 3.5 across. Van
Biesbroeck said the diffuse coma was 10 across, while the tail was very
faint and extended 25 in PA 165. On the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 11.58. On August 24, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.33 and said the
coma was about 3 across.
The comet was last detected on September 3.24, when van Biesbroeck
obtained a 10-minute exposure with the 208-cm reflector. The magnitude
was estimated as 19, and the very diffuse coma was 8 across. Van Biesbroeck
said there was a vague indication of a broad tail extending 20 in PA 150.
The position was given as = 18h 46.2m , = +9 03 .
The first orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham, using three positions
spanning the period June 710. The resulting parabolic orbit had a perihelion
date of 1948 May 15.87. He revised the orbit around mid-July. Using three
positions spanning the period June 716, he determined the perihelion date
as May 15.91.
G. Schrutka (1975, 1978) used about 150 positions obtained between June 5
and September 3, reduced them to 19 Normal places, and applied perturbations by Venus to Pluto. The result was an elliptical orbit with a perihelion
date of May 15.91 and a period of about 66 100 years. This orbit is given
below. B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart (1978) took this orbit
and derived an elliptical original orbit with a period of about 83 130 years,
and an elliptical future orbit with a period of about 11 730 years.
T
1948 May 15.9052 (TT)
(2000.0)
317.0555 203.8209
i
23.1489
q
e
0.207628 0.999875
absolute magnitude: H0 = 7.83, n = 5.7 (Ahnert, 1949); H0 = 7.54, n = 5.39

(Beyer, 1950); H10 = 8.4 (V1964)
full moon: May 23, Jun. 21, Jul. 21, Aug. 19, Sep. 18
sources: M. Honda and G. Bernasconi, HAC, No. 903 (1948 Jun. 7); M. Honda
and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 904 (1948 Jun. 9); C. A. Wirtanen, B. J. Mattson,
and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 905 (1948 Jun. 11); G. van Biesbroeck and H. L.
Giclas, HAC, No. 907 (1948 Jun. 17); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 915 (1948
Jul. 12); C. A. Wirtanen, B. J. Mattson, and W. W. Shane, LOB, 20 (1949), p. 35;
M. Honda, G. Bernasconi, T. Higasi, G. van Biesbroeck, and L. E. Cunningham,
MNRAS, 109 (1949), pp. 2501; P. Ahnert, AN, 277 (1949 May 23), p. 137; H. L.
Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.), p. 166; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 56,
5960; M. Beyer, AN, 278 (1950 Jul. 14), pp. 2368; C. Hoffmeister, AN, 279 (1950
Dec. 15), pp. 956; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 5; V1964, p. 76; G. Schrutka, CCO,
2nd ed. (1975), pp. 26, 50; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart, AJ, 83
(1978 Jan.), p. 68; G. Schrutka, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 523, 57.
(Wirtanen) Last seen: 1951 March 4.3 ( = 5.99 AU, r = 6.81 AU, Elong. = 142)
301
catalog of comets
1949 I = 1948h Calculated path: EQU (Disc), DEL (Jul. 28), AQL (Aug. 8), SGR (Sep. 25), MIC
(1949 Mar. 22), IND (Mar. 24), PAV (Apr. 22), OCT (May 11), APS (May 20),
OCT (May 23), APS (May 28), CHA (May 30), MUS (Jun. 8), CAR (Jun. 18),
CEN (Jul. 5), VEL (1950 Jan. 13), ANT (Feb. 24), VELPYX (Mar. 5), HYA
(May 1), SEX (Oct. 4), HYA (Nov. 25)
C. A. Wirtanen (Lick Observatory, California, USA) discovered this comet
on a 2-hour exposure made on 1948 July 15.41 with the 51-cm Carnegie
astrograph during the proper motion program. The position was given as
= 21h 13.7m , = +7 55 . Wirtanen estimated the magnitude as 15.5,
and said the comet appeared as a diffuse trail over 2 mm long. Wirtanen
confirmed the discovery on July 17.38. The magnitude was estimated as
15.5, while the round diffuse coma was 0.1 across and possessed a sharp,
central nucleus.
On July 18 and 19, Wirtanen estimated the photographic magnitude as
15.5. He said the round coma was 0.1 across, with a sharp, central nucleus.
On July 30, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet using
the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 16.2. He said the
nucleus was condensed, while the faint tail extended 1 toward the southeast. On August 9 and 11, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas,
USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated
the magnitude as 13. He said an inner coma was 20 across, while the
round outer coma was 1.5 across. On August 28, L. Boyer (Alger, now
al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 14.4. On September 2 and 3, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 12.
He said an inner coma was 20 across, while the round outer coma was
1.5 across and brightest in the second quadrant. On September 4, Boyer
determined the photographic magnitude as 14.2. On October 6, Boyer determined the photographic magnitude as 14.5. On November 23, Jeffers gave
the photographic magnitude as 16.5. He said the comet was then at a low
altitude.
On 1949 March 1, E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South
Africa) photographed the comet using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera and estimated the magnitude as 13.5. He said the comet was small and
diffuse, with a central condensation. On April 7, Johnson estimated the
photographic magnitude as 12.0. On April 29, A. F. A. L. Jones (Timaru, New
Zealand) observed using his 32-cm reflector (104) and gave the magnitude
as 13.3. He said the coma was 0.67 across, with a degree of condensation
(DC) of 3. The comet attained its most southerly declination of 83 on
May 26.
On June 2.77, M. J. Bester (Harvard College Observatory, Boyden Station,
Bloemfontein, South Africa) independently discovered this comet at a position of = 12h 45m , = 80. He estimated the magnitude as 12.5, and
gave the daily motion as 19m in and +31 in . Besters find was not
immediately recognized as comet Wirtanen and it received the preliminary
302
catalog of comets
designation 1949b. This designation was not reassigned to a different

comet.
On July 21, Johnson estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.5. The
comet attained a northerly declination of 40 on September 29, before turning southward.
The comet attained a southerly declination of 46 on 1950 January 11, and
then turned northward. On January 24, Johnson said the comet was small
and diffuse, with no central condensation. On March 20, Johnson estimated
the photographic magnitude as 14.5. On April 15 and 17, van Biesbroeck
photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the
magnitude as 14. He said the fuzzy nucleus was 4 across and was surrounded by a faint coma with a fan-shaped extension towards PA 140. On
April 20, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17.5. He said the coma was round and
condensed. On May 14 and 15, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 16.5. He said the round coma was 10 across and only slightly
condensed. The comet attained a northerly declination of 9 on August 20,
and then turned southward. On November 12, L. E. Cunningham (Mount
Wilson, California, USA) photographed the comet. The comet attained a
southerly declination of 10 on November 26, and then turned northward.
On December 11, Cunningham photographed the comet using the 152-cm
reflector and indicated a magnitude of about 19.
The comets position was measured for the final time on 1951 February
4.34, when Cunningham photographed it using the 152-cm reflector. He
described the comet as very faint and magnitude 19. The position was given
as = 08h 54.6m , = 6 42 . Cunningham last photographed the comet
on March 4.3. He was using the reflector and gave the magnitude as 19.0.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by Cunningham. Using three positions spanning the period July 1519, he determined the perihelion date as
1949 April 30.66. Cunningham revised his orbit a couple of months later
by taking 11 positions spanning mid-July to late September. He gave the
perihelion date as May 1.12.
S. Wierzbinski (1962) took 69 positions from the period spanning 1948
July 151950 May 15, reduced them to 19 Normal places, and applied perturbations by Venus, Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn. The result was a perihelion
date of May 1.11 and a period of about 227 thousand years.
B. G. Marsden (1973, 1978) took 57 positions spanning the period 1948 July
151950 May 15, as well as perturbations by all nine planets, and determined
the perihelion date as May 1.11 and the orbital period as about 242 112 years.
Marsden took this orbit and derived an elliptical original orbit with a period
of about 90 thousand years, and an elliptical future orbit with a period of
about 71 thousand years.
T
1949 May 1.1091 (TT)
303
(2000.0)
i
q
e
229.9503 120.6032 130.2675 2.517207 0.999352
catalog of comets
14, Feb. 13, Mar. 14, Apr. 13, May 12, Jun. 10, Jul. 10, Aug. 8, Sep. 7, Oct. 7, Nov.
5, Dec. 5, 1950 Jan. 4, Feb. 2, Mar. 4, Apr. 2, May 2, May 31, Jun. 29, Jul. 29, Aug.
27, Sep. 26, Oct. 25, Nov. 24, Dec. 24, 1951 Jan. 23, Feb. 21, Mar. 23
sources: C. A. Wirtanen, HAC, No. 916 (1948 Jul. 19); C. A. Wirtanen, H. M.
Jeffers, B. J. Mattson, and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 919 (1948 Jul. 29); L.
Boyer, IAUC, No. 1183 (1948 Oct. 20); C. A. Wirtanen and H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20
(1949), p. 36; L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 109 (1949), pp. 2546; E. L. Johnson,
IAUC, No. 1210 (1949 Apr. 20); M. J. Bester, HAC, No. 997 (1949 Jun. 3); M. J.
Bester, HAC, No. 998 (1949 Jun. 6); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1950), p. 40; G. van
Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 57, 60; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5 (1950 Feb.),
p. 363; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 6 (1951 Mar.), p. 10; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 5; L. E.
Cunningham, PASP, 63 (1951 Feb.), p. 42; L. E. Cunningham, PASP, 63 (1951
Apr.), p. 96; L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 112 (1952), p. 337; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 79, 84; S. Wierzbinski, QJRAS, 3 (1962 Sep.), pp. 1735;
V1964, p. 77; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 78 (1973 Dec.), pp. 111920; B. G. Marsden, AJ,
83 (1978 Jan.), p. 68; L. E. Cunningham, MPC, No. 5473 (1980 Oct. 1); A. F. A. L.
Jones, ICQ, 6 (1984 Jan.), p. 18.
47P/1948 Q1 Discovered: 1948 August 26.26 ( = 1.33 AU, r = 2.33 AU, Elong. = 166)
(Ashbrook Last seen: 1949 October 28.51 ( = 2.91 AU, r = 3.38 AU, Elong. = 109)
Jackson) Closest to the Earth: 1948 September 6 (1.3177 AU)
Calculated path: AQR (Disc), PSC (Dec. 3), ARI (Mar. 20), TAU (May 16), AUR
(Jun.
23), GEM (Sep. 12), AUR (Sep. 27)
1948 IX = 1948i
J. Ashbrook (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) discovered this comet on a
photographic plate that was exposed for 1 hour to obtain an image of minor
planet 1327 using the 33-cm Lawrence Lowell refractor on 1948 August
26.26. The comet was then at a position of = 23h 11.9m , = 14 50 .
Ashbrook estimated the magnitude as 12, and described the comet as diffuse, with a nucleus, and a tail less than 1 long. This comet was independently discovered by C. V. Jackson (Yale-Columbia Station, Johannesburg,
South Africa) on August 26.83. Jackson estimated the magnitude as 10. Ashbrook confirmed his discovery on August 27.24. The comet was found about
5 weeks prior to passing perihelion and nearly 2 weeks prior to it passing
closest to Earth.
On August 29, the photographic magnitude was given as 10.5 by E. L.
Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) and 11 by N.
Sherman (Students Observatory, California, USA). Johnson said the 25-cm
FranklinAdams Star Camera revealed the comet was quite stellar with
[a] semi-circular tail of short length projecting from the centre of the head.
Sherman described the comet as diffuse, with a nucleus, and a short tail.
On the 30th, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 11. He noted a fairly sharp nucleus that was very eccentrically
304
catalog of comets
situated within a coma which fanned out into a tail extending 10 towards
the west. On August 31, E. G. Reuning (US Naval Observatory, Washington,
DC, USA) estimated the photographic magnitude as 12. He described the
comet as diffuse, with a nucleus.
On September 1 and 2, Reuning estimated the photographic magnitude
as 12. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 172 on September 4. On the 7th, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
observed using a 26-cm refractor (70) and gave the magnitude as 10.84.
He said the coma was 2.4 across and extended slightly towards PA 253,
while the nuclear magnitude was 12.7. On the 8th, L. Boyer (Alger, now
al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 12.0. On the 9th,
extended slightly towards PA 254, while the nuclear magnitude was 12.78.
On the 10th, H. Krumpholz (Vienna, Austria) estimated the photographic
magnitude as 11. On the 11th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 11.01,
while G. Merton (Oxford, England) gave the photographic magnitude as
11. On the 13th, H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona) photographed the comet using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and
gave the magnitude as 11.3. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.15
and said the coma diameter was 1.5 . On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.54. He said the coma was 1.9 across, while the nuclear magnitude
was 12.88. On September 30, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.10. He said
nuclear magnitude was 12.5.
On October 1, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 11.12, while Giclas
gave the photographic magnitude as 12.7. Beyer said the coma was about
2 across. On October 1 and 2, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 11. He said a fairly sharp nucleus was very eccentrically situated within a coma which fanned out into a tail extending 10 towards
the west. On the 3rd, the photographic magnitude was estimated as 11.5
by Krumpholz and 13.0 by Boyer. On the 4th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 11.25. He said the coma was 3.0 across and extended slightly towards
PA 257, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.2. On the 7th, H. M. Jeffers
(Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 91cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 14. He said the coma
was round and centrally condensed. On October 28, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.6.
On November 4, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.6. On
the 5th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.8311.90. He said the coma was
1.9 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 13.5. On the 6th, Beyer gave
said the coma was 1.5 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 13.9. On
the 22nd, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 12.43, while Boyer gave the
photographic magnitude as 14.0. Beyer said the coma was 1.0 across. On
305
catalog of comets
the 25th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.62. He said the coma was about 1
across. On November 27, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin,
USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the
magnitude as 12. He said a sharply defined coma possessed a broad tail
extending about 1.5 in PA 40.
On December 2, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.18. He said the coma was
3.0 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 14.2. On the 3rd, Beyer gave the
visual magnitude as 12.09, while Boyer gave the photographic magnitude
as 14.2. Beyer said the coma was about 1.5 across. On the 5th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 12.09 and said the coma was about 1.5 across. On the 21st,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.17. He said the coma was 1.8 across, and
the nuclear magnitude was about 14. On the 24th, Beyer gave the magnitude
about 14.3. On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.60. He said the
coma was 2.5 across, and the nuclear magnitude was about 14.5. On the
and the nuclear magnitude was about 14.3. On December 29, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 12.36. He said the coma was about 2 across.
On 1949 January 2, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.64 and noted the coma
was about 2 across. On the 3rd, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 13 and said the coma was very well defined. On the 18th, Boyer
gave the photographic magnitude as 14.0. On the 27th, Jeffers estimated
the photographic magnitude as 16 and said the coma was round and 0.1
across. On the 29th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 15 in extremely poor seeing. On January 30, van Biesbroeck estimated
the photographic magnitude as 15. He said the coma was nearly 30 across
and no longer so well defined. On February 16, 17, and 18, van Biesbroeck
estimated the photographic magnitude as 16 and said the diffuse coma was
20 across. Beyer tried to observe the comet on March 2 with the 60-cm
refractor (205), but nothing was detected in the expected position. The
comet passed about 7 from the sun on May 16.
The last two detections of the comet came on October 28.44 and October
28.51, when Jeffers photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. His
colleague S. Vasilevskis gave the position on the last date as = 7h 08.8m ,
= +37 08 . Jeffers said an exposure of 90 minutes showed a very faint taillike feature extending less than 1 toward the west. He gave the magnitude
of the comet as 19.3.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by A. D. Maxwell, using three
positions spanning the period August 26September 2. The result was a
perihelion date of 1949 April 25.94. A few days later, J. Bobone determined
the perihelion date as April 19.40.
The first elliptical orbit was calculated by Jackson, using three positions from August 26, 29, and September 1. First published on September 15, he gave the perihelion date as 1948 September 12.05 and the
period as 5.94 years. L. E. Cunningham took positions spanning the period
306
catalog of comets
August 26September 5 and published a new orbit on September 20. The

result was a perihelion date of October 7.98 and a period of 7.55 years.
Cunningham said these elements indicated an approach to within 0.29 AU
of Jupiter on 1945 July 4 and that the previous period was 9.37 years. Further
calculations were independently made by Jackson, Maxwell, Bobone, and
Cunningham (1949) during the following days, weeks, and months, which
eventually established the perihelion date as October 4.75 and the period
as 7.48 years.
M. A. Merzlyakova (1973), E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya (1979, 1982), G.
Forti (1983, 1989), S. Nakano (1990, 1998, 2006), P. Rocher (2002), and K.
Kinoshita (2003). These considered perturbations from six or more planets,
with calculations from 1983 onwards solving for nongravitational forces.
The result was a perihelion date of October 4.78 and a period of 7.48 years.
The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.33 and A2 = 0.0118 by
Forti (1989), A1 = +0.058 and A2 = 0.00705 by Nakano (1990), A1 = 0.014
and A2 = 0.00393 by Nakano (1998), A1 = +0.02671 and A2 = 0.00346 by
Rocher, A1 = +0.09797 and A2 = 0.00434 by Kinoshita, and A1 = +0.036
and A2 = 0.00369 by Nakano (2006).
T
1948 Oct. 4.7787 (TT)
(2000.0)
348.9078
3.0359
i
12.5197
q
e
2.310997 0.395602

14, Apr. 13, May 12, Jun. 10, Jul. 10, Aug. 8, Sep. 7, Oct. 7, Nov. 5
sources: J. Ashbrook and N. Sherman, HAC, No. 929 (1948 Aug. 30); E. G. Reuning, HAC, No. 930 (1948 Aug. 31); J. Ashbrook, HAC, No. 933 (1948 Sep. 1); A. D.
Maxwell, C. V. Jackson, and E. G. Reuning, HAC, No. 934 (1948 Sep. 7); E. L.
Johnson, IAUC, No. 1174 (1948 Sep. 7); A. D. Maxwell, IAUC, No. 1175 (1948
Sep. 9); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 935 (1948 Sep. 13); C. V. Jackson, IAUC, No. 1176
(1948 Sep. 15); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 937 (1948 Sep. 20); A. D. Maxwell,
HAC, No. 940 (1948 Sep. 29); C. V. Jackson, ASSAMN, 7 (1948 Sep. 30), p. 81;
J. Bobone, HAC, No. 941 (1948 Oct. 8); A. D. Maxwell, IAUC, No. 1180 (1948 Oct.
8); H. Krumpholz, IAUC, No. 1181 (1948 Oct. 13); L. Boyer and A. D. Maxwell,
IAUC, No. 1183 (1948 Oct. 20); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 948 (1948 Oct. 29);
L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 949 (1948 Oct. 29); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 958 (1948
Nov. 24); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1949), p. 36; L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1196 (1949
Jan. 3); H. L. Giclas and J. Ashbrook, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.), p. 166, 168; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1031 (1949 Sep. 27); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1950), p. 40;
G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 5760; M. Beyer, AN, 278 (1950 Jul.
14), pp. 2389; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 6; V1964, p. 77; B. G. Marsden, CCO,
1st ed. (1972), pp. 26, 48; M. A. Merzlyakova, QJRAS, 14 (1973 Dec.), pp. 4046;
E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 26, 52; E. I. KazimirchakPolonskaya, Akademija Nauk Trudy Instituta Teoreticeskoj Astronomii, 18 (1982),
pp. 91106; G. Forti, AAP, 126 (1983), pp. 30710; G. Forti, AAP, 215 (1989),
307
catalog of comets
pp. 3816; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 538 (1990 May 2); S. Nakano, Nakano
Note, No. 664 (1998 Apr. 26); personal correspondence from P. Rocher (2002);
personal correspondence from K. Kinoshita (2003); S. Nakano, Nakano Note,
No. 1308 (2006 Apr. 7).
(Johnson) Last seen: 1948 December 3.05 ( = 5.05 AU, r = 5.07 AU, Elong. = 85)
1948 III = 1948j Calculated path: SCL (Disc), PHE (Sep. 30), GRU (Oct. 18), PHE (Nov. 17)
E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) discovered
this comet with the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera on 1948 September
1.85. He gave the position as = 23h 40.7m , = 35 55 . Johnson estimated
the magnitude as 13.5, and described the comet as diffuse, without a central
condensation. He confirmed the comet with the same telescope on September 4.93 and gave the magnitude as 13. The comet was nearly 5 months past
perihelion and about a week past its closest approach to Earth.
On September 7, H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) photographed the comet using the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and
gave the magnitude as 14.2, while Johnson gave the photographic magnitude as 13. On the 9th and 11th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as
14.7. On the 13th, Giclas gave the photographic magnitude as 14.6. On October 1, Giclas estimated the photographic magnitude as 15. On the 3rd and
4th, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed
the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13.5.
He said a sharp nucleus was surrounded by a diffuse coma, while a tail
extended 10 in PA 120. On the 25th, Giclas estimated the photographic
magnitude as 15. The comet attained its most southerly declination of 41
on October 30.
On November 4, Johnson gave the photographic magnitude as 14.5. On
the 21st and 24th, Johnson estimated the photographic magnitude as 15. On
November 26 and 28, M. J. Bester (Harvard College Observatory, Boyden
Station, Bloemfontein, South Africa) photographed the comet using the
152-cm reflector, but provided no physical description.
The last two detections of the comet came on December 2.06 and
December 3.05, when D. McLeish (Bosque Alegre Observatory, Argentina)
obtained photographs of the comets position. For the final observation, the
position was given as = 23h 31.6m , = 39 30 .
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by P. Naur. Published on September 17, it gave the perihelion date as 1949 March 9.78. A short time later,
L. E. Cunningham took positions from September 111 and determined the
perihelion date as 1948 April 12.72. Near the end of September, C. V. Jackson
determined the perihelion date as 1948 March 10.64. J. Bobone took three
positions spanning the period September 10October 6 and determined the
perihelion date as April 9.39.
308
catalog of comets
Two parabolic orbits have been calculated which use positions spanning
nearly the entire period of visibility. Cunningham (1949) used 17 positions
spanning the period September 7December 3, and determined the perihelion date of April 9.02. B. G. Marsden (1974) used 36 positions obtained
between September 4 and December 3, and determined the perihelion date
of April 8.95. Marsdens orbit is given below.
T
1948 Apr. 8.9538 (TT)
(2000.0)
191.8392 140.4113
i
53.2325
q
4.708380
e
1.0

sources: E. L. Johnson, HAC, No. 934 (1948 Sep. 7); E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1174
(1948 Sep. 7); H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 935 (1948 Sep. 13); H. L. Giclas and E. L.
Johnson, IAUC, No. 1176 (1948 Sep. 15); H. L. Giclas and P. Naur, HAC, No. 936
(1948 Sep. 17); P. Naur, IAUC, No. 1177 (1948 Sep. 17); C. V. Jackson, ASSAMN,
7 (1948 Sep. 30), p. 82; C. V. Jackson, IAUC, No. 1180 (1948 Oct. 8); J. Bobone,
HAC, No. 950 (1948 Nov. 1); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 951 (1948 Nov. 5);
J. Bobone and L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1186 (1948 Nov. 9); E. L. Johnson,
IAUC, No. 1188 (1948 Nov. 19); E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1194 (1948 Dec. 20);
D. McLeish, HAC, No. 973 (1949 Jan. 20); E. L. Johnson and M. J. Bester, UOC,
5 (1949 May), p. 307; H. L. Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.), p. 166; L. E. Cunningham,
IAUC, No. 1222 (1949 Jul. 27); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1015 (1949 Jul. 28);
G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 57, 60; V1964, p. 76; B. G. Marsden,
QJRAS, 15 (1974), pp. 4523.
C/1948 T1 Discovered: 1948 October 7.20 ( = 4.19 AU, r = 4.89 AU, Elong. = 129)
(Wirtanen) Last seen: 1950 September 11.3 ( = 8.91 AU, r = 9.55 AU, Elong. = 127)
Closest to the Earth: 1947 October 26 (2.4356 AU)
1947 VIII = 1948k Calculated path: PEG (Disc), AQR (Oct. 10), CAP (1949 Sep. 1), SGR (1950
Aug. 8)
on a plate exposed by C. D. Shane with the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph on
1948 October 7.20. B. J. Mattson measured the position as = 21h 29.9m ,
= 2 58 . Wirtanen estimated the magnitude as 14, and described the
comet as a faint diffuse trail nearly 2 mm long. The daily motion was given
as 46s in and 10 42 in . Wirtanen obtained confirmation on October
10.19 and October 10.22. He described the comet as magnitude 14, with a
round, condensed coma. Shane also photographed the comet on October
11.14 and October 11.16, and described it as magnitude 14, with a round,
condensed coma.
On October 21, Wirtanen estimated the photographic magnitude as 15.
On October 28 and November 4, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria)
estimated the photographic magnitude as 15.0. On November 27, G. van
309
catalog of comets
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet

using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 15. He said the
coma was round and about 25 across. On December 2, Boyer gave the
On 1949 January 31, the comet attained a southerly declination of 5. The
comet passed about 9 from the sun on February 13. After moving northward only a few arc minutes during February and March, the comet turned
toward the south on April 15. On June 25, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory)
photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated
the magnitude as 17.5. He said the round coma was 4 across. On August
2, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 16. He said
the round coma was 20 across and slightly condensed towards the center.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 173 on August 6. On
September 24, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 18. He said
the round coma was 3 across. The comet attained a declination of 17 on
December 30 and then turned northward again.
The comet passed about 2 from the sun on 1950 January 27. The comet
attained a declination of 16 on March 17, and then turned southward
again. L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA)
obtained two photographic plates on July 22. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of about 180 on July 24. Cunningham photographed
the comet on August 16.
The last position was obtained on August 17.29, when Cunningham photographed it and gave the position as = 19h 59.3m , = 21 11 . The final
observation came on September 11.3, when Cunningham gave the nuclear
magnitude as 18.
The first orbit was calculated by A. D. Maxwell. Using positions from
the period October 711, he determined a parabolic orbit with a perihelion
date of 1948 April 8.10. Additional orbits by Cunningham established the
perihelion date as September 3.93.
Two definitive orbits have been calculated, with the first by B. G. Marsden
and Z. Sekanina (1973) and the second by Marsden (1978). Both orbits used
perturbations by all nine planets. Marsden and Sekanina (1978) used 22
positions obtained between 1948 October 7 and 1949 September 24. They
determined the perihelion date as September 4.41 and the eccentricity as
1.0022130. They calculated an elliptical original orbit with a period of about
2.6 million years, and an elliptical future orbit with a period of about 262
thousand years. Marsden (1978) used 26 positions obtained between 1948
October 7 and 1950 August 17. He determined the perihelion date as September 4.43 and the eccentricity as 1.0022784. This orbit is given below. He calculated an elliptical original orbit with a period of about 5.0 million years
and an elliptical future orbit with a period of about 296 thousand years.
T
1947 Sep. 4.4310 (TT)
310
73.4648
(2000.0)
i
q
e
122.1206 155.0779 3.261102 1.002278
catalog of comets
13, May 12, Jun. 10, Jul. 10, Aug. 8, Sep. 7, Oct. 7, Nov. 5, Dec. 5, 1950 Jan. 4, Feb.
2, Mar. 4, Apr. 2, May 2, May 31, Jun. 29, Jul. 29, Aug. 27, Sep. 26
sources: C. A. Wirtanen, HAC, No. 942 (1948 Oct. 13); C. A. Wirtanen and C. D.
Shane, IAUC, No. 1181 (1948 Oct. 13); C. D. Shane, C. A. Wirtanen, B. J. Mattson, and A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 943 (1948 Oct. 18); A. D. Maxwell, IAUC,
No. 1183 (1948 Oct. 20); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 966 (1948 Dec. 20); L. C.
Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1195 (1948 Dec. 28); C. A. Wirtanen, C. D. Shane, and
B. J. Mattson, LOB, 20 (1949), p. 36; L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1196 (1949 Jan. 3); L. E.
Cunningham, HAC, No. 1002 (1949 Jun. 21); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1950), p. 40;
G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 57, 60; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 6;
L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 111 (1951), p. 238; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953
Apr.), pp. 79, 84; V1964, p. 76; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 78 (1973 Dec.),
pp. 111920; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68.
(Eclipse Comet) Last seen: 1949 April 3.16 ( = 3.09 AU, r = 3.08 AU, Elong. = 80)
1948 XI = 1948l Calculated path: LIB (Disc), VIR (Nov. 1), HYA (Nov. 9), ANT (Nov. 26), PYX
(Dec. 7), PUP (Dec. 14), CMa (Dec. 24), LEP (1949 Jan. 17), ORI (Feb. 3)
This comet was discovered by many people as they were watching the
total solar eclipse of 1948 November 1.2. Along the entire path of totality,
observers saw the comet positioned within 2 of the sun, with a tail stretching toward the horizon. Numerous photographs of the eclipse were taken,
which, despite the short exposures, plainly showed the comet. Some of
the best photographs were taken by a team of astronomers from the Royal
Observatory (Greenwich, England) that had set up in Mombasa (Kenya),
as well as by an airplane of the British Royal Air Force flying at 13 000 feet
over Kenya. Three photographs were measured by R. dE. Atkinson, who
determined the comet was 105.4 from the moons center in PA 230. This
indicated a position of = 14h 19.5m , = 15 31 .
A few days after the eclipse, additional independent discoveries were
reported. On November 4, Frank McGann (pilot for Pan AmericanGrace
Airways, flying at an altitude of 16 500 feet, near Kingston, Jamaica) independently discovered the comet. On November 5.8, Wood (Australia) saw
the comet and quickly reported it to the observatory at Canberra. On
November 6.8, Thomson (a pilot flying from Perth to Adelaide) saw the
comet. On the morning of November 7, J. S. Paraskevopoulos (Harvard
College Observatory, Boyden Station, Bloemfontein, South Africa) independently discovered the comet. At about the same time, L. Menager (a student
at College of Notre-Dame, Victoria, Australia) also independently discovered the comet and later informed P. E. Bourgeois (Royal Observatory, Uccle,
Belgium).
311
catalog of comets
On November 6, J. D. Pope (Moshi, Tanzania) located the comet emerging from twilight, after having been alerted by Atkinson of the sighting
during the solar eclipse. He estimated the magnitude as 1 and said the tail
was 15 long. A. R. Hogg (Commonwealth Observatory, Canberra, Australia) reported a magnitude of 1 and noted a tail over 1 long. On the 8th,
the naked-eye magnitude was given as 1 by A. F. A. L. Jones (Timaru, New
Zealand), 2 by J. van B. Lourens and R. H. Stoy (Cape Observatory) and
Paraskevopoulos, and 2.5 by Hogg. Interestingly, L. Rivera and L. Herrera
(Tonanzinla, Mexico) observed the comet following Gamma Hydrae and
commented that the nucleus [was] brighter than Venus, while the tail was
about 10 long. Jones said the tail was 1.5 long to the naked eye. He added
that observations with a 8-cm refractor (20) revealed a degree of condensation (DC) of 8 and a tail length of 1.5. Paraskevopoulos said the comet
possessed a bright nucleus, with a tail 20 long. Hogg noted the tail was
more than 1 long. On November 9 and 10, H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) gave the magnitude as 2, while Menager said the central
condensation was magnitude 3. Menager also estimated the tail length as
about 20.
On November 11, A. Brito (Ceylon) gave the naked-eye magnitude as 1.
He added that the coma was 15 across, with a DC of 7, and a tail 18 long. On
the 12th, the naked-eye magnitude was given as 2 by A. Jeffrey (Libya), 2.0 by
C. V. Jackson (YaleColumbia Station, Johannesburg, South Africa), and 2.5
by Giclas. E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa)
photographed the comet using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera and
estimated the magnitude as 2.0. The tail length was given as 8 by Jeffrey
and 20 by Jackson. Johnson said the comets head was large even on short
exposure plates. On the 12th, 13th, and 14th, C. D. Shane and C. A. Wirtanen
(Lick Observatory, California, USA) obtained photographs using the 51-cm
Carnegie astrograph that revealed marked changes in the structure of the
tail. On the 13th, Brito estimated the naked-eye magnitude as 2.0, while
G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory, Athens, Greece) gave the magnitude as 3.2. On the 14th, the magnitude was given as 2.5 by Jackson, 3 by
Giclas, and 3.9 by Jones. Jones said 2 50 binoculars revealed a tail 2 long,
and a naked-eye observation revealed it to be 5 long. He added that the
14-cm refractor (42) showed the coma as 4 across, with a DC of 7. W. H.
van den Bos (Union Observatory) observed using the 23-cm refractor and
saw a small, nonstellar nucleus and a little fountain that extended toward
the sun a short distance before curving back into the tail. On November 15,
the magnitude was given as 2.5 by Johnson and Jackson. A photograph
exposed by astronomers at Radcliffe Observatory (Pretoria, South Africa)
revealed a long faint streamer that diverted at an angle of 9 from the
main tail.
USA) estimated the magnitude as 4. He said it was a difficult object due
to the full moon and twilight, but exhibited a tail 4 long. On the 17th, Jones
312
catalog of comets
gave the magnitude as 3.8, using 2 50 binoculars. He added that the tail
was 3 long. On the 18th, the magnitude was given as 3.5 by R. H. Wilson
Jr. (Strawbridge Observatory, Haverford College, Pennsylvania, USA) and
Jones, and 3.7 by D. C. Berry (New Zealand). Jones said the 14-cm refractor
(42) revealed a coma 3 across and a tail extending 0.83 in PA 272, while
the 8-cm refractor (30) revealed a tail extending 1.75. Berry said the tail
extended 6 in PA 260. On the 19th, Berry gave the naked-eye magnitude
as 3.9. He said the degree of condensation was 4. Brito said the tail was
5 long. On the 22nd, Berry gave the naked-eye magnitude as 4.2. He said
the tail was 5 long. On the 23rd, Adamopoulos gave the magnitude as 4.5.
On the 25th, the magnitude was given as 4 by T. J. Bartlett and A. W. Recht
(Chamberlin Observatory, University of Denver, Colorado, USA) and 4.3 by
Jones. Jones said the binoculars revealed a tail 4 long and the 8-cm refractor
(30) revealed a tail extending 3. On the 26th, Jones said 2 50 binoculars
revealed a tail extending 5 in PA 275. On the 28th, the magnitude was
given as 4.5 by Berry, Bartlett, and Parks, while Jones gave it as 4.7. Jones
said the binoculars revealed a tail extending 5 in PA 290, while the 32-cm
reflector (62) revealed a coma 5.5 across, with a DC of 1, and a tail extending 8 in PA 270. Berry said the DC was 4 and the tail extended 6 in PA
265. On the 29th, Bartlett and Parks estimated the magnitude as 4.5. On
November 30, Giclas estimated the magnitude as 4.5.
On December 1, Jones said the binoculars revealed a magnitude of 5.0. He
said the binoculars revealed a tail extending 6 in PA 270, while the 14-cm
refractor (42) revealed a coma 7 across, with a DC of 1. On the 2nd, the
magnitude was given as 4.7 by Berry, 4.8 by Wilson, and 5.2 by Jones. Berry
said the tail extended 6 in PA 280. Wilson said a 25-cm refractor showed
a coma 20 across and a nucleus which consisted of three or four almost
stellar components, strung out in a line at least 20 long in the direction of
the comets tail (almost eastwest). Jones said the 14-cm refractor (42)
revealed a coma 8 across, with a tail extending more than 2 in PA 270.
On the 5th, Berry observed using a 9-cm refractor and gave the magnitude
as 4.8. He said the coma was 6 across, with a DC of 3, and a tail extending 0.1 in PA 282. The comet attained its most southerly declination of
35 on December 6, at which time Berry gave the magnitude as 5.3. He
added that the coma was 4 across, with a DC of 3, and a tail extending 2
in PA 290.
On December 7, the magnitude was given as 4.9 by van Biesbroeck, 5 by
Giclas, and 5.7 by Jones. Jones said a 32-cm reflector (104) revealed a coma
5 across, with a DC of 3. On the 8th, Berry gave the naked-eye magnitude
3 in PA 297. On the 9th, the magnitude was given as 5.2 by Berry, 5.5 by
van Biesbroeck, and 5.6 by Jones. Berry said the coma was 5 across, with a
tail extending 1.5 in PA 302. Jones said his 8-cm refractor (13) revealed
a tail extending 1 in PA 295, while a 32-cm reflector (104) revealed a
coma 5 across, with a DC of 3. On the 10th, the magnitude was given as
313
catalog of comets
5.1 by Berry and 5.5 by Jones. Berry said the coma was 3 across, with a DC
of 2, and a tail extending 2 in PA 300. Jones said the 2 50 binoculars
revealed a tail 2 long, the 8-cm refractor (13) revealed a tail extending
1.50 in PA 305, and a 20-cm reflector (35) revealed a coma 7.5 across,
with a DC of 5. On the 11th, Jones gave the magnitude as 5.6. He said a
32-cm reflector (104) revealed a coma 4 across, with a DC of 4, and a possible tail extending toward PA 305. On December 13, Giclas estimated the
magnitude as 6.
On December 15, the magnitude was given as 5.8 by Jones and 6.2 by
Berry. Jones said a 32-cm reflector (104) revealed a coma 4 across, with
a DC of 4. Berry said the coma was 3 across, with a DC of 3. On the 17th,
Jones gave the magnitude as 5.9. Berry observed the comet with an 8-cm
refractor (6) and said the coma was 3 across, with a DC of 2. On the 18th,
Berry observed the comet with an 9-cm refractor and said the coma was 2.1
across, with a DC of 2, and a tail extending 0.7 in PA 329. On the 20th,
Jones gave the magnitude as 6.1. He said a 14-cm refractor (42) revealed
a coma 5 across, with a DC of 5, and a tail extending 0.08 in PA 330. On
the 21st, Jones gave the magnitude as 6.2. He said a 14-cm refractor (42)
revealed a coma 6 across, with a DC of 5, and possibly a tail. On the 24th,
Jones observed using his 8-cm refractor (13) and gave the magnitude as
7.0. He said a 20-cm reflector (35) revealed a coma 4 across, with a DC of
4, and a tail extending 0.13 in PA 330. Berry said the coma was 2 across
and exhibited a tail extending 0.7 in PA 345. On the 28th, Jones gave the
magnitude as 7.3. He said a 20-cm reflector (35) revealed a coma about 4.5
across, with a DC of 4, and a tail extending about 0.08 in PA 360. On the
29th, P. L. Brown (England) observed using his 15-cm refractor (40) and
estimated the magnitude as 8. He said the coma was 4 across, with a DC of
1. On December 30, J. L. White (England) observed using his 23-cm reflector
(50) and estimated the magnitude as 8. He said the coma was 3 across,
with a DC of 2.
On 1949 January 2, D. J. Fulcher (England) observed the comet using his
13-cm refractor (33) and gave the visual magnitude as 7.5, while Johnson
gave the magnitude as 7.5. Fulcher said the coma was 7 across, with a DC
of 4. On the 3rd, van Biesbroeck observed using binoculars and gave the
magnitude as 9.2. On the 6th, Jones gave the magnitude as 7.8. He said a
20-cm reflector (36) revealed a coma 5 across, with a DC of 4. On the 9th,
Fulcher gave the magnitude as 8.8. He said the coma was 3 across, with a
DC of 6. On the 10th, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.1. He said the coma
was 4 across, with a DC of 5, and a tail extending about 0.1 in PA 360. The
comet attained a maximum solar elongation of about 135 on January 11.
On January 14, Jones observed using his 20-cm reflector (36) and gave the
magnitude as 9.0. He said the coma was 3.5 across, with a DC of 4.
On January 18, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.9. He observed
in moonlight and said a well-defined nucleus was surrounded by a coma
314
catalog of comets
4 across, while a faint tail was detected. On the 20th, the visual magnitude
was given as 9.2 by Jones, while the photographic magnitude was given as
11.5 by L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria). Jones said the coma was
4 across, with a DC of 4. On the 21st, the magnitude was given as 8.31
by M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) and 9 by W. H.
Steavenson (Cambridge, England). Beyer said the coma diameter was 5 ,
and the nuclear magnitude was about 13. Steavenson was using the 76-cm
reflector (150) and said the coma was 5 across, with a DC of 3. On the 22nd,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.14. He said the coma diameter was 7 , and the
nuclear magnitude was hardly discernible at about 13 in the 60-cm refractor.
On the 24th, Jones observed using his 32-cm reflector (62) and gave the
magnitude as 9.8. He said the coma was 2.5 across, with a DC of 3, and a
tail extending about 0.1 in PA 10. On the 26th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 8.55. He said the coma diameter was 4.5 , and the nuclear magnitude was
about 13. On the 27th, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory) photographed the
comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 11.
He said an 8-minute exposure showed a round, centrally condensed coma
1.3 across. On the 28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.69 and said the coma
was 5 across. On the 29th, the magnitude was given as 8.75 by Beyer and 9.1
by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma diameter was 4.3 , and the nuclear
magnitude was about 13. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 4 across and
contained a well-defined nucleus. On the 30th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 8.58. He said the coma diameter was 7 , and the nuclear magnitude was
about 13. On January 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.80. He said the
coma diameter was 9 , and the nuclear magnitude was about 13.
On February 1, the visual magnitude was given as 8.89 by Beyer, using a
10-cm comet seeker, and 11.2 by Jones, using a 32-cm reflector (62). Beyer
said the coma was 9.3 across. Jones said the coma was 1.5 across, with a DC
of 3, and a tail extending about 0.1 in PA 140. On the 2nd, the magnitude
was given as 9.04 by Beyer and 10.8 by Jones. Beyer said the coma was 9
across. Jones said the coma was 2 across, with a DC of 3. On the 3rd, Fulcher
observed using his 13-cm refractor (33) and gave the magnitude as 10.5.
He said the coma was 2 across, with a DC of 3. On the 4th, the magnitude
was given as 9.07 by Beyer, using a 10-cm comet seeker, and 10.8 by Jones,
using a 20-cm reflector (36). Beyer said the coma was 7 in diameter. Jones
said the DC was 2. On February 5, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.18, using
the comet seeker, and Jones gave it as 10.9, using the 20-cm reflector. Beyer
said the coma diameter was 8 , and the nuclear magnitude was 12.73. Jones
said the coma was 2.5 across, with a DC of 2.
On February 16, Steavenson observed the comet using the 76-cm reflector
(150) and gave the magnitude as 10.7, while van Biesbroeck photographed
it and estimated the magnitude as 11. Steavenson said the coma was 6 across,
with a DC of 3. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 2 across, with a central
nucleus. On the 17th, G. Merton (England) observed using a 30-cm refractor
(180) and gave the magnitude as 11.2 and Beyer observed using the 26-cm
315
catalog of comets
refractor (70) and gave the magnitude as 11.24. Merton said the coma was
2 across, with a DC of 2. Beyer said the coma was 6 across. On the 19th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 10.86. He said the coma was 4.3 in diameter. On the
20th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.75 and noted that the coma was 3.7
across. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.04 and said the coma
was 4.0 across. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.08 and gave
the coma diameter as 3.6 . On the 25th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.73
and said the coma was 4 across. On the 26th, the photographic magnitude
was given as 13 by van Biesbroeck and 13.4 by Boyer. Van Biesbroeck said
the fuzzy coma was 40 across and contained a well-defined nucleus on the
preceding side. On February 27, the magnitude was given as 10.44 by Beyer
and 11.7 by Merton. Beyer said the 26-cm refractor (70) revealed a coma
3.7 across. Merton said the 30-cm refractor (180) revealed the coma was
1.5 across, with a DC of 4.
On March 2, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.58. He said the coma diameter was 3.8 , and the nuclear magnitude was 14.14. On the 3rd, Merton gave
the magnitude as 11.8 and said the coma was 1.0 across. On the 17th, van
Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 16. He said the very
faint coma contained a nucleus on the preceding side which was 5 across,
while a vague tail extended towards PA 150. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 12.05 and said the coma was about 2 across. On the 24th, the
magnitude was given as 12.5 by Merton and 12.55 by Beyer. Merton said
the coma was 0.5 across. Beyer said the coma was about 1.5 across. On the
28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.32 and said the coma was about 2.4
across. On the 29th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 12.21, while Jeffers
gave the photographic magnitude as 15.5. Beyer said the coma was about
1.6 in diameter. Jeffers said the coma was 0.3 across. On March 30 and 31,
Beyer estimated the magnitude as about 12.5.
On April 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.89 and said the coma was
about 1.3 across. On April 2, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 17. He said the coma was a nearly round fuzzy spot measuring
10 across.
The comet was last detected on April 3.16, when van Biesbroeck obtained a
14-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector. The magnitude was estimated
as 17, while the coma appeared as a nearly round fuzzy spot measuring 10
across. The position was given as = 6h 09.3m , = +0 32 .
The first orbits used positions spanning the period November 810. Stoy
and W. P. Hirst gave the perihelion date as 1948 October 27.46, while A. D.
Maxwell gave it as October 27.50. Using three precise positions obtained
between November 9 and 12, L. E. Cunningham computed a parabolic orbit
which was first published on November 22. He determined the perihelion
date as October 27.39. Using 23 positions spanning 35 days, Cunningham
calculated a perihelion date of October 27.43.
Hirst (1950) used 102 positions covering an arc of 146 days, applied planetary perturbations, and calculated an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date
316
catalog of comets
of October 27.43. The period was about 171 thousand years. He called this
orbit provisional and semi-definitive.
Hirst (1955) used 120 positions obtained between November 8 and April
3, reduced them to 27 Normal places, and applied perturbations by Venus to
Saturn. He determined the perihelion date as October 27.43 and the orbital
period as about 95 thousand years. This orbit is given below. B. G. Marsden,
Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart (1978) took this orbit and derived an elliptical
original orbit with a period of about 21 thousand years, and an elliptical
future orbit with a period of about 85 thousand years.
T
1948 Oct. 27.4271 (UT)
(2000.0)
107.2521 211.0395
i
23.1170
q
e
0.135421 0.999935

sources: J. S. Paraskevopoulos, L. Rivera, and L. Herrera, HAC, No. 952 (1948
Nov. 8); Wood, HAC, No. 954 (1948 Nov. 9); A. R. Hogg, J. S. Paraskevopoulos, and Wood, IAUC, No. 1186 (1948 Nov. 9); J. van B. Lourens, R. H. Stoy,
H. L. Giclas, W. P. Hirst, and A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 955 (1948 Nov. 13); J. S.
Paraskevopoulos, E. L. Johnson, A. D. Maxwell, and R. dE. Atkinson, IAUC, No.
1188 (1948 Nov. 19); L. E. Cunningham, R. dE. Atkinson, and G. van Biesbroeck,
HAC, No. 956 (1948 Nov. 22); Thomson, ASSAMN, 7 (1948 Nov. 30), pp. 949;
R. H. Stoy and W. P. Hirst, PA, 56 (1948 Dec.), p. 566; C. D. Shane and C. A. Wirtanen, PASP, 60 (1948 Dec.), pp. 3934; R. dE. Atkinson, J. D. Pope, W. H. van den
Bos, E. L. Johnson, A. F. A. L. Jones, L. E. Cunningham, The Observatory, 68 (1948
Dec.), pp. 2389; A. W. Recht, T. J. Bartlett, and Parks, HAC, No. 960 (1948 Dec.
6); Wood, J. S. Paraskevopoulos, P. E. Bourgeois, R. dE. Atkinson, W. P. Hirst,
and R. H. Stoy, CET, 65 (1949), pp. 389; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1949), p. 36; F.
McGann, W. H. van den Bos, A. F. A. L. Jones, and L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS,
109 (1949), p. 252; G. Adamopoulos, IAUC, No. 1196 (1949 Jan. 3); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1197 (1949 Jan. 11); L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1210 (1949 Apr. 20);
E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5 (1949 May), p. 308; H. L. Giclas and R. H. Wilson, Jr., AJ, 54
(1949 Jun.), p. 167; W. P. Hirst, MNRAS, 110 (1950), pp. 1768; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 57, 60; M. Beyer, AN, 278 (1950 Jul. 14), pp. 23941; L. Boyer,
JO, 34 (1951), p. 6; W. P. Hirst, MNRAS, 115 (1955), pp. 1967; V1964, p. 77; B. G.
Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), p. 68; A. F. A. L. Jones,
A. Brito, A. Jeffrey, C. V. Jackson, D. C. Berry, P. L. Brown, J. L. White, D. J. Fulcher,
W. H. Steavenson, and G. Merton, ICQ, 4 (1982 Jan.), pp. 201; A. F. A. L. Jones,
ICQ, 6 (1984 Jan.), pp. 1718.
(Bester) Last seen: 1949 February 26.07 ( = 2.43 AU, r = 2.21 AU, Elong. = 65)
1948 X = 1948m Calculated path: VOL (Disc), MEN (Nov. 27), DOR (Dec. 3), HYI (Dec. 5), RET
(Dec. 6), HOR (Dec. 14), ERI (Dec. 19), FOR (Dec. 25), CET (1949 Jan. 6), ARI
(Feb. 22)
317
catalog of comets

South Africa) discovered this comet on a photographic plate exposed for
2 hours with an 8-cm Ross camera on 1948 November 24.04. He gave the
position as = 7h 37m , = 75 and estimated the magnitude as 7.5. The
discovery was confirmed with the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera
on November 24.84, by E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg,
South Africa). He estimated the magnitude as 8. The comet attained its
most southerly declination of about 75 on November 24. It was found
about a month after passing perihelion and about 3 weeks prior to passing
closest to Earth.
On November 29, Johnson estimated the photographic magnitude as 9.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 100 on December 27.
On 1949 January 2, Johnson estimated the photographic magnitude
as 9.5. On the 3rd, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin,
USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated
the magnitude as 11. He said the coma was very diffuse and about
40 across, while a broad tail extended towards PA 120. On the 17th,
L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 13.0. On the 18th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 13. He said the coma was slightly condensed and about
40 across, while a broad tail extended towards PA 120. On the 22nd,
M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) searched for the
comet for about 20 minutes, but nothing was found. On the 30th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 12.10 and said the coma was 3.0 across. On January 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.29 and said the coma was
2.5 across.
On February 1, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 12.09, and Boyer gave
the photographic magnitude as 13.2. Beyer said the coma was 1.7 across. On
the 2nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.15 and said the coma was 1.6 across.
On the 17th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.82 and said the coma was about
1 across. On the 17th and 18th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 15. He said the diffuse coma was 15 across, but exhibited
no nucleus. On the 18th, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
photographed the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the
sharp nucleus was magnitude 16.5, and the faint tail extended 1 toward the
east. On February 23, Beyer estimated the magnitude as about 13 and said
the coma was 1.2 across.
obtained an 8-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector at Yerkes Observatory. The magnitude was estimated as 16, and the very diffuse coma was
15 across. Van Biesbroeck gave the position as = 2h 45.8m , = +11 41 .
Beyer searched for the comet using the 60-cm refractor on February 25.79
and March 2.83, but found nothing.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by W. P. Hirst during the first week
of December. He determined the perihelion date as 1948 October 21.87. This
318
catalog of comets
proved about a day earlier than the actual orbit, as shown by the later
independent calculations by P. Naur and K. Franklin.
L. M. Belous (1968) took 20 positions spanning the period December 2
February 26, reduced them to five Normal places, and applied perturbations
by Venus to Saturn. The result was a perihelion date of October 22.88 and a
period of 13 750 years.
Z. Sekanina (1978) used 24 positions obtained between November 24 and
February 26, as well as perturbations by all nine planets, and determined
the perihelion date as October 22.87 and the orbital period as 11 489 years.
This orbit is given below. Sekanina took this orbit and derived an elliptical
T
1948 Oct. 22.8660 (TT)
(2000.0)
274.2092
67.6685
i
87.6054
q
e
1.273428 0.997499

full moon: Nov. 16, Dec. 16, 1949 Jan. 14, Feb. 13, Mar. 14
sources: M. J. Bester, HAC, No. 958 (1948 Nov. 24); W. P. Hirst, HAC, No. 961
(1948 Dec. 7); E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1194 (1948 Dec. 20); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20
(1949), p. 37; M. J. Bester, P. Naur, and K. Franklin, MNRAS, 109 (1949), pp. 2546;
E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5 (1949 May), p. 309; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.),
pp. 58, 60; M. Beyer and E. L. Johnson, AN, 278 (1950 Jul. 14), p. 241; L. Boyer,
JO, 34 (1951), p. 6; V1964, p. 77; L. M. Belous, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31415,
318; Z. Sekanina, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68.
45P/1948 X1 Discovered: 1948 December 3.8 ( = 0.56 AU, r = 0.65 AU, Elong. =
(HondaMrkos 39)
Pajdusakov
a)
1948 XII = 1948n Calculated path: HYA (Disc) [Did not leave this constellation]
M. Honda (Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan) discovered this comet in Hydra on
1948 December 3.8, during a routine search for comets. He gave the position
as = 13h 50.2m , = 24 20 on December 5.83, and described the comet
as diffuse, with a magnitude of 9. It did not exhibit a nucleus or tail. L. Pajdusakova (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) was conducting a routine
search for comets with 25 100 Somet binoculars, when she found a diffuse
object in Hydra on December 6.2. Because twilight was beginning, neither
position nor motion was determined and she thought there was a chance she
was seeing the bright galaxy M83. A. Mrkos (Skalnate Pleso Observatory)
was not aware of Pajdusakovas observation, so on the morning of the 7th
he took his scheduled turn with the 25 100 Somet binoculars and began a
routine search for comets. On Decermber 7.20 he came across a diffuse object
of magnitude 11 in Hydra. The position revealed it was not a known object
and he recognized it as a comet. Mrkos immediately told Pajdusakova, and
319
catalog of comets
the latter astronomer realized she too had seen the comet. Together they
obtained a 12-minute exposure as additional confirmation. The comet had
been closest to Earth on November 16, but was then only 2 from the sun.
The comet was photographed at three other observatories on December
7. E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) used the
25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera and estimated the magnitude as 8.0.
G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) used the 61-cm
reflector and gave the magnitude as 9. He described the comet as about
2 across and centrally condensed into a diffuse nucleus. He added that a
faint, short tail extended towards PA 290. H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory,
Arizona, USA) used the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph and gave
the magnitude as 10.0. He said the comet was diffuse, with a nucleus.
On December 8, A. Schmitt (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) estimated the
photographic magnitude as 10. He said the comet was diffuse, without a
nucleus. On December 9, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 10. He described the comet as diffuse, with a nucleus. On December
14, Schmitt estimated the photographic magnitude as 11.
On 1949 January 9, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the
magnitude as 17.5. He said the diffuse coma was 0.6 across and contained
scarcely any central condensation.
The comet was last detected on January 10.06, when Johnson photographed it with the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera at Union Observatory. He gave the position as = 13h 41.6m , = 29 01 . Johnson
estimated the magnitude as 14.0, and described the comet as large, diffuse, and difficult to measure. An observation was reported by Mrkos for
January 29, when he said a 46-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector revealed a diffuse image with a diameter of about 80 . He said there
was no central condensation and gave the total magnitude as 17. Mrkos
observation is uncertain and the 1966 issue of the Contributions of the
Astronomical Observatory Skalnate Pleso lists Mrkos final observation as
December 12.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham using positions obtained up to December 9. He determined the perihelion date as 1948
November 20.40. The first elliptical orbit was calculated by Schmitt, using
positions from December 8, 11, and 14. The result was a perihelion date of
November 18.49 and a period of 7.10 years. Schmitt noted, The elements
present a certain similarity to Bielas comet. Additional elliptical orbits
were calculated by Schmitt, Cunningham, and G. Merton. These indicated
a perihelion date of November 17.717.8 and a period of 5.005.31 years.
1968, 1969, 1971, 1978). He applied planetary perturbations and, for the
calculations made in 1969 and later, nongravitational terms. The result was
a perihelion date of November 17.72 and a period of 5.22 years. Marsden
(1968) noted, This comet has the largest secular variation known . . .. The
320
catalog of comets
nongravitational terms were given as A1 = 0.0084575 and A2 = 0.0064467

by Marsden (1969), A1 = +0.0202, A2 = 0.006258, and B2 = 0.4252 by
Marsden (1971), and A1 = +0.14, A2 = 0.0420 by Marsden (1978).
T
1948 Nov. 17.7165 (TT)
(2000.0)
184.0995 233.8172
i
13.1565
q
e
0.559269 0.814203

full moon: Nov. 16, Dec. 16, 1949 Jan. 14
sources: M. Honda, HAC, No. 960 (1948 Dec. 6); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No.
961 (1948 Dec. 7); H. L. Giclas, A. Schmitt, and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No.
962 (1948 Dec. 10); E. L. Johnson, A. Mrkos, G. van Biesbroeck, A. Schmitt, and
L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1193 (1948 Dec. 13); E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No.
1194 (1948 Dec. 20); A. Schmitt, IAUC, No. 1195 (1948 Dec. 28); H. M. Jeffers,
LOB, 20 (1949), p. 37; M. Honda, L. Pajdusakova, A. Mrkos, G. van Biesbroeck,
A. Schmitt, and L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 109 (1949), pp. 2526; A. Schmitt,
HAC, No. 980 (1949 Feb. 24); E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5 (1949 May), p. 309; A. Mrkos,
IAUC, No. 1214 (1949 May 31); H. L. Giclas, AJ, 54 (1949 Jun.), p. 167; A. Mrkos,
MNRAS, 110 (1950), pp. 1745; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 58, 60;
G. Merton, IAUC, No. 1427 (1953 Nov. 13); A. Schmitt, IAUC, No. 1428 (1953
Nov. 20); G. Merton, MNRAS, 114 (1954), pp. 3679; B. G. Marsden, MNRAS,
119 (1959), pp. 4423; V1964, p. 77; A. Mrkos and L. Pajdusakova, CAOSP, 3
(1966), p. 117; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 3723, 375; B. G. Marsden,
AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.), pp. 725, 728; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 76 (1971 Dec.), pp. 11356;
B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88.
(Johnson) Last seen: 1951 March 8.21 ( = 4.86 AU, r = 4.85 AU, Elong. = 83)
1950 I = 1949a Calculated path: LUP (Disc), CEN (May 27), HYA (Jun. 28), VIR (Jul. 19), BOO
(1950 Jan. 4), UMa (Mar. 13), DRA (Apr. 2), UMa (Apr. 7), CAM (Dec. 3)
E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) discovered
this comet on photographic plates exposed with the 25-cm FranklinAdams
Star Camera on Lupi as part of a routine minor planet survey on 1949
May 20.85. He gave the position as = 15h 14.4m , = 44 31 . Johnson
estimated the magnitude as 12.5, and described the comet as small, diffuse,
with a slight central condensation. He obtained a confirmation with the
same telescope on May 22.75. The comet was discovered about 8 months
prior to perihelion and about 10 months prior to passing closest to Earth.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of about 155 on May 21.
The Earthcomet distance declined to 2.60 AU by June 5 and then began
increasing as Earth moved toward the other side of the sun. On June 16 and
17, A. Schmitt (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) estimated the photographic
magnitude as 13. On June 18, 19, and 22, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector
321
catalog of comets
and estimated the magnitude as 14. He said the comet was at low altitude,
but still showed a poorly defined coma and a central nucleus. On July 20,
van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13 and said the
round coma was 25 across. On August 24, Johnson estimated the photographic magnitude as 12.5. The Earthcomet distance attained a maximum
of 3.72 AU on October 12, as Earth was nearly on the opposite side of the
sun from the comet. Thereafter, this distance began decreasing. The comet
attained a minimum solar elongation of about 7 on October 25.
On 1950 January 16, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) estimated the
photographic magnitude as 12.5. On the 23rd, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) observed using the 26-cm refractor (70) and
gave the magnitude as 12.07. He said the coma was 1.9 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13. He added that the tail extended 3 in
PA 175. On January 25, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 12.13, while
Boyer estimated the photographic magnitude as 12.5. Beyer said the coma
was 3.6 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14.
On February 8, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.07. He said the coma
was 2.2 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14. On the 14th,
surrounded a nucleus fainter than magnitude 14. On the 17th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 11.97. He said the coma was 2.5 across and surrounded a
nucleus of magnitude 14. H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
said a 10-minute exposure with the 91-cm Crossley reflector showed a round
coma about 15 across and a sharp nucleus of magnitude 14.5. On the 18th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.7311.86. He said the coma was 2.5 across
and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14. On the 19th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 11.96. He said the coma was 1.8 across and surrounded a
nucleus fainter than magnitude 14. On the 22nd, Boyer estimated the photographic magnitude as 12.0. On February 23, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 11.83. He said the coma was 1.8 across and surrounded a nucleus of
magnitude 14.2. Beyer added that the tail extended 6 in PA 183.
On March 6, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.59. He said the coma was 2.0
across and surrounded a nucleus fainter than magnitude 13.8. On the 7th,
surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14.2. Beyer added that the tail extended
coma was 2.2 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13.7. Beyer
added that the tail extended 6 in PA 167. The comet attained a maximum
solar elongation of about 122 on March 11. On the 12th, Beyer gave the
nucleus of magnitude 13.5. The tail extended 5 in PA 168. On the 14th, the
photographic magnitude was given as 11.5 by van Biesbroeck and 12.0 by
Boyer. Van Biesbroeck said the round coma was 30 across and surrounded
a nearly stellar nucleus. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.23. He
said the coma was 1.9 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13.8,
322
catalog of comets
while the tail extended 6 in PA 159. On the 19th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.2812.51. He said the nucleus was magnitude 14.0, while the tail
said the coma was 1.5 across and surrounded a nucleus fainter than magnitude 14. On March 27, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.21. He said the coma
was 1.5 across and surrounded a nucleus fainter than magnitude 13.8.
across and surrounded a nucleus fainter than magnitude 13.8, while the tail
said the coma was 1.1 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14,
while the tail extended 4 in PA 130. On the 7th, Beyer gave the magnitude
magnitude 14.2, while the tail extended 5 in PA 111. On the 8th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 12.46. On the 14th, the visual magnitude was given as
13.30 by Beyer, while the photographic magnitude was estimated as 12.5 by
van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA). Beyer said the coma
was 1.5 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13.8. Van Biesbroeck
said his photograph using the 208-cm reflector revealed a round coma 25
across, with a well-defined nucleus, and a faint tail extending about 5 in PA
140. The comet attained a declination of +66 on April 17 and then turned
southward. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.06 and said the
coma was 1.0 across. On the 19th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.83. He
said the coma was 1.2 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14.6.
On April 20, the visual magnitude was given as 12.62 by Beyer, while the
photographic magnitude was given as 16.5 by Jeffers. Beyer said the coma
was 1.2 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14.4. Jeffers said the
round coma was about 5 across.
On May 12, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.13. He said the coma was
1.0 across and surrounded a nucleus fainter than magnitude 14. On the
13th and 15th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 208-cm
reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13.5. He said a very faint coma
surrounded a nucleus measuring about 4 across, while there was still a
trace of tail. On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.0113.11. He said
the coma was 1.0 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14.5. On
May 14, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.06. He said the coma was 1.0 across
and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14.8.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of about 37 on July
27. The Earthcomet distance attained a maximum of 4.07 AU on August
22, after which the distance began decreasing as Earth continued its swing
around the sun. The comet had moved slowly southward since April and
attained a declination of +55 on August 8. It then turned northward. The
Earthcomet distance attained a minimum of 3.54 AU on December 4, afterwhich Earth began moving further away.
After being lost in twilight for several months, the comet was next
observed on December 13, by L. E. Cunningham (Mt. Wilson, California,
323
catalog of comets
USA). His photograph using the 152-cm reflector revealed a nuclear magnitude of 17. On December 17, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude
as 17. He said the round coma was 8 across. The comet attained its most
northerly declination of +75 on December 19. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of about 129 on December 26.
On 1951 January 5, 7, and 8, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory,
Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16.5. He said the round coma was 6 across, with
a broad diffuse extension toward 120. On January 11, van Biesbroeck
estimated the photographic magnitude as 17. On February 5, 7, 8, and 9,
van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5. He said
the round coma was 4 across and extended towards 120. Cunningham
photographed the comet using the 152-cm reflector during February and
described it as an easy object with a slightly diffuse nucleus of magnitude
18.7.
This comet was officially last detected on March 8.21, when Cunningham
obtained a 17-minute exposure. The position was given as = 3h 49.1m ,
= +57 45 . It should be noted that van Biesbroeck obtained 30-minute
exposures with the 208-cm reflector at McDonald Observatory on November
3.32 and November 3.34. He reported that these two plates showed a small
nebulous spot measuring 4 across, which he estimated as magnitude 20.
The position on the first date was given as = 4h 21m 23.01s , = +52 14
51.9 , while the position on the second plate was = 4h 21m 23.20s , = +52
14 51.4 . As these images were then at the very limit of the photographic
plates, there still seems to be some question regarding their reality.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by W. P. Hirst using positions
obtained by Johnson on May 20, 22, and 24. The result was a perihelion date
of 1950 January 22.55. A few days later, L. E. Cunningham used positions
spanning the same period and determined the perihelion date as January
21.84. About a week later, J. Bobone determined the perihelion date as January 19.52. Bobones orbit proved a very accurate representation, as revealed
by the later calculations of Hirst, Bobone, and Cunningham.
The first hyperbolic orbit was calculated by Cunningham. Using positions
spanning the period 1949 May 221950 February 22, he determined the
perihelion date as January 19.32 and the eccentricity as 1.000671.
Two definitive hyperbolic orbits have been calculated for this comet. The
first was by I. V. Galibina and O. N. Barteneva (1965, 1966), while the second
was by Z. Sekanina and B. G. Marsden (1978). Galibina and Barteneva took
76 positions obtained during the period 1949 May 20 and 1951 February 9,
and applied perturbations by seven planets. They revealed a perihelion date
of January 19.32 and an eccentricity of 1.0006817. Barteneva determined that
the original orbit was elliptical with a period of about 272 thousand years,
while the future orbit was also elliptical with a period of about 82 thousand years. Sekanina and Marsden took 64 positions obtained during the
324
catalog of comets
period 1949 May 201951 March 8, and applied perturbations by all nine
planets. They determined a perihelion date of January 19.31 and an eccentricity of 1.0007134. This orbit is given below. Sekanina and Marsden determined that the original orbit was elliptical with a period of about 234 thousand years, while the future orbit was also elliptical with a period of about
80 360 years.
T
1950 Jan. 19.3131 (TT)
40.0905
(2000.0)
i
q
e
222.3271 131.3511 2.553231 1.000713

full moon: May 12, Jun. 10, Jul. 10, Aug. 8, Sep. 7, Oct. 7, Nov. 5, Dec. 5, 1950
Jan. 4, Feb. 2, Mar. 4, Apr. 2, May 2, May 31, Jun. 29, Jul. 29, Aug. 27, Sep. 26,
Oct. 25, Nov. 24, Dec. 24, 1951 Jan. 23, Feb. 21, Mar. 23
sources: E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1213 (1949 May 24); E. L. Johnson and W. P.
Hirst, ASSAMN, 8 (1949 May 31), p. 44; E. L. Johnson and W. P. Hirst, IAUC,
No. 1214 (1949 May 31); E. L. Johnson and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 999
(1949 Jun. 7); J. Bobone and L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1215 (1949 Jun. 10);
J. Bobone, HAC, No. 1001 (1949 Jun. 17); W. P. Hirst, ASSAMN, 8 (1949 Jun.
30), p. 56; W. P. Hirst, IAUC, No. 1217 (1949 Jul. 4); A. Schmitt, IAUC, No. 1220
(1949 Jul. 18); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 1013 (1949 Jul. 20); J. Bobone, IAUC, No.
1222 (1949 Jul. 27); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1950), p. 40; E. L. Johnson and L. E.
Cunningham, MNRAS, 110 (1950), p. 175; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5 (1950 Feb.),
p. 364; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1063 (1950 Feb. 14); L. E. Cunningham, HAC,
No. 1087 (1950 Aug. 2); L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 7; L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS,
111 (1951), pp. 238, 2413; L. E. Cunningham, PASP, 63 (1951 Apr.), p. 96; G. van
Biesbroeck and L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 112 (1952), p. 337; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 79, 845; M. Beyer, AN, 282 (1955 May 31), pp. 1478;
V1964, p. 77; I. V. Galibina and O. N. Barteneva, BITA, 10 (1965) pp. 192203;
I. V. Galibina and O. N. Barteneva, QJRAS, 7 (1966), pp. 21011; Z. Sekanina
and B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68; [Mt. Wilson], MPC, No. 16653
(1990 Aug. 6).
C/1949 N1 Prediscovery: 1949 June 29.91 ( = 1.86 AU, r = 2.49 AU, Elong. = 117)
(Bappu Discovered: 1949 July 2.31 ( = 1.84 AU, r = 2.47 AU, Elong. = 117)
BokNewkirk) Last seen: 1951 March 4.21 ( = 4.82 AU, r = 5.54 AU, Elong. = 131)
Closest to the Earth: 1949 July 16 (1.7962 AU), 1950 February 11 (1.8248 AU)
1949 IV = 1949c Calculated path: CYG (Disc), LYR (Jul. 7), HER (Jul. 24), BOO (Sep. 13), CrB
(Sep. 15), BOO (Oct. 18), CrB (Nov. 8), BOO (Dec. 12), DRA (1950 Jan. 21),
UMa (Jan. 31), DRA (Feb. 2), UMa (Feb. 24), LYN (Mar. 27), CNC (Jun. 1),
LEO (Sep. 16), CNC (Nov. 19), HYA (Dec. 18), CMi (1951 Feb. 4)
M. K. V. Bappu, under the supervision of B. J. Bok, obtained a 60-minute
exposure on 1949 July 2.31, of an area in Cygnus for a special program,
using the 2433-inch JewettSchmidt telescope at Harvard College Observatorys Oak Ridge Station (Massachusetts, USA). The next day, as they
325
catalog of comets
prepared to examine the plate, G. A. Newkirk Jr. was asked to look at the
quality of the plate. As Newkirk looked it over, he found the diffuse trail of a
13th-magnitude comet. The position was given as = 19h 47.0m , = +38
36 , and it was said to be centrally condensed, but with no tail. The discovery
was confirmed on July 3.17, when the comet was found on two photographic
plates. Two prediscovery images were found on plates exposed by M. Timmers (Vatican Observatory, Castel Gandolfo, Italy), using the 40-cm Zeiss
quadruplet. The first plate was a 47-minute exposure obtained on June 29.91,
while the second was a 46-minute exposure obtained on July 1.99.
On July 4, the photographic magnitude was given as 13 by L. Boyer (Alger,
now al-Jazair, Algeria) and Bappu, S. E. Hamid, and Newkirk. On the 5th,
the photographic magnitude was given as 13 by A. Schmitt (Alger) and 14 by
G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA). Van Biesbroecks
photograph using the 61-cm reflector revealed a diffuse coma surrounding a stellar nucleus. On the 8th, Schmitt gave the photographic magnitude as 13. On the 16th, the photographic magnitude was given as 12.8 by
Schmitt and 14 by van Biesbroeck. Van Biesbroeck said the round coma was
20 across. On the 20th, van Biesbroeck obtained a photograph using the
61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 14. He said the round coma was
30 across and centrally condensed, while a diffuse tail extended 2 in PA
150. On the 23rd, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
observed using a 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 12.08. He said
the coma was 2.0 across and slightly extended towards PA 149, while the
nuclear magnitude was 14.27. On the 24th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
11.80. He said the coma was 2.0 across and slightly extended towards PA
144. On the 29th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.11. He said the coma
was 2.0 across and slightly extended towards PA 133, while the nuclear
magnitude was 14. On July 30, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.77. He said
the nuclear magnitude was 14, and there was a slight extension towards
PA 129.
On the 2nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.05. He said the coma was 2.8
across and slightly extended towards PA 137, while the nuclear magnitude
was 14. On the 4th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.11. He said the coma
magnitude was 14. On the 5th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.9212.03. He
said the coma was 2.7 across and slightly extended towards PA 140, while
the nuclear magnitude was 14.19. On the 6th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
11.92. On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.00. He said the coma
said the coma was 2.3 across and slightly extended towards PA 132, while
the nuclear magnitude was 14. On August 15, Beyer gave the magnitude as
11.83. He said the coma was 2.7 across and slightly extended towards PA
127, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.7.
326
catalog of comets
On August 16, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.86. He said the coma
while a tail extended 5 in PA 110. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 11.82. He said the coma was 2.2 across and slightly extended towards
PA 128, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.8. On the 19th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 11.9311.98. He said the coma was 2.4 across and slightly
extended towards PA 132, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.92. On the
and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13.96, while a tail extended 5 in
PA 125. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.72. He said the coma
magnitude was 13.96. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.73.
He said the coma was 2.4 across and slightly extended towards PA 120,
while the nuclear magnitude was 14. On the 24th, Beyer determined the
magnitude as 11.7811.80. He said the coma was 2.7 across and slightly
and slightly extended towards PA 110, while the nuclear magnitude was
13.8. On the 27th and 29th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using
the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13. He said the centrally
condensed, round coma was 30 across, while a diffuse tail extended 2 in
PA 150. On August 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.70. He said the
coma was 2.5 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.8.
said the coma was 2.0 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 14. On the
14. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.19. He said the coma was 1.8
across, while the nuclear magnitude was 14.1. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 11.76. He said the coma was 2.5 across and slightly extended
towards PA 93, while the nuclear magnitude was 14.2. On the 23rd, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 11.82. He said the coma was 3.1 across and slightly
2.3 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 14. On the 28th, Beyer gave the
towards PA 91, while the nuclear magnitude was 14.04. On the 29th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 11.81. He said the coma was 2.1 across, while the
nuclear magnitude was 14.16. On September 30, Beyer gave the magnitude
327
catalog of comets
as 11.69. He said the coma was 2.0 across, while the nuclear magnitude
was 13.8.
On October 3, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.89. On the 4th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 11.89. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.5 and
noted the coma diameter was 2.0 . On the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 11.95 and said the coma was 2.0 across. On the 14th, Beyer gave the
towards PA 84, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.97. On the 15th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 11.91 and noted the coma was 1.5 across. On the
16th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.15 and said the coma was 2.2 across.
across, while the nuclear magnitude was 14.22. On the 20th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 12.05. He said the coma was 2.8 across, while the nuclear
magnitude was 14.3. On the 21st, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude
as 12.5. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.82. He said the coma
was 2.3 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 14. The comet attained a
minimum solar elongation of 52 on October 30.
The comet attained a declination of +35 on November 2 and then began
moving northward. On November 12, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.7
and said the coma was 1.5 across.
On 1950 January 16, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.0. On
magnitude as 12.24 and said the coma was 2.7 across. On the 22nd, Beyer
nuclear magnitude was 14.5. On January 25, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 12.30, while Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.0. Beyer
said the coma was 1.9 across.
On February 8, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.84 and said the coma was
1.7 across. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.21 and said the coma
was 1.9 across. On February 12, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude
as 13.2. On the 14th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.4212.44. He said the
coma was 2.4 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 14.2. On the 15th,
Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.2. On the 17th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 12.32. He said the coma was 2.5 across, while the nuclear
magnitude was 14.2. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.4912.54.
He said the coma was 2.8 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 14.4.
On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.55. He said the coma was
2.1 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 14.3. The comet attained its
most northerly declination of about +70 on February 23. That same day,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.36. The comet attained a maximum solar
elongation of 119 on February 24.
On March 6, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.31 and said the coma was 2.0
across. On the 7th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.99. He said the coma was
2.0 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 14. On the 9th, Boyer gave the
328
catalog of comets
photographic magnitude as 14.0. H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California,

USA) said a 20-minute exposure with the 91-cm Crossley reflector showed
a round coma 10 across and a sharp nucleus of magnitude 16.4. On the
10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.7412.87. He said the coma was 1.8
magnitude was 14.4. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.12 and
said the coma was 1.1 across. On March 19, Beyer gave the magnitude as
13.1213.21. He said the coma was 1.5 across, while the nuclear magnitude
was 14.4.
On April 6, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.42 and said the coma was 1.3
across. On the 7th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.62. He said the coma
was 1.3 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 14.5. On the 15th, van
using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 15. He said the
diffuse coma was 25 across and centrally condensed. On April 20, Jeffers
gave the photographic magnitude as 16.7. He said the round coma was
condensed and 5 across.
On May 10, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley
reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17. He said the coma was round.
On May 15, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 15.5.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of about 5 on August 4. It
was next photographed by L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory,
California, USA) on November 12, when the nuclear magnitude was about
18. The comets appearance was basically unchanged when Cunningham
obtained additional photographic plates on December 14 and 16.
On 1951 January 10, Cunningham photographed the comet. The comet
attained a maximum solar elongation of 166 on January 25 and then
attained its most southerly declination of about +5 on February 25.
The last two detections of the comet came on March 4.19 and March
4.21, when Cunningham photographed it using the 152-cm telescope. The
position for the latter date was given as = 7h 45.7m , = +4 58 . He gave
Three orbits using positions from early July were published in very rapid
succession. The perihelion date was given as 1949 November 22.92 by
Hamid and Bappu, November 22.59 by A. D. Maxwell, and November 22.94
by Cunningham. After the publication of a position from July 20, Cunningham and Maxwell independently determined the perihelion date as October
26.28 and October 26.33, respectively. Near the end of July, Schmitt determined the perihelion date as October 26.43, which proved less than 3 hours
early.
L. M. Belous took an interest in the orbital motion of this comet during
the early 1960s. During 1961, he calculated an improved orbit using ten
positions from the period 1949 July 41950 May 10, as well as perturbations
329
catalog of comets
by Jupiter and Saturn. The result was an elliptical orbit with a perihelion
date of October 26.52 and a period of about 56 thousand years. A definitive
orbit was also calculated by Belous (1964). He took 83 positions obtained
during the period 1949 June 291950 May 15, reduced them to eight Normal
places, and applied perturbations by Venus, Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn. The
result was an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of October 26.54 and a
period of about 61 thousand years. This orbit is given below. B. G. Marsden,
Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart (1978) took this orbit and derived an elliptical
future orbit with a period of about 34 thousand years.
T
1949 Oct. 26.5419 (TT)
89.5267
(2000.0)
i
q
e
309.7096 105.7687 2.058202 0.998665

full moon: Jun. 10, Jul. 10, Aug. 8, Sep. 7, Oct. 7, Nov. 5, Dec. 5, 1950 Jan. 4, Feb.
2, Mar. 4, Apr. 2, May 2, May 31, Jun. 29, Jul. 29, Aug. 27, Sep. 26, Oct. 25, Nov.
24, Dec. 24, 1951 Jan. 23, Feb. 21, Mar. 23
sources: M. K. V. Bappu, B. J. Bok, and G. A. Newkirk, Jr., IAUC, No. 1217
(1949 Jul. 4); M. K. V. Bappu, B. J. Bok, and G. A. Newkirk, Jr., HAC, No. 1006
(1949 Jul. 5); M. K. V. Bappu, S. E. Hamid, G. A. Newkirk, Jr., A. Schmitt, and
G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1007 (1949 Jul. 8); S. E. Hamid, M. K. V. Bappu,
A. D. Maxwell, and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1008 (1949 Jul. 11); L. Boyer,
A. Schmitt, and L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1220 (1949 Jul. 18); A. Schmitt,
IAUC, No. 1221 (1949 Jul. 22); A. Schmitt, The Observatory, 69 (1949 Aug.), p. 159;
L. E. Cunningham and A. D. Maxwell, IAUC, No. 1228 (1949 Aug. 29); H. M.
Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1950), p. 41; M. K. V. Bappu, B. J. Bok, and G. A. Newkirk, Jr.,
MNRAS, 110 (1950), p. 175; M. Timmers, RA, 2 (1950), pp. 2024; L. Boyer, JO, 34
(1951), p. 7; L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 111 (1951), p. 238; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 79, 85; M. Beyer, AN, 282 (1955 May 31), pp. 14850; L.
M. Belous, IAUC, No. 1778 (1961 Oct. 27); L. M. Belous, BITA, 9 (1964), pp. 569
75; V1964, p. 77; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.),
p. 68; L. E. Cunningham, MPC, No. 5473 (1980 Oct. 1); L. E. Cunningham, CAOSP,
12 (1984), p. 28.
48P/1949 Q1 Prediscovery: 1949 August 15.81 ( = 1.28 AU, r = 2.26 AU, Elong. = 161)
(Johnson) Discovered: 1949 August 24.90 ( = 1.31 AU, r = 2.25 AU, Elong. = 151)
1949 II = 1949d Closest to the Earth: 1949 August 3 (1.2575 AU)
Calculated path: CAP (Pre), MIC (Sep. 6), CAP (Oct. 24), PsA (Nov. 7), CAP
(Nov. 19)
E. L. Johnson (Johannesburg, South Africa) discovered this comet with the
25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera on 1949 August 24.90, while making
follow-up observations of the new minor planet 1949 OG. He gave the position as = 20h 34.0m , = 26 27 . Johnson determined the magnitude as
330
catalog of comets
13.8 and described the comet as very small, diffuse, and without a central
condensation. He confirmed the comet on August 25.80 and then found
prediscovery images on plates exposed on August 15.81 and August 20.82.
He also photographed the comet on August 29.79.
Johnson obtained several photographs of the comet during September
using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera, but he provided no physical descriptions. The dates of these photographs were September 9, 10, 12,
15, and 20. On the 24th, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
magnitude as 16.5. He said the diffuse coma was about 5 across. The comet
attained its most southerly declination of 29 on September 28.
Johnson obtained three photographs of the comet during October, using
the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera. He provided no physical description on October 13 and 14; however, he did give the magnitude as 14.5 on
the 16th. L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) obtained two photographs
of the comet with a refractor on October 16.
The comet was last detected on November 19.76, when Johnson photographed it with the 188-cm reflector while visiting Radcliffe Observatory (Pretoria, South Africa). He gave the position as = 21h 42.3m ,
= 25 05 . Johnson estimated the magnitude as 15.5.
The first orbit was published by W. P. Hirst. Using Johnsons positions
from August 15, 20, and 25, he determined an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of 1949 October 2.35 and a period of 7.01 years. A few days later,
N. Sherman published an elliptical orbit using the same three positions.
The result was a perihelion date of October 1.81 and a period of 7.01 years.
Shermans orbit indicated a possible close approach to Jupiter in 1932. A
more precise orbit was published by Hirst, using positions from August 15,
September 15, and October 16. He gave the perihelion date as September
16.25 and the period as 6.85 years. Hirst said the comet would have been
within 1 AU of Jupiter toward the end of 1931. L. E. Cunningham (1950) took
11 positions obtained by Johnson during the first two months of visibility
and determined a perihelion date of September 16.19 and a period of 6.17
years.
Multiple apparitions orbits have been calculated by E. A. Vorobjev (1964),
B. G. Marsden (1972), S. Nakano (1997, 2001, 2005), and K. Kinoshita (2006).
These applied planetary perturbations and nongravitational terms. The
result was a perihelion date of September 16.52 and a period of 6.86 years.
The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.69 and A2 = 0.0256
by Nakano (1997), A1 = +0.695 and A2 = 0.02336 by Nakano (2001),
A1 = +0.581 and A2 = 0.01885 by Nakano (2005), and A1 = +0.60 and
T
1949 Sep. 16.5187 (TT)
331
(2000.0)
206.1581 118.8623
i
13.8684
q
e
2.248065 0.377452
catalog of comets
sources: E. L. Johnson, HAC, No. 1025 (1949 Aug. 29); E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No.
1228 (1949 Aug. 29); J. M. Vinter Hansen, HAC, No. 1027 (1949 Sep. 6); E. L.
Johnson and N. Sherman, HAC, No. 1028 (1949 Sep. 19); W. P. Hirst, ASSAMN,
8 (1949 Sep. 30), p. 83; E. L. Johnson, H. M. Jeffers, and N. Sherman, PASP, 61
(1949 Oct.), p. 232; E. L. Johnson, W. P. Hirst, and N. Sherman, The Observatory,
69 (1949 Oct.), p. 199; W. P. Hirst, ASSAMN, 8 (1949 Nov. 30), p. 103; W. P. Hirst,
The Observatory, 69 (1949 Dec.), p. 240; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 5 (1950 Feb.), p. 365;
L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1100 (1950 Sep. 12); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1950),
p. 41; E. L. Johnson and W. P. Hirst, MNRAS, 110 (1950), pp. 1758; L. Boyer, JO,
34 (1951), p. 7; L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 111 (1951), pp. 2413; V1964, p. 77;
E. A. Vorobjev, QJRAS, 5 (1964 Sep.), pp. 2345, 238; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 1st ed.
(1972), pp. 26, 48; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 791 (2001 Apr. 28); S. Nakano,
Nakano Note, No. 1270 (2005 Oct. 26); personal correspondence from K. Kinoshita
(2006).
61P/1949 S1 Prediscovery: 1949 August 29.98 ( = 1.38 AU, r = 2.33 AU, Elong. = 152)
(Shajn Discovered: 1949 September 18.91 ( = 1.29 AU, r = 2.29 AU, Elong. = 173)
Schaldach) Last seen: 1949 December 20.72 ( = 1.91 AU, r = 2.24 AU, Elong. = 96)
1949 VI = 1949e Calculated path: PSC (Pre), AQR (Oct. 22), PSC (Nov. 5), CET (Dec. 18)
This comet was discovered by P. F. Shajn (Simeis Observatory, Crimea,
Ukraine) on a routine minor planet plate exposed with the 12-cm camera
on 1949 September 18.91. She determined the magnitude as 12.8 and gave
the position as = 0h 08.7m , = 1 27 . Shajn confirmed the discovery on
September 19.90 and September 20.94, and determined the magnitude as
12.8 on each date. An independent discovery was made by R. D. Schaldach
(Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) on September 20.3, while examining
a routine minor planet plate exposed with the 33-cm refractor. D. Y. Martynov (Engelhardt Observatory, Kazan, Russia) confirmed Shajns find on
September 20.83 and estimated the magnitude as 13. He noted the comet
was diffuse, with a condensation. Shajn later found prediscovery images
of the comet on plates exposed on August 29.98 and September 4.02. She
estimated the magnitude as 12.5 on the first date and said the comet was
superimposed on quite a bright star. At the time of its discovery, this comet
was approaching both the sun and Earth.
The comet attained its greatest solar elongation of 178 on September 23.
Shajn photographed the comet on Septemer 22 and 24 and gave the magnitude as 12.8. On the 25th, W. H. Steavenson (Cambridge, England) observed
using the 76-cm reflector and noted a round coma, about 1 across, without
a nucleus or tail. On the 27th, the visual magnitude was given as 12.08 by
M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) and 13 by E. G.
Reuning (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA). Beyer said
the coma was 1.7 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.8. On
332
catalog of comets
September 28, the visual magnitude was given as 11.9612.06 by Beyer and
the photographic magnitude was given as 12 by H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory). Beyer said the coma was 2.2 across, while the nuclear magnitude
was 14.38. On the 28th and 30th, Shajn gave the photographic magnitude
as 12.8. On the 29th, Beyer observed using the 26-cm refractor and gave
magnitude was 14. On September 30, Beyer observed using the refractor
and gave the magnitude as 12.03. He said the coma was 2.1 across, while
the nuclear magnitude was 14.45.
On October 17, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.58 and said the coma
was 2.1 across. On the 19th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.78 and the
said the coma was 2.0 across. On the 21st, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair,
Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 13.0. On the 27th, Beyer gave
magnitude was 14. On the 28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.25. On
October 30, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.3 and said the coma was 1.5
across.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 6 on November 8.
On the 10th, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. On November
15 and 18, Martynov photographed the comet using a 38-cm Schmidt reflector. He gave the magnitude as 14.5 on the last date. On November 19, 21, and
22, the comet was photographed at Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory
(Georgia) by N. B. Kalandadze, A. F. Torondzhadze, and T. A. Kochlashvili
using a 20-cm telescope. The comet was described as washed-out, starlike,
and about magnitude 13.
On December 7 and 13, E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg,
South Africa) photographed the comet. Shajn photographed the comet on
the 15th and 20th, and gave the magnitude as about 14 on the final date.
The comet was detected on December 20.72, when Torondzhadze photographed the comet using a 20-cm telescope and noted it was fainter than
magnitude 13.5. He gave the position as = 0h 25.8m , = 2 38 . It
was reported that this comet was detected on 1950 January 7.42 and January 11.42, by H. Hirose (Tokyo Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka Station,
Japan). The position on the first date was measured by K. Tomita and was
given as = 0h 46.1m , = 0 35 . The position on the last date was measured by H. Kosai and was given as = 0h 51.6m , = 0 03 . Interestingly,
both positions suffer errors of about 1 in and 0.7 in , so that this was
not 61P/ShajnSchaldach.
The first orbit was calculated by A. D. Maxwell. Using three positions
spanning the period September 2027, he determined a parabolic orbit with
a perihelion date of 1950 October 22.67. The next orbit was calculated by
A. White, who took three positions spanning the period September 2028
and determined an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of 1949 December
7.68 and a period of 7.76 years. L. E. Cunningham said the key observation in
333
catalog of comets
Whites computation was that of September 28, as all previous observations

could be satisfied by anything from a short-period ellipse to a parabola.
He added that the comet probably approached to within 0.5 AU of Jupiter
during 1947 and it is likely the orbit was altered considerably.
A. D. Dubiago took a special interest in this comet and calculated several
orbits during the months following the comets discovery. Around midNovember, he took positions spanning the period September 18October
23, and calculated a perihelion date of November 26.32 and a period of 7.30
years. During early December, he took ten positions spanning the period
August 29November 18, and calculated a perihelion date of November
26.73 and a period of 7.27 years. Dubiago (1955, 1956) took 66 positions
spanning the period August 29December 20, reduced them to five Normal
places, and applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. He wrote that
the perturbations turned out to be of great importance. The result was a
perihelion date of November 26.91 and a period of 7.28 years.
B. G. Marsden (1971) used 64 positions obtained between August 29 and
December 20, as well as perturbations by all nine planets, and determined
the perihelion date as November 26.89 and the orbital period as 7.28 years.
Following the comets recovery in 1971, multiple apparition orbits were
calculated by Marsden (1975, 1978) and G. Forti (1989). These astronomers
applied perturbations by all nine planets, with Forti adding nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion date of November 27.12 and a
period of 7.27 years. Forti gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +9.99
and A2 = 0.2354 and noted that the comet passed 0.18 AU from Jupiter
during 1946. Fortis orbit is given below.
T
1949 Nov. 27.1244 (TT)
(2000.0)
215.3857 168.0826
i
6.1452
q
e
2.233803 0.404994

full moon: Aug. 8, Sep. 7, Oct. 7, Nov. 5, Dec. 5, 1950 Jan. 4, Feb. 2
sources: P. F. Shajn and D. Y. Martynov, IAUC, No. 1231 (1949 Sep. 23); P. F.
Shajn and A. D. Maxwell, HAC, No. 1033 (1949 Sep. 28); E. G. Reuning and H. L.
Giclas, HAC, No. 1034 (1949 Oct. 4); A. White and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No.
1035 (1949 Oct. 6); P. F. Shajn, HAC, No. 1038 (1949 Oct. 10); A. D. Dubiago and
P. F. Shajn, ATsir, No. 92 (1949 Nov. 12); A. D. Dubiago, P. F. Shajn, and D. Y.
Martynov, ATsir, No. 93 (1949 Dec. 6), pp. 12; L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1247 (1949
Dec. 21); E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1249 (1949 Dec. 27); P. F. Shajn, Izvestija Krymskoj Astrofiziceskoj Observatorii, 5 (1950), pp. 1457; P. F. Shajn, Izvestija Krymskoj
Astrofiziceskoj Observatorii, 6 (1950), pp. 1778; W. H. Steavenson, P. F. Shajn, and
A. White, MNRAS, 110 (1950), pp. 1768; N. B. Kalandadze, A. F. Torondzhadze,
and T. A. Kochlashvili, ATsir, No. 94 (1950 Jan. 7); L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 8;
A. D. Dubiago, MNRAS, 111 (1951), pp. 2413; M. Beyer, AN, 282 (1955 May 31),
pp. 1501; A. D. Dubiago, ATsir, No. 164 (1955 Oct. 20); A. D. Dubiago, MNRAS,
116 (1956), pp. 2267; H. Hirose and K. Tomita, Tokyo Astronomical Bulletin, 2nd
series, No. 88 (1956 Oct. 20), p. 910; V1964, p. 77; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 12 (1971
334
catalog of comets
Sep.), pp. 2689; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 2nd ed. (1975), pp. 26, 51; B. G. Marsden,
QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 523; G. Forti, AAP, 215 (1989), pp. 382, 384.
30P/Reinmuth 1 Prerecovery: 1949 October 27.51 ( = 1.98 AU, r = 2.89 AU, Elong. = 150)
Recovered: 1949 November 19.90 ( = 1.81 AU, r = 2.79 AU, Elong. = 168)
1950 IV = 1949f Last seen: 1949 December 13.81 ( = 1.79 AU, r = 2.67 AU, Elong. = 147)
Calculated path: TAU (Pre) [Did not leave this constellation]
This comet was missed at its 1942 apparition. M. G. Sumner (1941) had taken
the orbit predicted by J. T. Foxell and A. E. Levin for the 1935 apparition,
applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn for the period 193542, and
gave the perihelion date as 1942 December 5.36. Special care was taken
with Jupiters perturbations because the comet passed 0.70 AU from that
planet during 1937 June. He noted the comet would be most favourably
placed for observation in the early months of 1943. Interestingly, S. Kanda
and H. Hirose had reinvestigated the orbit of this comet during 1936 and
found the orbital period given by Foxell and Levin was 32 days too long.
Unfortunately, their results were not published outside of Japan until 1947.
Therefore, astronomers were looking in the wrong place for this comet in
1942 and 1943.
Two predictions were provided for the 1950 apparition. F. R. Cripps
(1948) began with Kanda and Hiroses predicted orbit for 1935 and corrected it using four observations made during 193435. He then applied
perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn and predicted the comet would next
arrive at perihelion on 1950 July 23.74. Cripps pointed out that the comet
passed 0.7 AU from Jupiter during June 1937. C. Dinwoodie (1949) began
with G. Mertons correction to Foxell and Levins predicted orbit for 1935
and calculated the comet would next arrive at perihelion on July 26.70.
A. Mrkos (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) recovered this comet on
a 120-minute exposure obtained with the 60-cm reflector on 1949 November 19.90. He estimated the magnitude as 18, and described the comet as
diffuse, without a central condensation. The position was given as =
3h 45.9m , = +7 37 . An independent recovery was made by H. M. Jeffers
(Lick Observatory) with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on November 26.41.
Jeffers estimated the magnitude as 18, and described the comet as round,
diffuse, with a nucleus. L. E. Cunningham (Students Observatory, Berkeley,
California) said these positions indicated the comet would arrive at perihelion 1.1 days earlier than predicted by Cripps. Subsequently, Jeffers found a
prerecovery image of the comet on a plate exposed with the 91-cm Crossley
reflector on October 27.51. He estimated the magnitude as 19 and described
the comet as nearly stellar.
Jeffers obtained two photographic exposures of the comet on November
29 using the 91-cm Crossley reflector. He estimated the magnitude as 18 and
said the coma was round.
335
catalog of comets
The comet was last detected on December 13.81, when Mrkos obtained
a 90-minute exposure using the 60-cm reflector. He gave the position as
= 3h 26.6m , = +7 19 .
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by G. Sitarski (1972) and
B. G. Marsden (1979, 1985). Perturbations by all nine planets were applied,
while Marsden also solved for nongravitational forces. The result was a
perihelion date of July 22.7622.77 and a period of 7.69 years. Marsden gave
the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.16 and A2 = 0.0275. Marsdens
T
1950 Jul. 22.7668 (TT)
12.8928
(2000.0)
124.2690
i
8.3903
q
e
2.038304 0.476656

sources: M. G. Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1942 (1941 Nov.), p. 21; M. G. Sumner,
BAA Handbook for 1943 (1942 Nov.), p. 24; S. Kanda and H. Hirose, MNRAS, 107
(1947), p. 1089, 112; F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1949 (1948 Nov.), p. 54; F. R.
Cripps and C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for 1950 (1949 Nov.), p. 43; A. Mrkos,
HAC, No. 1045 (1949 Nov. 22); A. Mrkos, IAUC, No. 1243 (1949 Nov. 22); H. M.
Jeffers, HAC, No. 1047 (1949 Dec. 9); H. M. Jeffers and S. Vasilevskis, LOB, 20
(1950), p. 41; F. R. Cripps, MNRAS, 110 (1950), pp. 1768; L. E. Cunningham,
HAC, No. 1057 (1950 Jan. 12); V1964, p. 77; A. Mrkos, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 117; G.
Sitarski, AcA, 22 (1972), pp. 1568; G. Sitarski, QJRAS, 13 (1972 Sep.), pp. 4301,
434; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 26, 52, 59; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS,
26 (1985 Mar.), p. 79.
107P/1949 W1 Discovered: 1949 November 19.13 ( = 0.23 AU, r = 1.15 AU, Elong. =
(Wilson 130)
Harrington) Last seen: 1949 November 25.13 ( = 0.26 AU, r = 1.19 AU, Elong. = 134)
1949 III = 1949g Calculated path: PSC (Disc) [Did not leave this constellation]
A. G. Wilson and R. G. Harrington (Palomar Observatory, California, USA)
discovered this comet on a photographic plate exposed for 12 minutes with
the 122-cm Schmidt camera on 1949 November 19.13. The comet was at a
position of = 0h 12.3m , = +13 32 and the astronomers estimated the
magnitude as 16.
Initially, the comet was reported as having been detected again by Wilson
and Harrington on November 22.16 and November 25.13. The magnitude
on the former date was estimated as 12. The position was given as = 0h
52.8m , = +15 30 on the latter date. Later, it was also found on additional
plates obtained at Palomar Observatory on November 21.11 and November
21.15, while the November 22 observation was corrected to November 22.12.
L. E. Cunningham said the plates exposed on November 19 and 22
showed a small, faint tail, but no trace of a coma and would likely have
336
catalog of comets
been called a minor planet had a slower telescope been used to expose the
plates.
A general solution by Cunningham, using the three positions from
November 19, 22, and 25, revealed an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date
of 1949 October 13.17 and an orbital period of 2.31 years. He added that
the orbital period was uncertain by two years or more. Interestingly, B. G.
Marsden (1992) pointed out that the nominal 2.3-year orbital period, noted
at the time as being very uncertain, was later invalidated by the need to correct the time of the Nov. 22 exposure by 1 hour . . ..
Marsden (1972) said the November 19, 22, and 25 positions are satisfied
equally well by a parabola and a short-period ellipse. Although Marsden
said he believed the comet was of short period, he added that the period was
completely indeterminate and chose simply to give a parabolic orbit with
a perihelion date of October 18.03. Marsden (1978) revised his calculations
using positions measured from the November 19, 21, 22, and 25 plates,
and gave the perihelion date as October 11.82. He still noted, Short-period
elliptical orbit satisfies the observations equally well.
Following the recognition in 1992 that this comet was identical to minor
planet 1979 VA, Marsden (1992) obtained a multiple apparition orbit using
positions from 1949, 1979, 1984, 1988, and 1992. The result was a perihelion
date of October 8.08 and a period of 4.30 years. He noted that an analysis of
the plates showing 1979 VA in 1979, 1984, 1988, and 1992 indicated the 1949
apparition was the only one to show cometary activity.
G. V. Williams (1999) took 144 positions from 1949 and 197997, and
included perturbations by all nine planets. He determined the perihelion
date as October 8.08 and the period as 4.30 years. This orbit is given below.
Y. R. Fernandez, L. A. McFadden, C. M. Lisse, E. F. Helin, and A. B. Chamberlin (1997) indicated the tail extended eastward for about 4.5 . They concluded that the tail was likely due to CO+ and H2 O+ fluorescence in an
ion tail. They wrote, this is the only explanation satisfying the tails color,
orientation, shape, and presumed age . . ..
T
1949 Oct. 8.0799 (TT)
81.0722
(2000.0)
279.9955
i
2.8102
q
e
1.003941 0.620102

sources: A. G. Wilson and R. G. Harrington, HAC, No. 1045 (1949 Nov. 22);
A. G. Wilson and R. G. Harrington, IAUC, No. 1244 (1949 Nov. 24); A. G. Wilson,
R. G. Harrington, and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1052 (1949 Dec. 28); L. E.
Cunningham, MNRAS, 110 (1950), pp. 1768; L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No.
1250 (1950 Jan. 3); V1964, p. 77; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 8, 26,
48; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88; [Palomar Observatory],
MPC, No. 16653 (1990 Aug. 6); B. G. Marsden, IAUC, No. 5585 (1992 Aug. 13);
Y. R. Fernandez, L. A. McFadden, C. M. Lisse, E. F. Helin, and A. B. Chamberlin,
Icarus, 128 (1997 Jul.), pp. 11426; G. V. Williams, CCO, 13th ed. (1999), pp. 789.
337
catalog of comets
40P/1949 Y1 Recovered: 1949 December 19.17 ( = 2.35 AU, r = 1.80 AU, Elong. = 45)
(Visl 1) Last seen: 1950 June 18.3 ( = 1.73 AU, r = 2.73 AU, Elong. = 167)
1949 V = 1949h Calculated path: LIB (Rec), SCO (Jan. 16), OPH (Jan. 25), SER (Feb. 21), OPH
(Mar. 9), SER (Mar. 13), OPH (May 25)
Beginning with the orbit computed for the 1939 apparition, L. Oterma (1948)
applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn and predicted the comet would
next arrive at perihelion on 1949 November 10.46.
A. Mrkos (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) recovered this comet on a
30-minute exposure obtained on 1949 December 19.17. He gave the position
as = 14h 49.8m , = 8 12 . Mrkos estimated the magnitude as 17, and
described the comet as diffuse, without a central condensation. The comet
was recovered about a month past perihelion, but was still approaching
Earth.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 12 on 1950 February 13. On April 16 and 18, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory,
the magnitude as 18. He said the round coma was very diffuse and 5 across.
On April 20, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 18.5 and
said the round coma was 4 across. On May 13, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 19.5. He said the round coma was 3 across. The
comet attained a northerly declination of 9 on May 18 and then turned
southwesterly.
The comet was last seen on June 18.3, when L. E. Cunningham (Mount
Wilson Observatory, California, USA) estimated the nuclear magnitude as
19.
Oterma (1959) took positions from at least the 1949 apparition and calculated the perihelion date as November 11.28 and the period as 10.53 years.
gave the perihelion date as November 11.2511.26 and the period as 10.52
years. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = 0.23 and A2 =
0.0180 by Forti, A1 = 0.039 and A2 = 0.01336 by Nakano (1990),
A1 = +0.084 and A2 = 0.01072 by Nakano (2001), A1 = +0.033610 and
A2 = 0.010614 by Kinoshita, and A1 = +0.03811 and A2 = 0.01096 by
Rocher. Kinoshitas orbit is given below.
T
1949 Nov. 11.2558 (TT)
44.3422
(2000.0)
136.1398
i
11.2766
q
e
1.752307 0.635060

full moon: Dec. 5, 1950 Jan. 4, Feb. 2, Mar. 4, Apr. 2, May 2, May 31, Jun. 29
sources: L. Oterma, BAA Handbook for 1949 (1948 Nov.), p. 52; A. Mrkos, IAUC,
No. 1249 (1949 Dec. 27); A. Mrkos, HAC, No. 1053 (1949 Dec. 28); L. Oterma,
338
catalog of comets
MNRAS, 110 (1950), pp. 1768; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1072 (1950 Apr.
13); L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 111 (1951), p. 238; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58
(1953 Apr.), pp. 80, 85; L. Oterma, MNRAS, 119 (1959), pp. 4423; V1964, p. 77;
A. Mrkos, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 117; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 26,
48; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 26 (1985), p. 114; G. Forti, AAP, 215 (1989), pp. 382,
384; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 536 (1990 May 2); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No.
780 (2001 Apr. 26); personal correspondence from K. Kinoshita (2004); personal
correspondence from P. Rocher (2005).
6P/d Arrest Prerecovery: 1950 April 20.46 ( = 1.56 AU, r = 1.48 AU, Elong. = 66)
Recovered: 1950 May 13.43 ( = 1.40 AU, r = 1.40 AU, Elong. = 69)
1950 II = 1950a Last seen: 1951 February 6.12 ( = 2.60 AU, r = 2.76 AU, Elong. = 89)
Calculated path: AQR (Pre), PSC (May 13), CET (Jul. 14), TAU (Aug. 18), ERI
(Aug. 23)
A. W. Recht first began investigating the orbit of this comet in 1934 after
a suggestion by G. van Biesbroeck. Recht examined the comets motion
and said the comet always seemed to return to perihelion behind schedule.
Despite the comets having been missed in 1930 and 1937, Rechts 1943
prediction was only 1.2 days behind schedule. He also noted the comet
made close approaches to Jupiter in 1908 (1.2 AU) and 1917 (0.5 AU). For
the upcoming apparition, Recht (1949) predicted the comet would arrive at
perihelion on 1950 June 6.59.
Using Rechts predicted orbit for 1943 and applying the correction of
1.2 days, W. E. Beart (1949) applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn
and predicted the comet would arrive at perihelion on June 6.55.
G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) first reported to
have recovered this comet on a pair of plates exposed on 1950 April 14.47.
He estimated the magnitude as 17, and described the comet as diffuse, with
a central condensation. However, additional attempts to photograph the
comet on longer exposures during subsequent nights proved fruitless
and it was concluded that the cometary image had been spurious.
Van Biesbroeck finally recovered the comet on a 10-minute exposure
obtained with the 208-cm reflector at McDonald Observatory on 1950 May
13.43. The position was determined as = 22h 47.5m , = +0 06 . He
estimated the magnitude as 16, and described the comet as a fuzzy, slightly
condensed coma, with a diameter of about 15 . He subsequently found an
additional image on a plate exposed on April 20.46. The magnitude was
estimated as 18, while the coma was slightly condensed and 15 across.
L. E. Cunningham said van Biesbroecks positions indicated the perihelion
date predicted by Beart was 0.143 day too late, while that predicted by Recht
was 0.200 day too late.
On June 10, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as
16. He described the comet as a diffuse spot. On the 12th, van Biesbroeck
339
catalog of comets
photographed the comet and said the diffuse coma was only slightly condensed. On the 21st, E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South
Africa) photographed the comet using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera and gave the magnitude as 10.5. He said the comet was diffuse, with
no central condensation. On June 25, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic
magnitude as 15. He said the nucleus was better defined than during previous observations, with a magnitude of 16.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +4 on July 1. On the
14th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 11. He said
the well-condensed nucleus was of magnitude 12.5, while the coma was
3.5 across and extended mostly towards PA 200, suggesting a broad tail
in that direction. On the 18th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 11. He said the coma extended 3 in PA 220 and surrounded
a well-defined nucleus of magnitude 11.5. On the 21st, H. M. Jeffers (Lick
Crossley reflector and said the coma was round and 3 across, with a sharp
nucleus of magnitude 14. On July 27, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 11.0. He wrote, The coma extends mostly in the first
quadrant and is only slightly elongated over 3 . He added that there was
a diffuse nucleus.
The comet slowly faded during the rest of the year. On August 13,
van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 11.5. He wrote,
The coma extends mostly in the first quadrant and is only slightly elongated over 3 . He added that the nucleus was better defined than in July.
On August 16 and 23, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 11.5 and said the nucleus was well condensed. On September
7, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 12.5. He said
the nucleus was at least 15 across and surrounded by a coma measuring about 2.5 across. On September 20, Jeffers estimated the photographic
magnitude as 15. He said the coma was about 0.5 across, with a somewhat condensed center. On October 8, Johnson photographed the comet
using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera and estimated the magnitude as 14.5. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 148
on November 7. On the 8th, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 16. He said the faint coma exhibited a condensed center. The
comet attained its most southerly declination of 15 on November 9. On
November 13, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as
16. He said the coma was centrally condensed and 1 across. On December 1, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17. He said
the coma was faint and ill defined. On December 11, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5 and said the coma was nearly
1 across.
On 1951 January 5, 6, 8, and 10, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated
the magnitude as 18.5. He said the diffuse coma was 30 across, with little
340
catalog of comets
condensation. On February 5, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic

magnitude as 19. He said the coma was very diffuse and 20 across.
was estimated as 19, while a very diffuse coma measured about 20 across.
Van Biesbroeck gave the position as = 3h 13.2m , = 1 30 .
1970, 1972, 1973). He applied perturbations by all nine planets and included
nongravitational terms in his calculations in 1970 and later. The result was a
perihelion date of June 6.37 and a period of 6.70 years. The nongravitational
terms were given as A1 = 0.028901, A2 = +0.060830, and B2 = +0.1172
in 1970 and A1 = 0.24 and A2 = +0.0961 in 1973. The orbit below is from
Marsden (1972).
T
1950 Jun. 6.3709 (TT)
(2000.0)
174.4340 144.2946
i
18.0482
q
e
1.377556 0.612362

full moon: Apr. 2, May 2, May 31, Jun. 29, Jul. 29, Aug. 27, Sep. 26, Oct. 25, Nov.
24, Dec. 24, 1951 Jan. 23, Feb. 21
sources: A. W. Recht and W. E. Beart, BAA Handbook for 1950 (1949 Nov.), p. 40;
H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1950), p. 41; A. W. Recht, AJ, 55 (1950 Apr.), pp. 7980;
G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1073 (1950 Apr. 18); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No.
1081 (1950 Jun. 16); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1101 (1950 Sep. 12); H. M.
Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1951), p. 75; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 6 (1951 Mar.), p. 10; G. van
Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 80, 85; V1964, p. 77; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73
Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970 Feb.), pp. 7980; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 11 (1970 Sep.),
pp. 2323; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 26, 48; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS,
13 (1972 Sep.), pp. 4301; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), pp. 213, 215.
(Minkowski) Last seen: 1953 January 19.21 ( = 6.52 AU, r = 7.26 AU, Elong. = 135)
1951 I = 1950b Calculated path: OPH (Disc), HER (Jun. 25), SER (Jul. 12), VIR (Aug. 23), LIB
(Aug. 26), HYA (1951 Jan. 20), CEN (Feb. 13), HYA (Mar. 17), PYX (Nov. 24),
PUP (Dec. 26), CMi (1952 Jan. 31), MON (Apr. 11), CMa (Oct. 27), LEP (1953
Jan. 1)
R. L. B. Minkowski (Palomar Observatory, California, USA) discovered this
comet on a plate taken on 1950 May 19.44 with the 122-cm Schmidt camera
during the National Geographic SocietyPalomar Sky Survey. The comet
was located at = 18h 16.8m , = +12 03 , and was said to be moving
with a daily motion of 2m 07s in and 4 in . Minkowski estimated the
magnitude as 8, and described the comet as diffuse, with a nucleus, and a
tail less than 1 long.
341
catalog of comets
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +13 on June 3

and then picked up a southerly motion. On the 6th, H. M. Jeffers (Lick
Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 11. He said the coma was
about 12 across and contained a sharp nucleus about 6 across which was
slightly eccentric to the northwest of the comas center. On the 10th, R. C.
Leclaire (Vatican Observatory, Italy) estimated the photographic magnitude
as 11. On the 11th, S. J. V. Arend (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium) photographed the comet using the 40-cm double astrograph and gave the magnitude as 9.6. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of about
145 on June 12. Also on the 12th, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) visually observed the comet using the 26-cm refractor and
gave the magnitude as 11.14. He said the coma was 1.2 across, while a tail
extended 2 in PA 127. On the 14th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.06.
He said the coma was 1.5 across and extended towards PA 134, while the
nuclear magnitude was 13. On June 15, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.07.
On June 16, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 11.08, while G. van
using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 11. Beyer said the
coma was 1.4 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.3. Van Biesbroeck
said the comet possessed a well-defined nucleus and a diffuse tail extended
towards PA 110. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.4. On the 21st,
the visual magnitude was given as 11.44 by Beyer, while the photographic
magnitude was given as 11.0 by L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria).
On the 22nd, Beyer observed using a 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 11.29, while Arend photographed the comet using the 40-cm double
astrograph and estimated the magnitude as 11.0. Beyer said the coma was
1.4 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 12.78, while the tail
while the tail extended 3 in PA 123. On the 26th, Boyer estimated the photographic magnitude as 11.0. On June 27, van Biesbroeck photographed the
comet in moonlight using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude
as 11. He said the comet possessed a well-defined nucleus and a diffuse tail
On July 2, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.44. He said the coma was 1.3
across and extended towards PA 109, while the nuclear magnitude was
12.8. On the 7th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
was 1.5 across and extended towards PA 97, while the nuclear magnitude
was 12.96. On the 9th, Beyer gave the photographic magnitude as 11.21.
nuclear magnitude was 12.97. On the 10th, the visual magnitude was given
342
catalog of comets
as 11.07 by Beyer, while the photographic magnitude was given as 10.8 by

Boyer. Beyer said the coma was 1.5 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13.03, while the tail extended 4 in PA 97. On the 13th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 11.20. He said the coma was 1.8 across and extended towards
PA 99, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.07. On the 15th, Beyer gave the
PA 95, while the nuclear magnitude was 13. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the
PA 100, while the nuclear magnitude was 13. On the 24th, Beyer gave the
nucleus of magnitude 12.8, while the tail extended 6 in PA 93. On the 29th,
estimated the photographic magnitude as 10.5. Beyer said the coma was
1.5 across. Van Biesbroeck said the comet possessed a diffuse nucleus. On
July 31, the photographic magnitude was given as 10.8 by Boyer and 11.5 by
G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory, Athens, Greece).
On August 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.20 and said the coma was
1.0 across. On the 3rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.90. He said the coma
was 1.5 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13, while the tail
while the tail extended 4 in PA 95. On the 5th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 11.26. He said the coma was 1.5 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13.20. On the 6th, the visual magnitude was given as 11.05 by Beyer,
while the photographic magnitude was estimated as 11 by van Biesbroeck.
Beyer said the coma was 2.0 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13.19, while the tail extended 5 in PA 99. Van Biesbroeck said the
coma was 30 across, while a broad tail extended 5 in PA 85. On August 7,
the visual magnitude was given as 11.19 by Beyer, while the photographic
magnitude was estimated as 11 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma
was 1.7 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13.18, while the tail
extended 5 in PA 100. Van Biesbroeck said there was a well-defined central
condensation.
On August 8, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.33. He said the coma was
1.8 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13.23, while the tail
said the coma was 1.5 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13.
across and extended towards PA 90, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.
across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13.36, while the tail extended
coma was 1.5 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13. On the
343
catalog of comets
and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13, while the tail extended 4 in PA

90. On August 18, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.12. He said the coma
was 1.5 across and extended towards PA 89, while the nuclear magnitude
was 13.
The comet was not well observed during the remainder of the year
because of its closeness to the sun. On September 6, van Biesbroeck said
a photograph using the 61-cm reflector revealed a small coma with a broad
tail extending 3 in PA 90. The comet passed about 4 from the sun on
November 9. On December 17, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 11. He said the coma was centrally condensed, while a faint
tail extended towards PA 80.
On 1951 January 5 and 8, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas,
magnitude as 11. He said the round coma was 50 across and contained
a well-defined central condensation. A tail extended 13 in PA 59. On the
6th, E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) photographed the comet using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera and
estimated the magnitude as 10.0. He described the comet as small and diffuse, with a central condensation. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck estimated
the photographic magnitude as 10 and said the tail extended 8 in PA 57.
On the 12th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 9.5
and said the tail extended 7 in PA 57. On January 17, the photographic
magnitude was estimated as 10.0 by Johnson and Boyer. On February 4 and
8, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 11 and noted a
well-defined nucleus. On February 12, Johnson gave the photographic magnitude as 9.7. On March 7, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet with the
208-cm reflector and said the coma was 25 across and centrally condensed,
with a tail extending 1 in PA 355. The comet attained its most southerly
declination of 34 on March 12 and then a maximum solar elongation of
149 on March 26. On April 3, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude
as 11.0. On the 6th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 10.5. On May 24 and 25, van Biesbroeck saw the comet at a low altitude.
On June 1, L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA)
photographed the comet using the 51-cm telescope.
The comet passed about 27 from the sun on August 21. It was next
observed on October 27, when Cunningham photographed it at a low altitude. On November 1, 3, and 4, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory)
photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13.5. He said the round coma was centrally condensed and 8
across, while a faint, diffuse, broad tail extended 1 in PA 30. On November
29, Johnson photographed the comet using the 25-cm FranklinAdams
Star Camera and estimated the magnitude as 14.0. In early December,
Johnson gave the photographic magnitude as 14.0. He described the comet
as exhibiting a small, centrally condensed, diffuse coma. On December 7,
344
catalog of comets
van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet using the

61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 14.
On 1952 January 23, the comet reached a maximum solar elongation of
about 136. On March 15 and 16, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 16.5. On April 22, 23, and 24, van Biesbroeck (McDonald
Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17. He said the nucleus was diffuse and 8 across
and was surrounded by a faint coma which fanned out to 25 in PA 50. The
comet passed about 29 from the sun on July 7. On December 21, 22, and 23,
van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 19. He said the
round coma was 20 across and diffuse, with a slight central condensation.
The comet reached a maximum solar elongation of 144 on December 27.
On 1953 January 14 and 15, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 18. He said the round coma was 20 across and diffuse, with
a slight central condensation.
obtained a 20-minute exposure with the 208-cm reflector. He gave the position as = 5h 56.6m , = 11 10 . Van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude
as 18, and said the round coma was 20 across and diffuse, with a slight
central condensation.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham using positions spanning the period May 27June 6. The perihelion date was given as
1951 January 14.56. This proved only about a half day in error, as shown by
the later calculation of J. Bobone.
The first hyperbolic orbit was calculated by Bobone, using three positions
spanning the period 1951 February 8June 2. The result was a perihelion
date of January 15.02 and an eccentricity of 1.00087.
P. Pretre (1952) took seven positions spanning the period 1950 June 21
1951 May 22 and calculated a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of
January 15.04 and an eccentricity of 1.000855.
G. Stanila (1957) used 140 positions obtained between 1950 May 29 and
1951 December 6, as well as perturbations by Venus to Saturn, and determined a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of January 15.04, and an
eccentricity of 1.0013036.
I. van Houten-Groeneveld (1963) took 215 positions obtained during the
period 1950 May 271953 January 19, reduced them to 14 Normal places,
and applied perturbations by eight planets. The result was a hyperbolic orbit
with a perihelion date of January 15.05 and an eccentricity of 1.0012117.
Van Houten-Groeneveld also determined the original orbit to have been
elliptical, with a period of about 4.8 million years.
B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1978) took 38 positions obtained during
the period 1950 May 271953 January 19 and applied perturbations by all
nine planets. The result was a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of
January 15.04 and an eccentricity of 1.0012313. This orbit is given below.
They also determined that the original orbit was elliptical, with a period
345
catalog of comets
of about 4.4 million years, while the future orbit was also elliptical with a
period of about 225 thousand years.
T
1951 Jan. 15.0429 (TT)
(2000.0)
i
q
e
192.4685
38.8905 144.1552 2.572335 1.001231

full moon: May 2, May 31, Jun. 29, Jul. 29, Aug. 27, Sep. 26, Oct. 25, Nov. 24,
Jun. 8, Jul. 7, Aug. 5, Sep. 4, Oct. 3, Nov. 1, Dec. 1, Dec. 31, 1953 Jan. 29
sources: H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1950), p. 41; R. L. B. Minkowski, HAC, No. 1076
(1950 May 26); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1079 (1950 Jun. 14); R. C. Leclaire,
HAC, No. 1083 (1950 Jun. 22); G. Adamopoulos, IAUC, No. 1284 (1950 Aug. 18);
J. Bobone, HAC, No. 1097 (1950 Sep. 5); S. J. V. Arend, BAOBU, 4 (1951), pp. 87,
923; J. Bobone, HAC, No. 1133 (1951 Jul. 26); L. E. Cunningham, PASP, 63 (1951
Aug.), p. 211; E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1338 (1951 Dec. 10); L. E. Cunningham
and E. L. Johnson, PASP, 64 (1952 Feb.), p. 38; P. Pretre, IAUC, No. 1362 (1952
Jun. 14); L. Boyer, JO, 36 (1953 Feb.), p. 16; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.),
pp. 80, 85; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 6 (1953 Jun.), p. 166; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 60
(1955 Mar.), pp. 57, 61; M. Beyer, AN, 282 (1955 May 31), pp. 1512; G. Stanila,
IAUC, No. 1617 (1957 Sep. 9); I. van Houten-Groeneveld, BAN, 17 (1963 Dec.),
pp. 22330; V1964, p. 78; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66,
68.
39P/Oterma Recovered: Visible throughout orbit

Last seen: Visible throughout orbit
1950 III Closest to the Earth: 1950 January 23 (2.4760 AU)
Calculated path: AQR (Rec), CAP (Oct. 14), AQR (Nov. 2), PSC (1947 Mar. 20),
CET (May 11), PSC (May 27), CET (Sep. 26), PSC (1948 Feb. 1), CET (Apr.
20), ARI (Apr. 26), TAU (Jul. 1), ORI (1949 Jun. 17), GEM (Jul. 10), CNC (Sep.
24), GEM (1950 Feb. 15), CNC (Apr. 7), LEO (Jul. 3), VIR (Oct. 14), LIB (1951
Oct. 11), SCO (Dec. 31), OPH (1952 Jan. 19), SCO (Jul. 25), OPH (Aug. 4),
SGR (Nov. 20), CAP (1953 Apr. 9), SGR (Jun. 30), CAP (Nov. 27), AQR (1954
Feb. 9), CAP (Feb. 16), AQR (Mar. 20)
This comet was observed every year between its aphelions of 1946 July 31
and 1954 July 1. The observations took place when the comet was at a fairly
large solar elongation. It may pass within a few degrees of the sun every
year.
On 1946 August 22, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 17.5. He said the coma was nearly stellar and exhibited a very faint
tail extending 2 toward the west. The comet was at opposition on August
27. On September 26, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 17.5. He
said the coma was nearly stellar and exhibited a very faint tail extending 2
toward the west.
346
catalog of comets
On 1947 July 23, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)

as 17.5. He said there was a small coma. On the 24th, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 18.5. He described the coma as not quite stellar
and 23 across. On July 25, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 18. On August 23, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as
18.3. On September 24, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as 17.8.
He said the 1-hour exposure revealed a nearly stellar comet with a very
faint tail extending 15 in PA 255. On October 10, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 18. He described the comet as a tiny nebulosity.
On November 7, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley
reflector and gave the magnitude as 18.0. On December 12, van Biesbroeck
as 18. He described it as a tiny nebulosity.
On 1948 September 3, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas,
USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave
the magnitude as 18. He said the well-defined coma was 3 across,
while the slender tail extended 3 in PA 261. On September 6, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 17.5. On October 1, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 17.5. The coma was almost stellar and
a tail extended towards PA 264. On the 2nd, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 17. On October 9, Jeffers gave the photographic
magnitude as 17.3. He said the coma was 0.1 across. On November 6, L.
Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) photographed the comet and gave the
magnitude as 16.0. On the 24th, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as
15.5. On November 27, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed
the coma was round and well defined.
61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 17. He said the coma was nearly
stellar, except for a trace of tail toward PA 90. On the 22nd, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 16.5. He said the coma was 5 across
and slightly elongated towards PA 100. On the 28th, Jeffers photographed
17.0. He said the coma was 0.1 across. On the 29th, van Biesbroeck gave
the photographic magnitude as 16.5. On January 30, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet and said the coma was elongated towards PA 90.
On February 17 and 18, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 17. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +21 on
June 30.
On 1950 February 8, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 15.
He said the condensed coma was about 8 across and exhibited a faint tail
extending 1.2 toward the west. On the 11th, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair,
Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 14.5. Astronomers at Goethe
Link Observatory (Brooklyn, Indiana, USA) detected a minor planet on a
347
catalog of comets
survey plate exposed on February 11.19. They gave the magnitude as 14.9.
S. Nakano (1984) identified this minor planet as 39P/Oterma. On February 16, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 14.3. On March 9, Jeffers
gave the photographic magnitude as 15.3. He said the condensed coma was
about 6 across. On March 14 and 15, van Biesbroeck photographed the
comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 15. He said
the small coma was 4 across and exhibited a tail extending 10 in PA 110.
On April 15 and 17, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed
the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 15. He
said the faint coma was 30 across and exhibited a taillike extension toward
PA 280. There was also a small nucleus.
On 1951 January 5, 8, and 12, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 15. He said the coma was 8 across and exhibited a tail extending 1.2 in PA 290. On February 4, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 14.5. On April 11, Jeffers photographed the comet with
the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the faint coma was about 0.5 across,
with a condensed center of magnitude 15.5. On April 12, E. L. Johnson (Harvard College Observatory, Boyden Station, Bloemfontein, South Africa) photographed the comet using the 81-cm ArmaghDunsinkHarvard Baker
Schmidt reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16.0. On May 3 and 5,
van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet using the
61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 15. He said the tail extended
1 in PA 280. On June 3, Johnson estimated the photographic magnitude as
16.5. He said the comet was small and diffuse.
On 1952 April 21 and 24, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 16.5 and said the round coma was 6 across. On June 20, van
Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17. He said the round
coma was nearly stellar. The comet attained its most southerly declination
of 21 on December 14.
On 1953 July 2 and 3, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17. He said the round coma was 5 across. On July 10, Jeffers
estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5. He said the comet appeared
nearly stellar.
The comet was officially at aphelion on 1954 July 1.
Marsden (1970), S. Nakano (2001), P. Rocher (2002), and K. Kinoshita (2003).
They used perturbations by various planets and minor planets. The result
was a perihelion date of 1950 July 16.4716.49 and a period of 7.92 years.
Marsden noted that no detectable nongravitational forces were acting on
this comet. Kinoshitas orbit is given below.
T
1950 Jul. 16.4735 (TT)
348
(2000.0)
354.8217 155.7963
i
3.9825
q
e
3.404887 0.142761
catalog of comets
absolute magnitude: H10 = 7.28.4 (V1964)
comets visibility
sources: H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1947), p. 184; H. H. Jeffers, HAC, No. 834 (1947
Aug. 8); H. M. Jeffers, IAUC, No. 1108 (1947 Sep. 24); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1948),
p. 190; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 54 (1948 Dec.), p. 87; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1949),
pp. 334; L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1196 (1949 Jan. 3); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1950),
p. 39; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 55 (1950 Jan.), pp. 58, 60; L. Boyer, JO, 34 (1951), p. 8;
H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1951), p. 75; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 84,
87; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 6 (1953 Jun.), p. 169; H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 59 (1954 Sep.),
pp. 3056; R. G. Harrington, G. O. Abell, and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1268
(1954 Sep. 3); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 60 (1955 Mar.), pp. 61, 64; P. Herget, AJ, 66
(1961 Jun.), pp. 2468; V1964, p. 77; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970 Feb.), pp. 823;
S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 447 (1984 Feb. 28); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No.
810 (2001 Aug. 24); personal correspondence from P. Rocher (2002); personal
14P/Wolf Prerecovery: 1950 June 18.42 ( = 2.44 AU, r = 2.64 AU, Elong. = 90)
Recovered: 1950 July 20.40 ( = 2.03 AU, r = 2.58 AU, Elong. = 111)
1950 VI = 1950c Last seen: 1951 January 8.13 ( = 2.57 AU, r = 2.55 AU, Elong. = 77)
Calculated path: PEG (Pre), PSC (Oct. 28)
C. Dinwoodie (1949) began with the orbit that W. P. Henderson and
H. Whichello predicted for the 1942 return and corrected the date of
perihelion by using W. H. W. Baades observations from Mount Wilson
Observatory. Dinwoodie then applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn, and predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1950
October 23.75.
L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson, California, USA) obtained four plates
of the predicted position of this comet using the 152-cm reflector on 1950
June 18 and 19, but nothing cometary was found. Cunningham recovered the comet on July 20.40, while using same telescope. He gave the
position as = 23h 32.6m , = +24 23 . Cunningham obtained additional photographs on July 21 and 22, and gave the nuclear magnitudes
as 18 and 18.2, respectively. Also on the 22nd, he noted that the comet
appeared essentially stellar, with no definite coma or tail. Cunningham
said his measured positions indicated the perihelion date predicted by
M. Kamienski was 0.105 day late, while that predicted by Dinwoodie was
0.092 day late. Subsequently, Cunningham re-examined the June plates and
found images on those exposed on June 18.42 and June 19.39. He estimated
the nuclear magnitude as 20 and later determined the total magnitude
as 18.8.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +25 on August 5. On
August 16, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed
349
catalog of comets
18.5, although Cunningham re-examined the plate and gave it as 18.4. Jeffers
said a 1-hour exposure showed the comet as nearly stellar. On August 17,
Cunningham gave the nuclear magnitude as 18.
Cunningham obtained several photographs during the next couple of
months. He gave the nuclear magnitude as 18 on September 10, 17.8 on
September 11, 17 on September 12, and 17.5 on October 10. The comet
attained its greatest solar elongation of 160 on September 24.
As November began, the comet was moving away from both the sun and
Earth. On the 2nd, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 92-cm reflector
and gave the magnitude as 18.0. He said a 1-hour exposure showed the
comet as nearly stellar. On November 12, Cunningham gave the magnitude
as 18. On December 13, Cunningham determined the magnitude as 18.5.
On 1951 January 6, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas)
obtained a 30-minute exposure using the 208-cm reflector and gave the
magnitude as 19.5.
was estimated as 19.5, while the coma was very diffuse and 8 across, with
hardly any central condensation. The position was given as = 0h 19.9m ,
= +0 29 .
D. K. Yeomans (1975, 1978), E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya (1977, 1978), S.
Nakano (1982, 1997), and K. Kinoshita (2003) and these generally revealed a
perihelion date of October 23.66 and a period of 8.42 years. Yeomans (1975),
Kazimirchak-Polonskaya (1977), Nakano (1997), and Kinoshita indicated
that nongravitational effects were apparently no longer active. Kinoshitas
T
1950 Oct. 23.6586 (TT)
(2000.0)
161.1395 204.5843
i
27.3108
q
e
2.497591 0.396371

full moon: May 31, Jun. 29, Jul. 29, Aug. 27, Sep. 26, Oct. 25, Nov. 24, Dec. 24,
1951 Jan. 23
sources: C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for 1950 (1949 Nov.), p. 46; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1090 (1950 Aug. 8); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1284
(1950 Aug. 18); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1951), p. 75; L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS,
111 (1951), p. 239; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 81, 85; M. Kamienski
and L. E. Cunningham, AcA, 9 (1959), pp. 6672, 87; V1964, p. 77; D. K. Yeomans, PASP, 87 (1975 Aug.), pp. 6357; E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, SvA, 21
(1977 Jan.Feb.), pp. 10712; D. K. Yeomans and E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya,
QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 523, 57; L. E. Cunningham, MPC, Nos. 59845 (1981
Jun. 1); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 413 (1982 Apr. 5); S. Nakano, Nakano Note,
No. 660 (1997 May 4); personal correspondence from K. Kinoshita (2003).
350
catalog of comets
33P/Daniel Recovered: 1950 August 16.5 ( = 2.03 AU, r = 1.47 AU, Elong. = 43)
1950 V = 1950d Closest to the Earth: 1951 February 14 (1.4777 AU)
Calculated path: GEM (Rec), CNC (Sep. 7), LEO (Oct. 1), LMi (Oct. 27), COM
(Dec. 1)
F. R. Cripps (1949) began with A. D. Dubiagos orbit for 1943 and modified
the semimajor axis, daily motion, and eccentricity according to recommendations made by G. Merton. He then predicted the comet would next arrive
at perihelion on 1950 August 24.31.
L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet using the 152-cm reflector on 1950 August 16.5 and confirmed it on August 17.5. He determined the nuclear magnitude as 17.8
and described the comet as 20 across, with a strong, but not stellar, condensation. Cunningham said his positions indicated the perihelion date
predicted by F. R. Cripps was 0.46 days later than the true date. G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) independently recovered this
comet with the 61-cm reflector on August 23.30, at a position of = 7h
04.3m , = +24 16 . He estimated the magnitude as 16, and described the
comet as very diffuse and round, with a diameter of 1.2 . A. Mrkos (Skalnate
Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) independently recovered this comet on August
24.06. He estimated the magnitude as 16, and described the comet as diffuse,
without a central condensation.
The comet was recovered about the time it was closest to the sun, but
was still several months from passing closest to Earth. The comet attained
a northerly declination of +25 on September 15, before turning toward
the south. On September 20, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California,
USA) photographed the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said
the round coma was about 0.5 across and contained a condensed center
of magnitude 15. On October 10 and 12, van Biesbroeck photographed
the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 15.5. He
said there was a broad extension towards PA 180. On the 17th, van
Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the reflector and gave the magnitude as 15.5. He said there was a fan-shaped extension towards PA 170.
On October 19, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the reflector
and gave the magnitude as 15. He said there was a broad tail extending 1
in PA 160. The comet attained its most southerly declination of +21 on
December 9.
On 1951 January 8, 11, and 12, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory,
the magnitude as 17. He said the round coma was 30 across, with a diffuse
central condensation. On February 4, 5, and 6, van Biesbroeck photographed
the comet using the reflector and gave the magnitude as 17.5. He said the
comet was extremely diffuse, with the coma extending mostly towards
PA 160.
351
catalog of comets
The comet was last detected on March 7.4, when Cunningham photographed it with the 152-cm reflector. The magnitude of the nucleus was
determined as 19.9.
1970, 1986) and L. M. Belous (1985). Using perturbations by all nine planets, they determined a perihelion date of August 23.91 and a period of 6.66
years. Marsden (1970, 1986) also applied nongravitational terms. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.86734 and A2 = +0.054463 by
Marsden (1970), A1 = +1.1 and A2 = +0.073 by Marsden, Z. Sekanina,
and D. K. Yeomans (1973), and A1 = +1.14 and A2 = +0.0785 by Marsden
(1986). The orbit of Marsden (1986) is given below.
T
1950 Aug. 23.9098 (TT)
7.2596
(2000.0)
70.4274
i
19.7040
q
e
1.464540 0.586273

full moon: Jul. 29, Aug. 27, Sep. 26, Oct. 25, Nov. 24, Dec. 24, 1951 Jan. 23,
Feb. 21, Mar. 23
sources: F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1950 (1949 Nov.), p. 45; L. E. Cunningham and A. Mrkos, HAC, No. 1095 (1950 Aug. 25); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC,
No. 1287 (1950 Sep. 6); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1951), p. 76; L. E. Cunningham,
PASP, 63 (1951 Jun.), p. 154; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 81, 85; B. G.
Marsden, IAUC, No. 1835 (1963 Jul. 1); V1964, p. 77; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970
Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), p. 213; L. E. Cunningham,
IAUC, No. 3332 (1979 Feb. 26); L. M. Belous, QJRAS, 26 (1985 Mar.), pp. 11314;
B. G. Marsden, CCO, 5th ed. (1986), pp. 23, 56, 66; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 27
(1986 Mar.), p. 116.
1951 III = 1950e Closest to the Earth: 1951 March 20 (0.6483 AU)
Calculated path: PSC (Rec), PEG (Sep. 29), PSC (Nov. 3), AQR (1951 Mar. 19),
PsA (Jul. 7), CAP (Jul. 20), MIC (Jul. 27)
R. Luss (1949) worked on a prediction for the 1951 return. He began with
G. Mertons (1948) orbit for the 1947 apparition and integrated it up to 1951.
The result was a prediction that the comet would arrive at perihelion on
1951 March 15.79.
The comet was recovered on 1950 July 21.4, when L. E. Cunningham
(Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) located it on exposures made
with a 152-cm reflector. It was then nearly 8 months from perihelion and
magnitude 21.0. Confirmation did not come until August 16, when Cunningham found images of magnitude 20.1 on photographic plates. The
comet was entirely stellar on both dates. Cunningham said the positions
indicated the perihelion date predicted by Luss was 0.33 day too early.
352
catalog of comets
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +15 on August 31

and then moved in a more southerly direction. It also attained a maximum
solar elongation of 169 on September 30. On November 1 and 5, G. van
using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 17.5. He said the very
diffuse coma was about 30 across. On the 8th, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 19. He said the 1-hour exposure
showed the comet was quite stellar. On November 13, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 17. On December 4 and 11, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitudes as 17 and 16.5, respectively. The
comet attained a southerly declination of +4 on December 20, and then
began moving in a more northerly direction.
On 1951 January 6, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
obtained a 10-minute exposure of the comet using the 208-cm reflector and
gave the magnitude as 14. He said there was a sharp nucleus and a fanshaped coma extending 1 in PA 300. On the 8th, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 13.5. He said the broad fan-shaped tail had
grown to 2 in PA 260. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck obtained a 10-minute
exposure using the reflector and gave the photographic magnitude as 13.
He said the tail was 1.5 long in PA 280. On the 25th, M. Beyer (Hamburg
Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) visually observed the comet using the
across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 13, while a fan-shaped tail
extended towards PA 125. On January 30, Beyer observed with the refractor
and gave the magnitude as 10.65. He said the coma was 3.3 across and
surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 12.54, while a fan-shaped tail extended
towards PA 169.
The comet continued its rapid brightening during February, although the
tail gradually vanished. On February 2, van Biesbroeck obtained a 6-minute
exposure with the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 11. He said the
tail extended towards PA 290. On the 5th and 8th, van Biesbroeck obtained
5-minute exposures using the reflector and gave the magnitude as 10. He
said the tail was a mere 25 long and extended towards PA 270. On the
7th, Beyer visually observed using the refractor and gave the magnitude
magnitude 13. There was also a fan-shaped tail. On the 12th, Beyer visually observed using the refractor and gave the magnitude as 9.5. On the
21st, Beyer visually observed using the refractor and gave the magnitude as
8.75. He said the coma was 6 across. On the 22nd, Beyer visually observed
using the refractor and gave the magnitude as 8.68. He said the coma was 5
across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 10, while a fan-shaped tail
extended towards PA 303. On the 23rd, Beyer visually observed the comet
using the 10-cm comet seeker and gave the magnitude as 8.31. He said the
coma was 6 across, while a fan-shaped tail extended towards PA 295. On
353
catalog of comets
the 24th, Beyer visually observed the comet using the comet seeker and
gave the magnitude as 8.23. He said the coma was 6 across and surrounded
a nucleus of magnitude 10.5, while a fan-shaped tail extended towards PA
212. On the 25th, Beyer visually observed the comet using the comet seeker
and gave the magnitude as 8.18. He said the coma was 5 across, while a fanshaped tail extended towards PA 210. The comet attained a northerly declination of +9 on February 26, and then began moving in a more southerly
direction. On the 27th, Beyer visually observed using the comet seeker and
gave the magnitude as 7.95. He said the coma was 6.6 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 10, while a tail extended 15 in PA 49.
On February 28, the magnitude was given as 7.78 by Beyer and 8.1 by van
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory). Beyer said the coma was 6 across, while
a tail extended 15 in PA 56. Van Biesbroeck said the tail was completely
gone, but the comet possessed a simple round coma which measured 1.5
in diameter.
On March 3, Beyer observed the comet using the 10-cm comet seeker and
gave the magnitude as 7.36. He said the coma was 6 across and surrounded
a nucleus of magnitude 9.3, while a tail extended 10 in PA 40. On the 4th,
Beyer observed using the comet seeker and gave the magnitude as 7.32. He
said the coma was 6 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 9.0,
while a tail extended 15 in PA 56. On the 5th, the magnitude was given
as 7.1 by van Biesbroeck and 7.16 by Beyer. Van Biesbroeck said the round
coma was 1.5 across. Beyer determined the nuclear magnitudes as 9.0. On
the 6th, Beyer observed the comet using the 26-cm refractor and gave the
magnitude as 6.96. He said the coma was 5 across and surrounded a nucleus
of magnitude 8.8, while a tail extended 12 in PA 49. On March 10, when
the comets solar elongation was less than 20 and with both twilight and
moonlight interfering, van Biesbroeck said the magnitude was no brighter
than 10.
The comet passed only 2.5 from the sun on March 18. It passed closest
to Earth on March 20 and then the solar elongation increased by over 2
per day. The comet was finally recovered from twilight by A. F. A. L. Jones
(Timaru, New Zealand) on April 5.68, when the elongation was 38. He
observed the comet using a 14-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as
10.0; however, about an hour and a half later, Jones gave the magnitude
more precisely as 9.1. The coma was 3.5 across, with a condensation level
of 4. On the 7th, Jones visually observed the comet using the 8-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 9.5. On the 14th, Jones visually observed the
comet using the 14-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 10.8. He said the
coma was 3 across, with a condensation level of 2. On April 19, Jones visually observed the comet using the 32-cm reflector and said the magnitude
was near 12. E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa)
gave the magnitude as 10.0. Johnson added that the comet was small and
diffuse, with a faint stellar nucleus. On May 4, Johnson remarked that the
354
catalog of comets
comet was fading rapidly. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 170 on August 1. On July 8 and 10, Cunningham photographed
the comet using the 152-cm reflector and wrote, It appeared exactly like
a minor planet with only the barest suggestion of a small, very faint coma
surrounding it.
The last two observations of P/Encke were made on August 7.37 and
August 7.41, when Jeffers photographed it using the 91-cm Crossley reflector. He gave the position on the last date as = 20h 41.6m , = 28 18 .
Jeffers said the comet was a stellar object with a magnitude of 18. Cunningham wrote, no certain images were found on plates exposed on August 31
and September 1.
R. Luss (1953) took positions obtained during this apparition and corrected his prediction. The result was a perihelion date of March 16.21.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by S. G. Makover (1956),
Makover and Luchich (1963), B. G. Marsden (1969, 1970), N. A. Bokhan and
Y. A. Chernetenko (1974), and Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1974). All of these
orbits included planetary perturbations, while those from 1969 and later also
included the effects of nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion
date of March 16.21 and a period of 3.30 years. Marsden and Sekanina (1974)
gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.03, A2 = 0.00589, and their
T
1951 Mar. 16.2077 (TT)
(2000.0)
185.2032 335.4457
i
12.3860
q
e
0.338014 0.847457
absolute magnitude: H0 = 9.83, n = 2.73 (Beyer, 1955); H10 = 1012 (V1964)

23, Feb. 21, Mar. 23, Apr. 21, May 21, Jun. 19, Jul. 18, Aug. 17
sources: G. Merton, MNRAS, 108 (1948), pp. 12830; R. Luss, BAA Handbook for
1950 (1949 Nov.), p. 47; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1098 (1950 Sep. 5); L. E.
Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1287 (1950 Sep. 6); BAA Handbook for 1951 (1950 Nov.),
p. 39; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1951), p. 76; L. E. Cunningham, R. Luss, and G. van
Biesbroeck, MNRAS, 111 (1951), p. 240; M. Beyer, A. F. A. L. Jones, E. L. Johnson,
and H. M. Jeffers, MNRAS, 112 (1952), p. 337; L. E. Cunningham, PASP, 64 (1952
Feb.), pp. 378; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 81, 85; E. L. Johnson,
UOC, 6 (1953 Jun.), p. 168; R. Luss, BAA Handbook for 1954 (1953 Nov.), p. 45;
M. Beyer, AN, 282 (1955 May 31), pp. 1523; S. G. Makover, TrITA, 6 (1956), pp. 69
79; S. G. Makover and S. Y. Luchich, BITA, 9 (1963), pp. 22433; V1964, p. 78; B. G.
Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.), pp. 7256, 72830; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 11 (1970
Sep.), pp. 2323; N. A. Bokhan and Y. A. Chernetenko, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.),
pp. 4545, 459; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 79 (1974 Mar.), pp. 41516;
A. F. A. L. Jones, ICQ, 6 (1984 Jan.), p. 23.
C/1951 C1 Discovered: 1951 February 4.21 ( = 1.33 AU, r = 0.73 AU, Elong. = 32)
(Pajdusakov
a)
355
catalog of comets
1951 II = 1951a Calculated path: DEL (Disc), VUL (Feb. 8), CYG (Feb. 15), LAC (Feb. 24), AND
(Mar. 2), CAS (Mar. 4), CAM (Mar. 20), PER (Mar. 28), AUR (Mar. 29), GEM
(Apr. 26)
L. Pajdusakova (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) discovered this
comet on 1951 February 4.21, at a position of = 20h 34.0m , = +15
00 . She estimated the magnitude as 9, and described the comet as diffuse,
with a central condensation and a tail less than 1 long. The comet had
passed perihelion a few days before the discovery, but was still a month
from its closest approach to Earth.
On February 5, G. Merton (Oxford, England) visually estimated the magnitude as 8, while G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
as 8.5. Van Biesbroeck said the comet was diffuse, 3 across, with a central
condensation, and a tail extending 4 in PA 340. On the 6th, the visual magnitude was given as 8 by Merton and 9 by A. Hunter (London, England),
while the photographic magnitude was given as 8 by H. L. Giclas (Lowell
Observatory, Arizona, USA) and 9.0 by van Biesbroeck. Both Hunter and
Giclas reported the comet was diffuse, with a central condensation, and
a tail less than 1 long. On the 7th, Hunter gave the visual magnitude as
9, while van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10.5. Hunter
said the comet was diffuse, with a central condensation, and a short tail. Van
Biesbroecks photograph using the 208-cm reflector revealed a tail extending 4 toward PA 335. On the 8th and 10th, van Biesbroeck photographed
the comet using the reflector and gave the magnitude as 8.4. On the latter
date, he said the tail extended 5 in PA 335. On the 11th, the photographic
magnitude was given as 8 by M. Connelley (Kirkwood Observatory, Bloomington, Indiana, USA) and 8.2 by van Biesbroeck. Connelley described the
comet as diffuse, without a central condensation, and with a tail less than 1
long. On February 12, S. J. V. Arend (Uccle, Belgium) used the 40-cm double
astrograph to obtain a 3-minute exposure. He gave the magnitude as 8.0.
The comet appeared as an elliptical nebulosity, measuring 7 by 14 , with
the long axis directed toward PA 357. There was a jet, with the same luminosity as the coma, which extended 25 toward PA 357. Arend said the tail
On February 20, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
observed the comet using a 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as
9.12. He said the nuclear magnitude was 11.5, while the tail extended 7 in
PA 332. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.90 and said the tail
extended 7 in PA 335. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.06.
He said the nuclear magnitude was 11.5, while the tail extended 7 in PA
341. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.86 and noted that the
tail extended 8 in PA 332. On the 24th, Beyer observed using the 10-cm
comet seeker (23) and gave the magnitude as 8.97. He said the nuclear
356
catalog of comets
magnitude was 11.5, while the tail extended 8 in PA 325. On the 25th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.18. He said the nuclear magnitude was
11.5, while the tail extended 12 in PA 330. On the 27th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 8.52. He said the nuclear magnitude was 12, while the tail
extended 12 in PA 330. On February 28, the magnitude was given as 8.70
by Beyer and 9.2 by van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory). Beyer said the
nuclear magnitude was 12, while the tail extended 12 in PA 329. Van Biesbroeck said the comet exhibited no sharp nucleus, but did display a tail
12 long.
On March 2, Beyer observed using the 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 9.26. He said the tail extended 7 in PA 333. On the 3rd, Beyer
observed using the comet seeker and gave the magnitude as 8.36. He said
there were three nuclei. The brightest was magnitude 11.5, the second was
magnitude 12.1 and was situated 12 away in PA 357, while the third was
magnitude 12.6 and situated 38 away in PA 355. The tail extended 10 in
PA 335. On the 4th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.12. He said there were
three nuclei. The brightest was magnitude 11.5, the second was magnitude
12.3, while the third was magnitude 12.8. The tail extended 8 in PA 339.
On the 6th, the magnitude was given as 8.7 by van Biesbroeck and 9.23 by
Beyer. Van Biesbroeck said the tail extended 16 in PA 305, while a fairly
bright, narrow jet extended 1 in PA 355. Beyer said there were three nuclei.
The brightest was magnitude 12, the second was magnitude 12.8, while the
third was magnitude 13.3. The tail extended 10 in PA 335. On the 8th, Beyer
observed using the 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 9.34. He said
there were three nuclei. The brightest was magnitude 12.6, the second was
magnitude 13.3 and was situated 11 away, while the third was magnitude
13.6 and situated 39 away. The tail extended 11 in PA 339. On the 10th,
van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 10. He said the broad diffuse tail extended 11 in
PA 340, while a jet extended 1 in PA 10. On March 12, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 10.29. He said the nuclear magnitude was about 13, while the
tail extended 8 in PA 12. The comet attained its most northerly declination
of +59 on March 14.
On March 19, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.73. He said the nuclear
magnitude was about 13.0, while the tail extended 5 in PA 10. On the 20th,
about 13.0, while the tail extended 4 in PA 31. On the 25th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 10.57. He said there were three nuclei. The brightest was
magnitude 12.4, the second was magnitude 13.4 and was situated 18 away
in PA 65, while the third was magnitude 13.8 and situated 60 away in
PA 56. The tail extended 8 in PA 58. On the 26th, Beyer observed using
the comet seeker and gave the magnitude as 10.16. He said there were
three nuclei. The brightest was magnitude 12.7, the second was magnitude
13.3 and was situated 12 away, while the third was magnitude 13.8 and
357
catalog of comets
situated 40 away. The tail extended 8 in PA 46. On the 27th, van Biesbroeck
estimated the photographic magnitude as 10.5. He said there was a sharp
nucleus and a tail extending toward PA 50. On March 28, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 10.54 and said the tail extended 6 in PA 46.
On April 2, Beyer observed using the 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 11.07. He said the nucleus was magnitude 13.3, while the tail
said the nucleus was magnitude 13.2, while the tail extended 4 in PA 47.
On the 6th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 11.5.
He said there was a well-defined nucleus and a tail extending toward PA
65. On the 8th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.78. He said the nucleus
was magnitude 13.7, while the tail extended 3 in PA 62. On the 11th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 11.47 and said the tail extended 2 in PA 50. On
the 14th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.98. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 12.55. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.5. On
the 24th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 13.07, while H. Hirose and
K. Tomita (Tokyo Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka Station, Japan) estimated the photographic magnitude as 14. On the 25th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.76. On April 27, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 14. He said the diffuse coma merged into a tail extending
toward PA 70.
On May 2, Beyer could no longer see the comet. On May 3, van Biesbroeck
as 15. He said there was a fairly sharp nucleus and a fairly bright tail extending toward PA 60. On May 7, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 15.5. He said there was hardly any nucleus, but a strong tail
extending toward PA 49.
The comet was last detected on May 8.17, when van Biesbroeck found
images on plates exposed by W. Brown (McDonald Observatory) with the
25-cm Cooke lens. He gave the position as = 7h 00.8m , = +29 24 .
On May 25, van Biesbroeck was unable to detect the comet with the 61-cm
reflector and suggested it was fainter than magnitude 17.
Possible images were reported later in the year, although none have been
conclusively proven to be this comet. L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson
Observatory, California, USA) photographed the predicted positions on
September 29, 30, and October 29. He said possible images were located on
some of the plates. Clouds prevented a further attempt in late November.
It seems hardly possible that this comet is still within reach, but another
attempt will be made to observe it provided excellent conditions prevail.
Van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) said he found the comet on two
plates exposed for 30-minutes with the 208-cm reflector on November 4.46
and November 4.48. He estimated the magnitude as 19, and described the
comet as a fairly well defined, round coma 3 across. The author found
these positions were several minutes too far north of the comets predicted
position and exhibited a much slower rate of motion.
358
catalog of comets
J. L. Brady computed a parabolic orbit which was first published on February 16. The perihelion date was determined as 1951 January 30.11. Merton
computed a parabolic orbit which gave the perihelion date as January 27.87.
Using three precise positions obtained between February 6 and 12, K. A.
Thernoe
computed parabolic elements which were first published on March
8. The perihelion date was determined as January 30.71. Using three precise
positions obtained between February 5 and 28, Brady computed a parabolic
orbit which was published on March 28. The perihelion date was January
30.43.
A. Przybylski (1952) took 20 positions obtained during the period 1951
February 6April 24 and calculated a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date
of January 30.49 and an eccentricity of 1.0031194.
B. G. Marsden (1968) took 12 positions spanning the period February 5
May 7 and calculated a parabolic orbit with a perihelion date of January
30.43. This orbit is given below.
T
1951 Jan. 30.4263 (TT)
68.6020
(2000.0)
311.2198
i
87.8968
q
0.719063
e
1.0

sources: S. J. V. Arend, BAOBU, 4 (1951), pp. 99102; L. Pajdusakova, HAC, No.
1111 (1951 Feb. 5); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1112 (1951 Feb. 6); G. Merton and
A. Hunter, IAUC, No. 1301 (1951 Feb. 8); A. Hunter and H. L. Giclas, HAC, No.
1113 (1951 Feb. 9); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1114 (1951 Feb. 12); M. Connelley,
HAC, No. 1115 (1951 Feb. 13); J. L. Brady and G. Merton, HAC, No. 1116 (1951
Feb. 16); K. A. Thernoe,
IAUC, No. 1305 (1951 Mar. 8); J. L. Brady, HAC, No. 1120
(1951 Mar. 28); A. Przybylski, MNRAS, 112 (1952), pp. 3423; L. E. Cunningham,
PASP, 64 (1952 Feb.), p. 37; A. Przybylski, IAUC, No. 1355 (1952 Apr. 22); G.
van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 81, 856; H. Hirose and K. Tomita, Tokyo
Astronomical Bulletin, 2nd series, No. 57 (1953 May 25), p. 477; M. Beyer, AN,
282 (1955 May 31), pp. 1535; V1964, p. 78; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.),
pp. 31617.
49P/1951 C2 Prediscovery: 1951 January 8.27 ( = 0.44 AU, r = 1.41 AU, Elong. = 162)
(ArendRigaux) Discovered: 1951 February 5.85 ( = 0.55 AU, r = 1.49 AU, Elong. = 152)
1950 VII = 1951b Closest to the Earth: 1951 January 4 (0.4350 AU)
Calculated path: CMi (Disc), GEM (Jan. 18), CNC (Mar. 9), LEO (Apr. 20)
S. J. V. Arend and F. Rigaux (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium) discovered
this comet on a 1-hour exposure obtained on 1951 February 5.85, during a
routine search for minor planets. Rigaux measured the position as = 7h
22.8m , = +23 39 . They estimated the magnitude as 11, and described
the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation. The daily motion was
359
catalog of comets
determined as +56s in and +29 in . They exposed another plate on

February 6.88 and found a trail with a dense core 1.7 wide and a nebulosity 6.2 wide. They estimated the magnitude as 11.5. During early March,
G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) reported finding
prediscovery images on photographic plates exposed by H. Rubingh with
the 25-cm Cooke lens at McDonald Observatory. Van Biesbroeck said the
plates of January 8.27 revealed a magnitude of 10.5, while those of February 4.12 and 4.17 revealed a magnitude of 12. At the time of the discovery
the comet was already over a month past its closest approach to the sun
and Earth. The comet had attained its greatest solar elongation of 166 on
January 16.
visually observed the comet using the 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 11.55. He said the coma was 2.8 across and surrounded a nucleus
of magnitude 14.0. L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) photographed
the comet using a refractor and gave the magnitude as 12.5. Boyer said the
comet was diffuse, with a nucleus. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck obtained
a 1-minute exposure using the 208-cm reflector and said the nucleus was
stellar and about magnitude 11.5, while a faint coma extended into a broad
tail about 40 long in PA 30. On the 11th, Boyer gave the photographic
magnitude as 13.0. Arend and Rigaux obtained a 30-minute exposure which
revealed an elliptical coma measuring 6 by 10 . The large axis was directed
toward PA 10. The coma was 20 across. They also noted a short tail fanning between PA 349 and 140. On the 12th, Beyer visually observed the
comet using the refractor and gave the magnitude as 11.85. On the 24th,
Beyer visually observed the comet using the refractor and gave the magnitude as 13.01. He said the coma was about 2 across. On the 25th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 12.82. He said the coma was 2.5 across. On the
27th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 12.80. He said the coma was 2.5
across. Arend and Rigaux obtained a 49-minute exposure which revealed
a coma 20 across and a central condensation 3.4 across. On February 28,
Beyer visually observed the comet using the 26-cm refractor and gave the
magnitude as 13.15. Van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
obtained a 6-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and said the comets
nucleus was well defined, but not stellar.
On March 2, Beyer observed using the 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 13.05. He said the coma was about 1 across. On the 3rd, Beyer
gave the visual magnitude as 13.09. He said the coma was 1.5 across. On
the 4th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 13.02. He said the coma was
about 1 across. On the 6th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 13.26. He
said the coma was 1.5 across. On the 8th, Beyer said the comet could not
be seen using the 26-cm refractor despite good skies. The comet attained its
most northerly declination of +33 on March 23.
On April 3, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) obtained two 10-minute
exposures using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 17. On
360
catalog of comets
April 6, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed

He said the comet appeared nearly stellar.
The comet was last detected on May 2.2, when L. E. Cunningham (Mount
Wilson Observatory, California, USA) photographed it using the 152-cm
reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18.2. Jeffers obtained excellent
photographic plates of the comets position using the 91-cm reflector on May
26, but the comet was not found. Cunningham said the 152-cm reflector was
undergoing alterations in early June and no search could be attempted;
however, he photographed the predicted position of the comet on July 7
and 8, but no trace was found.
The first orbit was calculated by Arend, using positions spanning the
period February 513. The result was an elliptical orbit with a perihelion
date of 1950 December 17.59 and a period of 6.41 years. A short time later, J. L.
Brady and N. Sherman published an orbit with a perihelion date of December 17.73 and a period of 7.36 years. Brady and Sherman commented that
the orbit was similar to that of the lost periodic comet Taylor of 1916. Additional orbits by Brady (1951, 1952), A. Przybylski (1952), and I. Hasegawa
(1956, 1957) established the perihelion date as December 18.9 and the period
as 6.7 years.
1986), S. Nakano (1996, 2001), and K. Kinoshita (2005). These included planetary perturbations, although Nakano (2001) and Kinoshita also included
nongravitational forces. The result was a perihelion date of December
18.92 and a period of 6.71 years. The nongravitational terms were given
as A1 = +0.016 and A2 = 0.00043 by Nakano and A1 = +0.005076 and
T
1950 Dec. 18.9219 (TT)
(2000.0)
326.2875 125.3960
i
17.1837
q
e
1.386441 0.610265

full moon: Dec. 24, 1951 Jan. 23, Feb. 21, Mar. 23, Apr. 21, May 21
sources: H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1951), p. 76; S. J. V. Arend and F. Rigaux, BAOBU,
4 (1951), pp. 1069; S. J. V. Arend and F. Rigaux, IAUC, No. 1301 (1951 Feb.
8); S. J. V. Arend and F. Rigaux, HAC, No. 1113 (1951 Feb. 9); L. Boyer and G.
van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1114 (1951 Feb. 12); J. L. Brady and N. Sherman,
HAC, No. 1117 (1951 Feb. 19); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1118 (1951 Mar. 9);
J. L. Brady, HAC, No. 1123 (1951 Apr. 23); L. E. Cunningham and H. M. Jeffers,
PASP, 63 (1951 Aug.), p. 211; L. E. Cunningham, A. Przybylski, and J. L. Brady,
MNRAS, 112 (1952), pp. 338, 3423; L. E. Cunningham, PASP, 64 (1952 Feb.), p. 37;
L. Boyer, JO, 36 (1953 Feb.), p. 16; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 812,
86; M. Beyer, AN, 282 (1955 May 31), p. 155; I. Hasegawa, IAUC, No. 1566 (1956
Oct. 5); I. Hasegawa, MNRAS, 117 (1957), pp. 3401; V1964, p. 78; B. G. Marsden,
AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), p. 369; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31617; B. G.
Marsden, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 624 (1996
361
catalog of comets
May 4); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 822 (2001 Dec. 20); personal correspondence
from K. Kinoshita (2005).
7P/Pons Recovered: 1951 February 3.38 ( = 1.75 AU, r = 2.61 AU, Elong. = 143)
1951 VI = 1951c Calculated path: UMa (Rec), LMi (Apr. 27), UMa (Apr. 29), LMi (May 8),
UMa (Jun. 17), LEO (Jun. 19), COM (Jul. 3), VIR (Jul. 25), LIB (Sep. 4), SCO
(Sep. 27), OPH (Oct. 13), SCO (Oct. 14), SGR (Oct. 27)
W. H. F. Calway and J. G. Porter (1950) worked on a prediction for this
comets upcoming return to perihelion. They began with Porters semidefinitive orbit for the 1945 apparition which was determined by using
42 positions from that apparition as well as a link to his definitive orbit
for 1939. Calway and Porter then applied perturbations by Venus, Earth,
Jupiter, and Saturn and predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion
on 1951 September 9.12.
L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet with the 152-cm telescope on 1951 February 3.38, at a position
of = 11h 27.9m , = +33 29 . He gave the magnitude as 19.7, and described
the comet as stellar. A confirmatory photograph was obtained on February
3.41. On February 7.28, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas,
USA) independently recovered the comet on a 15-minute exposure obtained
with the 208-cm reflector. He confirmed the recovery on an additional
15-minute exposure obtained on February 7.30. Van Biesbroeck said the
comet appeared as a faint trail of about magnitude 20.
On February 9, van Biesbroeck obtained two 16-minute exposures of the
comet appeared as a trail of a nearly stellar object. Cunningham also photographed the comet on this date. The comet attained its maximum solar
elongation of 150 on February 20. The comet attained its most northerly
declination of +44 on April 1. On March 7, Cunningham photographed
the comet using the 152-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 18. On
May 2, Cunningham gave the photographic magnitude as 18.8. Cunningham obtained additional photographs of this comet with the reflector on
July 8, July 10, August 4, August 5, and September 1.
On September 3, E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South
Africa) photographed the comet using the 41-cm Leiden Twin refractor and
gave the magnitude as 14.0. He said the comet was diffuse, with only a
slight central condensation. The comets solar elongation remained around
55 from early Sepember until late October.
obtained an 8-minute exposure with the 208-cm reflector. The comet was
then situated at a low altitude, with a magnitude of 15.5. The position was
given as = 18h 05.2m , = 34 16 .
362
catalog of comets
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by M. P. Candy and

Porter (1956, 1957), L. Y. Ananeva (1958), B. G. Marsden (1968, 1978), L. Ya.
Ananeva and E. A. Reznikov (1974), Reznikov (1978), and S. Nakano (1982).
These applied various planetary perturbations, with nongravitational terms
being applied by Marsden and Nakano. The result was a perihelion date of
about September 8.61 and a period of 6.16 years. Marsden (1968) noted an
extremely slight secular deceleration for this comet. The nongravitational
terms were given as A1 = 0.012726 and A2 = +0.00064604 by Marsden
(1970), A1 = 0.0, A2 = 0.0025 by Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans
(1973), and A1 = +0.0089 and A2 = +0.001829 by Nakano. Nakanos orbit
is given below.
T
1951 Sep. 8.6118 (TT)
(2000.0)
170.2195
95.0858
i
21.6890
q
e
1.160464 0.654568

Sep. 15, Oct. 14, Nov. 13
sources: W. H. F. Calway and J. G. Porter, BAA Handbook for 1951 (1950 Nov.),
pp. 413; G. van Biesbroeck and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1115 (1951 Feb.
13); L. E. Cunningham, PASP, 63 (1951 Apr.), p. 96; L. E. Cunningham, PASP,
63 (1951 Jun.), p. 154; L. E. Cunningham, PASP, 63 (1951 Aug.), p. 211; W. H. F.
Calway and J. G. Porter, MNRAS, 112 (1952), pp. 3423; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58
(1953 Apr.), pp. 82, 86; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 6 (1953 Jun.), p. 167; M. P. Candy and
J. G. Porter, MNRAS, 116 (1956), pp. 2267; M. P. Candy and J. G. Porter, BAA
Handbook for 1957 (1956 Nov.), p. 52; M. P. Candy and J. G. Porter, MNRAS, 117
(1957), pp. 3401; L. Y. Ananeva, MNRAS, 118 (1958), pp. 3967; V1964, p. 78;
B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 3701; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970 Feb.),
pp. 801; Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), pp. 214,
216; L. Y. Ananeva and E. A. Reznikov, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4545, 459;
E. A. Reznikov and B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88; L. E.
Cunningham, MPC, No. 5922 (1981 May 1); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 414
(1982 Apr. 5).
10P/Tempel 2 Recovered: 1951 February 3.53 ( = 2.46 AU, r = 2.74 AU, Elong. = 96)
1951 VIII = 1951d Closest to the Earth: 1951 May 28 (1.1727 AU)
Calculated path: VIR (Rec), LIB (Feb. 8), VIR (Feb. 26), BOO (May 1), VIR
(Jun. 12), LIB (Aug. 10), SCO (Sep. 14), OPH (Sep. 24), SGR (Oct. 17), CAP
(Nov. 25)
T. A. Goodchild (1950) published his prediction for the upcoming 1951
apparition. He started with L. E. Cunninghams orbit for the 1946 apparition which had been based on positions obtained over 210 days, as well as
perturbations by Jupiter. Goodchild then applied perturbations by Jupiter
363
catalog of comets
and Saturn and predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1951
October 25.32.
L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet with the 152-cm telescope on 1951 February 3.53, at a position
of = 14h 39.5m , = 1 19 . The comet appeared stellar and the magnitude
was later given as 19.7.
On March 4, Cunningham photographed the comet using the 152-cm
reflector and the nuclear magnitude was given as 19. On May 1, Cunningham photographed the comet using the 152-cm reflector. The comet attained
its most northerly declination of +9 on May 22. On June 1, H. M. Jeffers
(Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the
appeared stellar. On June 5 and 7, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory,
Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and
gave the magnitude as 17. He said the coma was nearly stellar. On July 5
and 6, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and
gave the magnitude as 16. He said there was a small nucleus situated within
a very faint coma 30 across. On July 9 and August 6, Cunningham photographed the comet using the 152-cm reflector and the nuclear magnitude
was given as 17. On August 7 and 10, Cunningham gave the photographic
nuclear magnitudes as 16.5 and 16.7, respectively. The comet attained a
minimum solar elongation of 38 on August 9. On August 29, E. L. Johnson
using the 41-cm Leiden Twin refractor and gave the magnitude as 14.0. He
said the comet was small and diffuse, with a central nucleus. On September 1, Cunningham photographed the comet using the 152-cm reflector and
the nuclear magnitude was given as 16. On September 29, Cunningham
photographed the comet and gave the magnitude as 16. On October 29,
Cunningham photographed the comet using the 152-cm reflector and the
total magnitude was given as 15.5. He said the comet was uncondensed,
with tail streamers near PA 330. On October 30, November 1, and 3, van
was nearly 2 across and a broad tail extended about 5 in PA 330. The comet
attained its most southerly declination of 27 on November 12.
photographed it with the 61-cm reflector at Yerkes Observatory. He gave
the position as = 20h 02.6m , = 26 23 . Van Biesbroeck estimated the
magnitude as 12, and described the comet as exhibiting a well-condensed
nucleus and a tail extending in PA 10.
1971), Z. Sekanina and Marsden (1979, 1985), and S. Nakano (2001, 2002).
Perturbations by Mercury to Neptune, as well as by other minor bodies
were considered, and nongravitational terms were also included for the
calculations published in 1971 and later. The result was a perihelion date
364
catalog of comets
of October 25.20 and a period of 5.30 years. Marsden (1968) noted an

extremely slight secular deceleration. The nongravitational terms were
given as A1 = 0.0179 and A2 = +0.000508 by Marsden (1971), A1 =
0.04 and A2 = +0.0008 by Sekanina and Marsden (1979), A1 = +0.035 and
A2 = +0.00140 by Nakano (2001), and A1 = +0.034 and A2 = +0.00140 by
Nakano (2002).
T
1951 Oct. 25.2003 (TT)
(2000.0)
191.0207 120.0532
i
12.4289
q
e
1.391237 0.542619

Sep. 15, Oct. 14, Nov. 13, Dec. 13
sources: MNRAS, 108 (1948), pp. 1289; T. A. Goodchild, BAA Handbook for 1951
(1950 Nov.), pp. 456; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1951), p. 76; L. E. Cunningham,
HAC, No. 1115 (1951 Feb. 13); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 82, 86;
E. L. Johnson, UOC, 6 (1953 Jun.), p. 168; V1964, p. 78; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73
Marsden, QJRAS, 12 (1971 Sep.), pp. 2689; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 76 (1971 Dec.),
pp. 11378; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 25, 48; Z. Sekanina and B. G.
Marsden, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 25, 52; L. E. Cunningham, MPC, No. 5211
(1980 Mar. 1); L. E. Cunningham, MPC, No. 5473 (1980 Oct. 1); Z. Sekanina and
B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 26 (1985), pp. 11314; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 776
(2001 Apr. 4); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 841 (2002 May 5).
X/1951 G1 At the beginning of 1954, I. Groeneveld (McDonald Observatory, Texas,

USA) discovered this comet on a minor planet survey plate exposed with
a 25-cm Cooke telescope on 1951 April 2.17. The position was given as
= 12h 02.5m , = +13 53 , and the daily motion was 7.9 in PA 264.
The magnitude was estimated as 15, the nucleus was 8 across, and a faint
coma extended 40 in the fourth quadrant. No further observations have
been found.
sources: I. Groeneveld, IAUC, No. 1437 (1954 Jan. 26).
X/1951 G2 At the beginning of 1954, I. Groeneveld (McDonald Observatory, Texas,

USA) discovered this comet on a minor planet survey plate exposed with
a 25-cm Cooke telescope on 1951 April 9.22. The position was given as
= 13h 03.9m , = +1 38 , and the daily motion was 28.1 in PA 251. The
magnitude was estimated as 14.5, the well-defined nucleus was 9 across,
and a faint coma measured 30 in diameter. No further observations have
been found.
sources: I. Groeneveld, IAUC, No. 1437 (1954 Jan. 26).
22P/Kopff Recovered: 1951 April 12.40 ( = 1.38 AU, r = 2.35 AU, Elong. = 162)
1951 VII = 1951e Closest to the Earth: 1951 April 27 (1.3518 AU)
365
catalog of comets
Calculated path: CRV (Rec), VIR (Apr. 22), CRT (May 7), VIR (May 29), LIB
(Aug. 29), SCO (Oct. 3), OPH (Oct. 11), SGR (Nov. 3)
W. E. Beart and W. H. Julian (1950) began work on a prediction for this
comets 1951 apparition. They started with an orbit for the 1945 apparition
which had been derived by J. G. Masters (1947) from F. Kepinskis accurate
ephemeris published in 1946. Beart and Julian then applied a correction of
0.010 day, suggested by Masters for Kepinskis predicted perihelion date,
and applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. The result was a prediction
that the comet would arrive at perihelion on 1951 October 20.51.
L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) photographed the predicted position of the comet using the 152-cm reflector
during 1950 December and 1951 February and March. Clouds prevented an
attempt in April.
with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on 1951 April 12.40. He gave the position
as = 12h 11.5m , = 12 53 . Although Jeffers initially described the comet
as magnitude 18 and diffuse, he later noted that it was magnitude 19.5 and
stellar. He confirmed the recovery on April 12.44.
On May 3, Cunningham photographed the comet using the 152-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 18.9. On May 3 and 5, G. van Biesbroeck
(Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the
61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 17. He said the coma was small,
diffuse, and 15 across. On May 10, Jeffers photographed the comet using
comet was stellar in appearance. On June 3, E. L. Johnson (Harvard College
Observatory, Boyden Station, Bloemfontein, South Africa) photographed
the comet using the 81-cm ArmaghDunsinkHarvard Schmidt reflector
and gave the magnitude as 16.0. He said the comet was small, with a condensation, but no nucleus. On the 5th and 7th, van Beisbroeck photographed
the coma was diffuse and 20 across. The comet attained a declination of
7 on June 14 and then began moving in a southerly direction. On June 28,
the magnitude as 16.5. He said the comet exhibited a faint, round coma.
On August 19, A. F. A. L. Jones (Timaru, New Zealand) visually observed
the comet using the 14-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 12.2. He
said the coma was 2 across, with a degree of condensation (DC) of 3. On
August 29, Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) photographed the comet using the 41-cm Leiden Twin refractor and gave the
magnitude as 12.0. On September 21, Jones visually observed the comet
using a 14-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 11.3. He noted a coma
about 1.5 across, with a DC of 4. On the 22nd, Jones visually observed
using the 32-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 11.4. He said the coma
was about 3.5 across, with a DC of 2. On the 26th, Jones visually observed
366
catalog of comets
using the 14-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 10.6. He added that
the 32-cm reflector showed a coma with a DC of 3. On September 28 and 30,
Jones visually observed the comet using the 14-cm refractor and gave the
magnitude as 10.8.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 20 on October 30.
On this same date, Johnson photographed the comet using the 41-cm Leiden
Twin refractor and gave the magnitude as 10.5. He said the comet was small,
with a concentrated nucleus. On October 30, November 1, and November 3,
van Biesbroeck obtained exposures of 1, 3, and 2 minutes, respectively, using
the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 12. He said the coma was
2 across, with a slightly eccentric nucleus, and extended mostly toward
PA 350. On the 24th, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) obtained a 6minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 11.5.
He said the coma appeared fuzzy, nearly round, and about 1.5 across. On
November 26, K. Tomita (Tokyo Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka Station,
Japan) photographed the comet using a 20-cm Brashear Astrograph and
estimated the magnitude as 12.5.
The comet was last detected on November 29.39, when Tomita photographed it using the 20-cm Brashear Astrograph. He gave the position
as = 19h 09.1m , = 18 05 .
astronomers used perturbations by the planets Mercury to Neptune and the
dwarf planet Pluto. Yeomans and Sitarski also solved for nongravitational
effects. Although Kepinski determined the perihelion date as October 20.40,
the other astronomers gave the date as October 20.37. Everyone gave the
period as 6.18 years. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.66
and A2 = 0.0455 by Yeomans (1973), A1 = +0.681 and A2 = 0.0279 by
Yeomans (1974), and A1 = +0.664, A2 = 0.007, and A3 = 0.213 by Sitarski.
The orbit by Sitarski is given below.
T
1951 Oct. 20.3732 (TT)
31.6629
(2000.0)
253.7751
i
7.2186
q
e
1.494848 0.556090

full moon: Mar. 23, Apr. 21, May 21, Jun. 19, Jul. 18, Aug. 17, Sep. 15, Oct. 14,
Nov. 13, Dec. 13
sources: J. G. Masters and F. Kepinski, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11011, 114; W. E.
Beart and W. H. Julian, BAA Handbook for 1951 (1950 Nov.), pp. 445; H. M. Jeffers,
LOB, 20 (1951), p. 76; H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 1122 (1951 Apr. 16); L. E. Cunningham, PASP, 63 (1951 Jun.), p. 153; L. E. Cunningham, PASP, 63 (1951 Aug.), p. 211;
H. M. Jeffers and A. F. A. L. Jones, MNRAS, 112 (1952), p. 339; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 82, 86; K. Tomita, Tokyo Astronomical Bulletin, 2nd series,
No. 57 (1953 May 25), pp. 479; E. L. Johnson, UOC, 6 (1953 Jun.), p. 169;
K. Tomita and H. Kosai, Tokyo Astronomical Bulletin, 2nd series, No. 82
367
catalog of comets
(1956 May 20), p. 851; F. Kepinski, AcA, 7 (1957), pp. 1039; V1964, p. 78; D. K.
Yeomans, QJRAS, 14 (1973 Dec.), pp. 4046; D. K. Yeomans, PASP, 86 (1974 Feb.),
p. 126; Y. A. Chernetenko, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88; A. F. A. L. Jones,
ICQ, 5 (1983 Oct.), pp. 99100; G. Sitarski, AcA, 44 (1994), pp. 95, 424.
41P/1951 H1 Discovered: 1951 April 24.87 ( = 0.51 AU, r = 1.13 AU, Elong. = 91)
(Tuttle Last seen: 1951 August 9.2 ( = 0.99 AU, r = 1.59 AU, Elong. = 104)
GiacobiniKresak)
Calculated path: CNC (Disc), LEOLMi (May 4), UMa (May 22), COM
1951 IV = 1951f (Jun. 4), BOO (Jun. 22), SER (Jul. 17)
Although this comet was discovered in 1858 and rediscovered in 1907,
both apparitions were of short duration and nothing more than parabolic
orbits were calculated. W. H. Pickering (1914) expressed his opinion that
the comets of 1858 and 1907 were identical, but his calculations were statistical rather than directly determined using positions. He began with the
assumption that the comet was a member of Jupiters family of comets and
then concluded that seven or eight returns had occurred between 1858 and
1907. He favored the idea of seven returns and predicted the comet would
return to perihelion in 1914, but it was not found.
The next predictions came from A. C. D. Crommelin (1928, 1929). He determined a rough elliptical orbit from the 11-day arc of the 1907 apparition and
concluded that the comet had made nine returns since 1858. Using the likely
period of 5.44 years, he determined that the comet would pass perihelion
on 1928 November 17.27; however, he added that it would be too close to
the sun to allow a recovery. Crommelin (1933, 1936) published two further
predictions: one based on the comet having made nine returns between 1858
and 1907, and the other based on ten returns. The former prediction was
considered more likely and produced a perihelion date of 1934 March 21.31.
Searches by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) and
E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) revealed
nothing. Crommelins second prediction indicated a perihelion date of 1937
February 9.2. Searches by van Biesbroeck revealed nothing. No further predictions were made.
L. Kresak (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) discovered this comet on
1951 April 24.87, at a position of = 8h 40.0m , = +30 30 . He estimated
the magnitude as 10, and described the comet as diffuse. The comet was
confirmed by A. Becvar and T. Jancik (Skalnate Pleso Observatory) on a
31-minute exposure obtained on April 25.83. The comet was about 3 weeks
from making its closest approach to both the sun and Earth.
On April 26, H. Hirose and K. Tomita (Tokyo Astronomical Observatory,
Mitaka Station, Japan) estimated the photographic magnitude as 12. On
the 27th and 30th, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
as 11.1 and 10.6, respectively. He said the coma was 6 across and although
368
catalog of comets
it was centrally condensed, there was no sharp nucleus. He added that

the coma extended slightly toward PA 250. On April 28, W. H. Steavenson
(Cambridge, England) observed the comet using a 76-cm reflector and said
the coma was round with a very diffuse edge and not markedly condensed
towards the centre, but containing a sharp condensation, with a sensibly
stellar nucleus of about fifteenth magnitude, eccentrically placed towards
the East.
On May 1, the visual magnitude was given as 10.46 by M. Beyer (Hamburg
Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany), while the photographic magnitude was
given as 11.1 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said a 10-cm comet seeker revealed
a coma 4.0 across, which surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14.64. Van
Biesbroeck said a photograph obtained using the 61-cm reflector revealed
a coma 7 across, with a sharper central condensation than observed on
April 30. During the period May 15, L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson
reflector and gave the magnitude as 16.4. He described the comet as a
diffuse object with a strong, but not stellar, condensation. On the 2nd, Beyer
observed using the 10-cm comet seeker and gave the magnitude as 10.43. He
said the coma was 4.2 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14.63.
On the 3rd, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the reflector and
gave the magnitude as 11.1. He said the coma was 6 across. On the 6th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.889.99. He said the coma was 4.8 across
and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14.16. On the 7th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 10.06 and said the coma was 5.0 across. On May 7 and 8, van
6 across.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 89 on May 9. On the
and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14.2. On the 11th, Beyer gave the
nucleus of magnitude 14.68. On the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
9.749.98. He said the coma was 4.0 across and surrounded a nucleus of
magnitude 14.12. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +35
on May 18. On the 23rd, Hirose and Tomita estimated the photographic
magnitude as 13.0. On the 26th, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California,
USA) photographed the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said
the coma was 3 across and contained a sharp condensation of magnitude 14.
He added that the nucleus was not central, but situated within the eastern
half of the coma. On the 29th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.57 and said
the coma was 4.0 across. On the 30th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.06.
He said the coma was 5.4 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude
14.4. On May 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.93. He said the coma was
4.9 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14.3.
across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 14.4. On the 2nd and 12th,
369
catalog of comets
Hirose and Tomita estimated the photographic magnitude as 13. On the 3rd,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.54 and said the coma was about 4 across.
On the 5th, the visual magnitude was given as 10.83 by Beyer, while the
photographic magnitude was estimated as 11 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said
the coma was 3.9 across. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 9 across, and
contained a good nucleus. On the 7th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 11. He said the coma was 10 across, and contained a
nucleus of magnitude 13.5. On the 8th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.87
and said the coma was 4.0 across. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
10.82 and said the coma was 4.1 across. On the 10th, Beyer observed using
the 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 10.91. He said the coma was
3.4 across. On the 11th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.03 and said the
coma was about 4 across. On the 24th, Beyer said the comet could not be
found using the refractor in the bright midnight twilight. On the 24th and
26th, Hirose and Tomita estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.5. On
June 28, Jeffers photographed the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector
and said the coma was 1.3 across and contained a condensed center of
magnitude 16.3.
On July 5, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.
He said the coma was 4 across, with a diffuse nucleus. On the 10th, Cunningham photographed the comet using the 152-cm reflector. The comet
attained a maximum solar elongation of 106 on July 23. On August 4, van
was round and 15 across.
The comet was last detected on August 9.2, when it was photographed
by Cunningham.
The first elliptical orbit was calculated by J. L. Brady and N. Sherman
and was published on May 7. They determined the perihelion date as 1951
May 9.28 and the period as 8.51 years. It was suggested that the comet was
probably identical to comets 1858 III and 1907 III.
An improved orbit was calculated by Cunningham and published on
August 8. Using three positions spanning the period May 1June 16, he
determined a perihelion date of May 9.36 and the period as 5.43 years.
Cunningham said the comet experienced no large perturbations between
1907 and 1951, with the closest approach to Jupiter being 2 AU in 1917.
Prior to 1907, the comet passed within 0.6 AU of Jupiter in 1904 and, in fact,
remained within 1 AU of that planet for about a year. Cunningham said,
while the perturbations must have been considerable, it seems probable
that they did not greatly alter the orbit.
During the next few years, it was the comets discoverer, Kresak, who continued to work on this comets orbit. In 1952, he took 35 positions obtained at
Skalnate Pleso Observatory during the period April 25July 29 and determined the perihelion date as May 9.37 and the period as 5.49 years. He
noted, the period seems to be settled with considerable accuracy, and that
no serious planetary perturbations have occurred since 1907 when it was
370
catalog of comets
last observed. Kresak (1953, 1954) obtained essentially the same results
using the same positions. Kresak (1955, 1956, 1957) took 90 positions
obtained during this apparition from several observatories and computed
an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of May 9.37 and an orbital period of
5.48 years. He noted that it was evident that this comet made nine revolutions about the sun between 1858 and 1907, and eight revolutions between
1907 and 1951.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by Kresak and P. Herget
(1968), B. G. Marsden (1972, 1974), and D. K. Yeomans (1978). They applied
planetary perturbations, while Marsden and Yeomans also determined
nongravitational terms. The perihelion date was given as May 9.369.37
and the period was given as 5.475.48 years. The nongravitational terms
were given as A1 = +0.66 and A2 = +0.0216 by Marsden (1974) and
A1 = +0.61 and A2 = +0.0215 by Yeomans (1978). The orbit of Marsden
T
1951 May 9.3695 (TT)
37.9415
(2000.0)
166.3385
i
13.7843
q
e
1.116470 0.640579

full moon: Apr. 21, May 21, Jun. 19, Jul. 18, Aug. 17
sources: W. H. Pickering, AN, 198 (1914 Aug. 1), p. 471; A. C. D. Crommelin,
The Observatory, 51 (1928 Nov.), p. 354; A. C. D. Crommelin, MNRAS, 89 (1929
Feb.), pp. 3623; A. C. D. Crommelin, BAA Handbook for 1934 (1933), p. 21; G. van
Biesbroeck, PA, 42 (1934 Apr.), p. 218; E. L. Johnson, The Observatory, 57 (1934
May), p. 170; A. C. D. Crommelin, BAA Handbook for 1937 (1936), p. 33; G. van
Biesbroeck, PA, 44 (1936 Dec.), p. 573; G. van Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 60 (1937
Feb.), p. 55; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1951), p. 76; L. Kresak, HAC, No. 1125 (1951
Apr. 26); G. van Biesbroeck, J. L. Brady, and N. Sherman, HAC, No. 1127 (1951
May 7); L. E. Cunningham, PASP, 63 (1951 Aug.), p. 209; L. E. Cunningham, HAC,
No. 1137 (1951 Aug. 8); L. Kresak, W. H. Steavenson, and L. E. Cunningham,
MNRAS, 112 (1952), pp. 339, 3423; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 82,
86; L. Kresak, BAICz, 4 (1953 Apr.), pp. 2833; H. Hirose and K. Tomita, Tokyo
Astronomical Bulletin, 2nd series, No. 57 (1953 May 25), pp. 4778; L. Kresak,
MNRAS, 114 (1954), pp. 3679; M. Beyer, AN, 282 (1955 May 31), pp. 1556;
L. Kresak, BAA Handbook for 1956 (1955 Nov.), p. 52; L. Kresak, MNRAS, 116
(1956), pp. 2267; L. Kresak, CAOSP, 2 (1957), pp. 5768; V1964, p. 78; A. Becvar
and T. Jancik, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 118; Kresak and P. Herget, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.),
QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4545, 458; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.),
pp. 523, 57.
42P/1951 J1 Recovered: 1951 May 4.47 ( = 1.91 AU, r = 2.04 AU, Elong. = 82)
(Neujmin 3) Last seen: 1951 November 26.1 ( = 2.21 AU, r = 2.60 AU, Elong. = 102)
1951 V = 1951g Calculated path: CAP (Rec), AQR (May 19)
371
catalog of comets
This comet was missed at its 1940 return. H. Q. Rasmusen (1934, 1939)
took an orbit calculated for the 1929 apparition, applied perturbations by
Jupiter and Saturn, and predicted the comet would pass perihelion on 1940
May 8.26.
W. H. Julian (1949) began work on his prediction for the 1951 return of
this comet. Since the comet was not observed in 1940, Julian first produced
a new prediction for that return by applying Rasmusens perturbations for
192940 to Imais definitive orbit for 1929. The result was a prediction that
the comet passed perihelion on 1940 May 15.20. He then advanced this orbit
and predicted the comet would next reach perihelion on 1951 May 28.37.
With the comet having been missed in 1940, L. E. Cunningham (Mount
Wilson Observatory, California, USA) believed that the recovery of this
comet was important enough to justify numerous exposures with the
[152-cm] reflector, and I decided to cover as much as possible of the arc
along which the comet must lie. He began his search on 1951 May 1, but
was only able to secure two search photographs each morning because
of the comets location in the eastern sky. He noted, To make matters
worse, a minor planet with a somewhat similar motion was found the
first morning, and its elimination took some time. On May 4.47, Cunningham photographed another suspicious object at a position of = 21h
29.2m , = 11 53 . He gave the magnitude as 17. The final night of his
run was May 5 and clouds rolled in around midnight. He wrote, Nevertheless, I set the telescope on the region when [the object] rose, and
kept it there despite the amusement of the night assistant. My luck was
amazing; this particular part of the sky cleared somewhat, and I was able
to secure three short exposures through varying amounts of clouds. Cunningham said two of the exposures showed the object from the previous
morning and he noted the motion was consistent with that of the expected
comet.
On June 1, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 18. He said the comet was a few seconds of arc in diameter.
During early July, Cunningham photographed the comet using the 152-cm
reflector and said it exhibited a small round coma. The comet attained
a declination of about 5 on July 18 and then began a generally southward motion. During early August, Cunningham said photographs with
the reflector revealed the comet was a bit brighter and sharper than in
July. On August 7, Jeffers photographed the comet using the reflector and
gave the magnitude as 16.5. He said the coma was centrally condensed.
The comet attained its maximum solar elongation of 179 on September 5.
The comet attained a declination of 10 on October 15 and then began a
generally northward motion. On October 30, November 1, and November 4,
G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the
comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 19.5. He said
the round coma was 8 across, with little condensation.
372
catalog of comets
The comet was last detected on November 26.1, when Cunningham photographed it in the evening sky toward the south using the 152-cm reflector.
Later orbits using multiple apparitions and planetary perturbations were
calculated by B. G. Marsden (1968, 1985, 2005), S. Nakano (1990, 2001), and
G. V. Williams (2003). The result was a perihelion date of May 26.8326.85
and a period of 10.95 years. The nongravitational terms were given as
A1 = +1.610 and A2 = +0.03159 by Nakano (1990), A1 = +1.542 and
A2 = +0.05145 by Nakano (2001), A1 = +1.64 and A2 = +0.0492 by
Williams, and A1 = +1.37 and A2 = +0.0339 by Marsden (2005). The orbit
of Marsden (2005) is given below.
T
1951 May 26.8392 (TT)
(2000.0)
144.8112 156.8396
i
3.7548
q
e
2.031597 0.587971

Dec. 13
sources: H. Q. Rasmusen, AN, 252 (1934 Jul. 16), pp. 28992; H. Q. Rasmusen,
BAA Handbook for 1940 (1939), p. 29; H. Q. Rasmusen, PA, 48 (1940 Jun.), p. 325;
W. H. Julian, BAA Handbook for 1950 (1949 Nov.), p. 48; W. H. Julian, BAA Handbook for 1951 (1950 Nov.), p. 40; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1951), p. 77; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1127 (1951 May 7); L. E. Cunningham, PASP, 63 (1951 Aug.),
p. 210; L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 112 (1952), pp. 33940; L. E. Cunningham,
PASP, 64 (1952 Feb.), p. 37; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 82, 86;
V1964, p. 78; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31617; B. G. Marsden,
QJRAS, 26 (1985 Dec.), p. 539; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 540 (1990 May 2);
S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 788 (2001 Apr. 28); G. V. Williams, CCO, 15th ed.
(2003), pp. 901; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 16th ed. (2005), pp. 11213.
X/1951 K1 During March 1954, C. J. Van Houten (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
discovered this comet on an asteroid survey plate exposed with a 25-cm
Cooke telescope on 1951 May 28.19. The position was given as = 15h 31.2m ,
= 37 27 , and the daily motion was given as 2.58m in and 55.6 in .
The magnitude was estimated as 14, and the comet was described as a nearly
round coma measuring 10 across, with a diffuse central condensation.
sources: C. J. Van Houten, IAUC, No. 1445 (1954 Mar. 31).
32P/Comas Recovered: 1951 July 7.44 ( = 3.48 AU, r = 3.87 AU, Elong. = 105)
Sola Last seen: 1953 July 4.21 ( = 3.07 AU, r = 3.12 AU, Elong. = 83)
1952 VII = 1951h Calculated path: CET (Rec), AQR (Sep. 29), CET (1952 Jan. 11), PSC (Feb. 3),
CET (Feb. 6), PSC (Mar. 16), CET (Apr. 11), ARI (Apr. 21), TAU (May 19),
GEM (Jul. 19), CNC (Aug. 28), LEO (Sep. 25), COM (Nov. 30), VIR (Dec. 15),
COM (1953 Feb. 19), VIR (May 12)
J. M. Vinter Hansen (1951) computed a revised orbit for the 1927 apparition,
based on positions from 1927, 1935, and 1944, and applying perturbations
373
catalog of comets
from Mercury to Neptune. She then applied H. Q. Rasmusens perturbations

computed for Mercury to Neptune for 194452, and determined the perihelion date as 1952 September 10.70. She noted that the comet passed fairly
close to Jupiter during 194950, which caused somewhat large changes in
the elements.
L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet with the 152-cm reflector on 1951 July 7.44. He determined
the position as = 0h 21.5m , = 13 42 . The comet was quickly confirmed
as Cunningham obtained additional photographs on July 8.44 and July 9.44.
The comet was described as entirely stellar and the magnitude was determined as 19.5 on the latter date. These photographs were obtained with the
aid of an ephemeris sent to Cunningham by Vinter Hansen.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 162 on September 17
and then reached its most southerly declination of 20 on October 16. On
November 5, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as
17. He said the round coma was 5 across and exhibited a faint fan-shaped
tail extending 1 in PA 70.
The comet passed only 3 from the sun on 1952 May 5 and then attained
its most northerly declination of +26 on August 13. On October 16, van
using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 13.5. He said the round
coma was 25 across and contained a sharp nucleus. There was also a faint
tail in PA 300. On the 18th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He said a 20-minute exposure showed a slender tail extending
8 in PA 295. L. Kresak (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) said a photograph revealed a double tail 2.5 long. On October 29, L. Boyer (Alger, now
al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. On November
13, 14, and 15, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He
said there was a well-defined nucleus and a tail extending 6 in PA 297. On
November 20, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 14.0. On December 21 and 22, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the
coma was 5 across and contained a well-condensed nucleus. A 10-minute
exposure showed a tail extending 20 in PA 300.
The comet attained a declination of +13 on 1953 January 10 and then
began a more northerly motion. On January 14 and 15, van Biesbroeck
photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 13.8. He said a narrow tail extended toward PA 297. On the 19th,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14. On January 22,
Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 14.2. On February 20, H. M.
Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using
coma was 0.2 across. On February 21, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 14.3. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 161 on
374
catalog of comets
March 24 and then reached a declination of +17 on March 30, at which time
it began a more southerly motion. On April 7, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the
magnitude as 15. He said there was a nearly starlike nucleus surrounded
by a very faint coma extending mostly in the third quadrant. Boyer gave
the photographic magnitude as 15.2 on April 9 and 15.5 on April 15. On
May 7, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 16. He noted a
well-defined nucleus and a tail extending 50 in PA 150. On May 9 and 10,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 16.5. He said a good
nucleus was situated within a faint coma which extended toward PA 140.
On July 2 and 3, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed
said the fuzzy coma was 8 across and exhibited a faint tail extending 20
in PA 120. On July 3, E. Roemer (Lick Observatory) gave the photographic
magnitude as 18. She said the comet was nearly stellar.
on an 8-minute exposure obtained with the 208-cm reflector. He determined
the position as = 12h 32.7m , = +5 53 . Van Biesbroeck estimated the
magnitude as 17.5, and said the fuzzy coma was 8 across and exhibited
a faint tail extending 20 in PA 120.
1972) and G. Forti (1983). They applied perturbations by all nine planets,
while Marsden (1972) and Forti also included nongravitational terms. The
result was a perihelion date of September 10.78 and a period of 8.54 years.
B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.74, A2 = 0.0173, while Forti gave them as
T
1952 Sep. 10.7805 (TT)
39.9718
(2000.0)
63.5840
i
13.4699
q
e
1.766919 0.576976

12, Feb. 11, Mar. 11, Apr. 10, May 9, Jun. 8, Jul. 7, Aug. 5, Sep. 4, Oct. 3, Nov. 1,
Dec. 1, Dec. 31, 1953 Jan. 29, Feb. 28, Mar. 30, Apr. 29, May 28, Jun. 27, Jul. 26
sources: L. E. Cunningham and J. M. Vinter Hansen, HAC, No. 1135 (1951 Jul.
27); J. M. Vinter Hansen and H. Q. Rasmusen, BAA Handbook for 1952 (1951
Nov.), pp. 434; J. M. Vinter Hansen and H. Q. Rasmusen, MNRAS, 112 (1952),
pp. 3424; J. M. Vinter Hansen, BAA Handbook for 1953 (1952 Nov.), pp. 389;
L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1380 (1952 Nov. 11); L. Kresak, IAUC, No. 1381 (1952 Nov.
26); L. Boyer, JO, 36 (1953 Feb.), p. 17; L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1399 (1953 Mar. 31);
L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1407 (1953 May 16); H. M. Jeffers and E. Roemer, AJ, 59 (1954
Sep.), pp. 3056; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 60 (1955 Mar.), pp. 57, 612; L. Boyer,
JO, 39 (1956 Feb.), p. 31; V1964, p. 78; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 369
70; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31617; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 13
375
catalog of comets
(1972 Sep), pp. 4301; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78
(1973 Mar.), p. 213; G. Forti, AAP, 126 (1983), pp. 3079.
C/1951 P1 Discovered: 1951 August 6.18 ( = 1.94 AU, r = 2.69 AU, Elong. = 129)
(Wilson Last seen: 1952 March 16.06 ( = 1.78 AU, r = 1.39 AU, Elong. = 51)
Harrington) Closest to the Earth: 1952 January 31 (0.3802 AU)
Calculated path: OPH (Disc), SCO (Sep. 18), LUP (Dec. 18), SCO (1952 Jan. 5),
1952 I = 1951i NOR (Jan. 10), ARA (Jan. 17), PAV (Jan. 23), IND (Jan. 28), TUC (Jan. 29),
PHE (Jan. 31), SCL (Feb. 4), FOR (Feb. 5), CET (Feb. 7), ARI (Mar. 3)
A. G. Wilson and R. G. Harrington (Palomar Observatory, California, USA)
discovered this comet on 1951 August 6.18 on photographic plates exposed
as part of the National Geographic SocietyPalomar Observatory Sky Survey. The position was given as = 17h 35.7m , = 6 20 . The magnitude
was estimated as 10, and the comet was described as diffuse, without a central condensation, with a short tail. The comet was confirmed on August
7.24, when L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA)
used the 152-cm reflector to determine the visual magnitude of 15.3, and the
photographic nuclear magnitude as 16.0. Cunningham said the coma was
small and condensed, while a tail was 2 long.
On August 8, 9, and 10, Cunningham used the 152-cm reflector to give a
visual magnitude of 15.3. A photograph using the same telescope revealed
a nucleus of magnitude 16.0, a small, condensed coma, and a tail about 2
long. On the 9th and 10th, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated
the magnitude as 15. He said the coma was 5 across, with a well-defined
nucleus of magnitude 16, and a narrow tail extending 3 in PA 95. On August
23, the photographic magnitude was given as 14.5 by L. Boyer (Alger, now
al-Jazair, Algeria) and 17 by H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California,
USA). Jeffers was using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the coma was
small and condensed and exhibited a tail extending 1 toward the east.
On September 2, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 15 and said the tail extended 2 in PA 95. On the 3rd, E. L. Johnson
using the 41-cm Leiden Twin refractor and estimated the magnitude as
13.5. He said the comet was small and diffuse, with a concentrated nucleus
and a short tail. On the 4th, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as
14.4. On the 8th, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 16.5. He
said the coma was small and condensed and exhibited a tail extending 1
toward the east. On the 23rd, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 15 and said the tail was still conspicuous. On September 26,
Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 16. He said the coma was
small and condensed and exhibited a tail extending 1.5 toward the east. The
comet attained a minimum solar elongation of about 4 on November 25.
On 1952 January 3, the comet was photographed by J. Bobone (National
Astronomical Observatory, Cordoba,
Argentina) using the astrographic

376
catalog of comets
telescope. The comet attained its most southerly declination of 70 on

January 27.
observed using a 10-cm comet seeker and gave the magnitude as 7.90. He
said the nuclear magnitude was 10.5, while the tail extended 45 in PA
82. On the 13th, G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory, Athens, Greece)
solar elongation of 68 on February 14. On that same night, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 8.49 and said the tail extended 15 in PA 81. On the 15th,
On the 18th, Adamopoulos gave the photographic magnitude as 9.7. On
the 22nd, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 10.5. On February 25,
Beyer observed using a 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 9.20. He
said the tail extended 18 in PA 85.
On March 13, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.55 and said the tail extended
18 in PA 83. On the 14th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.64 and said the
tail extended 15 in PA 81. On March 15, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 12. He said the coma was almost stellar, but
still exhibited a tail extending 7 in PA 87.
The comet was last detected on March 16.06, when van Biesbroeck photographed it with the 61-cm reflector. He gave the position as = 2h 56.9m ,
= +15 12 . Van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 12, and said the
coma was almost stellar, but still exhibited a tail extending 7 in PA 87.
The first orbit was calculated by Cunningham. Using positions spanning
the period August 710, he gave the perihelion date as 1952 January 15.55.
Using positions from 1951 August 19, October 17, December 27, and 1952
January 31, Bobone established the perihelion date as January 12.95.
An elliptical orbit was calculated by A. Przybylski (1952). He took 22 positions spanning the period 1951 August 71952 February 18, and determined
a perihelion date of January 12.95 and a period of about 263 thousand years.
A definitive orbit was calculated by B. G. Marsden (1974, 1978). He took
116 positions spanning the period 1951 August 71952 February 26 and
applied perturbations by all nine planets. The result was a perihelion date
of January 12.95 and a period of about 151 thousand years. This orbit is
given below. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart (1978) determined that
the original orbit was elliptical with a period of about 20 thousand years
and the future orbit was also elliptical with a period of 74 thousand years.
T
1952 Jan. 12.9486 (TT)
(2000.0)
i
q
e
269.6206
76.8942 152.5337 0.740427 0.999739

Feb. 11, Mar. 11, Apr. 10
377
catalog of comets
sources: H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1951), p. 77; A. G. Wilson and R. G. Harrington,
HAC, No. 1136 (1951 Aug. 7); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1139 (1951 Aug. 13);
G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 1322 (1951 Aug. 13); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No.
1141 (1951 Aug. 20); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 1157 (1951 Nov. 19); J. Bobone, BAAC,
No. 329 (1952 Jan. 1); G. Adamopoulos, IAUC, No. 1347 (1952 Feb. 25); J. Bobone,
IAUC, No. 1351 (1952 Mar. 24); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 1171 (1952 Mar. 27); L. Boyer,
IAUC, No. 1354 (1952 Apr. 8); A. Przybylski, IAUC, No. 1360 (1952 May 24); L.
Boyer, JO, 36 (1953 Feb.), p. 17; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 83, 86;
E. L. Johnson, UOC, 6 (1953 Jun.), p. 167; J. Bobone, AJ, 58 (1953 Aug.), pp. 1723;
M. Beyer, AN, 282 (1955 May 31), pp. 1567; V1964, p. 78; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS,
15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4545; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart, AJ, 83
(1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68.
50P/1951 T1 Prediscovery: 1951 October 1.39 ( = 0.92 AU, r = 1.89 AU, Elong. = 158)
(Arend) Discovered: 1951 October 4.96 ( = 0.91 AU, r = 1.88 AU, Elong. = 160)
Last seen: 1952 April 24.15 ( = 2.71 AU, r = 2.28 AU, Elong. = 54)
1951 X = 1951j Closest to the Earth: 1951 October 18 (0.8855 AU)
Calculated path: PSC (Disc), AND (Oct. 16), PER (1952 Feb. 16), AUR (Apr. 3)
S. J. V. Arend (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium) discovered this comet on
one of the two simultaneous 61-minute photographic exposures obtained
for a routine minor planet survey with the 40-cm double astrograph on 1951
October 4.96. He estimated the magnitude as 14.0, and described the round
coma as diffuse, 14 across, and exhibiting a well-marked central condensation. Arend gave the position as = 1h 02.4m , = +23 27 . The failure
to locate the comet on a second plate obtained simultaneously with the first
brought uncertainty to the discovery and it was not known whether the first
plate showed a comet or a defect in the photographic emulsion. Arends colleague, E. J. Delporte considered the object sufficiently suspicious to warrant photographs the next night and Arend confirmed the discovery with
63-minute exposures obtained with the 40-cm double astrograph on October 5.99. On this occasion both plates showed the comet. Later, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) found a prediscovery image
on a plate exposed by H. Rubingh with the 25-cm Cooke lens on October
1.39. He gave the position as = 1h 06.6m , = +22 23 . Van Biesbroeck
estimated the magnitude as 15, and said the coma was very diffuse.
On October 8, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 13.6. On the 9th, the photographic magnitude was
given as 13.6 by Arend, and 15 by H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California,
USA) and van Biesbroeck. Arend said the round coma was 13 across and
contained a central condensation or nucleus 1.8 across. Jeffers said the
comet was diffuse, with slight central condensation. Van Biesbroeck said the
coma was very diffuse. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of
161 on October 10. On the 21st and 22nd, van Biesbroeck photographed the
comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 14.5. He said
a well-defined nucleus was eccentrically situated within an oval-shaped
378
catalog of comets
coma measuring 1 by 1.5 the long axis extending toward PA 210. On

the 25th, F. Rigaux (Royal Observatory) photographed the comet using the
40-cm double astrograph and gave the magnitude as 14.5. On October 30,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 13. He said a faint tail
extended toward PA 140.
On November 2 and 4, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 12.5. He said there was a well-defined nucleus and a tail extending
2 in PA 140. On the 6th, Arend photographed the comet using the 40-cm
double astrograph and estimated the magnitude as 15.0. On the 25th, van
using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 14. He said a very
faint tail extended toward PA 120. On November 26, Rigaux estimated the
On December 2, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as
14.5. On December 19 and 24, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 15. On the last date, he said the coma was 20 across and
exhibited a faint tail extending 1 in PA 110.
On 1952 March 16 and 17, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using
the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 17. He said there was still a
faint trace of tail in PA 120. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +41 on March 24. On April 23, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the
magnitude as 19. He said the coma was extremely diffuse.
The comet was last detected on April 24.15, when van Biesbroeck photographed it with the 208-cm reflector at McDonald Observatory. He gave
the position as = 5h 41.9m , = +40 26 . Van Biesbroeck estimated the
magnitude as 19, and said the coma was extremely diffuse.
spanning the period October 58. The perihelion date was determined as
1951 November 12.72 and the period was 7.20 years. Due to the short observational arc, the period was considered quite uncertain.
A. Przybylski (1952) calculated an improved elliptical orbit, using ten
positions spanning the period October 8December 20. The result was a
perihelion date of November 23.31 and a period of 7.77 years.
On one occasion Cunningham commented, In some respects the elements resemble those of the lost Holmes comet, but identity appears to be
impossible. S. Kanda (1952) suggested this comet might be identical to the
lost comet P/Swift 1 (1889 VI), which should have passed close to Jupiter
in 1910.
A definitive orbit was calculated by S. U. Kan (1959). He took 41 positions
spanning the period 1951 October 11952 April 24, and applied perturbations by Venus to Saturn. The result was a perihelion date of November
1970, 1986), P. Rocher (2000), K. Kinoshita (2000), and S. Nakano (1996,
379
catalog of comets
2004). Planetary perturbations were considered by everyone, with Marsden (1970, 1986), Rocher, Kinoshita, and Nakano also calculating nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion date of November 23.41 and a
period of 7.76 years. The orbit of Nakano (2004) is given below. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = 0.12013 and A2 = 0.025067 by Marsden
(1970), A1 = +0.14 and A2 = 0.0286 by Marsden (1986), A1 = +0.017 and
and A2 = 0.02192 by Nakano (2004).
T
1951 Nov. 23.4098 (TT)
44.4887
(2000.0)
358.3924
i
21.7063
q
e
1.820982 0.535568

full moon: Sep. 15, Oct. 14, Nov. 13, Dec. 13, 1952 Jan. 12, Feb. 11, Mar. 11,
Apr. 10, May 9
sources: S. J. V. Arend, CET, 67 (1951), p. 195; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1951), p. 77;
S. J. V. Arend, HAC, No. 1147 (1951 Oct. 8); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1151
(1951 Oct. 16); S. J. V. Arend, BAAC, No. 328 (1951 Nov. 13); F. Rigaux, IAUC,
No. 1338 (1951 Dec. 10); S. J. V. Arend, BAOBU, 4 (1952), pp. 1267; S. J. V. Arend,
G. van Biesbroeck, S. Kanda, and A. Przybylski, MNRAS, 112 (1952), pp. 340,
3423; A. Przybylski, IAUC, No. 1351 (1952 Mar. 24); A. Przybylski, IAUC, No.
1355 (1952 Apr. 22); L. Boyer, JO, 36 (1953 Feb.), p. 17; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ,
58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 83, 86; S. U. Kan, CET, 75 (1959 Nov.Dec.), pp. 33741; S. U.
Kan, QJRAS, 1 (1960 Dec.), pp. 2323; V1964, p. 78; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9
(1968 Sep.), pp. 31617; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970 Feb.), p. 82; B. G. Marsden,
QJRAS, 11 (1970 Sep.), pp. 2324; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 5th ed. (1986), pp. 23,
56, 66; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116; S. Nakano, Nakano Note,
No. 638 (1996 Apr. 11); personal correspondence from P. Rocher (2000); personal
correspondence from K. Kinoshita (2000); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 1058
(2004 Apr. 8).
43P/1951 T2 Discovered: 1951 October 4.30 ( = 1.09 AU, r = 2.00 AU, Elong. = 147)
(Wolf Last seen: 1952 April 24.13 ( = 2.04 AU, r = 1.77 AU, Elong. = 60)
Harrington) Closest to the Earth: 1951 November 14 (0.9271 AU)
Calculated path: AND (Disc), PSC (Dec. 6), ARI (1952 Jan. 12), TAU (Feb. 20),
1952 II = 1951k ORI (Mar. 21)
After the final observation of comet 1924 IV (Wolf 2) during February 1925,
this comet was not detected at later returns and was regarded as lost. It was
briefly mentioned in the BAA Handbook for 1952, but no orbit was given,
only a suggestion that the comet was due to return in 1952.
During the course of the National Geographic SocietyPalomar Observatory Sky Survey (California, USA) this comet was accidentally rediscovered
by R. G. Harrington on 1951 October 4.30. The position was given as =
0h 44.0m , = +37 11 . Harrington gave the magnitude as 16, and described
380
catalog of comets
the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation and a short tail. One of the
first confirmations came from S. Vasilevskis (Lick Observatory, California,
USA), who photographed the comet on October 12.32 and October 12.33.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 151 on October 19. On
October 23, Vasilevskis photographed the comet with the 51-cm Carnegie
astrograph and said a faint coma surrounded a condensed center of magnitude 15. On October 25, F. Rigaux (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium) gave
the photographic magnitude as 12.7. On November 25, G. van Biesbroeck
61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13. Van Biesbroeck said the
coma was 1 across with a short stub of tail extending in PA 90. L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) photographed the
comet and gave the nuclear magnitude as 15.5. On November 26, Rigaux
gave the magnitude as 13.0. On December 2, G. F. Kellaway and W. H. Steavenson (Cambridge, England) estimated the visual magnitude as 11.5, while
van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 12.5. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 30 across and the tail extended 1 in PA 90.
On the 19th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.
He said the tail was fan-shaped and extended 1.5 in PA 80. On the 21st,
Vasilevskis gave the photographic magnitude as 13.5. Cunningham photographed the comet and gave the nuclear magnitude as 16. Vasilevskis
noted that a well-condensed nucleus was situated within a faint coma,
while a faint tail extended 0.5 toward the northeast. On the 23rd, Cunningham photographed the comet and gave the nuclear magnitude as 15.6.
13. He said the tail was fan-shaped and extended toward PA 70.
During 1952 January 1618, Steavenson said the comet was 1 across,
with a stellar nucleus of magnitude 15. He noted a faint extension in PA
5060. On January 27, Cunningham photographed the comet and gave the
nuclear magnitude as 16. On February 19, Cunningham photographed the
comet and gave the nuclear magnitude as 16.3. On February 23, L. Boyer
(Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 13.7.
On March 15 and 16, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 14. He said the diffuse tail extended toward PA 60. On April 22 and 23,
van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) obtained an 8-minute
exposure with the 208-cm reflector and described the coma as diffuse, while
a broad faint tail extended 1.5 in PA 110.
an 8-minute exposure with the 208-cm reflector. He gave the position as
= 6h 12.6m , = +11 09 . Van Biesbroeck said the coma was diffuse, with
a broad tail extending 1.5 in PA 110.
The first orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham using three positions
obtained during the period October 825. The result was an elliptical orbit
with a perihelion date of 1952 February 6.73 and a period of 6.53 years.
Cunningham said the orbit left little doubt that this comet is identical with
381
catalog of comets
Periodic Comet Wolf 2. He added that the comet apparently passed within
0.7 AU of Jupiter during early 1948.
A. Przybylski took seven positions obtained during the period October
8December 20, and calculated an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of
February 6.69 and a period of 6.51 years. He said he did not agree with Cunninghams suggestion that this was periodic comet Wolf 2. He referred
to S. Kandas investigations of Wolf 2 and said a comparison of those
results with his present orbit does not suggest that these two comets are
identical.
Two astronomers calculated orbits during 1957 using positions spanning
the period 1951 October 81952 April 24. K. Hurukawa and W. Z. Wisniewski
each determined the perihelion date as February 6.68 and the period as 6.50
years.
Although it was generally accepted that Harringtons comet and Wolf
2 were identical, the matter was not closed until Wisniewski (1964) published a paper that firmly established the identity of the two comets. He
determined a definitive orbit for Harringtons comet, which included perturbations by Venus, Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn. He then investigated the
comets backward motion by applying perturbations by Jupiter for the
period 19241952. He found the comet passed 0.13 AU from Jupiter on
1936 June 29. Wisniewski noted the differences between the orbits of Harringtons comet and that of Wolfs comet were very small and, considering
the orbit of Wolfs comet was somewhat uncertain, he concluded the two
comets were identical.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by G. Sitarski (1970), B. G.
Marsden (1979, 1985), Sitarski (1981), S. Nakano (1983), S. Szutowicz (1992),
and M. Krolikowska,
Sitarski, and Szutowicz (1998). Full planetary perturbations were applied by all and everyone noted nongravitational forces. The
perihelion date was given as February 6.686.69 and the period as 6.50 years.
Sitarski (1970) noted a secular acceleration. Nongravitational terms were
given as A1 = +0.24 and A2 = 0.0478 by Marsden (1979), A1 = +0.2371
and A2 = 0.048833 by Nakano, A1 = +0.22433 and A2 = 0.05035 by
Szutowicz (1987), A1 = +0.61827, A2 = 0.03991, and A3 = 0.04172
by Szutowicz (1992), and A1 = +0.199, A2 = 0.0513, and A3 = 0.049
by Krolikowska,
Sitarski, and Szutowicz (2001). The orbit of Krolikowska,
Sitarski, and Szutowicz (1998) is given below.

T
1952 Feb. 6.6864 (TT)
(2000.0)
186.8865 254.9934
i
18.4931
q
e
1.599115 0.540671
absolute magnitude: H10 = 10.60 (Kordylewski, 1957); H10 = 10.8 (V1964)

10, May 9
sources: S. Vasilevskis, LOB, 20 (1951), p. 77; R. G. Harrington, HAC, No. 1149
(1951 Oct. 9); BAA Handbook for 1952 (1951 Nov.), p. 45; R. G. Harrington and
382
catalog of comets
F. Rigaux, BAAC, No. 328 (1951 Nov. 13); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1162
(1951 Nov. 27); F. Rigaux, IAUC, No. 1338 (1951 Dec. 10); L. E. Cunningham,
G. F. Kellaway, and W. H. Steavenson, BAAC, No. 329 (1952 Jan. 1); L. Boyer,
IAUC, No. 1354 (1952 Apr. 8); A. Przybylski and S. Kanda, IAUC, No. 1360 (1952
May 24); L. Boyer, JO, 36 (1953 Feb.), p. 17; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.),
pp. 836; W. H. Steavenson, G. van Biesbroeck, and A. Przybylski, MNRAS, 113
(1953), pp. 3901; S. Vasilevskis, AJ, 59 (1954 Sep.), pp. 3056; K. Hurukawa,
MNRAS, 117 (1957), pp. 3401; W. Z. Wisniewski, IAUC, No. 1603 (1957 Jun. 13);
J. Kordylewski, IAUC, No. 1608 (1957 Jul. 27); W. Z. Wisniewski, AcA, 14 (1964),
pp. 12949; V1964, p. 78; G. Sitarski, AcA, 20 (1970), pp. 27181; G. Sitarski,
QJRAS, 11 (1970 Sep.), pp. 2324; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 26, 52,
59; G. Sitarski, AcA, 31 (1981), pp. 4716; L. E. Cunningham, MPC, No. 5985 (1981
Jun. 1); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 427 (1983 May 25); B. G. Marsden, QJRAS,
26 (1985 Mar.), p. 79; S. Szutowicz, AcA, 37 (1987), pp. 17987; S. Szutowicz,
LIACo, 30 (1992), pp. 3713; M. Krolikowska,
G. Sitarski, and S. Szutowicz, AcA,

48 (1998), pp. 91102; M. Krolikowska,
G. Sitarski, and S. Szutowicz, AAP, 368

(2001), pp. 67980, 6856.
24P/Schaumasse Recovered: 1951 September 30.46 ( = 1.46 AU, r = 2.01 AU, Elong. = 107)
1952 III = 1951l Closest to the Earth: 1952 January 27 (0.2693 AU)
Calculated path: ORI (Rec), TAU (Oct. 19), ORI (Oct. 27), GEM (Nov. 25), AUR
(1952 Jan. 2), LYN (Jan. 12), UMa (Jan. 31), CVn (Mar. 26), COM (Apr. 12),
VIR (May 21)
M. G. Sumner (1950) published his prediction for the 1952 apparition. He
began an accurate orbit obtained by correcting the 1927 orbit of S. Kanda
and H. Hirose. Sumner then linked that orbit with the 1944 observations
and applied perturbations by Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn. He subsequently
predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1952 February 9.51.
L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet while using the 152-cm reflector on 1951 September 30.46.
The position was given as = 5h 13.7m , = +13 04 . Indirect comparisons with the North Polar Sequence gave a nuclear magnitude of 18.6.
Cunningham described the comet as a nearly stellar nuclear condensation
surrounded by a much larger, very faint coma.
On October 9, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 18. He said the faint coma was a few seconds of arc across and
exhibited a sharp center. On October 27, November 1, and November 3,
G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the
coma was well condensed, round, and 6 across. On the 8th, H. Hirose and K.
Tomita (Tokyo Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka Station, Japan) estimated
the photographic magnitude as 14. On the 25th and 27th, Hirose and Tomita
estimated the photographic magnitude as 13. On November 28, Hirose and
383
catalog of comets
Tomita estimated the photographic magnitude as 12.5. On December 2,

van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the
coma was well defined, round, and 8 across. On the 7th, van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 11.5. On the 19th, van Biesbroeck gave
the photographic magnitude as 9.7. On the 21st, W. H. Steavenson and G.
Merton (England) estimated the magnitude as 10.5, with Steavenson noting it was clearly visible in an 8-cm refractor. They added that the coma
was 2 across and well condensed, with a stellar nucleus of magnitude 13.
On the 24th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10.1. The
comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 169 on December 27. On
December 29, Steavenson (Cambridge, England) said the comet was visible
in a 5-cm finder and estimated the magnitude as 9.5. He said the coma was
7 across.
On 1952 January 16, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf,
Germany) observed using 10 50 binoculars and gave the magnitude as
6.70. He said the coma was 15 across and extended towards PA 177, while
6.81 and said the coma was 15 across. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.286.42. He said the coma was 18 across and surrounded a nucleus
of magnitude 12, while a tail extended 60 in PA 261. On the 22nd and 23rd,
V. P. Konopleva (Kiev Astronomical Observatory, Ukraine) photographed
the comet using a Telemar lens and gave the magnitude as 6.9. On the 26th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.26. He said the coma was 15 across, while
the nuclear magnitude was 12. On the 28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
6.136.18. He said the coma was 17 across and extended towards PA 239,
while the nuclear magnitude was 12.5. On January 30, Beyer gave the visual
magnitude as 6.23, while Konopleva gave the photographic magnitude as
5.5. Beyer said the coma was 20 across and extended towards PA 234,
while the nuclear magnitude was 12. Konopleva said the comet was very
diffuse, with a central condensation that was only noticeable after much
effort.
On February 5, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.06.04. He said the coma
was 18 across and extended towards PA 249, while the nuclear magnitude
was 12.21. On the 9th, Beyer said the coma extended towards PA 258, while
6.15. He said the coma was 22 across and extended towards PA 250. The
comet attained its most northerly declination of +62 on February 14, at
which time Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.07 and said the coma was 20
across. On the 15th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 6.19. Beyer said the
coma was 20 across. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.24. On
the 22nd, G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory, Athens, Greece) gave
the magnitude as 7.3. On the 23rd, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria)
gave the photographic magnitude as 9.0. On the 24th, Beyer gave the visual
384
catalog of comets
magnitude as 6.27, while L. Michiels (Antwerp, Belgium) gave the photographic magnitude as 5.5. Beyer said the coma was 13 across and extended
towards PA 225, while the nuclear magnitude was 12.3. Michiels said the
5-cm astrograph revealed a coma 15 across and a condensation 6 across.
W. Liller (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA) obtained a
photoelectric observation of the comet and noted the coma was detected
up to 80 from the nucleus! On the 25th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.29.
He said the coma was 15 across and extended towards PA 236, while the
nuclear magnitude was 12.3. On the 26th, Michiels gave the photographic
magnitude as 6.0. The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 129
on February 27 and Michiels gave the photographic magnitude as 5.8.
On March 4, Beyer observed the comet using 10 50 binoculars and gave
the magnitude as 6.60. On the 5th, Michiels gave the photographic magnitude as 6.5. He also visually observed the comet using a 25-cm refractor
and said the coma was 25 across, while the central condensation was 2.5
across. On the 6th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.40 and said the nuclear
magnitude was 13. On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.75. He said
the coma was 14 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 12.5. On the
14th, the magnitude was given as 5.8 by A. Schmitt (Uccle, Belgium), 6.0 by
L. Michiels (Antwerp, Belgium), and 6.66 by Beyer. Beyer said the coma was
20 across. On the 15th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.57. He said the coma
was 20 across and surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 12.5, while the tail
extended 40 in PA 218. On the 16th, the magnitude was given as 6.72 by
Beyer and 8.2 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was 17 across and
surrounded a nucleus of magnitude 12.8. On the 17th, the visual magnitude
was given as 6.69 by Beyer, while the photographic magnitude was given as
8.5 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was 16 across and surrounded a
nucleus of magnitude 12.8. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.85.
He said the coma was 18 across, while the tail extended 30 in PA 214.
across and extended towards PA 205. On the 24th, Boyer estimated the
photographic magnitude as 10.5. On the 25th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 8.5. On the 26th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.43.
He said the coma was 14 across and extended towards PA 228. On March
28, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.22 and said the coma extended towards
PA 216.
On April 1, Beyer observed using 10 50 binoculars and gave the magnitude as 7.51. He said the coma was 12 across and extended towards PA
214, while the nuclear magnitude was 12.5. On the 2nd, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 7.567.71. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation
of 135 on April 10. On the 13th, Beyer observed the comet using a 10-cm
comet seeker and gave the magnitude as 8.89. He said the coma was 11
was 10 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13. On the 16th, Beyer
385
catalog of comets
gave the magnitude as 8.50. He said the coma was 12 across, while the
nuclear magnitude was 13. On the 17th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.63
and said the coma was 12 across. On the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 8.56. He said the coma was 12 across, while the nuclear magnitude was
13.5. On the 19th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.84 and said the coma was
12 across. On the 21st, D. Y. Martynov (Engelhardt Observatory, Kazan,
Russia) photographed the comet using the 38-cm Schmidt reflector and
compared it to NGC 4274 and NGC 4559. He gave the photographic magnitude as 11.011.5, noted a sharp nucleus, and said a very weak coma was
about 1.5 across. On the 22nd, the visual magnitude was given as 9.24 by
Beyer, while the photographic magnitude was estimated as 10 by van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory). Beyer said the coma was 11 across, while
the nuclear magnitude was 13.2. Van Biesbroecks photograph using the
208-cm reflector revealed a diffuse nucleus 8 across, which was surrounded
by a coma 2 across which extended mostly in PA 160. On the 23rd, van
Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 11 and said the coma
fanned out in PA 170. On the 25th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.89 and
said the coma was 12 across. On the 26th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.23
and said the coma was 9 across. On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
9.13 and said the coma was 9 across. On April 29, Beyer gave the magnitude
14.0.
On May 10, Beyer observed the comet with a 26-cm refractor and gave the
magnitude as 11.59. On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.35 and said
the coma was 5 across. On the 16th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.37. He
said the coma was 4.5 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.8. On the
while the nuclear magnitude was 14.78. On the 19th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.43. He said the coma was 4.4 across, while the nuclear magnitude
was 14.3. On the 21st, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 11.56, while van
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) estimated the photographic magnitude as
15. Beyer said the coma was 3.4 across. Van Biesbroeck said his photograph
using the 61-cm reflector revealed that the diffuse nucleus was 20 across
and was surrounded by a very faint coma extending mostly in PA 130.
magnitude was 14.0. On the 28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.82 and
said the coma was 3.1 across. On May 29, Beyer gave the magnitude as
11.79 and said the coma was 3.3 across.
On June 10, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm
reflector and gave the magnitude as 16.5. He said the comet was very diffuse.
On the 12th, Beyer said the comet could not be seen using the 26-cm refractor
in the bright midnight twilight and he suggested the comet was fainter than
magnitude 12. On June 18, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
386
catalog of comets
as 17. He said the nucleus was diffuse and about 15 across, while the coma
was hardly noticeable.
The comet was last detected on June 24.17, when van Biesbroeck obtained
a 12-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector. He gave the position as
= 13h 25.7m , = +2 02 . Van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 17,
and said the hardly noticeable coma contained a diffuse nucleus about
15 across.
Sumner (1952, 1953) used positions from this apparition to correct his
predicted orbit and then calculated a new orbit for this apparition. The
latter work included planetary perturbations, as well as a link to the 1943
apparition. The result was a perihelion date of February 10.66 and a period
of 8.17 years.
1969, 1986). He applied perturbations by all nine planets and, during the
last two investigations, nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion
date of February 10.6510.66 and a period of 8.17 years. Marsden (1968)
noted a secular acceleration. The nongravitational terms were given as
A1 = +0.17536 and A2 = 0.019119 by Marsden (1969), A1 = +0.4 and
A2 = 0.040 by Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973), and
A1 = +0.36 and A2 = 0.0407 by Marsden (1986). The orbit below was
by Marsden (1986).
T
1952 Feb. 10.6554 (TT)
51.8619
(2000.0)
87.0497
i
12.0314
q
e
1.194203 0.705676

10, May 9, Jun. 8, Jul. 7
sources: S. Kanda and H. Hirose, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 1089, 112; M. G.
Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1951 (1950 Nov.), p. 47; H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 20 (1951),
p. 77; L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1148 (1951 Oct. 8); M. G. Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1952 (1951 Nov.), pp. 389; L. E. Cunningham and M. G. Sumner, BAAC,
No. 328 (1951 Nov. 13); M. G. Sumner, MNRAS, 112 (1952), pp. 3424; W. H.
Steavenson and G. Merton, BAAC, No. 329 (1952 Jan. 1); G. Adamopoulos,
IAUC, No. 1350 (1952 Mar. 17); L. Michiels, IAUC, No. 1351 (1952 Mar. 24);
L. Boyer, IAUC, No. 1354 (1952 Apr. 8); L. Michiels and A. Schmitt, IAUC, No.
1355 (1952 Apr. 22); D. Y. Martynov, ATsir, No. 126 (1952 Apr. 30); V. P. Konopleva, ATsir, No. 127 (1952 Jun. 24); W. Liller and M. G. Sumner, MNRAS, 113
(1953), pp. 387, 3901; L. Boyer, JO, 36 (1953 Feb.), p. 17; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ,
58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 83, 867; H. Hirose and K. Tomita, Tokyo Astronomical Bulletin,
2nd series, No. 57 (1953 May 25), pp. 4789; M. Beyer, AN, 282 (1955 May 31),
pp. 1579; V1964, p. 78; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 373, 375; B. G.
Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), p. 213; B. G. Marsden, CCO,
5th ed. (1986), pp. 22, 55; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116.
387
catalog of comets
D/1952 B1 Discovered: 1952 January 30.45 ( = 1.13 AU, r = 1.87 AU, Elong. =
(Harrington 124)
Wilson) Last seen: 1952 April 19.2 ( = 1.45 AU, r = 2.27 AU, Elong. = 135)
1951 IX = 1952a Calculated path: VIR (Disc), COM (Feb. 10)
R. G. Harrington and A. G. Wilson (Palomar Observatory, California, USA)
discovered this comet using the 122-cm Schmidt telescope during the course
of the National Geographic SocietyPalomar Observatory Sky Survey. It first
appeared on a plate exposed on 1952 January 30.45, with the position being
measured as = 12h 33.4m , = +11 36 . They estimated the magnitude
as 15, and described the comet as diffuse, with a short tail. The discoverers
confirmed the comet on a plate exposed on February 4.43. Both of these
plates revealed a well-defined comet.
On February 16 and 17, Harrington and Wilson photographed the comet
using the 122-cm Schmidt reflector. The comet was described as well
defined, with a magnitude of about 15. On February 1719, D. Y. Martynov
(Engelhardt Observatory, Kazan, Russia) photographed the comet using
the 38-cm Schmidt reflector and gave the magnitude as somewhat fainter
than 15. On February 19, L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory,
California, USA) obtained two 6-minute exposures of the predicted position
of the comet using the 152-cm reflector and found very faint and diffuse
images close to a bright star. He gave the nuclear magnitude as 17.5. On
February 21, Cunningham obtained a pair of 9-minute exposures of the
comet using the 254-cm reflector and saw it visually with the same instrument. Visually, he said the comet was near the limit of visibility and gave the
magnitude as 15.8. Photographically, he gave the nuclear magnitude as 17.5.
The final photographic exposure to allow the measurement of a position was made on February 25.39, when Cunningham gave the position
as = 12h 36.6m , = +18 09 . The comet attained a maximum solar
elongation of 157 on March 16. G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory,
Wisconsin, USA) obtained photographs of the comets position using the
61-cm reflector on March 25, but no trace of the comet was found, even
though stars to magnitude 18 were recorded. Unfortunately, Cunningham
was not able to get to Mount Wilson Observatory for his observing run in
March due to deep snow. The comet was last detected on April 16.2 and
April 19.2, when Harrington and Wilson photographed it using the 122-cm
Schmidt telescope. They estimated the magnitude as 1920. According to
Cunningham, the nebulosity was then so diffuse that accurate positions
will be difficult or impossible to measure.
The first orbital calculation came from L. E. Cunningham. He took positions from January 30, February 4, and February 21, and determined the
perihelion date as 1951 October 30.37 and the period as 6.38 years.
L. Kresak (1953) pointed out the probable identity of this comet with
the then lost periodic comet Taylor of 1916 by showing the strong similarity
388
catalog of comets
between the orbits. He noted that Taylor had passed very close to Jupiter in
1925. Kresak said the orbital period of HarringtonWilson was somewhat
uncertain and does not allow to make a definite conclusion as to the number
of unobserved returns without computing the perturbations, which were
considerable in 1925.
Two predictions were made for the 1958 return. I. Hasegawa (1957) took
Cunninghams orbit, applied perturbations by Jupiter and gave the perihelion date as 1958 March 20.94. B. O. Wheel, B. G. Marsden, and W. H.
Julian (1957) took Cunninghams orbit, applied perturbations by Jupiter
and Saturn, and gave the perihelion date as 1958 March 23.2. Although
nearly 2 months after its publication in the BAA Handbook for 1958, J. G.
Porter announced on IAU Circular number 1637 that this orbit required a
correction and gave the perihelion date as March 21.19. E. Roemer (1958)
wrote that she obtained several search plates . . . during late November,
but the comet was not found. She was using the 102-cm reflector at the US
Naval Observatory (Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA). Roemer continued,
The uncertainty in the position is rather considerable, and this, coupled
with the intrinsic faintness of the comet, makes covering an adequate length
of the line of variation a rather tedious job. In addition, Roemer obtained,
Several pairs of search plates . . . during February, which went down to
magnitude 19, but the comet was still not found. A couple of months later,
another photographic search was conducted at Palomar Observatory (California, USA). Using the 122-cm Schmidt reflector, plates showing stars to
magnitude 20 were obtained on April 1213, but these also failed to reveal
the comet.
After the unobserved 1958 apparition, two predictions appeared for the
1964 apparition. P. Egerton and Wheel (1963) took Cunninghams orbit and
corrected it using Porters method from four of the eleven observations
which were made. Perturbations were then applied by Venus to Saturn
over two revolutions. The result was a perihelion date of 1964 October
1.71 and they noted that the comet passed 0.62 AU from Jupiter during
1961 February. Marsden (1963) provided an independent calculation which
revealed a perihelion date of September 29.15. No searches were apparently
made.
Predictions failed to appear in mainstream publications like the BAA
Handbook or the IAU Circulars for the next few apparitions; however,
Marsden calculated a new orbit in 1979, which used seven positions spanning the period 1952 January 30February 25. This was the first orbit to
include Cunninghams position from February 25. Perturbations by all nine
planets were included and the perihelion date was given as 1951 October
30.41, while the period was given as 6.36 years. Marsdens orbit gave a mean
residual of 0.56 . He added that there was evidently an uncertainty of
several weeks in period.
Improved orbits later appeared which gave mean residuals of 0.49 and
0.50 . These came from K. Muraoka (1990), P. Rocher (1995), S. Nakano
389
catalog of comets
(2002), and K. Kinoshita (2003). These orbits all used the same seven positions spanning the period January 30February 25 and they all revealed a
period of 6.35 years. The perihelion dates ranged from October 30.364 to
October 30.365. The orbit of Nakano is given below. The calculations by
Muraoka and Kinoshita revealed the perihelion date for the 1958 apparition may have been around 1958 March 8.5, or just over 12 days before that
indicated by the published predictions. For the 1964 apparition, the perihelion date was possibly around 1964 September 5.2, or nearly a month before
the published prediction. Kinoshita also revealed the comet passed 0.55 AU
from Jupiter on 1961 March 18.
Despite the agreement between the revised orbits of Muraoka, Rocher,
Nakano, and Kinoshita, their predictions have not led to the comets recovery. Muraoka (1996) predicted the comet would return around 1998 April
11.05, while Nakano (2002), Kinoshita (2003), and Muraoka (2003) predicted
the comet would return around 2004 December 25.8. Kinoshitas orbit also
indicates the comet will pass 0.14 AU from Jupiter on 2009 February 4.
T
1951 Oct. 30.4145 (TT)
(2000.0)
343.0130 128.4717
i
16.3497
q
e
1.664094 0.515277

sources: R. G. Harrington and A. G. Wilson, HAC, No. 1165 (1952 Feb. 5); R. G.
Harrington, A. G. Wilson, and L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1349 (1952 Mar.
12); R. G. Harrington, A. G. Wilson, L. E. Cunningham, and G. van Biesbroeck,
PASP, 64 (1952 Jun.), pp. 13940; L. E. Cunningham, PASP, 64 (1952 Aug.),
pp. 2078; R. G. Harrington, A. G. Wilson, D. Y. Martynov, and L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 113 (1953), pp. 3878, 3901; L. Kresak, IAUC, No. 1426 (1953 Nov.
6); I. Hasegawa, IAUC, No. 1603 (1957 Jun. 13); B. O. Wheel, B. G. Marsden, and
W. H. Julian, BAA Handbook for 1958 (1957 Nov.), p. 54; B. O. Wheel, B. G. Marsden, and W. H. Julian, IAUC, No. 1631 (1957 Dec. 2); B. O. Wheel, B. G. Marsden,
and W. H. Julian, MNRAS, 118 (1958), pp. 3967, 399; E. Roemer, PASP, 70 (1958
Feb.), p. 123; J. G. Porter and I. Hasegawa, PASP, 70 (1958 Apr.), p. 221; E. Roemer, PASP, 70 (1958 Jun.), p. 329; [Flagstaff and Palomar], MNRAS, 119 (1959),
p. 441; P. Egerton, B. O. Wheel, and B. G. Marsden, BAA Handbook for 1964 (1963
Nov.), p. 60; V1964, p. 78; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 26, 52; B. G.
Marsden, MPC, No. 4601 (1979 Jan. 1); L. E. Cunningham, MPC, No. 5985 (1981
Jun. 1); K. Muraoka, The Comet Handbook for 1991, Japan: OAA Comet Section
(1990); K. Muraoka, The International Comet Quarterly: 1992 Comet Handbook (1991
Mar.), p. 24; P. Rocher (1995), private communication; K. Muraoka (1996), private communication; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 839 (2002 May 4); K. Kinoshita
(2003), private communication; K. Muraoka, The Comet Handbook for 2004, Japan:
OAA Comet Section (2003), p. 44.
X/1952 C1 During July 1978, R. Weinberger (University Observatory and Astronomical Institute of Innsbruck, Austria) found images of a comet on both E
390
catalog of comets
and O emulsions of plate number 471 obtained during the National Geographic SocietyPalomar Sky Survey. The E exposure was 60 minutes long
and began on 1952 February 1.42. The comets position was given as = 11h
31.3m , = +1 40 . The O exposure was 10 minutes long and was begun on
February 1.47. Weinberger estimated the magnitude as 18.51, and said the
comet was diffuse, with a central condensation, but with no tail. The coma
was estimated as 0.3 across. Overall, three positions were obtained and the
author found the comet was moving at a daily rate of 16 toward PA 304.
sources: R. Weinberger, IAUC, No. 3246 (1978 Jul. 18).
26P/Grigg Recovered: 1952 March 6.12 ( = 0.63 AU, r = 0.86 AU, Elong. = 59)
Skjellerup Last seen: 1952 April 24.46 ( = 1.02 AU, r = 1.086 AU, Elong. = 65)
1952 IV = 1952b Calculated path: SGR (Rec), CAP (Mar. 17), AQR (Mar. 26), PEG (Apr. 22)
C. Dinwoodie (1950) published his prediction for the upcoming 1952 apparition. He began with L. E. Cunninghams orbit for the 1947 apparition and
applied perturbations by Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn. Dinwoodie predicted
the comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1952 March 11.12. L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) wrote, I made several unsuccessful attempts to recover this comet using the 152-cm reflector.
He said the last attempt came on 1951 December 21, just before it went too
far south for northern observers.
The comet was recovered by J. A. Bruwer (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) on 1952 March 6.12. He estimated the magnitudes as
12.5 and gave the position as = 19h 14.3m , = 27 15 . Plates exposed
on March 9.13 and March 25.13 confirmed the recovery. The magnitude
was given as 12.5 on the last date. An independent recovery was made by
A. F. A. L. Jones (Timaru, New Zealand) on 1952 March 25.71, which he confirmed on March 28.70. Using his 21-cm reflector, he gave the magnitudes
as 12.5 and 12.2, respectively. Jones also described the comet as a diffuse
coma, about 3 across, with a moderate condensation. The comet attained a
minimum solar elongation of 58 on March 19.
D. Y. Martynov (Engelhardt Observatory, Kazan, Russia) was credited
with an independent recovery by S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij (1964) and this, in
turn, was reiterated by B. G. Marsden (1972, 1982) in the early editions of
his Catalogue of Cometary Orbits. But it would seem that this was erroneous.
Vsekhsvyatskij gave Martynovs recovery date as 1952 March 16 and then
gave an additional observation by the Russian astronomer for April 21. The
details given for the April 21 observation were a magnitude of 11.011.5,
a sharp nucleus, and a coma 1.5 across. The author searched other publications, but failed to locate any other mention of Martynovs recovery;
however, in issue number 126 of the Astronomicheskij Tsirkulyar, photographic observations were given by Martynov for comet 24P/Schaumasse.
391
catalog of comets
Martynovs observations of 24P were made on 1952 March 16, March 31,
April 12, and April 21. The positions given for these observations definitely
match those expected for 24P and, for April 21, the comet was described as
magnitude 11.011.5, with a sharp nucleus, and a coma about 1.5 across.
The author did not have a copy of Vsekhsvyatskijs book, so he wrote to
M. Meyer to mention what he had found. It was Meyer who suggested
Vsekhsvyatskij apparently mistakenly assigned the observations of comet
24P to comet 26P.
On April 3, Jones observed the comet using his 32-cm reflector and gave
the magnitude as 12.1. On the 6th, Jones gave the magnitude as 12.0 and
said the coma was 1.5 across. On the 7th, Jones gave the magnitude as
12.4 and said the coma was 1.5 across, with a degree of condensation of
1. On April 20 and 21, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas,
magnitude as 13.5. He said a fuzzy nucleus 10 across was eccentrically
situated within a coma extending 1 mainly in the first quadrant.
a 3-minute exposure with the 208-cm reflector. He gave the position as
= 21h 48.5m , = +3 25 . Van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as
14, and said a fuzzy nucleus 10 across was eccentrically situated within
a coma extending 1 mainly in the first quadrant. Van Biesbroeck obtained
a 10-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector at Yerkes Observatory on
May 31, but the comet was not found and must have been fainter than
magnitude 17.
Dinwoodie (1956) used several positions obtained during this apparition
to correct his predicted orbit. The result was a perihelion date of March
11.14.
Multiple apparition orbits were calculated by Sitarski (1964, 1981), B. G.
Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1972, 1973), and S. Nakano (1997, 2005). They
gave the perihelion date as March 11.16 and the period as 4.90 years. Sitarski
(1964) noted that a nongravitational acceleration existed in the motion of
this comet. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.03, A2 =
0.0025 by Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1973), A1 = +0.004, A2 = 0.00113
by Nakano (1997), and A1 = +0.005, A2 = 0.00113 by Nakano (2005). The
orbit of Nakano (2005) is given below.
T
1952 Mar. 11.1610 (TT)
(2000.0)
356.3469 216.0940
i
17.6224
q
e
0.855618 0.703596

sources: C. Dinwoodie and L. E. Cunningham, BAA Handbook for 1951 (1950
Nov.), p. 48; C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for 1952 (1951 Nov.), pp. 3940; C.
Dinwoodie, IAUC, No. 1324 (1951 Sep. 6); J. A. Bruwer, IAUC, No. 1354 (1952
Apr. 8); A. F. A. L. Jones, IAUC, No. 1355 (1952 Apr. 22); D. Y. Martynov, ATsir,
392
catalog of comets
No. 126 (1952 Apr. 30); J. A. Bruwer, A. F. A. L. Jones, G. van Biesbroeck, and
C. Dinwoodie, The Observatory, 72 (1952 Jun.), pp. 1256; L. E. Cunningham,
PASP, 64 (1952 Jun.), p. 140; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 83, 87;
C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for 1957 (1956 Nov.), p. 50; V1964, p. 78, 554; G.
Sitarski, AcA, 14 (1964), pp. 15; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. Y. Martynov,
CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 25, 37, 48; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 78 (1973
Mar.), pp. 214, 216; G. Sitarski, AcA, 31 (1981), pp. 4812; B. G. Marsden and D. Y.
Martynov, CCO, 4th ed. (1982), p. 38; A. F. A. L. Jones, ICQ, 6 (1984 Jan.), p. 24; S.
Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 700 (1997 Dec. 12); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 1193
(2005 Jul. 4); personal correspondence from M. Meyer (2007).
C/1952 H1 Discovered: 1952 April 27.96 ( = 1.99 AU, r = 1.43 AU, Elong. = 43)
(Mrkos) Last seen: 1952 August 25.00 ( = 1.23 AU, r = 1.71 AU, Elong. = 99)
1952 V = 1952c Calculated path: AND (Disc), PEG (Jun. 16), AQR (Jul. 11), CAP (Jul. 14),
AQRCAP (Jul. 16), MIC (Jul. 20), SGR (Jul. 21), CrA (Jul. 27), TEL (Jul. 28),
ARA (Aug. 2), NOR (Aug. 18)
This comet was discovered by A. Mrkos (Skalnate Pleso Observatory,
Slovakia) on 1952 April 27.96, during a routine search for comets with
25 100 Somet binoculars. He estimated the magnitude as 10 and gave
the position as = 23h 55.1m , = +42 57 . Cloudy weather prevented
another observation of the comet during the next 2 weeks, but the comets
slow motion allowed Mrkos to recover it on May 14.99. He again estimated
the magnitude as 10 and described the comet as diffuse, with a condensation. The comet was discovered about a month and a half prior to perihelion
and nearly 3 months prior to its closest approach to Earth.
On May 17, G. Merton (England) gave the visual magnitude as 9.7, while
G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the
comet using the 61-cm reflector in a hazy sky and gave the magnitude as 10.
Merton said the oval coma was 5 across and contained little condensation.
Neither nucleus nor tail was seen. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 2 across
with a central condensation. On the 17th, 21st, and 24th, T. Mitani (Kwasan
Observatory, Kyoto, Japan) estimated the photographic magnitude as 11. On
the 19th, the visual magnitude was given as 10.15 by M. Beyer (Hamburg
Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany), using a 26-cm refractor, while the photographic magnitude was estimated as 10 by van Biesbroeck under a hazy
sky. Beyer said the coma was 3 across, while the nuclear magnitude was
13.8. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 2 across with a central condensation.
On the 19th and 21st, L. Kresak (Skalnate Pleso Observatory) estimated the
photographic magnitude as 10. On the 20th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
10.0610.26. He said the coma was 3.5 across, while the nuclear magnitude
was 13.3. On that same night, A. Schmitt (Uccle, Belgium) estimated the
photographic magnitude as 12. He described the comet as diffuse, without
a condensation or tail. On the 21st, L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet and gave the magnitude
393
catalog of comets
as 15.8. On the 24th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.90. He said the coma was
4.5 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.0. On the 26th, Beyer gave
magnitude was 13.5. On the 28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.83. He said
the coma was 4 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13. On May 29,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.63 and said the coma was 4 across.
On June 1, the photographic magnitude was estimated as 10 by van
Biesbroeck and Kresak. Van Biesbroeck said the round coma was 2.5 across
and contained a diffuse central condensation. He added that the coma was
a little brighter in PA 160, but there was no tail. On the 12th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 9.69. He said the coma was 4 across, while the nuclear
magnitude was 14. On the 18th and 26th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 10 and said the central condensation was diffuse.
across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.7. On June 29, van Biesbroeck
estimated the photographic magnitude as 10 and said the coma was nearly
5 across.
A report of a new comet came in late June. On June 27, C. J. Renner (Sandusky, Ohio, USA) found what he thought was a new comet at a position
of = 23h 13m , = +24 45 . On June 28, Renner confirmed that the object
observed the previous night was a comet. The indicated daily motion was
1.2 in PA 238. As July began, it was announced that Renner was observing
comet Mrkos.
On July 1, the visual magnitude was given as 9.12 by Beyer, while the
photographic magnitude was estimated as 9 by H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona) and 10 by J. L. Gossner (US Naval Observatory,
Washington, DC, USA). Beyer said the coma was 4.3 across, while the
nuclear magnitude was 13. Giclas described the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation. On the 2nd, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.9. He
said the round coma was 5 across and was centrally condensed in a diffuse
nucleus. On the 3rd, Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as 9. On
the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.76 and said the nuclear magnitude
was 13. On the 13th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.3. He said the
round coma was 6 across and contained a well-defined central nucleus of
magnitude 12. On the 16th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.14. He said the
coma was 7.5 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 12.3. On the 17th, van
Biesbroeck said the coma was 5 across, with a sharp nucleus of magnitude
13. He added that a 10-minute guided exposure with the 61-cm reflector did
not reveal a tail. On the 20th, the photographic magnitude was given as 8
by Mitani and 9.5 by van Biesbroeck. Mitani noted a stellar nucleus. Van
Biesbroeck said the coma was 8 across and contained a stellar nucleus of
magnitude 12. The comet attained its greatest solar elongation of 169 on
July 21. That same night, Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as
9 and noted a stellar nucleus. On the 24th, J. A. Bruwer (Union Observatory,
Johannesburg, South Africa) estimated the photographic magnitude as 10.
394
catalog of comets
On July 24 and 25, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet with the 61-cm
reflector at a low altitude and simply described it as faint. On August 13,
Bruwer estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.5.
The comet was last detected on August 25.00, when J. Bobone and A.
Puch (National Astronomical Observatory, Cordoba,
Argentina) obtained a
60-minute exposure with the astrographic telescope. Bobone measured the
position as = 16h 15.8m , = 55 05 . No physical description was given.
On September 17, M. Dartayet failed to detect the comet on a photograph
obtained with the 152-cm reflector at Bosque Alegre and concluded the
magnitude must have been fainter than 17.5.
The first orbit was calculated by Kresak and was published on May 24.
Using positions obtained at Skalnate Pleso Observatory, he determined the
perihelion date as 1952 June 8.36. One month later, A. D. Dubiago and Kresak
independently took positions spanning the period May 14June 1 and calculated parabolic orbits. The perihelion date was given as June 7.14 by
Dubiago and June 9.03 by Kresak.
The first elliptical orbit was calculated by Cunningham, using positions
from May 14, June 1, and July 1. Published on September 9, the orbit gave
a perihelion date of June 8.62 and a period of 462 years. Bobone published
an elliptical orbit on November 10. He gave the perihelion date as June 8.67
and the orbital period as 590 years.
G. V. Williams (1995) took 40 positions spanning the period May 16
August 25 and applied perturbations by all nine planets. He determined
the perihelion date as June 8.70 and the period as 645 years. This orbit is
given below. Williams also determined that the original orbit had a period
of 637 years, while the future orbit had a period of 608 years.
T
1952 Jun. 8.7032 (TT)
(2000.0)
i
q
e
144.8846 122.3556 112.0282 1.282696 0.982816

full moon: Apr. 10, May 9, Jun. 8, Jul. 7, Aug. 5, Sep. 4
sources: A. Mrkos, IAUC, No. 1357 (1952 May 16); A. Mrkos, IAUC, No. 1358
(1952 May 19); G. Merton, IAUC, No. 1359 (1952 May 21); L. Kresak, Schmitt, and
A. Mrkos, IAUC, No. 1360 (1952 May 24); A. Mrkos and A. D. Dubiago, ATsir,
No. 127 (1952 Jun. 24); L. Kresak, IAUC, No. 1365 (1952 Jun. 24); C. J. Renner,
HAC, No. 1180 (1952 Jun. 30); H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 1181 (1952 Jul. 2); J. L.
Gossner, HAC, No. 1182 (1952 Jul. 8); T. Mitani and J. A. Bruwer, IAUC, No. 1368
(1952 Aug. 7); J. A. Bruwer, IAUC, No. 1371 (1952 Aug. 25); L. E. Cunningham,
IAUC, No. 1373 (1952 Sep. 9); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 1197 (1952 Nov. 10); J. Bobone,
IAUC, No. 1380 (1952 Nov. 11); A. Mrkos, G. Merton, M. Beyer, J. A. Bruwer, M.
Dartayet, and J. Bobone, MNRAS, 113 (1953), pp. 38891; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ,
58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 834, 87; J. Bobone and A. Puch, AJ, 58 (1953 Aug.), pp. 1723;
M. Beyer, AN, 282 (1955 May 31), pp. 15960; V1964, p. 78; L. E. Cunningham,
MPC, No. 5985 (1981 Jun. 1); G. V. Williams, CCO, 10th ed. (1995), pp. 289.
395
catalog of comets
(Peltier) Last seen: 1952 November 22.0 ( = 1.77 AU, r = 2.24 AU, Elong. = 104)
1952 VI = 1952d Calculated path: UMi (Disc), DRA (Jul. 22), CYG (Aug. 25), VULPEG
(Sep. 21), AQR (Oct. 19)
L. C. Peltier (Delphos, Ohio, USA) discovered this comet on 1952 June 20.2,
during a routine search for comets using his 15-cm refractor (30). He gave
the position as = 14h 40m , = +68, and estimated the magnitude as
10. H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) confirmed the comet
on June 21.22. He estimated the magnitude as 10, and described the comet
as diffuse, with a central condensation. The comet was discovered about
1 month prior to perihelion and about 2.5 months prior to its closest
approach to Earth.
On June 23 and 24, A. M. Bakharev (Stalinabad, now Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
estimated the photographic magnitude as 10. He described the comet as diffuse, without a central condensation. On the 23rd, 24th, and 26th, G. van
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) obtained 2-minute exposures using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the comets magnitude as 10.
He said the nearly round coma was 4 across and was centrally condensed
into a diffuse nucleus. On June 27, C. A. Wirtanen (Lick Observatory, California, USA) estimated the photographic magnitude as 15. He said the comet
was diffuse, with a stellar nucleus.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 78 on July 9. On
the comet using a 10-cm comet seeker and gave the magnitude as 10.29.
He said the coma was 4 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 14. On
the 13th, van Biesbroeck obtained a 1-minute exposure using the reflector
and gave the magnitude as 10.3. He said the nucleus was magnitude 13.
On the 15th, Beyer observed the comet using the comet seeker and gave
magnitude was 14. On July 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24, T. Mitani (Kwasan
Observatory, Kyoto, Japan) estimated the photographic magnitude as 11.
On July 17, 22, and 25, van Biesbroeck obtained 2-minute exposures using
the reflector and estimated the magnitude as 10. He said the coma was 4
across and contained a nucleus of magnitude 12. On the 20th, Beyer gave
magnitude was 13.8. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.74 and the
coma diameter as 7 . The comet attained its most northerly declination of
+73 on July 22. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.94. He said the
Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.08. He said the coma was 7.0 across. On the
27th, W. H. Steavenson (Cambridge, England) noted that the central 1.5 of
the coma was sharply brighter than the surrounding coma and contained
396
catalog of comets
a stellar nucleus of magnitude 13.5. On July 31, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 9.309.42 and noted a coma diameter of 5.6 .
On August 2, Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as 12. On
August 3, Beyer observed the comet using the 10-cm comet seeker and gave
the magnitude as 9.76. He said the coma was 4 across. On the 4th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 9.53 and said the coma was 5.4 across. On the 8th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.89 and said the coma was 4.8 across. On the
10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.77 and said the coma was 4.9 across. On
the 10th, 11th, and 13th, Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as
12. On the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.4510.56 and said the coma
was 4.6 across. On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.30 and said the
coma was 4.0 across. On the 14th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.80. He said
the coma was 5.0 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 14.2. On the 16th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.24. On the 17th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 9.8210.24. He said the coma was 4.4 across, while the nuclear magnitude
was 14.0. On the 17th, 18th, and 24th, Mitani estimated the photographic
magnitude as 12. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.88 and said
the coma was 4.6 across. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.05
and said the coma was 5.3 across. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude
the magnitude as 9.879.93 and said the coma was 6.3 across. On the 26th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.85 and said the coma was 6 across. On the
28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.79 and said the coma was 8 across. On
August 29, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.45 and said the coma was 5.8
across.
On September 23, Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as 12.5.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 138 on October 1. On
October 18, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 16.
He said the round coma was 20 across and contained diffuse central condensation. On November 6, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 17 and said the coma was 15 across. On the 11th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5. He said the coma
was 15 across and contained a very diffuse condensation. On the 13th, van
was 15 across and contained a very diffuse condensation. On November
20, H. M. Jeffers and E. Roemer (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet
using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18. They
said the comets photographic image was not quite stellar.
obtained a 20-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector. He said the comet
appeared as a faint trace too uncertain for measurement.
The first orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham, using positions from
June 21, 23, and 26. The result was a parabolic orbit with a perihelion date
397
catalog of comets
of 1952 July 14.90. Using positions from June 21, July 17, and August 15,
Cunningham revised his calculations and gave the perihelion date as
July 15.26.
A definitive orbit was calculated by H. Grabner (1968). He took positions
spanning the period 1952 June 22November 20, reduced them to 18 Normal
places, and applied perturbations by Venus, Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn. The
result was an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of July 15.26 and a period
of 1.7 million years. B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart (1978) found
that the original and future orbits were elliptical, with periods of 11 million
years and 120 thousand years, respectively.
Another definitive orbit was calculated by G. V. Williams (1995). He took
20 positions spanning the period June 23November 20 and applied perturbations by all nine planets. The result was a perihelion date of July 15.25 and
a period of 314 thousand years. This orbit is given below. Williams said the
original and future orbits were both elliptical, with periods of 555 thousand
years and 76 thousand years, respectively.
T
1952 Jul. 15.2532 (TT)
96.5825
(2000.0)
188.6438
i
45.5521
q
e
1.201925 0.999739

full moon: Jun. 8, Jul. 7, Aug. 5, Sep. 4, Oct. 3, Nov. 1, Dec. 1
sources: L. C. Peltier, IAUC, No. 1364 (1952 Jun. 21); L. C. Peltier and H. L. Giclas,
HAC, No. 1179 (1952 Jun. 23); L. C. Peltier, ATsir, No. 127 (1952 Jun. 24); G. van
Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1180 (1952 Jun. 30); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1182
(1952 Jul. 8); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1366 (1952 Jul. 8); A. M. Bakharev,
ATsir, No. 128 (1952 Jul. 19); T. Mitani, IAUC, No. 1368 (1952 Aug. 7); T. Mitani,
IAUC, No. 1373 (1952 Sep. 9); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1195 (1952 Oct. 17);
L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1378 (1952 Oct. 18); T. Mitani, IAUC, No. 1382
(1952 Dec. 9); L. C. Peltier, W. H. Steavenson, M. Beyer, H. M. Jeffers, and L. E.
Cunningham, MNRAS, 113 (1953), pp. 38991; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953
Apr.), pp. 84, 87; C. A. Wirtanen, H. M. Jeffers, and E. Roemer, AJ, 59 (1954 Sep.),
pp. 3056; M. Beyer, AN, 282 (1955 May 31), pp. 1601; V1964, p. 78; H. Grabner,
QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31819; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart,
AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), p. 68; G. V. Williams, CCO, 10th ed. (1995), pp. 289.
C/1952 Q1 Discovered: 1952 August 18.33 ( = 2.06 AU, r = 2.45 AU, Elong. = 99)
(Harrington) Last seen: 1953 June 29.94 ( = 3.33 AU, r = 2.76 AU, Elong. = 48)
1953 I = 1952e Calculated path: CEP (Disc), CAS (Oct. 5), AND (Oct. 18), PEG (Nov. 9), PSC
(Dec. 6), CET (Dec. 10), ERI (1953 Feb. 25), LEP (Apr. 24), CMa (May 27)
R. G. Harrington discovered this comet on 1952 August 18.33, in the course
of the National Geographic SocietyPalomar Observatory Sky Survey. He
gave the position as = 23h 29.4m , = +65 12 . Harrington estimated
398
catalog of comets
the magnitude as 15, and described the comet as diffuse, with a nucleus.
The comet was discovered over 4 months prior to passing perihelion and
3 months prior to passing closest to Earth.
On August 20, C. A. Wirtanen and E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) indirectly compared the brightness of this comets nearly stellar
nuclear condensation with stars in the North Polar Sequence and determined the brightness as 16.5. On August 22, W. H. Steavenson (Cambridge,
England) estimated the magnitude as 13. He said the somewhat centrally
condensed coma was about 1 across and very diffuse at the edge. The comet
attained its most northerly declination of +66 on September 1.
On October 9, 10, and 11, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory,
Wisconsin, USA) obtained 3- and 5-minute exposures using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 12.5. He said an almost stellar nucleus
of magnitude 14 was surrounded by a round coma 20 across, which, in
turn, was surrounded by a much fainter coma nearly 2 across. There was
no tail. On the 12th, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
observed using a 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 10.77. He said
the coma was 3.3 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.2. On the
13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.83 and said the coma was 3 across.
On the 16th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.70 and said the coma was
3 across. On the 20th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.28. He said the
Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.89. He said the coma was 3.8 across, while
was 13.59. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 130 on
October 30.
On November 6, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 10. He said the round coma was 7 across and contained a welldefined nucleus. On the 7th, 8th, and 10th, T. Mitani (Kwasan Observatory,
Yamashina, Kyoto, Japan) estimated the photographic magnitude as 10. On
while the nuclear magnitude was 13.45. On the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.77. He said the coma was 5.1 across, while the nuclear magnitude
was 13.2. On the 11th, the visual magnitude was given as 10.21 by Beyer,
while the photographic magnitude was given as 9.7 by van Biesbroeck.
Beyer said the coma was 4.8 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.1.
Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 5 across. On the 17th, 18th, and 21st,
Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as 10. On the 20th, Beyer
observed using a 10-cm comet seeker and gave the magnitude as 9.14. He
said the coma was 6.8 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.0. On the
21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.22 and said the coma was 6.4 across.
On the 22nd, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.6 and noted a sharp
nucleus. On November 23, Beyer observed using the 26-cm refractor and
399
catalog of comets
On December 5, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 9.05, while Mitani

estimated the photographic magnitude as 9. Beyer said the coma was 5.2
across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13. On the 8th, Beyer observed
using the 10-cm comet seeker and gave the visual magnitude as 8.74, while
the magnitude as 9.0. Beyer said the coma was 10 across, while the nuclear
magnitude was 12.5. Van Biesbroeck said the diffuse round coma was 7
across and was centrally condensed into a nearly starlike nucleus. On the
9th, Beyer observed the comet using the comet seeker and gave the magnitude as 8.61. He said the coma was 8.8 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13. On the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.51. He said
the coma was 9.7 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 12.31. On the
while the nuclear magnitude was 13. On the 17th, S. Vlaicu (Bucharest,
Romania) estimated the photographic magnitude as 10. The comet was
described as diffuse, without a condensation. On December 18, Beyer gave
the visual magnitude as 8.46, while Mitani gave the photographic magnitude as 9. Beyer said the coma was 10.0 across, while the nuclear magnitude
was 12.5.
On 1953 January 3 and 4, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 9.0. On the 8th and 18th, Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as 9. On the 19th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.52. He said the coma
was 5.0 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 12. On January 20, Beyer
nuclear magnitude was 12.
On February 2, E. K. Kharadze (Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory,
Georgia) saw the comet using the 6-cm finder on the 40-cm refractor and
estimated the magnitude as 7. He described it as a diffuse, nebulous speck,
with a hint of a short, faint appendage extending toward the south. On the
8th, Beyer observed using an 8-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as
7.96. He said the coma was 9.2 across, while the nuclear magnitude was
11.89. Mitani estimated the magnitude as 9. Kharadze photographed the
comet using a 20-cm camera and described it as ill defined and hard to
measure. He also visually observed the comet using the 40-cm refractor and
the 6-cm finder and described the comet as faint. On the 9th, van Biesbroeck
(Yerkes Observatory) gave the magnitude as 7.7. He said the round coma
was 6 across and contained a sharp nucleus. On the 14th, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 8.3. Kharadze visually observed the comet using the
refractor and finder. He noted the comet appeared strong, with a stronger
central condensation than when previously seen. On February 15, Beyer
observed using an 8-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 8.22, while
Mitani gave the photographic magnitude as 9. Beyer said the coma was
10.0 across. Kharadzes visual observations again revealed the comet as
faint.
400
catalog of comets
On March 1, Beyer observed using the 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 9.99. On the 3rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.01 and the
coma diameter as 5.3 . On the 7th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as
9.8. On the 9th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10.2. On March 20,
van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 11. He noted that the comet was then at a low
altitude, while the observation was affected by twilight and moonlight. Van
Biesbroeck added that there was a well-defined nucleus.
The comet was last detected on June 29.94, when J. Bobone, C. G. Torres,
and A. P. Puch (National Astronomical Observatory, Cordoba,
Argentina)
photographed it. They gave the position as = 7h 21.5m , = 23 51 .
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham. First published on September 19, the perihelion date was given as 1953 January 5.15.
This proved only about 6.5 hours early, as shown by a later orbit by K. A.
Thernoe.
P. Pretre (1953) took 13 positions from the period August 20December 18

and determined the perihelion date as January 5.43 and the period as about
9075 years.
J. E. Forbes, H. Spinrad, and D. B. Wood (1958) used three positions
obtained between 1952 August 20 and 1953 June 8, as well as perturbations by Jupiter, and determined an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of
January 5.42 and an orbital period of 8326 years.
G. Sitarski (1972) began with 83 positions obtained during the entire
period of visibility and applied perturbations by all nine planets. The result
was a perihelion date of January 5.42 and a period of 8255 years.
Z. Sekanina (1978) took 66 positions obtained during the entire period
of visibility and applied perturbations by all nine planets. The result was
a perihelion date of January 5.42 and a period of 8213 years. This orbit is
given below. Sekanina found the original and future orbits to be elliptical
with periods of about 5331 years and about 5220 years, respectively.
T
1953 Jan. 5.4177 (TT)
(2000.0)
191.6259 221.3917
i
59.1154
q
e
1.664977 0.995910

full moon: Aug. 5, Sep. 4, Oct. 3, Nov. 1, Dec. 1, Dec. 31, 1953 Jan. 29, Feb. 28,
Mar. 30, Apr. 29, May 28, Jun. 27, Jul. 26
sources: R. G. Harrington, HAC, No. 1186 (1952 Aug. 20); R. G. Harrington,
IAUC, No. 1370 (1952 Aug. 22); W. H. Steavenson, IAUC, No. 1373 (1952 Sep.
9); C. A. Wirtanen, E. Roemer, and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1191 (1952 Sep.
19); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1375 (1952 Sep. 23); T. Mitani, IAUC, No. 1382
(1952 Dec. 9); S. Vlaicu, IAUC, No. 1389 (1953 Jan. 23); E. K. Kharadze, ATsir, No.
135 (1953 Feb. 21); T. Mitani, IAUC, No. 1393 (1953 Mar. 4); E. K. Kharadze, ATsir,
No. 136 (1953 Mar. 21); K. A. Thernoe,
IAUC, No. 1407 (1953 May 16); P. Pretre,
IAUC, No. 1408 (1953 Jun. 3); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 60 (1955 Mar.), pp. 58, 62;
401
catalog of comets
M. Beyer, AN, 282 (1955 May 31), pp. 1613; J. E. Forbes, H. Spinrad, D. B. Wood,
J. Bobone, C. G. Torres, and A. P. Puch, AJ, 63 (1958 Dec.), pp. 51011; V1964,
p. 78; G. Sitarski, IAUS, No. 45 (1972), pp. 10711; Z. Sekanina, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.),
pp. 66, 68.
(Mrkos) Last seen: 1953 September 5.3 ( = 2.50 AU, r = 3.44 AU, Elong. = 156)
1953 II = 1952f Calculated path: VIR (Pre), HYA (Dec. 18), CEN (Dec. 24), LUP (Dec. 31),
NORCIRNOR (1953 Jan. 6), TrA (Jan. 9), ARA (Jan. 12), PAV (Jan. 14),
IND (Jan. 25), TUC (Jan. 28), GRU (Jan. 29), SCL (Feb. 15), AQR (Mar. 5),
CET (Mar. 11), PSC (Apr. 20), PEG (Jul. 2)
A. Mrkos (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) discovered this comet in
the morning sky during a routine comet search on 1952 November 28.2.
The comet could not be immediately confirmed and bad weather hampered observations during the next several days. Mrkos finally confirmed
the comet on December 9.16 and gave the positions as = 13h 27.0m , =
11 50 . He noted that the comet had brightened since the November observation and was about magnitude 10. Mrkos also said the comet was diffuse,
with a central condensation. The daily motion was given as +1m 18s in and
48 in . An additional confirmation was obtained by L. Kresak (Skalnate
Pleso Observatory) on December 10.20. The magnitude was then estimated
as 10, and the comet was described as diffuse, with a central condensation,
and a short tail. Kresak obtained a 10-minute exposure on December 10.21.
The comet was found over 1 month prior to passing closest to Earth and
about 2 months prior to perihelion.
On December 11th and 12th, Kresak estimated the photographic magnitude as 10. He described the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation,
and exhibiting a short tail. On the 13th, T. Mitani (Kwasan Observatory,
Kyoto, Japan) estimated the photographic magnitude as 10. On the 13th and
15th, E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) estimated the photographic magnitude as 9. She described the comet as diffuse, with a central
condensation. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 55 on
December 24. On the 15th, A. F. A. L. Jones (Timaru, New Zealand) observed
the comet using a 14-cm refractor (42) and gave the magnitude as 10.2. He
added that the coma diameter was about 2 , while the degree of condensation (DC) was 2. On the 16th, Jones gave the magnitude as 9.9 and said
the coma was 2.5 across. On the 17th, Jones gave the magnitude as 9.7 and
said the coma was 3 across. On the 17th, Mitani estimated the magnitude
as 9. On the 23rd, Jones observed using the 7-cm refractor (23) and gave
the magnitude as 8.6. On the 24th, Jones gave the visual magnitude as 8.4,
while J. A. Bruwer (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) estimated the photographic magnitude as 8.5. On the 25th and 26th, Jones gave
the magnitude as 8.3. On the 28th, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.4. On the
402
catalog of comets
29th, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.2. A. Puch and D. McLeish (Cordoba,
Argentina) last photographed the comet with the astrographic telescope on

December 30.
On 1953 January 6, Jones observed the comet using a 7-cm refractor (23)
and gave the magnitude as 8.2. On the 7th and 8th, Jones gave the magnitude
as 8.3. On the 10th, Jones observed the comet using the 7-cm refractor (21)
and gave the magnitude as 7.4 and the coma diameter as 2 . On the 11th,
Jones gave the magnitude as 7.5. He noted that the coma diameter was 2 ,
while the DC was 8. On the 15th, Jones gave the magnitude as 7.4. He said
the coma was 3 across, with a DC of 8. The comet attained its most southerly
declination of 68 on January 17. On the 18th, Jones gave the magnitude as
7.3. He said the coma was 3 across, with a DC of 9. On the 19th and 20th,
Jones gave the magnitude as 7.2. He said the coma was 3 across, with a
DC of 8. On the 21st, Jones gave the magnitude as 7.3. He said the coma
diameter was 3 , with a DC of 8. On the 27th, Jones gave the magnitude as
7.5 and the coma diameter as 2 .
On 1953 February 5, Jones gave the magnitude as 7. He said the coma
was 2 across, with a DC of 7. Bruwer noted the comet was very difficult
to measure. On the 8th, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.0. He said the coma
diameter was 2 , while the DC was 8. On February 13, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.4. He said the coma was 2 across, with a DC of 7. The comet
attained a minimum solar elongation of 18 on March 22.
On July 5 and 6, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18. He said the diffuse coma extended mostly in the third quadrant.
On the 9th, Roemer estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5 and said
the comet was nearly stellar. On the 15th, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 18. He said the coma was 6 across and contained a well-defined condensation. There was also a faint tail extending
50 in PA 215. On July 18, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory) photographed
the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18.5. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +15
on August 17. It then attained a maximum solar elongation of 157 on
September 2.
The comet was last detected on September 5.3, when L. E. Cunningham
(Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) photographed it.
Using the earliest observations of this comet obtained at Skalnate Pleso
Observatory, Kresak computed the first parabolic orbit, which was published on December 17. He gave the perihelion date as 1953 January 24.76.
This was an excellent representation of the comets orbit, as shown by a later
parabolic orbit by J. Bobone.
Using three precise positions spanning the period 1952 December 23
1953 February 3, M. Itzigsohn computed a hyperbolic orbit, which was first
published on March 12. The perihelion date was determined as January
24.86 and the eccentricity was 1.000660.
403
catalog of comets
B. G. Marsden (1978) took 64 positions spanning the period 1952 December 101953 July 18 and applied perturbations by all nine planets. He determined a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of January 24.86 and an
eccentricity of 1.0003434. This orbit is given below. The original and future
orbits were also hyperbolic.
T
1953 Jan. 24.8599 (TT)
(2000.0)
253.8218 343.5816
i
97.1837
q
e
0.777729 1.000343

full moon: Nov. 1, Dec. 1, Dec. 31, 1953 Jan. 29, Feb. 28, Mar. 30, Apr. 29, May
28, Jun. 27, Jul. 26, Aug. 24, Sep. 23
sources: A. Mrkos, HAC, No. 1199 (1952 Dec. 11); A. Mrkos, IAUC, No. 1383
(1952 Dec. 11); L. Kresak, IAUC, No. 1384 (1952 Dec. 17); E. Roemer, HAC, No.
1201 (1952 Dec. 22); E. Roemer, IAUC, No. 1386 (1952 Dec. 22); A. Mrkos and L.
Kresak, MNRAS, 113 (1953), p. 389; J. A. Bruwer, IAUC, No. 1387 (1953 Jan. 10);
J. Bobone, HAC, No. 1204 (1953 Jan. 17); T. Mitani, IAUC, No. 1388 (1953 Jan.
21); J. Bobone, IAUC, No. 1390 (1953 Jan. 31); A. Mrkos, The Observatory, 73 (1953
Feb.), p. 34; J. A. Bruwer, IAUC, No. 1393 (1953 Mar. 4); M. Itzigsohn, HAC, No.
1205 (1953 Mar. 12); A. Puch and D. McLeish, AJ, 58 (1953 Aug.), p. 173; L. E.
Cunningham, MNRAS, 114 (1954), p. 3623; E. Roemer and H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 59
(1954 Sep.), pp. 3056; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 60 (1955 Mar.), pp. 58, 62; V1964,
p. 78; L. Kresak, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 119; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66,
68; A. F. A. L. Jones, ICQ, 4 (1982 Jan.), p. 25.
C/1953 G1 Discovered: 1953 April 12.08 ( = 1.38 AU, r = 1.26 AU, Elong. = 61)
(MrkosHonda) Last seen: 1954 January 1.43 ( = 2.38 AU, r = 3.28 AU, Elong. = 152)
1953 III = 1953a Calculated path: PEG (Disc), VULPEG (Apr. 15), VULPEG (Apr. 18), CYG
(Apr. 21), PEG (Apr. 24), LAC (Apr. 26), AND (May 6), CAS (May 7), CAM
(May 30), LYN (Jun. 18), AUR (Jun. 24), LYN (Jun. 25), AUR (Jul. 14), LYN
(Jul. 20), GEM (Aug. 7), LYN (Aug. 10), GEM (Aug. 14), CNC (Sep. 2), CMi
(Oct. 28), MON (Nov. 29), ORI (Dec. 24)
A. Mrkos (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) discovered this comet on
1953 April 12.08, while using 25 100 binoculars. He gave the position
as = 21h 11.2m , = +16 14 . Mrkos estimated the magnitude as 9,
and described the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation. M. Honda
(Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan) independently discovered the comet using
15 100 binoculars on April 12.81. He estimated the magnitude as 9.0
and noted the comet was large and diffuse, with dimensions of 10 by 4 .
Mrkos confirmed the discovery on a 10-minute exposure obtained on April
13.10 and estimated the magnitude as 10. The comet was found about
3 weeks prior to passing closest to Earth and about 6 weeks prior to passing
perihelion.
404
catalog of comets
On April 14, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)

gave the magnitude as 8.7, while the photographic magnitude was given
as 10 by T. Mitani (Kwasan Observatory, Kyoto, Japan) and Mrkos. Van
Biesbroecks photograph using the 61-cm reflector revealed a nearly round
coma 3 across, which exhibited a well-condensed nucleus that was eccentrically situated so that the coma extends mostly in the first quadrant.
On the 15th, J. L. Gossner (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA)
estimated the photographic magnitude as 10. S. Vasilevskis (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie
astrograph and estimated the magnitude as 15. He described the comet as
diffuse. On the 16th, Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as 10.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 62 on April 19. On the
20th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.6. His photograph with the
reflector revealed a coma 4 across and a well-condensed nucleus. On the
21st, the photographic magnitude was given as 9.5 by van Biesbroeck and 10
by L. Kresak. On the 21st, 22nd, 24th, and 25th, Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as 9. On the 24th, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria)
gave the photographic magnitude as 10.2. On April 30, M. Beyer (Hamburg
Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) observed using a 26-cm refractor and
across. On the 2nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.71, while Kresak gave it
as 9.0. He said the coma was 4.3 across, while the nuclear magnitude was
13.5. On the 4th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.62. He said the coma was 3.9
across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.5. On the 7th, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 9.7. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude
was 6.0 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.0. On the 14th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 8.27 and said the coma was 6.7 across. On May 22,
E. Roemer (Lick Observatory) estimated the photographic magnitude as 12.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +68 on May 25.
On June 3, Beyer observed the comet using a 26-cm refractor and gave
the magnitude as 8.98. He said the coma was 3.4 across. On July 3 and 4,
van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet at low
altitude using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13. He
said the round coma was about 30 across and very diffuse. On July 5 and 6,
van Biesbroeck said measures of the comet were very uncertain because
of twilight and low altitude.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 22 on July 21. On
September 13 and 15, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed
He said the round coma was 50 across and contained a very diffuse central
condensation. On October 3, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 17 and said the diffuse coma was 40 across. On November 4,
van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5 and said the
405
catalog of comets
round coma was 20 across. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation
of 156 on December 24.
The comet was last detected on 1954 January 1.43, when Roemer photographed it from Lick Observatory. She gave the position as = 6h 03.7m ,
= 1 49 . Roemer determined the magnitude as 19.3, and commented,
The image was very difficult to measure, but is probably genuine.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by Kresak and was published on
April 20. He gave the perihelion date as 1953 May 27.89. A few days later,
I. Hasegawa used the same three positions and determined the perihelion
date as May 26.39, which was quite close to the comets actual orbit. Kresak
revised his calculations in mid-May.
The first elliptical orbit was calculated by K. Hurukawa (1953). He took
positions from May 2, July 3, and September 15, and determined the perihelion date as May 26.44 and the period as about 6974 years.
The first definitive orbit was calculated by B. G. Marsden (1963). He began
with 46 positions obtained during the period 1953 April 131954 January 1,
reduced them to ten Normal places, and applied perturbations by five planets. The result was a perihelion date of May 26.44 and a period of about
7777 years.
Marsden (1978) revised his definitive orbit by taking 51 positions spanning the period 1953 April 141954 January 1 and applied perturbations
by all nine planets. The result was a perihelion date of May 26.44 and a
period of about 7757 years. This orbit is given below. Marsden also calculated the original and future orbits and found both to be elliptical. He gave
the periods as about 6138 years and about 5486 years, respectively.
T
1953 May 26.4358 (TT)
85.7400
(2000.0)
275.8856
i
93.8573
q
e
1.022132 0.997391

full moon: Mar. 30, Apr. 29, May 28, Jun. 27, Jul. 26, Aug. 24, Sep. 23, Oct. 22,
Nov. 20, Dec. 20, 1954 Jan. 19
sources: A. Mrkos, HAC, No. 1210 (1953 Apr. 14); A. Mrkos, IAUC, No. 1401
(1953 Apr. 14); A. Mrkos, IAUC, No. 1402 (1953 Apr. 16); A. Mrkos, G. van
Biesbroeck, J. L. Gossner, and L. Kresak, IAUC, No. 1403 (1953 Apr. 20); A. Mrkos,
ATsir, No. 137 (1953 Apr. 21); L. Kresak, HAC, No. 1211 (1953 Apr. 23); M. Honda
and L. Kresak, IAUC, No. 1404 (1953 Apr. 24); T. Mitani, IAUC, No. 1406 (1953
May 8); L. Boyer and L. Kresak, IAUC, No. 1407 (1953 May 16); I. Hasegawa,
HAC, No. 1217 (1953 Aug. 11); I. Hasegawa, IAUC, No. 1418 (1953 Aug. 26); I.
Hasegawa, BAAC, No. 344 (1953 Aug. 28); K. Hurukawa, IAUC, No. 1424 (1953
Oct. 21); A. Mrkos, M. Honda, and K. Hurukawa, MNRAS, 114 (1954), p. 363;
S. Vasilevskis and E. Roemer, AJ, 59 (1954 Sep.), pp. 3057; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 60 (1955 Mar.), pp. 58, 62; M. Beyer, AN, 282 (1955 May 31), p. 163; L. Boyer,
JO, 39 (1956 Feb.), p. 31; B. G. Marsden, IAUC, No. 1818 (1963); V1964, p. 78; A.
Mrkos, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 119; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68.
406
catalog of comets
Last seen: 1954 February 5.17 ( = 1.94 AU, r = 2.40 AU, Elong. = 105)
1953 V = 1953b Closest to the Earth: 1953 November 6 (1.0708 AU)
Calculated path: PSC (Rec), ARI (Jul. 3), TAU (Aug. 20)
The recovery of this comet began with T. A. Goodchild (1952) taking the orbit
predicted for the 1946 apparition by F. R. Cripps (as modified by L. E. Cunningham), applying perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn, and predicting the
comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1953 August 7.43. E. Roemer and
1953 June 18.45, at a position of = 1h 11.4m , = +8 17. They estimated
the magnitude as 18.5, and described the comet as round, diffuse, uncondensed, and 0.2 across. Jeffers confirmed the recovery on June 19.44. The
comets physical appearance was unchanged from the previous night.
On July 6, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
obtained two 8-minute exposures using the 208-cm reflector, but noted measures were uncertain because of moonlight and twilight. On the 10th, Jeffers
the magnitude as 18. He said the coma was faint, uncondensed, and exhibited a tail extending 0.6 toward the west. On July 15, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 16.5. He said the small, well-defined
coma exhibited a slender tail extending 1.5 in PA 285.
On August 19, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5. He
said the coma had become sharper than during June and July, and the tail
extended 0.5 toward the west. On August 20, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector
and estimated the magnitude as 17. He said the coma was 20 across and
diffuse. There was also a vague indication of a tail extending toward
PA 270.
On September 4, the comet attained its most northerly declination of +16.
On that same date, Roemer photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17.5. She said the coma was
still sharp, and the tail extended 0.5 toward the west. On October 7, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5. He said the comet was
nearly stellar. On November 4, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 16.5. He said the coma was diffuse and exhibited a tail extending 3 in PA 295. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 171 on
November 22. On December 10, Roemer gave the photographic magnitude
as 17.2. She said the coma was round and 0.1 across. After having generally moved southward since September, the comet attained a declination of
+11 on December 12, and then turned northward again. On December 29,
Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 18.0. He said the comet
was nearly stellar and 23 across.
The comet was last detected on 1954 February 5.17, when van Biesbroeck
(McDonald Observatory) located it on a 20-minute exposure obtained with
407
catalog of comets
the 208-cm reflector. He gave the position as = 4h 03.4m , = +13 45 .

Astronomers at Lick Observatory tried to photograph the comet with a longexposure photograph on February 23, but it was not found. They concluded
the magnitude was fainter than 19.3.
Very similar orbits using several apparitions were ultimately published by
A. D. Dubiago (1957), B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1972), I. Y. Evdokimov
(1978), I. Y. Evdokimov and Y. V. Evdokimov (1980), and Sekanina and D. K.
Yeomans (1985). They gave the perihelion date as August 7.36 and the period
as 6.93 years. The studies of 1972 and 1985 both added nongravitational
terms to these calculations. Marsden, Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973)
gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +1.12 and A2 = 0.1911. Sekanina
and Yeomans (1985) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +1.14 and
A2 = 0.1898. The orbit of Sekanina and Yeomans is given below.
T
1953 Aug. 7.3585 (TT)
(2000.0)
195.6865 178.3830
i
5.5443
q
e
1.866090 0.486663

1954 Jan. 19, Feb. 17
sources: T. A. Goodchild, BAA Handbook for 1953 (1952 Nov.), pp. 4243; E. Roemer and H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 1213 (1953 Jun. 23); E. Roemer and H. M. Jeffers,
IAUC, No. 1410 (1953 Jun. 23); E. Roemer and H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 1214 (1953
Jul. 6); E. Roemer and H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 59 (1954 Sep.), pp. 3057; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 60 (1955 Mar.), pp. 589, 62; A. D. Dubiago, MNRAS, 117 (1957),
pp. 3401, 344; V1964, p. 79; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, CCO, 1st ed. (1972),
pp. 26, 48; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, QJRAS, 13 (1972 Sep.), pp. 4323;
B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), p. 21315;
I. Y. Evdokimov, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88; I. Y. Evdokimov and Y. V.
Evdokimov, KomMe, No. 2931 (1980), p. 79; Z. Sekanina and D. K. Yeomans, AJ,
90 (1985 Nov.), p. 2336; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Dec.), p. 604.
12P/1953 M1 Recovered: 1953 June 20.36 ( = 4.12 AU, r = 4.49 AU, Elong. = 105)
(PonsBrooks) Last seen: 1954 September 25.36 ( = 2.73 AU, r = 2.18 AU, Elong. = 48)
1954 VII = 1953c Calculated path: DRA (Rec), HER (Aug. 15), LYR (Nov. 24), CYG (1954 Jan.
2), LAC (Feb. 22), AND (Mar. 8), TRI (Apr. 15), ARI (Apr. 25), TAU (May
4), ORI (May 24), MON (Jun. 15), CMa (Jun. 24), PUP (Jul. 7), PYX (Jul. 21),
ANT (Aug. 3), VEL (Aug. 13), CEN (Aug. 25)
P. Herget (1952) announced his results of an orbital solution for this comet
based on observations made during 1812 and 188384. Planetary perturbations were added and the predicted perihelion date was 1954 May 27.
He said the comets magnitude should steadily brighten during 1952, with
values of 19.1 on February 8 and 17.6 on September 15. He added that at the
408
catalog of comets
time of perihelion the earth is then situated in the most unfavorable position, and the maximum brightness will be about fifth magnitude. At the
end of September 1952, Herget extended the ephemeris and said the comets
brightness would be expected to continue increasing to 17.2 on November
24, 16.6 on 1953 February 2, 15.7 on April 13, and 14.6 on June 22.
E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet on
1953 June 20.36, at a position of = 18h 53.6m , = +50 04 . She estimated
the magnitude as 17.5, and described the comet as round, diffuse, and about
0.3 across. Roemer added that a sharp nucleus was present and the coma
was mostly situated on the southwest side. G. Merton said Roemers positions indicated a perihelion date of 1954 May 22.91 and a period of 70.88
years. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 106 on June 28.
On July 2, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as
13. He said the coma was 10 across and diffuse, and exhibited a slight
extension toward the third quadrant. On the 3rd, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 13.5. He said the coma was 10 across and diffuse, and exhibited a slight extension toward the third quadrant. On the
4th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14. He said the
diffuse nucleus was centrally condensed and 6 across, while a broad fanshaped tail extended toward PA 258. On the 5th, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 14. He said the nucleus was sharper than on
July 4 and only 3 across, while a short fan-shaped tail extended toward PA
240. On the 8th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 15.
He said the fuzzy coma was centrally condensed, but there was hardly
any nucleus. On the 12th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 16. He described the coma as extremely diffuse, with hardly a
condensation. On the 15th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 17. He said the well-defined nucleus was 3 across, while a broad
tail extended toward PA 240. On the 16th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 18. He said the nucleus was almost starlike, while a
broad tail extended 12 in PA 250. On the 18th, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave
the magnitude as 18. He said the comet appeared sharp and nearly stellar.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +52 on July 19.
On August 14, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude
as 17. He said the fuzzy round coma was 8 across. On August 17, 19, and
the fuzzy round coma was 8 across. On August 19, Jeffers estimated the
photographic magnitude as 16.5. He said the comet was sharp, round, and
only 3 across.
as 16.0 and noted a fuzzy round coma about 8 across. On the 9th, 13th,
and 15th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 16. He
409
catalog of comets
described the coma as more starlike and 6 across on the 9th, diffuse and
20 across on the 13th, and very diffuse and 20 across on the 15th. On the
12th, W. H. Steavenson (Cambridge, England) observed the comet using
the 76-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 1314. He described the
comet as a diffuse patch of light 1 or 2 in diameter with no appreciable
central condensation. On the 15th, L. Kresak (Skalnate Pleso Observatory,
Slovakia) gave the photographic magnitude as 15. On the 18th, G. Merton
(University Observatory, Oxford, England) photographed the comet using
the 20-cm Linfoot camera and gave the magnitude as 12.8. On the 28th, van
Biesbroeck indicated the comet had experienced an outburst in brightness,
as he noted a magnitude of 12. He said the round coma was 90 across and
centrally condensed into a nearly starlike nucleus. On September 29 and 30,
van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 12.5. His photograph revealed a
round coma 90 across which was centrally condensed into a nearly starlike
nucleus.
On October 1, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm
reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13. He said the coma was 100
across, but there was no nucleus. On the 3rd, van Biesbroeck estimated
the photographic magnitude as 15. He said the coma was 90 across, and
appeared brighter toward PA 5. There was also a fuzzy nucleus. On the
6th, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) observed using
the 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 12.23. He said the coma was
2.3 across. On the 7th, the visual magnitude was given as 12.19 by Beyer,
while the photographic magnitude was given as 15 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer
said the coma was 2.5 across. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 30 across,
with a diffuse central condensation. On the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 12.14 and said the coma was 2.2 across. On the 11th, the visual magnitude
was given as 12.11 by Beyer, while the photographic magnitude was given
as 16 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was 1.9 across. Van Biesbroeck
described the comet as a fuzzy spot about 15 across. On the 12th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 12.22 and said the coma was 2.0 across. On the
13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.24 and said the coma was 4.0 across.
On the 26th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 15.5
and said the coma was 20 across. On the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 31st, Beyer
could not find the comet using the 26-cm refractor and said the comet was
fainter than magnitudes 12.5, 12.2, 12.6, and 12.8, respectively. On October
the well-defined condensation was 20 across and situated in the center of
a very faint coma 40 across.
On October 31 and November 4, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 15. He said the well-defined condensation was 20
across and situated in the center of a very faint coma 40 across. On November 1, 6, and 8, Beyer could not find the comet using the 26-cm refractor and
said it was probably fainter than magnitude 12.5 on the first two dates and
fainter than 12.6 on the last. On the 10th, the visual magnitude was given
410
catalog of comets
as 12.56 by Beyer, while the photographic magnitude was given as 15 by

van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was 1.9 across. Van Biesbroeck said
the nearly stellar nucleus was in the center of a faint coma some 40 across.
across. On the 25th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.65. On November 28,
Roemer estimated the photographic magnitude as 16.5. She said the comet
was 0.2 across, with a small condensed center.
On December 1, Beyer observed using the 26-cm refractor and gave the
magnitude as 12.87. On the 2nd, the visual magnitude was given as 11.92
by Beyer, while the photographic magnitude was given as 15.5 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was 1.5 across. Van Biesbroeck said the coma
was fuzzy and 10 across, but there was no faint coma around it. On the
5th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.45. He said the comet was starlike and
only 0.1 across. On the 6th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.67 and said
the coma was 1.8 across. On the 7th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 11. He said the round nucleus was 15 across and
situated in the center of an oval coma measuring 45 35 the longest
axis directed toward PA 40. On the 8th, T. Mitani (Kwasan Observatory,
Kyoto, Japan) estimated the photographic magnitude as 12. On the 8th and
the round nucleus was 18 across and situated in an oval coma measuring
60 40 the longest axis directed toward PA 30. On the 14th, Beyer gave
magnitude was about 12.5. The comet attained a declination of +36 on
December 20 and then began moving northward again. On the 23rd, van
was 8 across and extended mostly toward PA 350. On the 24th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He said the coma
was 8 across and extended mostly toward PA 350. On the 27th, Beyer
Beyer could not find the comet using the 26-cm refractor and estimated the
magnitude as fainter than 12.0. On December 29, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 10.99. He said the coma was 3.5 across and the nuclear magnitude was
about 14.2.
On 1954 January 1, Roemer estimated the photographic magnitude as
15. She said the round coma was 0.3 across, and condensed in the center.
On the 5th, Beyer observed the comet using a 26-cm refractor and gave
the magnitude as 9.79. He said the coma was 3.4 across and the nuclear
magnitude was about 14.0. On the 6th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.95
and said the coma was 4.2 across. On the 8th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
9.88 and said the coma was 4.0 across. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 10.38. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the
61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13. He noted the coma was
fuzzy. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.15. He said the coma
was 2.1 across and the nuclear magnitude was about 13.8. On the 23rd,
411
catalog of comets
Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 10.38, while van Biesbroeck estimated
the photographic magnitude as 12. Beyer said the coma was 3.2 across and
the nuclear magnitude was about 13.8. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was
3 across. On the 24th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.81 and said the coma
was 2.5 across. On the 25th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.18. He said the
coma was 3.5 across and the nuclear magnitude was about 13.5. On the 26th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.64. He said the coma was 3.8 across and the
nuclear magnitude was about 13.7. On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude
coma was 3.7 across and the nuclear magnitude was about 13.7. On the
and the nuclear magnitude was about 13.7. On January 30, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 10.55 and said the coma was 3.5 across.
On February 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.23. He said the coma
was 3.5 across and the nuclear magnitude was about 13.6. On the 3rd, the
photographic magnitude was given as 12 by van Biesbroeck (McDonald
Observatory), using the 208-cm reflector, and 14 by Roemer. Roemer said
the 10-minute exposure revealed a round coma that was 0.8 across, with
a well-condensed nucleus shifted toward the east side. On the 4th, Beyer
gave the visual magnitude as 9.78, while van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13. Beyer said the coma was 3.8 across and the
coma was 3.3 across and the nuclear magnitude was about 13.6. On the 7th,
the 8th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 13-cm Ross lens
and estimated the magnitude as 12. On the 16th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 9.77. On the 17th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 12.5. On the 20th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.29. He said the
coma was 4.2 across and the nuclear magnitude was about 13.0. On the
21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.96. He said the coma was 4.2 across
and the nuclear magnitude was about 13.0. On the 25th, van Biesbroeck
estimated the photographic magnitude as 11. On the 26th, Beyer gave the
visual magnitude as 9.21, using the 26-cm refractor, while van Biesbroeck
gave the photographic magnitude as 11.2, using the 208-cm reflector. Beyer
said the coma was 3.6 across. On February 28, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 8.86, while van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as
11.5. Beyer said the coma was 3.6 across and the nuclear magnitude was
about 12.7.
On March 1, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as
10.5. On the 5th, Beyer observed the comet using the 10-cm comet seeker and
gave the magnitude as 7.74. He said the coma was 10.0 across. On the 6th,
Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 8.17, using a 26-cm refractor, while van
412
catalog of comets
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) estimated the photographic magnitude as

9.0 using the 61-cm reflector. Beyer said the coma was 8.0 across and the
about 12.2. On the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.09. He said the coma
was 6.2 across and the nuclear magnitude was about 11.8. On the 11th,
the nuclear magnitude was about 12.0. The comet attained a declination of
+41 on March 12 and then began moving southward. On the 15th, van
Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 8.5. On the 16th, van
Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 7.2. On the 20th, Beyer
magnitude was about 10.0, and the tail extended 20 in PA 27. On the 21st,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 8.4. On the 22nd, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 7.06. He said the coma was 5.7 across, and the nuclear
magnitude was about 12. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.81. He
said the coma was 6.4 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 12, and the
tail extended 20 in PA 0. On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.03.
He said the coma was 9.0 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 11, and
the tail extended 20 in PA 7. On March 30, Beyer said the tail extended 25
in PA 8.
On April 1, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 7.8. On the 2nd, Mitani
estimated the photographic magnitude as 7. On the 5th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 6.14. He said the coma was 7.0 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 10.5, and the tail extended 25 in PA 7. On the 6th, Beyer
magnitude was about 10.5, and the tail extended 25 in PA 13. On the 7th,
nuclear magnitude was about 10, and the tail extended 17 in PA 5. On the
8th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.27. He said the coma was 5.3 across, the
nuclear magnitude was about 10.2, and the tail extended 15 in PA 18. On
the 9th, the magnitude was given as 6.12 by Beyer, 7.1 by E. Pohl (Konigstuhl
Observatory, Heidelberg, Germany), and 7.2 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said

the coma was 7.8 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 10, and the tail
extended 25 in PA 10. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 6 across and
contained a well-defined nucleus of magnitude 8. On April 11, the magnitude was given as 6.15 by Beyer and 7.1 by Pohl. Beyer said the coma was
8.9 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 10, and the tail extended 20
in PA 10.
On April 17, the magnitude was given as 5.67 by Beyer and 6.7 by van
Biesbroeck. Beyer said the coma was 6.3 across, the nuclear magnitude was
about 10, and the tail extended 25 in PA 15. Van Biesbroeck said the comet
was seen at low altitude and he suspected a faint tail. On the 18th, Beyer
said the coma was 6 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 9, and the tail
extended 15 in PA 13. On the 21st, Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was
413
catalog of comets
about 9.5. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.65. He said the coma
30 in PA 9. On the 23rd, the magnitude was given as 5.65 by Beyer, 6.4
by van Biesbroeck, and 6.5 by Pohl. Beyer said the coma was 6.5 across,
and the tail extended 18 in PA 22. Van Biesbroeck said the tail extended
over 30 in PA 0. On the 24th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.53. He said
the coma was 6.2 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 8.5, and the tail
said the coma was 6 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 8.0, and the
tail extended 30 in PA 17. On the 26th, Beyer observed using the 10-cm
comet seeker and gave the magnitude as 5.42. He said the coma was 5 across,
the nuclear magnitude was about 8, and the tail extended 20 in PA 14. On
the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.20. He said the coma was 5 across,
the nuclear magnitude was about 8, and the tail extended 15 in PA 15. On
April 28, Beyer observed using the 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude
as 5.30. He said the coma was 4 across, and the nuclear magnitude was
about 8.
The comet passed 10 from the sun on May 16 and then moved into the
skies of the Southern Hemisphere. On June 22, A. F. A. L. Jones (Timaru, New
Zealand) observed the comet using a 3-cm refractor and gave the magnitude
as 6.4. He noted a coma 3.5 across with a degree of condensation (DC) of
6, while using the 14-cm refractor. On June 23, Jones gave the magnitude as
6.4. On June 28, Jones gave the magnitude as 6.1.
On July 1, Jones gave the magnitude as 6.6. On the 2nd, Jones gave the
magnitude as 6.8. He noted that the 14-cm refractor revealed a DC of 5. On
the 3rd, Jones gave the magnitude as 7.5. He noted that the 32-cm reflector
revealed a coma 3 across, with a DC of 5. On the 7th, Jones observed using
an 8-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 7.3. On the 9th, Jones gave the
magnitude as 7.4. On the 13th, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.0. On the 23rd,
Jones gave the magnitude as 8.7. On the 24th, Jones gave the magnitude as
8.4. On the 27th, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.38.7. On July 29, Jones gave
On August 7, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.6. On the 9th, Jones gave
the magnitude as 9.7. He noted that the 32-cm reflector revealed a coma 2.5
across with a DC of 2. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of
56 on August 16. That same night, Jones gave the magnitude as 10.0. On
the 24th and 27th, Jones gave the magnitude as 10.3. On August 29, Jones
On September 8, Jones observed using his 32-cm reflector and gave
the magnitude as 11.3. He noted a coma 3 across, with a DC of 0. On
September 24, Jones observed using his 20-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 11.8. He said the coma was 2.5 across.
The comet was last detected on September 25.36, when Jones visually
observed it using a 20-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 11.6. He
noted a coma 2.5 across, which exhibited no condensation.
414
catalog of comets
Following the comets recovery, several astronomers adjusted the predicted orbits using some of the early positions. P. Musen calculated an orbit
based on Hergets earlier computations. He arbitrarily adjusted the perihelion date to May 22.38 to agree with the recovery positions. Merton took
Musens orbit based on Hergets data and corrected it using Roemers initial two recovery positions. He determined the perihelion date as May 22.91
and the period as 70.88 years. Kresak improved the predicted orbit using a
position he measured at Skalnate Pleso Observatory on September 15. He
gave the perihelion date as May 22.90.
The first orbit calculated exclusively using positions from this apparition
came from Musen. He took positions from June 20, July 18, and August 19,
and determined the perihelion date as May 22.48 and the period as 70.88
years. Musen revised his calculations around the middle of 1954. Using
positions spanning the period 1953 June 201954 April 9, he applied perturbations by Jupiter and determined the perihelion date as May 22.89 and
the period as 70.86 years.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by P. Herget and H. J. Carr
(1972), D. K. Yeomans (1985, 1986), and K. Kinoshita (2000). Herget and Carr
took about 800 positions spanning the apparitions of 1884 and 1954, applied
perturbations by Venus to Pluto, and determined the perihelion date as
May 22.88 and the period as 70.98 years. Yeomans (1985) took 317 positions
from the 1883 and 1954 apparitions and applied perturbations by all nine
planets. The result was a perihelion date of May 22.88 and a period of 70.92
years. Yeomans (1986) took 264 positions spanning the apparitions of 1812,
1884, and 1954, applied perturbations by all nine planets, and determined
nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion date of May 22.88 and a
period of 70.92 years. He gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.0921
and A2 = 0.02730. This orbit is given below.
T
1954 May 22.8813 (TT)
(2000.0)
199.0279 255.8913
i
74.1770
q
e
0.773656 0.954847
absolute magnitude: H0 = 4.66, n = 4.33 (Beyer, 1958); H10 = 5.1 (Vsekhsvyatskij, 1963)
1954 Jan. 19, Feb. 17, Mar. 19, Apr. 18, May 17, Jun. 16, Jul. 16, Aug. 14, Sep. 12,
Oct. 12
sources: P. Herget, HAC, No. 1166 (1952 Feb. 25); P. Herget, IAUC, No. 1351
(1952 Mar. 24); E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1213 (1953 Jun. 23); E. Roemer, IAUC, No.
1410 (1953 Jun. 23); P. Musen, IAUC, No. 1411 (1953 Jul. 4); E. Roemer, HAC,
No. 1214 (1953 Jul. 6); P. Herget and P. Musen, HAC, No. 1215 (1953 Jul. 6); G.
Merton, IAUC, No. 1419 (1953 Sep. 7); L. Kresak, IAUC, No. 1422 (1953 Sep.
30); W. H. Steavenson and G. Merton, BAAC, No. 345 (1953 Oct. 6); P. Musen,
HAC, No. 1229 (1953 Nov. 23); P. Musen, IAUC, No. 1429 (1953 Nov. 24); G.
van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 1432 (1953 Dec. 16); T. Mitani, IAUC, No. 1438 (1954
415
catalog of comets
Feb. 11); E. Pohl, NAZ, 8 (1954 May 20), p. 17; P. Musen, HAC, No. 1249 (1954
Jun. 3); T. Mitani, IAUC, No. 1461 (1954 Jul. 23); E. Roemer and H. M. Jeffers,
AJ, 59 (1954 Sep.), pp. 3057; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 60 (1955 Mar.), pp. 59, 62
3; E. Roemer, AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.), pp. 4401; M. Beyer, AN, 284 (1958 May 9),
pp. 11316; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851; P. Herget and
H. J. Carr, QJRAS, 13 (1972 Sep.), pp. 4324; A. F. A. L. Jones, ICQ, 4 (1982 Jul.),
pp. 756; A. F. A. L. Jones, ICQ, 6 (1984 Jan.), pp. 256; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 26
(1985 Mar.), p. 91; D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 91 (1986 Apr.), pp. 9713; D. K. Yeomans,
QJRAS, 27 (1986 Dec.), p. 604.
44P/1953 N1 Recovered: 1953 July 5.20 ( = 2.01 AU, r = 2.78 AU, Elong. = 130)
(Reinmuth 2) Last seen: 1954 November 25.51 ( = 1.71 AU, r = 2.68 AU, Elong. = 167)
1954 VI = 1953d Calculated path: LIB (Rec), SCO (Aug. 29), OPH (Sep. 25), SCO (Oct. 9), OPH
(Oct. 12), SGR (Nov. 6), CAP (1954 Jan. 6), AQR (Feb. 1), CAP (Feb. 7), AQR
(Feb. 20), PSC (Mar. 17), ARI (May 31), TAU (Jul. 18), AUR (Sep. 10)
E. K. Rabe (1952) began his investigation into this comets motion for the
upcoming apparition by taking about 60 observations obtained during the
194748 apparition and determining a new orbit. He then applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn and integrated the motion of the comet forward.
The result was a prediction that the comet would pass perihelion on 1954
March 27.05.
G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) recovered this
July 5.20. He determined the position as = 15h 17.9m , = 25 46 . The
magnitude was estimated as 19 and the diffuse round coma was about 3
across. Van Biesbroeck confirmed the recovery when a second 20-minute
exposure was obtained with the same telescope on July 5.21.
On July 15, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 19.
He said the diffuse round coma was about 3 across. The comet attained
a declination of 24 on August 21 and turned toward a more southerly
direction. The comet attained a declination of 25 on October 23 and then
began a more northerly motion.
The comet passed about 2 from the sun on 1954 February 9 and spent the
period early Januaryearly March within 10 of the sun. On July 5, E. Roemer
(Lick Observatory, California, USA) estimated the photographic magnitude
as 17.5. She described the comet as round and 0.2 across. On July 7, H. M.
Jeffers (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17.5. He described the comet
as round and 0.2 across. On July 27, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory,
estimated the magnitude as 18. He said the coma was very diffuse and
10 across. On August 31, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 18. He said the diffuse, round coma was 8 across. On
416
catalog of comets
September 27, Roemer estimated the photographic magnitude as 18. She

described the comet as round and 0.2 across.
On October 3 and 4, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17.5. He said the well-defined coma was 8 across and exhibited
a faint broad tail extending 25 in PA 280. On October 23 and 26, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 18 and said a faint tail
extended toward PA 20. The comet attained its most northerly declination
of +31 on October 28.
The comet was last detected on November 25.51, when Jeffers photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. Roemer gave the position
as = 4h 38.7m , = +30 36 . The total magintude was estimated as 17,
and the faint coma was 0.3 across with a sharp nucleus.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by E. K. Rabe (1961, 1965)
and B. G. Marsden (1968). Perturbations by Venus to Neptune were applied
by Rabe, while those by Mercury to Pluto were applied by Marsden. The
perihelion date was determined as March 27.0627.08 and the period was
given as 6.59 years. Marsden commented, There is not the slightest indication of any secular variation in the motion. . .. Marsdens orbit is given
below.
T
1954 Mar. 27.0626 (TT)
44.2058
(2000.0)
297.9498
i
7.1204
q
e
1.868113 0.468544
absolute magnitude: H10 = 12.3 (Vsekhsvyatskij, 1963)

19, Feb. 17, Mar. 19, Apr. 18, May 17, Jun. 16, Jul. 16, Aug. 14, Sep. 12, Oct. 12,
Nov. 10, Dec. 10
sources: E. K. Rabe, BAA Handbook for 1953 (1952 Nov.), p. 48; E. K. Rabe, BAA
Handbook for 1954 (1953 Nov.), p. 47; G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 1412 (1953 Jul.
7); E. Roemer and H. M. Jeffers, HAC, No. 1257 (1954 Jul. 22); G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 60 (1955 Mar.), pp. 59, 63; E. Roemer and H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.),
pp. 4401; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 191, 194; E. K. Rabe, QJRAS,
2 (1961 Oct.), pp. 1579; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851;
E. K. Rabe, QJRAS, 6 (1965 Dec.), pp. 3423; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.),
pp. 369, 371.
51P/1953 P1 Discovered: 1953 August 14.41 ( = 0.79 AU, r = 1.73 AU, Elong. = 149)
(Harrington) Last seen: 1953 December 10.19 ( = 1.30 AU, r = 1.85 AU, Elong. = 107)
1953 VI = 1953e Calculated path: AQR (Disc), CET (Sep. 19)
R. G. Harrington (Palomar Observatory, California, USA) discovered this
comet on a plate taken on 1953 August 14.41 with the 122-cm Schmidt camera during the National Geographic SocietyPalomar Sky Survey. The comet
was located at = 23h 41.4m , = 10 47 . He estimated the magnitude as
417
catalog of comets
15, and described the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation, and a
tail less than 1 long. The comet was found about a month prior to passing
perihelion and its closest approach to Earth. Confirmation images using
the same telescope were obtained by Harrington on August 15.39, August
16.40, and August 18.38.
E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) reported
that prediscovery images were found on two short-exposure plates obtained
on August 5.95. The time interval between the two plates was only 5 minutes.
He estimated the magnitude as 15.5 and commented, Comet round diffuse
with a slight central condensation and no tail. Nearly a month later, it was
announced that Johnsons position matched that of a faint nebula.
Moonlight interfered with observations after Harringtons last confirmation image was obtained and the next observation did not come until
September 2, when Harrington again photographed the comet using the
122-cm Schmidt camera. He sent the position to Mount Wilson Observatory (California, USA) where L. E. Cunningham photographed the comet
using the 254-cm reflector on September 3, 4, and 5. On September 10, E.
Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) estimated the photographic
magnitude as 16.5. On the 15th and 17th, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
reflector and gave the magnitude as 15.2. He said the coma was 20
across and centrally condensed, with a very faint tail extending 3 in PA
300. On September 16, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory) photographed
the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude
as 16.8. He said the round coma was 0.1 across and contained little
condensation.
On October 1 and 2, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 16. He said the well-defined coma was 15 across and exhibited
a tail vaguely visible in the fourth quadrant. On the 2nd, Jeffers gave the
photographic magnitude as 16.3. He said the round coma was 0.2 across
and diffuse. On October 7 and 15, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17. On October 29 and November 10, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 18 and said the diffuse
coma was 20 across. On December 7 and 8, van Biesbroeck estimated
the photographic magnitude as 18.5 and said the diffuse coma was hardly
measurable.
The comet was last detected on December 10.19, when Roemer photographed it at Lick Observatory. Jeffers gave the position as = 0h 48.5m ,
= 12 38 . Roemer determined the magnitude as 18.8, and described the
comet as not quite stellar.
The first orbit was calculated by J. L. Brady, using positions spanning the
period August 15September 5. The result was an elliptical orbit with a
perihelion date of 1953 September 22.41 and a period of 6.90 years. Additional orbits, using positions spanning the period August 15December
10, were calculated by B. G. Marsden (1958) and C. Dinwoodie (1959).
418
catalog of comets
They gave the perihelion date as September 22.1322.16 and the period as
6.98 years.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by G. Sitarski (1967, 1972,
1973, 1983, 1996) and G. Forti (1986, 1989). Sitarski (1967) applied perturbations by Mercury to Neptune, while all other calculations applied perturbations by all nine planets. The result was a perihelion date of September
22.1522.16 and a period of 6.97 years. Sitarski (1983) reported a possible nongravitational deceleration. S. Nakano (1986) used positions spanning the first three apparitions and gave the nongravitational terms as
A1 = +0.56 and A2 = +0.1118. Forti (1986) used all of the positions from the
first three apparitions and gave nongravitational terms of A1 = +3.20 and
A2 = +0.0447, but these changed to A1 = +5.99 and A2 = +0.0348 when
the final position of the 1980 apparition was eliminated. Forti (1989) noted
that an error had been found in the data used for his earlier computations
and gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.45 and A2 = +0.1070.
Sitarski (1967) examined the comets past history. He found the period
was 6.65 years in 1918, but had altered to 6.99 years when it passed 0.8 AU
from Jupiter on 1920 November 19. The period remained at almost exactly
7 years for the next five apparitions and the comet returned to perihelion
on about September 25 in 1925, 1932, 1939, 1946, and 1953. These apparitions were all favorable for discovery, with the comet passing within 0.7
AU of Earth each time. Sitarski noted that the 1953 apparition was the
last opportunity to discover this faint comet on the sky. The comets orbit
altered after the 1953 apparition because the comet passed 0.501 AU from
Jupiter on 1956 October 26.46 and passed 0.256 AU from Mars on 1960
June 11.98.
T
1953 Sep. 22.1413 (TT)
(2000.0)
219.3887 137.3008
i
11.5955
q
e
1.693984 0.535909

full moon: Jul. 26, Aug. 24, Sep. 23, Oct. 22, Nov. 20, Dec. 20
sources: R. G. Harrington, IAUC, No. 1417 (1953 Aug. 18); R. G. Harrington,
HAC, No. 1219 (1953 Aug. 25); E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1418 (1953 Aug. 26);
R. G. Harrington and E. L. Johnson, BAAC, No. 344 (1953 Aug. 28); L. E. Cunningham, R. G. Harrington, J. L. Brady, and E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1422
(1953 Sep. 30); J. L. Brady, MNRAS, 114 (1954), pp. 3679; E. Roemer and
H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 59 (1954 Sep.), pp. 3057; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 60
(1955 Mar.), pp. 60, 63; B. G. Marsden, MNRAS, 118 (1958), pp. 3967;
C. Dinwoodie, MNRAS, 119 (1959), pp. 4423; V1964, p. 79; G. Sitarski,
AcA, 17 (1967), pp. 3218; G. Sitarski, QJRAS, 8 (1967 Sep.), pp. 27981;
G. Sitarski, QJRAS, 13 (1972 Sep.), pp. 4324; G. Sitarski, AcA, 23 (1973),
pp. 16973; G. Sitarski, QJRAS, 26 (1985 Jun.), p. 166; G. Sitarski, AcA, 33
(1983), pp. 4615; S. Nakano, MPC, No. 10522 (1986 Mar. 26); G. Forti,
AAP, 155 (1986), pp. 16971; G. Forti, AAP, 215 (1989), pp. 3823, 385; G. Sitarski,
AcA, 46 (1996), pp. 2935.
419
catalog of comets
2P/Encke Recovered: 1953 September 3.38 ( = 2.43 AU, r = 3.38 AU, Elong. = 158)
1954 IX = 1953f Closest to the Earth: 1954 August 4 (0.7227 AU)
Calculated path: PSC (Rec), AQR (Nov. 6), PSC (Dec. 17), ARI (Apr. 23), TAU
(May 25), GEM (Jun. 19), CNC (Jul. 4), LEO (Jul. 15), HYASEX (Jul. 17),
LEO (Jul. 27)
S. G. Makover (1953) investigated the comets motion for the period 193751,
which included perturbations from Mercury to Neptune. He then advanced
the motion forward and predicted the comet would next pass perihelion on
1954 July 2.52. Using a few observations from the 1951 apparition of this
comet to correct the predicted orbit for that year, R. Luss (1953) then applied
perturbations by Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn. The result was a prediction that
the comet would next reach perihelion on July 2.10.
L. E. Cunningham (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet on 1953 September 3.38, using the 254-cm reflector. The
position was given as = 23h 55.6m , = +6 15 . He determined the
magnitude as 19.9. Cunningham obtained confirmatory photographs on
September 4.44 and September 5.45. The comet was then at an elongation
of 159.
The next observation following Cunninghams confirmation images was
obtained on November 4, when S. B. Nicholson (Mount Wilson) photographed the comet using the 254-cm reflector. The comet moved in a southwesterly direction until it attained a declination of 1 on December 4, and
then turned toward the north.
On 1954 February 4 and 5, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory,
the magnitude as 19. He described the comet as a small, round nebulosity.
The comets faintness, and decreasing solar elongation, prevented observations during the remainder of February, as well as March, April, May, and
June. The comet was within 10 of the sun from the last week of March until
the last week of June, with a minimum elongation of 3.7 coming on June
18. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +27 on June 13.
Perihelion was reached on July 2 and the elongation increased at a rate of
one degree per day thereafter.
A. F. A. L. Jones (Timaru, New Zealand) finally recovered the comet on
July 22.29, when the elongation had increased to 35. Using his 8-cm refractor
and 32-cm reflector, he determined the total magnitude as 9.6 and the coma
diameter as 1.5 , with a condensation level of 5. On July 23, Jones gave the
magnitude as 9.6 using his 8-cm refractor. Jones said his 32-cm reflector
revealed the coma diameter was 2 across, with a condensation level of 3.
The comet was last detected on July 27. On July 27.30, Jones observed
using the 8-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 9.8. Using the 32-cm
reflector, Jones said the coma was 2 across, with a condensation level of 3.
J. A. Bruwer (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) managed to
420
catalog of comets
photograph the comet on July 27.72, and gave the position as = 10h 53.0m ,
= 5 04 .
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by Makover (1956),
Makover and S. Y. Luchich (1963), B. G. Marsden (1969, 1970), G. R. Kastel (1971), N. A. Bokhan and Y. A. Chernetenko (1974), and Marsden and Z.
Sekanina (1974). All of these orbits included planetary perturbations, while
those from 1969 and later also included the effects of nongravitational terms.
The result was a perihelion date of July 2.52 and a period of 3.30 years. Marsden and Sekanina (1974) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.03,
A2 = 0.00589. The orbit of Marsden and Sekanina is given below.
T
1954 Jul. 2.5178 (TT)
(2000.0)
185.1894 335.4535
i
12.3797
q
e
0.338413 0.847295

19, Apr. 18, May 17, Jun. 16, Jul. 16, Aug. 14
sources: S. G. Makover, ATsir, No. 135 (1953 Feb. 21); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC,
No. 1423 (1953 Oct. 15); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1225 (1953 Oct. 16); R. Luss,
BAA Handbook for 1954 (1953 Nov.), pp. 456; L. E. Cunningham, S. B. Nicholson,
and S. G. Makover, MNRAS, 114 (1954), p. 364; R. Luss, NAZ, 8 (1954 May 20),
p. 18; J. A. Bruwer, IAUC, No. 1480 (1954 Nov. 16); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 60 (1955
Mar.), pp. 60, 63; G. van Biesbroeck, A. F. A. L. Jones, and J. A. Bruwer, MNRAS,
115 (1955), p. 191; J. A. Bruwer, UOC, 6 (1956 May), p. 258; S. G. Makover, TrITA, 6
(1956), pp. 6979; S. G. Makover and S. Y. Luchich, BITA, 9 (1963), pp. 22433; S. K.
Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.),
pp. 7256, 72830; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 11 (1970 Sep.), pp. 2323; G. R. Kastel,
BITA, 12 (1971), pp. 192203; N. A. Bokhan and Y. A. Chernetenko, QJRAS, 15
(1974 Dec.), pp. 4545, 459; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 79 (1974 Mar.),
pp. 41516; L. E. Cunningham, MPC, No. 5473 (1980 Oct. 1); A. F. A. L. Jones,
ICQ, 4 (1982 Jan.), p. 29; A. F. A. L. Jones, ICQ, 6 (1984 Jan.), p. 15.
C/1953 T1 Discovered: 1953 October 15.45 ( = 3.49 AU, r = 3.80 AU, Elong. = 101)
(Abell) Last seen: 1954 October 24.48 ( = 2.25 AU, r = 2.00 AU, Elong. = 62)
1954 X = 1953g Calculated path: CAM (Disc), CEP (Nov. 1), UMi (Nov. 14), CEP (Nov. 24),
UMi (Nov. 25), CEP (Dec. 3), CAS (1954 Feb. 17), CAM (Mar. 30), LYN (Apr.
30), CNC (Jun. 8), LEO (Jun. 26), SEX (Jul. 6), HYA (Jul. 24), CEN (Aug. 20),
CIR (Oct. 4), TrA (Oct. 8)
G. O. Abell (Palomar Observatory, California, USA) discovered this comet
on a plate taken on 1953 October 15.45 with the 122-cm Schmidt camera
was located at = 6h 15.8m , = +81 00 , and was said to be moving with
a daily motion of +1m 09s in and +14 in . He estimated the magnitude
as 15, and described the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation, and
421
catalog of comets
a tail less than 1 long. Abell and A. G. Mowbray confirmed the discovery
on October 16.48. The comet was found about 9 months prior to its closest
approach to both the sun and Earth.
On October 20, E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) estimated
the photographic magnitude as 16.5. She described the coma as round, 0.5
across, and somewhat diffuse. On the 25th, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) obtained a 6-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector and said the comet was faint in moonlight. On the 26th, van Biesbroeck
estimated the photographic magnitude as 15.5. He said the round coma
was 15 across and centrally condensed. On the 27th, Roemer estimated the
photographic magnitude as 16.5. She said the coma was 1.3 across and was
situated mostly on the southeast side of a moderately sharp nucleus. On
the 29th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 15.5. He
said there was a well-defined nucleus. During the period October 2931, L.
Kresak and M. Vozarova (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) estimated
the photographic magnitude as 15. They added that the comet was diffuse,
with a condensation.
On November 9, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 15 and said the coma extended mostly toward the south of a sharp
nucleus. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 14 and said the coma extended 2 into a short tail toward PA 190.
On the 14th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 14.
He said the coma was 1 across and exhibited a very faint tail. On the 16th,
van Biesbroeck said the tail extended toward PA 160. The comet attained its
most northerly declination of +89 on November 20 and passed 0.1 from
Polaris on the same day. On the 28th, Roemer estimated the photographic
magnitude as 16.5. She said the coma was 0.3 across and was situated
mostly on the northeast side of a fairly sharp nucleus. The comet attained a
maximum solar elongation of 111 on November 30.
On December 5 and 8, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13. He said the coma fanned out broadly in the first quadrant
but this is hardly a tail. On the 24th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13 and said there was a well-defined nucleus within a
coma that fanned out toward PA 45. On December 29, M. Beyer (Hamburg
Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) observed using a 26-cm refractor and
gave the magnitude as 12.52. He said the coma was 3 across.
On 1954 January 1, Roemer gave the photographic magnitude as 16.2. She
said the coma was 0.2 across and contained a fairly sharp nucleus. On the
5th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.32 and said the coma was 3.0 across. On
the 6th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.77 and said the coma was 2.8 across.
On the 7th and 10th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 12.5 and said the broad tail extended 3 in PA 60. On the 21st, Beyer gave
magnitude was about 14.0. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 11.94, while van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
422
catalog of comets
as 12. On the 24th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.75. On the 25th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 11.66. On the 26th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
11.6811.78 and said the coma was 2.8 across. On the 27th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 11.5111.58 and said the coma was 2.5 across. On the 28th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.55. He said the coma was 2.8 across, and the
about 13.9. On January 30, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 11.5011.60,
while van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) estimated the
photographic magnitude as 12.5. Beyer said the coma was 3.1 across, and
the nuclear magnitude was about 13.9. Van Biesbroeck said there was a
well-defined nucleus.
On February 1, the magnitude was given as 11.20 by Beyer and 11.3 by
H. Neckel (Konigstuhl
Observatory, Heidelberg, Germany). Beyer said the

coma was 2.7 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 13.9. On the 4th,
11.29. He said the coma was 3.2 across, and the nuclear magnitude was
13.8. On the 6th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 11.25, while van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 11.5. Beyer said the coma
was 3.2 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 13.8. Van Biesbroeck said
his photograph using the 208-cm reflector revealed a nucleus that was 6
across, which was surrounded by a faint nearly circular halo 1 across.
On the 7th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.32. He said the coma was
magnitude was 13.6. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.92. He
said the coma was 4.1 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 13.4. On the
22nd, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 11.5. He
said the nucleus was 6 across and was surrounded by a faint nearly circular halo 1 across. On the 23rd, W. H. Steavenson (Cambridge, England)
observed using the 76-cm reflector (140) and estimated the magnitude
as 10.0. He noted the coma was 3 across, with a degree of condensation
(DC) of 4. On the 25th, Steavenson estimated the magnitude as 10.5, using
a 7-cm refractor (25). He noted a coma 2 across, with a DC of 3. On the
26th, Steavenson estimated the magnitude as 10.3 with the large reflector,
while Beyer gave it as 10.89. Beyer said the coma was 3.6 across, and the
nuclear magnitude was 13.6. On February 28, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 10.59.
11 and said the faint halo contained a small nucleus. On the 4th, Roemer
the magnitude as 12.5. She said the round coma was 0.7 across and centrally condensed. On the 6th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.43. He said
the nuclear magnitude was 13.0, and the tail extended 4 in PA 31. On the
423
catalog of comets
7th, W. A. Clark (England) observed using a 22-cm reflector (68) and estimated the magnitude as 11. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.69.
the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.5710.61. He said the coma was
the magnitude as 10.15. On the 16th, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory)
photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 10.5. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.79. He said the
7 in PA 32. On the 23rd, the magnitude was given as 9.3 by G. E. D. Alcock
(Peterborough, Northamptonshire, England) and 9.49 by Beyer. Alcock was
using a 10-cm refractor (30) and noted a coma 2.5 across, with a degree
of condensation of 8. Beyer said the coma was 4.0 across, the nuclear magnitude was 13.65, and the tail extended 8 in PA 30. On the 27th, Beyer
magnitude was 13.3, and the tail extended 10 in PA 46. On the 28th, the
magnitude was given as 9.3 by R. W. Panther (England) and Steavenson.
Steavenson said the coma was 2.5 across, with a DC of 7, while the tail
extended 0.1 in PA 50. On the 30th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.87.
He said the coma was 6.1 across, the nuclear magnitude was 13.3, and the
tail extended 10 in PA 42. On March 31, Alcock gave the visual magnitude as 9.5, while Roemer estimated the photographic magnitude as 14.
Alcock noted a coma 6 across, with a DC of 4, while the tail extended 0.05
in PA 50.
On April 1, the visual magnitude was given as 9.6 by Panther, using a
13-cm reflector (80), while the photographic magnitude was given as 10.2
by van Biesbroeck. Panther said the coma was 2.5 across, with a DC of
2. On the 4th, Panther estimated the visual magnitude as 9.5, while R. L.
Waterfield (Ascot, England) gave the photographic magnitude as 7.5. On
7th, the magnitude was given as 8.8 by G. Merton (England), 9.2 by M. J.
Hendrie (England), and 9.44 by Beyer. Hendrie observed using a 15-cm
reflector (38) and gave the coma diameter as 3 . Beyer said the coma was
PA 54. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.96. He said the coma was
63. On the 10th, Hendrie estimated the magnitude as 9.0, while Beyer gave
the magnitude as 9.11. Hendrie said the coma was 4 across, with a DC of 3.
Beyer said the coma was 5.1 across, the nuclear magnitude was 12.7, and
424
catalog of comets
9.01. He said the coma was 5.4 across, the nuclear magnitude was 12.7, and
the tail extended 8 in PA 59. On the 13th, Panther gave the magnitude as
9.0 and noted a tail extending 0.17. On the 17th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 9.21 and said the coma was 4.6 across. On April 19, Panther gave the
magnitude as 9.0. He noted a coma diameter of 5 and a DC of 5.
On April 20, Beyer observed using the 26-cm refractor and gave the visual
magnitude as 8.40, while Roemer photographed the comet using the 51-cm
Carnegie astrograph and estimated the magnitude as 13.5. Beyer said the
12 in PA 46. Roemer said a 3-minute exposure showed a round coma about
0.2 across with some central condensation, while a 30-minute exposure
showed an unsymmetrical coma with a short fan-shaped tail extending
toward PA 20. On the 21st, Panther gave the magnitude as 9.0 and noted a
coma 3 across, with a DC of 3. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as
8.84. He said the coma was 6.1 across, the nuclear magnitude was 12.41, and
the tail extended towards PA 28. On the 23rd, the magnitude was given
as 8.79 by Beyer, 9.2 by van Biesbroeck, and 9.4 by E. Pohl (Konigstuhl
Observatory, Heidelberg, Germany). Beyer said the coma was 7.5 across,
the nuclear magnitude was 12.3, and the tail extended 10 in PA 67. Pohl
noted a central condensation. On April 24, Beyer gave the magnitude as
8.78. He said the coma was 4.9 across, the nuclear magnitude was 12.47,
and the tail extended 10 in PA 49.
On April 25, Waterfield observed using 7 50 binoculars and gave the
magnitude as 8.2, while Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.49. Waterfield noted
a DC of 7. Beyer said the coma was 6.5 across, the nuclear magnitude was
12.2, and the tail extended 12 in PA 61. On the 26th, the magnitude was
given as 8.0 by Waterfield, 8.4 by Hendrie, and 8.50 by Beyer. Waterfield
noted a DC of 7 and a tail extending 0.05 in PA 60. Hendrie said the coma
was 6 across, with a DC of 5, while the tail extended 0.13. Beyer said the
10 in PA 54. On the 27th, the magnitude was given as 8.0 by Waterfield,
8.32 by Beyer, and 9.2 by Pohl. Waterfield noted a tail extending 0.1 in PA
60. Beyer said the coma was 7.8 across, the nuclear magnitude was 12.38,
and the tail extended towards PA 41. Pohl noted a central condensation.
On the 28th, the magnitude was given as 8.0 by Waterfield, 8.36 by Beyer,
and 9.2 by Pohl. Waterfield noted a DC of 7. Beyer said the coma was 8.3
46. Pohl noted a central condensation. On the 28th and 29th, W. Malsch
(Karlsruhe, Germany) observed using an 8-cm refractor (28) and estimated
the magnitude as 10. He described the comet as round and diffuse. On April
30, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.44. He said the nuclear magnitude was
12.48, and the tail extended 10 in PA 44.
On May 2, van Biesbroeck gave the visual magnitude as 9.7, while T.
Mitani (Kwasan Observatory, Kyoto, Japan) estimated the photographic
magnitude as 9. Van Biesbroeck said the tail extended 14 in PA 64, while a
425
catalog of comets
short stub extended toward PA 330. He noted that the quadrant between
the tail and stub was occupied by matter streaming out of the nucleus.
On the 4th, Hendrie estimated the magnitude as 7.0. He noted that the
coma was 6 across, with a DC of 5. On the 5th, the magnitude was given
as 8.31 by Beyer and 9.0 by Pohl. Beyer said the coma was 7.0 across, the
nuclear magnitude was 12.31, and the tail extended 12 in PA 28. Pohl
noted a central condensation. On the 8th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.26.
He said the coma was 4.2 across, the nuclear magnitude was 11.99, and
8.138.24. He said the coma was 6.5 across, the nuclear magnitude was
12.0, and the fan-shaped tail extended 10 in PA 28 to 65. On the 10th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.927.95. He said the coma was 5.3 across,
the nuclear magnitude was 11.92, and the fan-shaped tail extended 10 in
in PA 49. On the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.95. He said the coma
in PA 46. On May 13, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.86. He said the coma
in PA 48.
On May 16, Beyer said the tail extended towards PA 45. On the 17th,
nuclear magnitude was 11.8, and the tail extended towards PA 35. On the
18th, the magnitude was given as 7.85 by Beyer and 8.4 by Alcock. Beyer
said the coma was 5.0 across, the nuclear magnitude was 12.0. Alcock said
the coma was 7 across, while the tail extended 0.13 in PA 40. On the
20th, Roemer photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph
and estimated the magnitude as 11. She said a 2-minute exposure showed
a hazy coma about 0.5 across with a sharp nucleus, while a 30-minute
exposure showed a very broad fan-shaped tail extending about 5 toward
the northeast. On the 21st, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.6. On
the 23rd, Beyer said the tail was weak and extended towards PA 30. On the
26th, Malsch gave the visual magnitude as 8.3, while Mitani estimated the
photographic magnitude as 8. Malsch described the comet as round and 3.2
across. Mitani noted a short, fan-shaped tail. On the 27th, Beyer gave the
was 11.8, and the fan-shaped tail extended 8 in PA 1860. On the 28th,
and the tail extended 10 in PA 44. On the 30th, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 8.2. He said the tail extended 40 in PA 85, while a short stub
extended 25 in PA 330. He noted that the quadrant between the tail and
426
catalog of comets
stub was occupied by matter streaming out of the nucleus. On May 31,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.62.
On June 2, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.84. Roemer said a 15-minute
exposure with the 91-cm Crossley reflector showed a round, sharply condensed coma 2 across, which exhibited a faint tail extending 30 toward the
east. On the 3rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.64. He said the coma was
4.9 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 11, and the tail extended 15 in
PA 39. On the 4th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 7.54, while Mitani
estimated the photographic magnitude as 8. Beyer said the coma was 3.5
PA 40. On the 7th, Beyer said the tail extended 6 in PA 47. On the 9th, the
magnitude was given as 7.14 by Beyer and 8.7 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said
the coma was about 4 across. On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.00
and said the coma was about 4 across. On the 21st, I. L. Thomsen (Carter
Observatory, Wellington, New Zealand) estimated the visual magnitude as
6.5, while the photographic magnitude was estimated as 7 by Mitani and
11 by Roemer. Thomsen said the coma was 3 across and exhibited a distinct stellar nucleus of magnitude 10. He suspected a broad tail extending
about 10 toward the east. Mitani noted a faint tail extending 15 in PA 100.
Roemer said a 90-second exposure showed a somewhat asymmetrical coma
with a quite strong central condensation. On the 22nd, A. F. A. L. Jones (New
Zealand) observed using a 32-cm reflector (7) and gave the magnitude as
8.9. He noted a coma 2.5 across, with a DC of 7. On the 23rd, Jones gave
the magnitude as 7.7, using a 5-cm refractor (7). He said the large reflector
revealed a coma 3 across, with a DC of 6. On the 26th, Jones gave the magnitude as 7.6. On June 28, Jones gave the magnitude as 7.5, while Roemer
estimated the photographic magnitude as 10. Jones said the large reflector
revealed a coma 2.5 across and a tail extending 0.03 toward 130. Roemer
said a 90-second exposure showed a coma 0.8 across containing a not quite
stellar nucleus.
On July 1, Jones gave the magnitude as 7.5, using a 5-cm refractor (7). He
said the large reflector revealed a coma 2 across, with a DC of 6, and a tail
extending 0.04 toward PA 120. On the 2nd, Jones gave the magnitude as 6.9.
He said the large reflector revealed a coma 2.5 across, with a DC of 7, and a
tail extending in PA 165. On the 3rd, Jones gave the magnitude as 6.7. On the
5th, Jones gave the magnitude as 6.6. On the 6th, Jones gave the magnitude
as 6.9, using an 8-cm refractor (30). The comet attained a minimum solar
elongation of 42 on July 8. That same night, Jones gave the magnitude as 6.9
and noted that the large reflector revealed a tail extending 0.1 in PA 130.
J. A. Bruwer (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) managed to
photograph the comet with the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera on July
19, 24, and 31. On the 23rd, Jones gave the magnitude as 6.4. He said the
large reflector revealed a coma 3 across and a tail extending 0.07 toward
427
catalog of comets
PA 125. On the 24th, Jones gave the magnitude as 6.5, using a 5-cm refractor
(7). He said the 8-cm refractor (30) revealed a tail extending 0.25 toward
110. On the 27th, Jones gave the magnitude as 6.2. He observed the comet
using the large reflector and noted a coma 3.5 across, with a DC of 7, and
a tail extending 0.42 toward 130. On July 29, Jones gave the magnitude
as 6.2.
On August 9, Jones gave the magnitude as 8.5, using an 8-cm refractor
(30). He said the 32-cm reflector (48) revealed a coma 4 across, with
a DC of 6. On the 18th, Jones gave the magnitude as 7.6, using a 5-cm
refractor (7). He observed using the 32-cm reflector (48) and said the
coma was 2.5 across, with a tail extending 0.08 in PA 100. On the 21st,
Jones gave the magnitude as 8.9, using an 8-cm refractor (30). He said
the large reflector revealed a tail extending 0.07 in PA 140. On the 25th,
Jones gave the magnitude as 7.9, using an 8-cm refractor (30). He noted a
tail extending 0.2 in PA 100. On the 29th, Jones gave the magitude as 7.8,
using an 8-cm refractor (30). He said the large reflector revealed a coma 3
across, with a DC of 6, and a tail extending toward PA 125. On August 30,
Jones gave the magnitude as 7.8, using a 5-cm refractor (7). He said the
large refractor revealed a coma 3 across, with a DC of 7, and a tail extending
0.07 in PA 135.
On September 1, Jones gave the magnitude as 7.6, using a 5-cm refractor
(7). On the 7th, Jones gave the magnitude as 9.9, using an 8-cm refractor
(30). He said the 32-cm reflector (86) revealed a DC of 4. On the 19th,
Jones gave the magnitiude as 10.2, using the large reflector. He noted a coma
2 across, with a DC of 3. On the 23rd, Jones gave the magnitude as 10.9,
using a 32-cm reflector (48). He noted a coma 1.5 across, with a DC of 4.
On September 24, Jones gave the magnitude as 10.4, using a 7-cm refractor
(18). He noted a coma 3 across. On October 1, Jones gave the magnitude
as 10.6, using the 32-cm reflector (48) and noted a coma 2 across, with a
DC of 3. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 63 on October
12. On the 15th, Jones gave the magnitude as 11.7, using a 20-cm reflector
(35). He noted a coma 2 across, with a DC of 1. The comet attained its
most southerly declination of 66 on October 22.
The comet was last seen on October 24.48, when Jones observed it using
a 20-cm reflector (35) and gave the magnitude as 11.8. He added that the
coma was 1 across, with a DC of 3. Roemer used the 91-cm Crossley reflector
to search for this comet in 1955, but a 43-minute exposure on July 20 and
a 70-minute exposure on July 21 failed to reveal anything cometary in the
expected position. She concluded the comet was fainter than magnitude 18.
F. D. Miller (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA) photographed the spectrum on April 24, and noted a continuum 15 wide,
with a typical emission spectrum superimposed which consisted of bands
of cyanogen, triatomic carbon, and diatomic carbon.
Miller obtained a 6-minute exposure on May 26, which revealed a welldefined, intense circular nuclear disk 15 in diameter, with but a trace of
428
catalog of comets
the inner coma. Microdensitometer tracings, reduced to intensity profiles,

show that the intensity increases sharply within 10 of the center of this disk,
reaching a maximum value at least triple that at 10 . The same nuclear disk
was said to have been visible on 30- and 46-minute exposures on May 24
and May 26, respectively. Miller also commented that the coincidence of the
width of the continuum observed on April 24 and the nuclear disk of May
suggested the two are related.
from October 16, 18, and 20. His parabolic orbit revealed a perihelion date
of 1954 July 19.7, but he noted the perihelion distance was still quite uncertain. Two days later, Kresak published an orbit with a perihelion date
of 1954 October 11.06. During early December, Cunningham published a
revised orbit that used positions obtained through October 27. The perihelion date was determined as July 9.02.
S. Kanda (1954) took eight positions spanning the period 1953 October
171954 June 22 and calculated a parabolic orbit with a perihelion date of
July 7.36. A. Catala and Font (1955) took positions from 1954 March 30,
April 25, and May 21, and determined the perihelion date as July 7.35.
Kanda (1955) took positions spanning the period 1953 October 201954 July
24 and determined the perihelion date as July 7.35. Catala (1961) took 54
positions spanning the period 1953 October 201954 June 28, reduced them
to 12 Normal places, and determined the perihelion date as July 7.36.
Z. Sekanina and B. G. Marsden (1978) took 82 positions spanning the
entire period of visibility and applied perturbations by all nine planets.
They calculated a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of July 7.35 and an
eccentricity of 1.0008227. The original orbit was elliptical with a period of
about 1.7 million years and the future orbit is hyperbolic with an eccentricity
of about 1.000936. This same paper also showed how including nongravitational effects improved the orbit. Using the same 82 positions, they determined the perihelion date as July 7.35 and the eccentricity as 1.0005640, as
well as nongravitational terms of A1 = +5.9, A2 = 0.3. This orbit is given
below.
T
1954 Jul. 7.3492 (TT)
(2000.0)
194.3828
3.0329
i
53.2289
q
e
0.970116 1.000564
18, May 17, Jun. 16, Jul. 16, Aug. 14, Sep. 12, Oct. 12
sources: G. O. Abell, HAC, No. 1226 (1953 Oct. 21); G. O. Abell, IAUC, No. 1424
(1953 Oct. 21); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1425 (1953 Nov. 4); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1227 (1953 Nov. 6); L. Kresak and M. Vozarova, IAUC, No. 1426
(1953 Nov. 6); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1430 (1953 Dec. 5); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1230 (1953 Dec. 8); H. Neckel, BAAC, No. 349 (1954 Feb. 16);
429
catalog of comets
R. L. Waterfield, BAAC, No. 351 (1954 Apr. 22); E. Pohl, NAZ, 8 (1954 May 20),
p. 17; I. L. Thomsen, IAUC, No. 1458 (1954 Jul. 5); T. Mitani, IAUC, No. 1461 (1954
Jul. 23); E. Roemer, AJ, 59 (1954 Sep.), pp. 3057; S. Kanda, IAUC, No. 1478 (1954
Oct. 20); [Cordoba] and M. Beyer, MNRAS, 115 (1955), p. 191; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 60 (1955 Mar.), pp. 60, 63; F. D. Miller, AJ, 60 (1955 Jun.), p. 173; W. Malsch,
AN, 282 (1955 Jul. 5), p. 239; A. Catala and Font, IAUC, No. 1511 (1955 Jul. 25); S.
Kanda, IAUC, No. 1513 (1955 Aug. 8); E. Roemer, AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.), pp. 4401;
J. A. Bruwer, UOC, 6 (1956 May), p. 258; E. Roemer, AJ, 61 (1956 Nov.), pp. 394;
M. Beyer, AN, 284 (1958 May 9), pp. 11619; A. Catala, IAUC, No. 1783 (1961
Dec. 6); S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851; Z. Sekanina and
B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68, 70; W. H. Steavenson, W. A. Clark,
G. E. D. Alcock, R. W. Panther, G. Merton, M. J. Hendrie, and A. F. A. L. Jones,
ICQ, 4 (1982 Jan.), pp. 268; A. F. A. L. Jones, ICQ, 6 (1984 Jan.), pp. 212.
C/1953 X1 Prediscovery: 1953 November 7.66 ( = 1.01 AU, r = 1.94 AU,

(Pajdusakov
a)
Elong. = 152)
Discovered: 1953 December 3.84 ( = 0.63 AU, r = 1.46 AU, Elong. = 127)
1954 II = 1953h Last seen: 1954 January 6.1 ( = 0.63 AU, r = 0.71 AU, Elong. = 46)
Calculated path: ERI (Pre), CET (Nov. 29), AQR (Dec. 23)
L. Pajdusakova (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) discovered this
comet on 1953 December 3.84, during a routine comet-hunting session with
25 100 binoculars. The position was given as = 2h 15.3m , = 16
20 . She estimated the magnitude as 11, and described the comet as diffuse, without a condensation, but with a tail less than 1 long. A. Paroubek
and R. Sasky (Skalnate Pleso Observatory) confirmed the discovery when
they obtained a 55-minute exposure on December 3.86. Prediscovery images
were found by K. Tomita (Tokyo Observatory, Japan) on minor planet patrol
plates exposed on November 7.66, November 7.67, and November 7.69.
The magnitude was estimated as 12. The comet was discovered about 2
weeks prior to its closest approach to Earth and less than 2 months prior to
perihelion.
On December 5, the photographic magnitude was given as 11 by G. van
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) and T. Mitani (Kwasan
Observatory, Kyoto, Japan). Van Biesbroeck said the 61-cm reflector revealed
a diffuse coma 20 across and a tail extending 10 in PA 45. Mitani said his
photograph revealed a coma 2 across and a tail extending 5 toward PA 50.
On the 7th, the photographic magnitude was given as 11 by L. Kresak and M.
Vozarova (Skalnate Pleso Observatory) and 12 by van Biesbroeck. On the 8th,
gave the magnitude as 11.5. He noted a nearly starlike nucleus surrounded
by a coma 15 across. He added that a tail extended 15 in PA 48. Mitani
also photographed the comet and noted a coma 3 across, with a tail over 10
long. On the 8th and 11th, S. Vasilevskis (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
photographed the comet using a 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and gave the
430
catalog of comets
magnitude as 14.5. He said a tail extended about 4 toward the northeast.

On the 10th, Kresak and Vozarova estimated the photographic magnitude
as 11. On the 11th, Mitani said a photograph revealed a central condensation
and a tail 11 long. On the 12th, Mitani gave the photographic magnitude as
11. On the 23rd, Vasilevskis photographed the comet using the astrograph
and gave the magnitude as 15. He detected only a trace of the tail extending
about 1 , but noted a pronounced central condensation. On the 25th, van
Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10.5. He said most of the
comets light was located in the tail which extended at least 20 in PA 70.
He estimated the nuclear magnitude as 12. The comet attained its most
southerly declination of 23 on December 27 and A. F. A. L. Jones (New
Zealand) observed using a 20-cm reflector (54) and gave the magnitude as
10.6. He noted a coma 2.5 across, with a degree of condensation (DC) of 4,
while a tail extended 0.2 in PA 85. On December 27, 28, and 29, M. Beyer
(Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) unsuccessfully searched for
this comet with a 10-cm comet seeker and concluded the comet must have
been fainter than magnitude 10.5. On December 29, van Biesbroeck obtained
a 5-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as
10.5. He noted a conspicuous tail which was narrow at the nucleus and
steadily broadened throughout its length of 30 toward PA 75. He estimated
the nuclear magnitude as 11.
As 1954 began it became immediately obvious that something had happened to this comet. On January 3, van Biesbroeck obtained a 5-minute
exposure with the 61-cm reflector, just as had been done on December 29,
but found no trace of the comet on the plate. On January 5, Beyer briefly
observed the comet low over the horizon with a 10-cm comet seeker. He gave
the magnitude as 10.5, and said the coma was round and uncondensed, with
a diameter of 10 .
The comet was last detected on January 6.1, when Vasilevskis obtained
a double exposure using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and found an
exceedingly weak nebulosity in the expected position of the comet. He
said the comet was about 7 across in and 2 across in , and showed no
condensation, thus making it impossible to measure a precise position.
Several unsuccessful visual and photographic searches were made following Vasilevskis last observation. Beyer could not find the comet during searches made on January 8.71 and January 9.71, and concluded the
brightness was fainter than magnitude 10.5. Van Biesbroeck photographed
the predicted position with the 61-cm reflector on January 8.0 and January
9.0 under transparent skies, but found no trace of the comet. H. M. Jeffers
obtained plates with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on January 9.1 and January 10.1, when the comet should have been at a low altitude, but detected
no trace. He concluded that the brightness must have been fainter than
magnitude 14.
L. E. Cunningham computed a parabolic orbit which was first published
on December 11. The perihelion distance was determined as 1954 January
431
catalog of comets
24.76 and the perihelion distance was 0.080 AU. Cunningham considered
the perihelion distance uncertain. Despite the uncertainty, the perihelion
date proved just over 2 hours later than the actual date, while the perihelion
distance was only 0.008 greater. Additional orbits were calculated by Kresak,
Cunningham, K. Hurukawa (1954), and J. Bobone (1954). Cunningham said
the comet would just miss transiting the sun on January 22.7, and that the
comet would remain within 15 of the sun until May.
Z. Sekanina and B. G. Marsden (1978) took 22 positions spanning the
period November 7December 29 and determined the perihelion date as
January 24.67. This orbit is given below.
T
1954 Jan. 24.6714 (TT)
94.0779
(2000.0)
115.2328
i
13.5729
q
0.072347
e
1.0

full moon: Oct. 22, Nov. 20, Dec. 20, Jan. 19
sources: L. Pajdusakova, IAUC, No. 1430 (1953 Dec. 5); L. Pajdusakova, HAC,
No. 1231 (1953 Dec. 9); A. Paroubek, R. Sasky, G. van Biesbroeck, and L. E.
Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1431 (1953 Dec. 11); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1233
(1953 Dec. 16); L. Kresak and M. Vozarova, IAUC, No. 1432 (1953 Dec. 16); L. E.
Cunningham, HAC, No. 1236 (1953 Dec. 30); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1434
(1953 Dec. 30); T. Mitani and K. Hurukawa, IAUC, No. 1435 (1954 Jan. 5); J.
Bobone, IAUC, No. 1448 (1954 May 4); S. Vasilevskis and H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 59
(1954 Sep.), pp. 3057; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 60 (1955 Mar.), pp. 60, 634; K.
Tomita, IAUC, No. 1544 (1956 Mar. 21); M. Beyer, AN, 284 (1958 May 9), pp. 119
20; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851; A. Paroubek and R.
Sasky, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 120; Z. Sekaninaa and B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 19
(1978), pp. 823; Z. Sekanina and B. G. Marsden, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 27, 52;
A. F. A. L. Jones, ICQ, 4 (1982 Jan.), pp. 268.
15P/Finlay Recovered: 1953 December 7.76 ( = 1.46 AU, r = 1.08 AU, Elong. = 48)
1953 VII = 1953i Closest to the Earth: 1954 January 8 (1.3856 AU)
Calculated path: CAP (Pre), AQR (Dec. 29), PSC (Jan. 20), ARI (Feb. 22), TAU
(Mar. 23)
This comet was missed at three consecutive apparitions: 1933, 1940, and
1947. For the first apparition, three astronomers provided predictions as to
when the comet would pass perihelion, with the date given as 1933 July 12
by S. Kanda, June 19.8 by P. J. Harris and M. G. Sumner, and June 15.3 by
A. C. D. Crommelin. Searches were conducted by observers in the Southern
Hemisphere during the spring of 1933, but no trace was found. Predicted
positions were also examined on several occasions by G. van Biesbroeck
(Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) during late summer of 1933, but nothing was found. For the 1940 apparition, Crommelin (1938) took the predicted
432
catalog of comets
elements of 1933 and applied perturbations. He predicted a perihelion date

of 1940 April 20.02. Crommelin said, The conditions for observations are
most unfavourable, the comet remaining near the Sun for several months
on each side of perihelion. It is considered useless to print an ephemeris,
but the elements are given to facilitate the computation of future returns.
For the 1947 apparition, C. Dinwoodie and Sumner (1945) took the orbit
predicted for the 1940 apparition by Crommelin, and applied perturbations
by Jupiter and Saturn up to 1947. They predicted the comet would next
arrive at perihelion on 1947 February 21.00. They said the comet would be
unfavorably situated for observation when near perihelion, but might be
recovered before that date. The comet was not recovered.
Believing that the predictions for the previous three apparitions were
reliable, R. Luss (1952) took the 1947 prediction of Dinwoodie and Sumner, applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn, and determined the likely
perihelion date as 1953 December 19.25. Luss said this prediction must be
considered uncertain.
The comet was recovered by J. Churms (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) on 1953 December 7.76, using the 25-cm Franklin
Adams Star Camera. He estimated the magnitude as 13.5 and gave the
position as = 20h 22.8m , = 21 40 . An additional photograph on
December 8.76 confirmed the recovery.
The comet attained its minimum solar elongation of 47 on December 10.
reflector and gave the magnitude as 10.5. He said the round coma was 1
across, centrally condensed, and exhibited a faint tail extending 3 in PA 70.
On 1954 January 5, S. Vasilevskis (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and gave the
magnitude as 12. He said the round coma was 0.8 across, and centrally condensed. On the 9th and 10th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using
the reflector and gave the magnitude as 11. He said the coma was diffuse
and 50 across. On the 13th, van Biesbroeck obtained a 1-minute exposure
using the 61-cm reflector and said the comet was difficult to see because
of moonlight. On January 22, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10.8. He said the round diffuse coma was 5 across and centrally
condensed. On February 20 and 21, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and
gave the magnitude as 14. He said the coma was well condensed and 2
across. The comet attained its maximum solar elongation of 55 on February 21. On March 2, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as
14.5. He said the coma was diffuse, while a tail was only faintly visible.
On March 4, E. Roemer (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet and
gave the magnitude as 17. She said the round coma was 0.3 across and
moderately condensed.
The comet was last detected on April 1.08, when van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory) found it on an 8-minute exposure obtained with the 61-cm
433
catalog of comets
reflector. He determined the position as = 3h 54.8m , = +22 15 .

Van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 16 and described the coma as
extremely diffuse.
Two orbits were calculated using positions from the 1953 apparition. G.
Merton (1954) took five positions spanning December 7, 22, and January 5,
as well as an assumed period of 6.81 years, and determined the perihelion
date as December 25.88. M. P. Candy (1959) used positions from 195354
and computed an orbit, which was then linked to the 1926 apparition after
applying perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. He determined the date of
perihelion as December 25.87.
B. G. Marsden (1968) took 27 positions from the 1953 and 1960 apparitions,
applied perturbations by all nine planets, and determined the perihelion
date as December 25.87 and the period as 6.81 years. He wrote that this
comet seems to have a secular deceleration.
Marsden (1972) took 34 positions from the 1953, 1960, and 1967 apparitions, applied perturbations by all nine planets, and applied nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion date of December 25.87 and a
period of 6.81 years. This orbit is given below. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and
D. K. Yeomans (1973) took positions spanning the period 192660 and gave
the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.49 and A2 = 0.0026.
T
1953 Dec. 25.8705 (TT)
(2000.0)
321.1485
46.0223
i
3.4444
q
e
1.048901 0.707949

full moon: Nov. 20, Dec. 20, 1954 Jan. 19, Feb. 17, Mar. 19, Apr. 18
sources: P. J. Harris and M. G. Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1933 (1932), p. 27;
A. C. D. Crommelin, JBAA, 43 (1933 Feb.), pp. 1568; S. Kanda and A. C. D.
Crommelin, The Observatory, 56 (1933 Jun.), p. 204; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 41
(1933 Aug.Sep.), p. 405; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 41 (1933 Oct.), p. 441; S. Kanda,
JJAG, 11 (1934), p. 28; MNRAS, 94 (1934 Feb.), p. 329; A. C. D. Crommelin, BAA
Handbook for 1939 (1938), p. 34; A. C. D. Crommelin, BAA Handbook for 1940 (1939),
p. 27; C. Dinwoodie and M. G. Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1946 (1945 Nov.), p. 41;
C. Dinwoodie and M. G. Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1947 (1946 Nov.), p. 36; R.
Luss, BAA Handbook for 1953 (1952 Nov.), p. 47; J. Churms, IAUC, No. 1432 (1953
Dec. 16); J. Churms, R. Luss, and G. Merton, MNRAS, 114 (1954), pp. 365, 367
9; G. Merton, IAUC, No. 1440 (1954 Feb. 16); S. Vasilevskis, AJ, 59 (1954 Sep.),
pp. 3057; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 60 (1955 Mar.), pp. 601, 64; E. Roemer, AJ, 60
(1955 Dec.), pp. 4401; M. P. Candy, BAA Handbook for 1960 (1959 Nov.), pp. 57
8; V1964, p. 79; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 372, 374; B. G. Marsden,
QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31617; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 13 (1972 Sep.), pp. 432
3; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), pp. 213,
215.
45P/1954 C1 Recovered: 1954 January 28.40 ( = 1.18 AU, r = 0.58 AU, Elong. = 29)
(HondaMrkos Last seen: 1954 April 1.09 ( = 0.69 AU, r = 1.16 AU, Elong. = 85)
434
catalog of comets
Pajdusakov
a)
Calculated path: AQR (Rec), PSC (Feb. 11), CET (Feb. 16), ERI (Mar. 6), CET
1954 III = 1954a TAU (Mar. 10), ERI (Mar. 12), ORI (Mar. 19), MON (Mar. 31)
W. H. Julian (1952) took L. E. Cunninghams orbit for the 1948 apparition,
applied perturbations from Jupiter and Saturn, and predicted the comet
would next arrive at perihelion on 1953 November 14.62. In his summary of
comet observations for 1953, G. Merton (1954) reported that searches were
made for this comet, but it was not found. During October 1953, Merton
announced in the IAU Circulars that a preliminary revision of the orbit
revealed that the period was several months longer than had been assumed,
so that the search ephemeris was useless.
The month of November 1953 was a busy one for astronomers. It began
with new predictions being provided by T. Higami (1953) and A. Schmitt
(1953). Higami based his calculations on positions spanning the period 1948
December 71949 January 9, which gave the perihelion date as 1954 January
10.69, while Schmitt gave a perihelion date of 1954 March 8. Around midmonth, J. M. Vinter Hansen noted that the orbital period for the 194849
appearance was largely dependent on two observations obtained around
the middle of the apparition: a Johannesburg position from December 23
and an Alger position from December 28. J. A. Bruwer (Union Observatory,
Johannesburg, South Africa) and L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria)
re-examined the very diffuse images and it was decided that the position
for December 28 was the more reliable. Merton immediately provided a
new prediction that gave the perihelion date as 1954 February 16. Later
in November, the orbit was determined again. Schmitt gave the perihelion
date as February 2.27, while Merton applied light perturbations by Jupiter
and Saturn and gave the perihelion date as February 6.2.
Although searches for this comet were unsuccessful durng December
1953 and early January 1954, indicating it was probably fainter than magnitude 14, the comet was finally recovered on 1954 January 28.40 by T. Mitani
(Kwasan Observatory, Kyoto, Japan). Mitani estimated the photographic
magnitude as 9 and gave the position as = 22h 32.2m , = 6 51 . He
obtained additional images on January 29.40 and January 31.41, and estimated the magnitude as 8.5. On every occasion, Mitani noted the comet was
diffuse, with a central condensation, but with no tail. G. van Biesbroeck and
N. D. Jehoulet (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) independently recovered this comet on a 4-minute exposure obtained with the 13-cm Ross lens
on 1954 February 4.08. The position was given as = 23h 09.3m , = 5
33 . They estimated the magnitude as 10, and described the comet as diffuse
with a condensation. Van Biesbroeck confirmed the recovery on February
5.08, by obtaining a 30-second exposure with the 208-cm reflector. The magnitude was given as 9.0, while the coma was described as 1 across with a
poorly defined central condensation. Van Biesbroeck added that a narrow
faint tail extended 12 in PA 75.
435
catalog of comets
On February 6, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the reflector

and estimated the magnitude as 9.5. On the 8th, E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie
astrograph and gave the magnitude as 9.2. She said the coma was about 1
across, with a fairly well-condensed nucleus. There was also a tail extending
about 5 in PA 70. On the 20th, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf,
Germany) observed using a 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 9.12,
while Roemer gave the photographic magnitude as 11.5. Beyer said the coma
was 5 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 11.98. On the 21st, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 9.30 (26-cm refractor). He said the coma was 5.2 across,
and the nuclear magnitude was 12.0. On the 22nd, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 10.8. He said there was a poorly defined central
condensation. On the 26th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.76 and noted the
coma was 4.4 across. On February 28, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.91.
11.5. On the 6th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 10.76, while van
using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 12. Beyer said the
coma was 3.9 across. Van Biesbroeck said the coma was very diffuse and
round. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.21. On the 10th and 11th,
Beyer unsuccessfully searched for this comet using the 26-cm refractor and
concluded the brightness was fainter than 10.0. On the 21st, van Biesbroeck
estimated the photographic magnitude as 14.5. He said the coma was 2
across, with very little central condensation. He added that there was a
vague indication of a tail toward PA 70. On the 22nd, Beyer unsuccessfully
searched for this comet with the refractor and concluded the brightness
was fainter than 12.0. On the 23rd and 27th, Beyer unsuccessfully searched
for this comet and concluded the brightness was fainter than 12.5. On the
the coma was 1.5 across and better condensed than on previous days. On
March 31, Roemer estimated the photographic magnitude as 17. She said
the round diffuse coma was 0.4 across and contained a weak nucleus.
The comet was last detected on April 1.09, when van Biesbroeck found
it on an 8-minute exposure obtained with the 61-cm reflector. He gave the
position as = 6h 19.3m , = +1 17 . Van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 16, and described the coma as extremely diffuse. Van Biesbroeck
photographed the region containing the comet with the 61-cm reflector on
April 23, but no trace was found, and he concluded the magnitude was
fainter than 18.
1968, 1969, 1971, 1978). He applied planetary perturbations and, for the
calculations made in 1969 and later, nongravitational terms. The result was
a perihelion date of February 5.11 and a period of 5.21 years. Marsden
(1968) noted, This comet has the largest secular variation known . . .. The
nongravitational terms were given as A1 = 0.0084575 and A2 = 0.0064467
436
catalog of comets
by Marsden (1969), A1 = +0.0202, A2 = 0.006258, and B2 = 0.4252 by

Marsden (1971), and A1 = +0.14, A2 = 0.0420 by Marsden (1978). The
orbit of Marsden (1978) is given below.
T
1954 Feb. 5.1055 (TT)
(2000.0)
184.1106 233.8089
i
13.1920
q
e
0.555636 0.815093
absolute magnitude: H0 = 12.78, n = 6.06 (Beyer, 1958); H10 = 11.6

(Vsekhsvyatskij, 1963)
full moon: Jan. 19, Feb. 17, Mar. 19, Apr. 18
sources: W. H. Julian, BAA Handbook for 1953 (1952 Nov.), p. 46; G. Merton,
IAUC, No. 1424 (1953 Oct. 21); G. Merton, T. Higami, and A. Schmitt, IAUC, No.
1425 (1953 Nov. 4); J. M. Vinter Hansen, G. Merton, J. A. Bruwer, and L. Boyer,
IAUC, No. 1427 (1953 Nov. 13); A. Schmitt, G. Merton, and W. H. Julian, IAUC,
No. 1428 (1953 Nov. 20); BAAC, No. 348 (1954 Jan. 21); G. van Biesbroeck and
N. D. Jehoulet, HAC, No. 1239 (1954 Feb. 11); T. Mitani, IAUC, No. 1438 (1954
Feb. 11); G. van Biesbroeck and N. D. Jehoulet, IAUC, No. 1439 (1954 Feb. 13); T.
Mitani, BAAC, No. 349 (1954 Feb. 16); G. Merton, IAUC, No. 1442 (1954 Mar. 8);
G. van Biesbroeck and N. D. Jehoulet, AJ, 60 (1955 Mar.), pp. 61, 64; E. Roemer,
AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.), pp. 4402; M. Beyer, AN, 284 (1958 May 9), pp. 1201; B. G.
Marsden, MNRAS, 119 (1959), pp. 4423; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 May
Jun.), p. 851; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 3723, 375; B. G. Marsden, AJ,
74 (1969 Jun.), pp. 725, 728; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 76 (1971 Dec.), pp. 11356; B. G.
Marsden, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88.
19P/Borrelly Recovered: 1954 February 8.50 ( = 2.17 AU, r = 2.76 AU, Elong. = 117)
1953 IV = 1954b Closest to the Earth: 1954 February 23 (2.1545 AU)
Calculated path: CVn (Rec) [Did not leave this constellation]
This comet passed only 0.55 AU from Jupiter on 1936 March 25, which
increased the perihelion distance from 1.38 to 1.44 AU and the orbital period
from 6.87 to 6.98 years. It was then missed at its predicted apparitions of
1939 and 1946. For the former year, A. C. D. Crommelin (1938) took the orbit
determined for the 1932 apparition and applied perturbations by Jupiter
and Saturn up to 1939. The result was a perihelion date of 1939 June 29.89.
Crommelin added, The conditions for observations are unfavourable; the
comet is nearly behind the Sun at perihelion, but observations may be possible some months before and after this date. For the latter apparition, F. R.
Cripps (1945) took the orbit for the 1932 apparition and applied perturbations up to 1946. The result was a perihelion date of 1946 June 12.09. Cripps
commented that the comet is badly placed and is not likely to be seen.
For this last apparition, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
obtained exposures of 40 minutes or more on the predicted positions of
the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on 1946 October 5 and 25, but
nothing was found.
437
catalog of comets
W. H. F. Calway (1952) took Cripps predicted orbit for the 1946 apparition, applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn, and predicted the comet
would next arrive at perihelion on 1953 June 14.91. At about the same time,
M. G. Sumner (1952) used the variation-of-elements method to predict the
comet would return to perihelion on June 14.19. Some uncertainty was
expected in the predictions since the comet had not been observed since
1932. The comet was expected to be too close to the sun for observation
during the spring and summer of 1953. S. Kanda took an orbit from the
1946 apparition and predicted a perihelion date of June 11.92.
E. Roemer (Lick Observatory) recovered this comet on 1954 February 8.50,
at a position of = 13h 57.2m , = +32 06 . She estimated the magnitude
as 18.5, and described the comet as a rather sharp coma and nucleus,
with a tail extending 0.5 toward the northwest. A better photographic plate
was exposed on February 10.43, which confirmed the recovery. Roemer
estimated the magnitude as 18.5, and said the comet possessed a rather
sharp coma and nucleus, and a distinct tail extending 0.5 towards the
northwest.
On February 26 and March 2, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory,
the magnitude as 19. He described the coma as round and very diffuse.
The comet was last detected on March 4.29 and March 4.40, when Roemer and Jeffers each found it on 2-hour exposures obtained with the 91-cm
Crossley reflector. Roemer measured the position of the object on Jeffers
plate as = 13h 47.0m , = +36 04 . Both observers estimated the magnitude as 19 and described the comet as a slightly diffuse object.
were published by L. M. Belous (1972) and D. K. Yeomans (1972, 1978). These
revealed a perihelion date of June 9.5 and a period of 7.01 years. The orbit
of Yeomans (1978) is given below. The nongravitational terms were given
as A1 = +1.0876 and A2 = 0.026022 by Yeomans (1972) and A1 = +0.1
and A2 = 0.041 by B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and Yeomans (1973).
T
1953 Jun. 9.4930 (TT)
(2000.0)
350.9697
76.8641
i
31.0909
q
e
1.450058 0.604070

full moon: Jan. 19, Feb. 17, Mar. 19
sources: A. C. D. Crommelin, BAA Handbook for 1939 (1938), p. 29; F. R. Cripps,
BAA Handbook for 1946 (1945 Nov.), p. 36; F. R. Cripps, IAUC, No. 1026 (1946 Jan.
24); H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1947), p. 183; W. H. F. Calway and M. Sumner, BAA
Handbook for 1953 (1952 Nov.), p. 40; E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1239 (1954 Feb. 11);
E. Roemer, IAUC, No. 1439 (1954 Feb. 13); E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1241 (1954 Feb.
25); S. Kanda, HAC, No. 1242 (1954 Mar. 8); M. Sumner, IAUC, No. 1442 (1954
Mar. 8); E. Roemer, AJ, 59 (1954 Sep.), pp. 3057; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 60 (1955
Mar.), pp. 61, 64; E. Roemer and H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.), pp. 440, 442;
438
catalog of comets
V1964, p. 79; D. K. Yeomans and L. M. Belous, IAUS, No. 45 (1972), pp. 188, 193;
D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88.
X/1954 C2 During July 1979, R. Weinberger and G. Auner (University Observatory and
Astronomical Institute of Innsbruck, Austria) found images of a comet on
both E and O exposures of plate number 979 obtained during the National
Geographic SocietyPalomar Sky Survey. The O exposure was begun on
1954 February 11.45 and was 12 minutes long and showed the comet at
= 12h 27.9m , = 25 24 . The E exposure was 40 minutes long and
ended on February 11.49. Weinberger estimated the magnitude as 19.51,
and said the comet was somewhat diffuse, without a condensation, but with
a very faint tail extending about 1 in about PA 110. The coma was estimated
as 7 across.
sources: R. Weinberger and G. Auner, IAUC, No. 3381 (1979 Jul. 23).
183P/KorlevicJuric Discovered: 1954 February 26.17 ( = 2.75 AU, r = 3.41 AU, Elong. = 124)
Calculated path: LYN (Disc) [Did not leave this constellation]
On 2006 December 23, R. Stoss (Darmstadt, Germany) found images of this
comet on two Palomar Observatory Sky Survey images of 1954 February 26,
while searching for precovery images of the then recovered periodic comet
P/1999 DN3 (KorlevicJuric). Its position in the first image was given as
= 7h 17.1m and = +43 15 . M. Meyer (2007) examined the images and
estimated the comets magnitude as 1718. The comet, which had come closest to Earth 1 month earlier, appeared condensed but slightly more diffuse
than surrounding stars.
S. Nakano (2007) took 54 positions spanning the apparitions of 1955, 1989,
1998, and 2008, and applied perturbations by the planets Mercury to Neptune, as well as the minor planets, Ceres, Pallas, and Vesta. The result was
a perihelion date of 1955 January 31.25 and a period of 8.12 years.
T
1955 Jan. 31.2546 (TT)
(2000.0)
171.0241
13.4381
i
17.2422
q
e
2.987455 0.260600
absolute magnitude: H10 = 9.510.5 (Kronk)

full moon: Feb. 17
sources: R. Stoss, personal communication to M. Meyer (2006 Dec. 24),
S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 1411 (2007 Jan. 11); personal correspondence from
M. Meyer (2007).
(Harrington) Last seen: 1954 August 31.21 ( = 3.76 AU, r = 3.29 AU, Elong. = 55)
1954 I = 1954c Calculated path: CrB (Disc), BOO (Jun. 27)
439
catalog of comets
R. G. Harrington (Palomar Observatory, California, USA) discovered this

comet on a plate taken on 1954 June 24.22, with the 122-cm Schmidt camera
was located at = 15h 23.7m , = +32 24 , and was said to be moving with
a daily motion of 1m 43s in and 0 in . He estimated the magnitude as
19, and described the comet as diffuse, without a condensation, and with a
short tail.
Using photographs obtained at Palomar Observatory on June 25, 26, and
28, A. G. Mowbray (Lick Observatory, California, USA) measured precise
positions and estimated the photographic magnitude as not brighter than
magnitude 18. On July 28 and 31, E. Roemer (Lick Observatory) estimated
the photographic magnitude as 18.5. Roemer said the comet was not quite
stellar. On August 25, Roemer estimated the photographic magnitude as
19. She said the comet was diffuse and 0.2 across.
The comet was last detected on August 31.21, when Roemer photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. She gave the position as
= 14h 19.8m , = +24 19 . Roemer estimated the magnitude as 19, and
described the comet as diffuse and 0.2 across.
The first orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham using the Palomar
observations obtained on June 25, 26, and 28. It was first published on July
30 and the perihelion date was given as 1954 January 18.87. This orbit represented the comets motion very well during the remainder of its visibility.
B. G. Marsden (1960) took nine positions spanning the period June 25
August 31, reduced them to three Normal places, and applied perturbations
by Jupiter and Saturn. The result was a parabolic orbit with a perihelion date
of January 18.10. This orbit is given below. Marsden noted, A slightly elliptical orbit . . . is possibly indicated, but because of the paucity of observations
is not considered reliable. The elliptical orbit indicated a period of about
33 thousand years.
T
1954 Jan. 18.0997 (TT)
1.4178
(2000.0)
i
q
292.7314 136.6445 2.060608
e
1.0

full moon: Jun. 16, Jul. 16, Aug. 14, Sep. 12
sources: R. G. Harrington, IAUC, No. 1456 (1954 Jun. 26); R. G. Harrington,
HAC, No. 1251 (1954 Jun. 29); R. G. Harrington, BAAC, No. 354 (1954 Jul. 9);
L. E. Cunningham and A. G. Mowbray, HAC, No. 1261 (1954 Jul. 30); L. E. Cunningham and A. G. Mowbray, IAUC, No. 1464 (1954 Aug. 3); L. E. Cunningham,
BAAC, No. 356 (1954 Aug. 10); E. Roemer, AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.), pp. 440, 442; B. G.
Marsden, QJRAS, 1 (1960 Dec.), pp. 2323; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963
MayJun.), p. 851.
(Kresak
440
catalog of comets
Peltier) Closest to the Earth: 1954 June 29 (0.6028 AU)

Calculated path: BOO (Disc), VIR (Jun. 30), CRV (Jul. 17), CRT (Jul. 26), HYA
1954 XII = 1954d (Aug. 9), ANT (Aug. 26), PYX (Sep. 20), HYA (Sep. 24), PYX (Sep. 30), HYA
(Oct. 11), PYX (Oct. 16), HYA (Oct. 17), PUP (Oct. 21)
L. Kresak (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) discovered this comet on
1954 June 26.93, at a position of = 14h 44.3m , = +12 11 . He estimated
the magnitude as 10, and described the comet as diffuse, without a condensation. The daily motion was given as 5m in and 1 in . L. C. Peltier
(Delphos, Ohio) independently discovered this comet on June 29, at a position of = 14h 18m , = +10. He estimated the magnitude as 9 and said
the comet was moving towards the south-southwest. M. Beyer (Hamburg
Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) offered the first confirmation of Kresaks
find when he observed the comet on June 29.99. He observed using a 26-cm
refractor and gave the magnitude as 8.44. He also gave the coma diameter as
5.7 and estimated the nuclear magnitude as 13.0. W. W. Shane (Lick Observatory, California, USA) was the first to confirm Peltiers discovery on June
30.23. He photographed the comet with the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and
estimated the magnitude as 10. Shane remarked, The comet was seen in
the 91-cm refractor, but it was so diffuse as to be more easily visible in the
[10-cm] finder than in the large telescope.
On June 30, Kresak and M. Vozarova (Skalnate Pleso Observatory) estimated the photographic magnitude as 10. They described the comet as diffuse, with a condensation. Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.28. He gave the
coma diameter as 6.3 and estimated the nuclear magnitude as 13.0.
On July 1, Beyer observed using the refractor and gave the magnitude
as 8.72. He estimated the coma diameter as 6 . On the 3rd and 4th, R. L.
Waterfield (Ascot, England) said the comet was just visible in a 5-cm finder
and estimated the magnitude as 9.0. He said a photograph revealed a large,
round, very diffuse coma, about 16 across, with only a slight central condensation. On the 4th, Beyer estimated the coma diameter as 6 . On the 5th, Beyer
gave the visual magnitude as 8.80, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory,
Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 9.5, and E. Roemer (Lick Observatory) estimated
the photographic magnitude as 10. Beyer estimated the coma diameter as
6 . Van Biesbroeck said the round coma was 10 across and centrally condensed into a well-defined nucleus. Roemer said a 5-minute exposure with
the 91-cm Crossley reflector showed a round coma 0.8 across, with some
condensation. On the 6th, van Biesbroeck gave the visual magnitude as 9.3,
while T. Mitani (Kwasan Observatory, Kyoto, Japan) estimated the photographic magnitude as 9. Van Biesbroeck said the nucleus was more diffuse
than on July 5, with a short jet extending toward PA 100. Beyer said the
coma was 5 across, while the nuclear magnitude was about 12.5. On the 8th,
Beyer said the coma was 5 across. On the 12th, Roemer photographed the
comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and estimated the magnitude
441
catalog of comets
as 10. She said the coma was 0.6 across and contained no condensation.
On the 19th, van Biesbroeck obtained a 2-minute exposure with the 61-cm
reflector and described the comet as an extremely diffuse spot because of
moonlight and low altitude. On the 22nd and 27th, M. Itzigsohn (Eva Peron,
Argentina) estimated the photographic magnitude as 8.08.5. On the 24th,

Rigamonti (Eva Peron)
estimated the photographic magnitude as 8.08.5.
On July 31, J. A. Bruwer (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa)
photographed the comet and described it as diffuse and very difficult to
detect.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 28 on August 29.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 37 on September 3. On
October 9, Roemer photographed the comet using the 91-cm reflector and
estimated the magnitude as 13. She said a 5-minute exposure showed a
round coma about 1 across, with a not very well condensed nucleus.
The comet was last detected on October 24.15, when Kresak and M.
Vozarova found it on a 40-minute exposure obtained with the 60-cm reflector. They gave the position as = 8h 19.4m , = 14 35 , but noted the
image was extremely faint and extremely diffuse. They also said the
identity with the comet was uncertain. Kresak could not find the comet on
October 29. An unsuccessful search was made at the Royal Observatory
(Greenwich, England) on October 30. Using the 91-cm Crossley reflector,
Roemer photographed the comets predicted position on November 25 (10minute exposure), November 29 (30-minute exposure), and 1955 January 15
(70-minute exposure), but no trace was found. Beyer looked for the comet
using the 26-cm refractor on November 28, but found no trace and suggested
the magnitude was fainter than 13.0.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by Kresak using the early positions
obtained at Skalnate Pleso Observatory. He gave the perihelion date as 1954
August 30.06. L. E. Cunningham followed about a couple of days later with
a very similar orbit giving a perihelion date of August 29.51. During the
second half of July, orbits were independently calculated by Cunningham
and G. Merton using three positions spanning the period June 30July 12.
They both gave the perihelion date as August 29.67.
A definitive orbit was calculated by M. A. Mamedov (1967). He took 24
positions spanning the period June 30October 24, reduced them to seven
Normal places, and applied perturbations by five planets. The result was a
hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of August 29.67 and an eccentricity
of 1.0001795. This orbit is given below.
T
1954 Aug. 29.6658 (TT)
(2000.0)
254.7270
75.5681
i
88.5406
q
e
0.746378 1.000180

full moon: Jun. 16, Jul. 16, Aug. 14, Sep. 12, Oct. 12, Nov. 10
442
catalog of comets
sources: L. Kresak and L. C. Peltier, IAUC, No. 1457 (1954 Jun. 30); L. Kresak
and L. C. Peltier, HAC, No. 1252 (1954 Jul. 1); L. Kresak, L. C. Peltier, and M.
Vozarova, BAAC, No. 353 (1954 Jul. 5); L. Kresak and M. Vozarova, IAUC, No.
1458 (1954 Jul. 5); L. Kresak, M. Vozarova, and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1253
(1954 Jul. 8); L. Kresak and R. L. Waterfield, BAAC, No. 354 (1954 Jul. 9); L. E.
Cunningham and J. M. Vinter Hansen, HAC, No. 1254 (1954 Jul. 9); L. Kresak
and L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1460 (1954 Jul. 9); W. W. Shane and E. Roemer,
HAC, No. 1255 (1954 Jul. 19); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1258 (1954 Jul. 23);
T. Mitani, IAUC, No. 1461 (1954 Jul. 23); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1462
(1954 Jul. 28); L. E. Cunningham and G. Merton, BAAC, No. 355 (1954 Jul. 30);
L. Kresak, HAC, No. 1260 (1954 Jul. 30); M. Itzigsohn and Rigamonti, HAC, No.
1265 (1954 Aug. 9); J. A. Bruwer, IAUC, No. 1480 (1954 Nov. 16); L. Kresak and M.
Vozarova, IAUC, No. 1482 (1954 Dec. 6); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 60 (1955 Mar.),
pp. 61, 64; W. W. Shane and E. Roemer, AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.), pp. 440, 442; M. Beyer,
AN, 284 (1958 May 9), p. 121; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851;
L. Kresak and M. Vozarova, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 120; M. A. Mamedov, Akademiia
Nauk Azerbaidzhanskoi SSR Izvestiia Seriia Fiziko Tekhnicheskikh i Matematicheskikh
Nauk, No. 5 (1967), pp. 8790.
4P/Faye Prerecovery: 1954 July 1.39 ( = 1.99 AU, r = 2.76 AU, Elong. = 131)
Recovered: 1954 July 25.29 ( = 1.68 AU, r = 2.62 AU, Elong. = 152)
1955 II = 1954e Last seen: 1956 March 16.45 ( = 2.55 AU, r = 3.52 AU, Elong. = 162)
Calculated path: AQR (Pre), PSC (1955 Jan. 8), CET (Feb. 7), PSC (Feb. 11),
CET (Mar. 16), ARI (Mar. 23), TAU (Apr. 12), ORI (Jun. 4), GEM (Jun. 17),
CNC (Jul. 25), LEO (Sep. 7), HYA (Sep. 15), SEX (Sep. 19), LEO (Nov. 12),
SEX (1956 Feb. 27)
W. E. Beart (1953) began with Cunninghams orbit for the 1947 apparition
and determined the perturbations for the period 19471954. He predicted
the comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1955 March 3.582.
July 25.29. He gave the position as = 21h 27.8m , = +1 33 . He estimated the magnitude as 17, and described the comet as slightly elongated
and almost stellar. He confirmed the recovery with another 16-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector on July 26.22. The precise positions indicated
the prediction by Beart needed to be corrected by only +1.05 days. E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) later announced finding prerecovery images on plates exposed with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on July
1.39 and July 1.45. For the first date she gave the position as = 21h
36.3m , = +0 49 . Roemer estimated the magnitude as 17.8 and said a
nearly stellar coma exhibited a faint tail extending 0.8 in PA 260. At the
time of the recovery, the comet was approaching both the sun and Earth.
The comet had attained a declination of +2 on July 23, and then turned
southward.
443
catalog of comets
Interestingly, an astronomer at Konigstuhl
Observatory (Heidelberg, Germany) spotted a minor planet on a survey plate exposed on August 3.02.
The magnitude was given as 14.3 and it received the designation 1954 PC.
S. Nakano (1984) identified this minor planet as 4P/Faye.
The comet remained a relatively faint object throughout this apparition.
It attained a maximum solar elongation of 164 on August 14. On August
25, Roemer photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and
gave the magnitude as 16. She said the coma was well condensed and 0.2
across. On October 3, 4, and 5, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory,
the magnitude as 15. He said the well-condensed coma was 12 across and
fanned out into a broad short tail in PA 80. On October 23, 24, and 26,
van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 14.5. He said the coma
was 20 across and exhibited a broad tail extending 1 in PA 70. The comet
attained its most southerly declination of 8 on November 15. On November 29, Roemer gave the photographic magnitude as 15. She said the coma
was well condensed and 0.2 across. On December 24, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
the magnitude as 14. He said the coma was diffuse and exhibited a fuzzy
The comet was still approaching perihelion as 1955 began, but since this
occurred on the opposite side of the sun from Earth, the comet remained
a faint object. On January 13, Roemer photographed the comet using the
51-cm Carnegie astrograph and gave the magnitude as 14.5. She said the
coma was about 0.5 across and was poorly condensed toward the center.
On January 24, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 15. He
said the coma was very diffuse and exhibited a fuzzy tail extending 40
in PA 35. On March 13, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet when
it was at a low altitude and gave the magnitude as 15. He said the coma
was diffuse and exhibited a very faint tail extending toward PA 30. The
comet attained its most northerly declination of +17 on June 1 and then
attained a minimum solar elongation of 7 on July 14. On October 25 and 28,
H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet using the 91-cm
Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18.5. He said the comet
was small and slightly diffuse.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 6 on 1956 January
15 and then attained a maximum solar elongation of 170 on March 4.
The comet was last detected on 1956 March 16.45, when Jeffers photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. C. B. Stephenson gave the
position as = 10h 35.7m , = 1 31 . Jeffers said the comet appeared as a
faint starlike image of magnitude 19.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by F. B. Khanina (1961),
Khanina and O. N. Barteneva (1962), B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1971),
and S. Nakano (1983). The calculations of Khanina and Barteneva included
perturbations by Mercury to Uranus. Marsden and Sekaninas calculations
444
catalog of comets
considered both gravitational and nongravitational effects. The perihelion date was given as March 4.664.67 and the period as 7.417.42 years.
Marsden and Sekanina gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.262
and A2 = 0.00040, while Nakano gave them as A1 = +0.1307 and A2 =
0.003065. The orbit of Nakano is given below.
T
1955 Mar. 4.6586 (TT)
(2000.0)
200.5595 207.0288
i
10.5489
q
e
1.651852 0.565383

8, Feb. 7, Mar. 8, Apr. 7, May 6, Jun. 5, Jul. 5, Aug. 3, Sep. 2, Oct. 1, Oct. 31, Nov.
29, Dec. 29, 1956 Jan. 27, Feb. 26, Mar. 26
sources: W. E. Beart, BAA Handbook for 1954 (1953 Nov.), pp. 501; G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 1462 (1954 Jul. 28); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1259 (1954
Jul. 29); G. van Biesbroeck, BAAC, No. 355 (1954 Jul. 30); L. E. Cunningham,
HAC, No. 1286 (1955 Feb. 11); E. Roemer, AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.), pp. 4402; H. M.
Jeffers, AJ, 61 (1956 Nov.), pp. 3812; H. M. Jeffers and G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62
(1957 Aug.), pp. 1856, 191, 194; F. B. Khanina, QJRAS, 1 (1960 Dec.), pp. 2323;
F. B. Khanina, QJRAS, 2 (1961 Oct.), pp. 1579; F. B. Khanina and O. N. Barteneva,
QJRAS, 3 (1962 Sep.), pp. 1735; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.),
p. 851; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 76 (1971 Dec.), pp. 11367; S. Nakano,
Nakano Note, No. 426 (1983 May 25); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 448 (1984 Mar.
25).
(Vozarov
a)
1954 VIII = 1954f Calculated path: CAM (Disc), UMi (Aug. 28), DRA (Sep. 7), LYR (Oct. 14),
CYG (Oct. 20), LYR (Oct. 21), CYG (Nov. 1), VUL (Nov. 27)
M. Vozarova (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) discovered this comet
during a routine search for comets on 1954 July 28.90, at a position of = 6h
56.0m , = +65 52 . She estimated the magnitude as 9, and described the
comet as diffuse, with a nucleus and a tail less than 1 long. The daily motion
was given as +1m in and +25 in . Vozarova and L. Kresak obtained a
precise position on July 28.92, and estimated the magnitude as 9. The comet
was found nearly 2 months after passing perihelion and nearly 3 months
after passing closest to Earth.
On July 30, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as
10. He said a 30-second exposure showed a faint coma 3 across and a slender
On August 1, T. Mitani (Kwasan Observatory, Yamashina, Kyoto, Japan)
gave the magnitude as 9.5. On the 1st and 2nd, Kresak and Vozarova
obtained a 60-minute exposure which showed a narrow rectilinear tail
445
catalog of comets
extending about 10 toward the sun. They noted only a faint prolongation
away from the sun. On the 2nd, the visual magnitude was given as 10 by M.
Honda (Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan), while the photographic magnitude
was given as 9.4 by van Biesbroeck. Van Biesbroecks estimate came from a
30-second exposure using the 61-cm reflector. On the 3rd, W. Malsch (Karlsruhe, Germany) could barely detect the comet with an 8-cm refractor and
gave the magnitude as fainter than 10. Van Biesbroeck obtained a 30-second
exposure using the reflector and gave the magnitude as 9.4. He noted a
centrally condensed coma 6 across and a tail extending 16 in PA 163. On
the 4th, H. Mielke (Berlin, Germany) gave the magnitude as 9.3. On the
4th and 5th, Mitani gave the magnitude as 9.8. On the 6th, W. H. Steavenson (Cambridge, England) observed using the 76-cm reflector (140) and
estimated the magnitude as 8.5. He noted a round coma 3.5 across that
was strongly condensed towards a point a little following the centre of the
coma. R. L. Waterfield (Ascot, England) obtained a 40-minute exposure of
the comet using a 15-cm refractor and noted a coma 3 across and a faint
tail extending 10 in PA 167, which was toward the sun. On the 7th, Waterfield obtained a 60-minute exposure which revealed a robust solitary tail
extending about 20 toward the sun. On the 7th and 9th, van Biesbroeck gave
the photographic magnitude as 9.5. He said a 1-minute exposure showed a
well-defined nucleus. Mitani gave the visual magnitude as 10.0 on the 8th,
9.9 on the 9th, 9.7 on the 10th, and 10.1 on the 11th. On the 20th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10. On the 21st and 23rd, Mitani
gave the magnitude as 11. On the 25th, the visual magnitude was given as
10.02 by M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany), while the
photographic magnitude was given as 10.5 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said
the coma was 4.6 across, and the nuclear magnitude was about 13.7. The
comet attained its most northerly declination of +86 on August 26. On
the same date, the visual magnitude was given as 9.95 by Beyer and 11.5 by
Steavenson. Beyer said the coma was 3.9 across, and the nuclear magnitude
was about 13.6. Steavenson indicated a degree of condensation (DC) of 3.
On the 27th, Beyer observed using the 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 10.10. He said the coma was 4.6 across, and the nuclear magnitude
was about 13.9. On August 29, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 11. He said a 3-minute exposure showed a round coma 4
across and a well-defined nucleus.
was 4.5 across, and the nuclear magnitude was about 14.0. On the 3rd,
Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as 12. On the 4th, Steavenson
estimated the magnitude as 12, using a 10-cm refractor (40). On August
11 and 26, Steavenson reported the brightness faded by as much as one
magniude in an hour, even though seeing conditions were improving. On
the 17th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.28 and said the coma was 4.4
across. On the 19th, Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.5.
446
catalog of comets
2.3 across, while Steavenson estimated the magnitude as 12 and said the
coma was 2 across. Van Biesbroeck said a 5-minute exposure with the 61cm reflector showed a coma 3 across and a broad fan-shaped tail extending
toward PA 75. On the 21st, Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as
13.5. On the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.30 and said the coma was
3.1 across. On the 26th, Waterfield said a photograph no longer revealed a
tail, but he noted the central condensation was excentrically placed, southfollowing the centre of the coma, and appeared shaped like a comma. On
across. On the 29th, Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as 14.
On September 30, E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) estimated
the photographic magnitude as 16. She said the coma was round, with a
diameter of 0.2 , while a faint fan-shaped tail extended 0.7 in PA 60.
On October 3, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the
an 8-minute exposure showed a coma 1 across which spread out toward PA
90. Beyer unsuccessfully searched for this comet with the 26-cm refractor
and concluded the brightness must have been fainter than 12.8. On the 4th
and 5th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 14. He
said a 5-minute exposure showed a well-defined nucleus and a broad tail in
PA 95. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 95 on October
5. On the 23rd, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as
15.5. He said a 5-minute exposure showed a diffuse nucleus and a trace
of tail extending 40 in PA 95. On the 24th, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 16. On the 26th, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 15.5. On October 27, van Biesbroeck estimated
the photographic magnitude as 16.5 and said a 12-minute exposure showed
a trace of tail in PA 95.
The comet was last detected on December 18.18, when H. M. Jeffers photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector at Lick Observatory. Roemer
gave the position as = 20h 21.1m , = +25 08 . Jeffers described it as a
nearly stellar coma of magnitude 18.5.
I. Hasegawa (1966) computed magnitude parameters which indicated
the comet changed its rate of fading as it moved away from the sun. He
said that 23 observations obtained between July 28 and September 3 indicated H0 = 6.3 0.31 and n = 6.20 1.77, while 10 observations obtained
between September 19 and December 18, indicated H0 = 6.0 0.75 and
n = 7.87 1.95.
The first orbit was calculated by Kresak and published on August 7. He
gave the perihelion date was determined as 1954 June 1.91. This was an
excellent representation of the comets motion as shown by later orbits published by I. Hasegawa on September 24 and by Kresak on October 13.
Definitive orbits have been calculated by Hasegawa (1966) and Z. Sekanina (1978), using positions spanning the period July 28December 18. Both
astronomers provided hyperbolic orbits with a perihelion date of June 1.94.
447
catalog of comets
Hasegawa used nearly 60 positions and determined the eccentricity as

1.0000686, while Sekanina used 39 positions and gave the eccentricity as
1.0002856. Sekaninas orbit is given below. Sekanina also determined the
original and future orbits. He found the original orbit was elliptical with a
period of about 2.9 million years, while the future orbit was hyperbolic.
T
1954 Jun. 1.9350 (TT)
(2000.0)
i
q
e
357.2601 122.8248 116.1542 0.677461 1.000286
absolute magnitude: H0 = 3.94, n = 8.42 (Beyer, 1958); H10 = 7.0 (Vsekhsvyatskij, 1963); H0 = 5.5, n = 8.25 (Hasegawa, 1966)
full moon: Jul. 16, Aug. 14, Sep. 12, Oct. 12, Nov. 10, Dec. 10, 1955 Jan. 8
sources: M. Vozarova and L. Kresak, BAAC, No. 355 (1954 Jul. 30); M. Vozarova,
HAC, No. 1261 (1954 Jul. 30); M. Vozarova, IAUC, No. 1463 (1954 Jul. 30); G. van
Biesbroeck, L. Kresak, and M. Vozarova, HAC, No. 1262 (1954 Aug. 3); L. Kresak,
M. Vozarova, and G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 1464 (1954 Aug. 3); L. Kresak,
IAUC, No. 1465 (1954 Aug. 7); W. H. Steavenson, R. L. Waterfield, and L. Kresak,
BAAC, No. 356 (1954 Aug. 10); L. Kresak, HAC, No. 1266 (1954 Aug. 10); R. L.
Waterfield, L. Kresak, and M. Vozarova, IAUC, No. 1467 (1954 Aug. 23); T. Mitani,
IAUC, No. 1469 (1954 Sep. 4); W. H. Steavenson and R. L. Waterfield, BAAC, No.
357 (1954 Sep. 9); T. Mitani and I. Hasegawa, HAC, No. 1273 (1954 Sep. 24); I.
Hasegawa, IAUC, No. 1474 (1954 Sep. 28); L. Kresak, IAUC, No. 1477 (1954 Oct.
13); W. Malsch, AN, 282 (1955 Jul. 5), p. 239; E. Roemer and H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 60
(1955 Dec.), pp. 4412; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 1912, 195; M.
Beyer, AN, 284 (1958 May 9), p. 122; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.),
p. 851; M. Vozarova and L. Kresak, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 120; I. Hasegawa, M.
Honda, T. Mitani, H. Mielke, and W. H. Steavenson, PASJ, 18 (1966), pp. 2816;
Z. Sekanina, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), p. 66; Z. Sekanina, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 27,
53; W. H. Steavenson and R. L. Waterfield, ICQ, 4 (1982 Jan.), p. 26.
31P/ Prerecovery: 1954 July 27.37 ( = 3.13 AU, r = 2.61 AU, Elong. = 51)
Schwassmann Recovered: 1954 July 28.45 ( = 3.12 AU, r = 2.61 AU, Elong. = 52)
Wachmann 2 Last seen: 1956 May 29.27 ( = 2.53 AU, r = 3.52 AU, Elong. = 164)
1955 I = 1954g Calculated path: TAU (Pre), ORI (Aug. 31), GEM (Sep. 20), CNC (1955
Apr. 24), LEO (Jun. 8), VIR (Aug. 21), LIB (Nov. 28), SCO (1956 Feb. 23),
LIB (Apr. 18)
C. Dinwoodie (1953) began his investigation into this comets motion for
the upcoming apparition by using seven Lick Observatory observations
obtained during the 1949 apparition to correct the orbit for that return.
He then computed perturbations for the period 194955, and predicted the
comet would next pass perihelion on 1955 February 27.29.
H. M. Jeffers and E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on 1954 July 28.45, at a
position of = 4h 48.9m , = +19 28 . They estimated the magnitude
448
catalog of comets
as 18, and described the comet as a small nearly stellar coma. This precise
position indicated the perihelion date predicted by Dinwoodie needed to
be corrected by only 0.17 days. G. van Biesbroeck later found the comet on
a 10-minute exposure obtained with the 61-cm reflector at Yerkes Observatory (Wisconsin, USA) on July 27.37. He estimated the magnitude as 17 and
described the comet as a very diffuse nebulosity of about 5 across.
On August 5, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 17. On August 31, van Biesbroeck
as 17. He described the comet as a diffuse nebulosity with a trace of tail
extending about 30 in PA 280. The comet attained a northerly declination
of +20 on September 4 and then turned to a more southerly route. On
September 26, Jeffers photographed the comet using the reflector and gave
the magnitude as 16.5. He said the comet was nearly stellar. On October 2,
3, and 4, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) obtained a
6-minute exposure using the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as
16.5. He described the comet as a well-condensed coma 4 across with a
tail extending 1 in PA 272. On October 23, van Biesbroeck photographed
the comet using the reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. He said a 16minute exposure showed a tail extending 1.5 in PA 275. On October 28,
the magnitude as 16. He said a faint fan-shaped tail extended 0.5 in PA 270.
The comet attained a southerly declination of +19 on November 24 and
then began moving in a northerly direction. On November 29, Jeffers photographed the comet using the reflector and gave the magnitude as 15. He
said a faint fan-shaped tail extended 0.5 in PA 270.
said a 6-minute exposure showed a broad tail extending 1 in PA 280. On
the 27th, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He said a
30-minute exposure showed a round coma 0.8 across which was strongly
condensed toward the center. On January 29, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) observed using the 26-cm refractor and gave the
magnitude as 12.43. He said the coma was 1.3 across.
On February 11 and 13, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13. He said a 6-minute exposure showed a sharp nucleus and a tail
extending less than 1 in PA 80. On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
12.37 and said the coma was 1.5 across. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.27 and said the coma was 2.1 across. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 12.42 and said the coma was 1.8 across. On the 23rd, Beyer
Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.74 and said the coma was 1.5 across. R. L.
Newburn (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) photographed the
comet using the 254-cm reflector and gave the nuclear magnitude as 15. On
449
catalog of comets
across. On February 26, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.55 and said the
coma was 1.7 across.
The comet slowly faded during the next few months, as its solar elongation decreased. On March 12, Beyer estimated the magnitude as 13.0 and
said the coma was 1.4 across. On the 12th and 13th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 14. He said a 4-minute exposure
showed a tail extending 1 in PA 120. The comet attained its most northerly
declination of +23 on March 18. On April 21, van Biesbroeck (McDonald
Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 14. He said an 8-minute exposure showed a tail
extending about 1.5 in PA 110. On April 24 and 25, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 14. He said an 8-minute exposure
showed a tail extending 1 in PA 105. On May 25, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5. He said a 16-minute exposure revealed a small
image that was without condensation. The comet attained a minimum solar
elongation of 55 on September 25.
It should be noted that in the Astronomical Journal for August 1957, van
Biesbroeck listed observations of this comet for October 1955, which showed
the comet to have flared by about 9 magnitudes, but these actually referred
to 29P/SchwassmannWachmann 1 and were improperly labeled in his
paper.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 17 on 1956 March
3. It was last detected on May 29.27, when Roemer obtained a 1-hour exposure using the 91-cm Crossley reflector. She determined the magnitude as
18.7 and noted a small coma. Roemer gave the position as = 15h 31.6m ,
= 14 06 .
1969, 1973), S. Nakano (1981), and G. Forti (1983). These included perturbations by all nine planets. Marsden (1968) noted a definite secular acceleration. All other calculations determined nongravitational terms. The
result was a perihelion date of February 27.2027.23 and a period of 6.53
years. Marsden (1969) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +1.5300,
A2 = 0.17186, and B2 = +0.3013. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K.
Yeomans (1973) determined the nongravitational terms as A1 = +1.4 and
A2 = 0.158. Nakano gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +1.976
and A2 = 0.17435. Forti gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.96
and A2 = 0.1628. Fortis orbit is given below.
T
1955 Feb. 27.1991 (TT)
(2000.0)
357.9477 126.6323
i
3.7206
q
e
2.150364 0.384270
absolute magnitude: H10 = 8.47 (Beyer, 1958); H10 = 9.5 (Vsekhsvyatskij,

1963)
full moon: Jul. 16, Aug. 14, Sep. 12, Oct. 12, Nov. 10, Dec. 10, 1955 Jan. 8, Feb.
7, Mar. 8, Apr. 7, May 6, Jun. 5, Jul. 5, Aug. 3, Sep. 2, Oct. 1, Oct. 31, Nov. 29, Dec.
29, 1956 Jan. 27, Feb. 26, Mar. 26, Apr. 25, May 24, Jun. 23
450
catalog of comets
sources: C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for 1954 (1953 Nov.), pp. 4950; H. M.
Jeffers, E. Roemer, and C. Dinwoodie, BAAC, No. 355 (1954 Jul. 30); H. M. Jeffers and E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1260 (1954 Jul. 30); H. M. Jeffers and E. Roemer,
IAUC, No. 1463 (1954 Jul. 30); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1287 (1955 Feb. 11);
H. M. Jeffers and E. Roemer, AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.), pp. 4412; R. L. Newburn, PASP,
67 (1955 Dec.), p. 419; E. Roemer, PASP, 68 (1956 Aug.), p. 371; H. M. Jeffers,
AJ, 61 (1956 Nov.), pp. 3812; E. Roemer, MNRAS, 117 (1957), p. 337; G. van
Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 191, 194; M. Beyer, AN, 284 (1958 May 9),
pp. 1223; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851; B. G. Marsden,
AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 373, 375; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.), pp. 7215; B. G.
Marsden, QJRAS, 14 (1973 Dec.), pp. 4045; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and
D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), pp. 213, 215; E. Roemer, MPC, No. 5861 (1981
Apr. 1); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 405 (1981 Jun. 10); G. Forti, AAP, 126 (1983),
pp. 30710.
(Baade) Last seen: 1957 November 26.39 ( = 7.21 AU, r = 7.75 AU, Elong. = 120)
1955 VI = 1954h Calculated path: UMi (Disc), DRA (Aug. 9), CEP (1955 Feb. 18), CAS-CAM
(Mar. 31), LYN (Jun. 15), AUR (Nov. 11), TAU (1956 Jan. 29), ORI (May 3),
MON (Oct. 5), ORI (Oct. 31), LEP (Nov. 11), ERI (1957 Jan. 13), LEP (May 3),
COL (Sep. 15)
During early August, 1954, W. H. W. Baade (Palomar Observatory, California, USA) discovered this comet on two plates exposed on 1954 July 31.17,
by G. O. Abell with the 122-cm Schmidt camera. The position was given
as = 14h 47.4m , = +66 38 , while the daily motion was given as 55s
in and 6 in . He estimated the magnitude as 15, and described the
comet as diffuse, with a central condensation, and a tail less than 1 long.
The comet was confirmed on August 10.28, when G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) obtained two 10-minute exposures with the
61-cm reflector. He estimated the magnitude as 15, and described the comet
as centrally condensed with a tail extending 40 in PA 135.
On August 12, S. Vasilevskis (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and estimated
the magnitude as 16. He said the coma was about 0.2 across and slightly
condensed toward the center. On the 18th, Vasilevskis estimated the photographic magnitude as 15. He said the coma was about 0.3 across with a
fairly well-condensed nucleus. On the 20th, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 14.5. He said two 9-minute exposures showed a
tail extending 40 in PA 130. On the 24th, R. Innes (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and estimated
the magnitude as 15. He said a 30-minute exposure revealed a weak tail
extending about 1 in PA 130. On August 29, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 15. He said a 6-minute exposure showed a tail
extending 40 in PA 125.
451
catalog of comets

as 14. He said an 8-minute exposure showed a tail extending 40 in PA 135.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 68 on September 12.
On the 22nd, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.
He said a 10-minute exposure showed a tail extending 40 in PA 132. On
September 30, E. Roemer (Lick Observatory) estimated the photographic
magnitude as 16. She said the uncondensed coma was 0.2 across.
On October 4 and 5, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13. He said a 5-minute exposure showed a very broad tail extending 40 in PA 150. On the 23rd and 24th, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 13. He said an 8-minute exposure showed a
well-condensed nucleus and a tail extending 45 in PA 140. He added that
the tail was narrower than on October 45. On October 26, van Biesbroeck
estimated the photographic magnitude as 13. He said a 3-minute exposure
showed a tail extending 50 in PA 145, as well as a broad extension to the
coma which was 20 long in PA 195.
On November 7, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the
comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 12.5. He
said a 10-minute exposure showed a broad tail extending toward PA 140.
On November 29, Roemer estimated the photographic magnitude as 15.
On December 24, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 13. He said a 5-minute exposure showed a slight extension of the coma
toward PA 60.
On 1955 January 14, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 12.5. He said a 5-minute exposure showed a nearly round coma
20 across and a sharp nucleus. The comet attained a maximum solar
elongation of 99 on January 24. On January 27, Roemer said a 1-hour
exposure obtained with the 91-cm Crossley reflector showed a centrally
condensed coma about 30 across, with a very faint tail extending 1.5
in PA 200.
On February 13, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as
13. He said a 3-minute exposure showed a coma extending slightly toward
PA 350, as well as a well-condensed nucleus. On the 21st, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) observed the comet using a 26-cm
refractor and determined the magnitude as 12.74. He said the coma was
1.6 across. On the 22nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.96. He said the
coma was 1.8 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 14.01. On the 23rd,
14.06. On the 25th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.66. He said the coma
was 1.5 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 13.99. The comet attained its
most northerly declination of +84 on February 26. On February 27, Beyer
452
catalog of comets
gave the magnitude as 12.25. He said the coma was 2.4 across, and the
On March 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.39 and said the coma was
1.6 across. On the 2nd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.56 and said the
coma was 1.5 across. On the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.42. He
said the coma was 1.7 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 13.90. On
was 1.4 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 14.02. On the 12th and 13th,
van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13. He said a
3-minute exposure showed a coma 15 across which contained a welldefined nucleus and exhibited a tail extending about 2.5 in PA 330. On
across, and the nuclear magnitude was 13.99. On the 18th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 12.81. He said the coma was 1.8 across, and the nuclear magnitude was 14.01. On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.44 and said
the coma was 1.7 across. On March 28, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.62
and said the coma was 1.5 across.
On April 9, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 12.5.
He said a 3-minute exposure showed a sharp nucleus from which emanated
material to a short distance in PA 170. He added that the material then
curved back into a slender tail which extended 3 in PA 355. On the 14th,
magnitude was 14.09. On April 21 and 25, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated
the magnitude as 12. He said a 3-minute exposure showed a nucleus from
which emanated a fan-shaped stream covering 45 and centered in PA 170.
He added that this material made a paraboloid envelope extending to 20
from the nucleus which then curved back into a faint tail which extended
toward PA 355.
across. On May 19, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.65 and said the coma
was 1.6 across.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 34 on July 5. On July
19 and 20, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet
using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 15.5. He said
a 5-minute exposure showed a nearly round coma. On July 31, Roemer
observed the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector at low altitude and
said the stellar nucleus was barely visible and magnitude 16. A jet was also
453
catalog of comets
detected extending 0.3 toward PA 180 and rather sharply bounded on the
south side.
On August 19, C. B. Stephenson (Lick Observatory) photographed the
comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as
14.5. He said a 20-minute exposure revealed a fan-shaped condensation
of coma extending 0.3 toward PA 200, which contained a sharp nucleus.
Stephenson added that a faint tail extended 2 in PA 20. On August 31,
Roemer obtained 4- and 6-minute exposures of the comet with the 91-cm
Crossley reflector and said the stellar nucleus was magnitude 16.0. On a
30-minute exposure, she noted a jet on the south side of the nucleus. An
envelope was also visible which extended into a fairly broad, straight tail 3
long in PA 20.
On September 9 and 17, Beyer unsuccessfully searched for this comet with
the 26-cm refractor and concluded the brightness was fainter than 12.012.2.
about 1 across. On the 21st and 26th, Roemer obtained photographs of the
comet with the reflector and said the stellar nucleus was magnitude 16.0.
On a much longer exposure, she noted a jet extending 0.4 in PA 180. An
envelope was also visible which extended into a fairly broad, straight tail 5
long in PA 20. There was also an indication of a short broad tail extending
toward PA 350. On September 23, Beyer said the coma was about 1 across.
On October 8, Roemer obtained two 3-minute exposures of the comet with
the reflector and said the stellar nucleus was magnitude 17.0. On a much
longer exposure, she noted a jet extending 0.4 in PA 180. An envelope was
also visible which extended into a fairly broad, straight tail 5 long in PA
20. There was also an indication of a short broad tail extending toward
PA 350. On the 12th and 13th, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory)
photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 12. He said a 4-minute exposure showed a nearly stellar nucleus
from which emanated a fan-shaped streamer centered in PA 190. He added
that this material extended to 25 where it formed a paraboloid envelope
and then curved back into a tail which extended toward the first quadrant.
1.5 across. On October 24, Roemer obtained two 3-minute exposures of the
comet with the reflector and said the stellar nucleus was magnitude 15.5.
On a 30-minute exposure, she noted a jet extending 0.6 in PA 190 and a tail
extending 5 in PA 20.
On November 11, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 11.97, while van
Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 14. Beyer said the
coma was 1.6 across, and the nuclear magnitude was about 14.0. Van Biesbroeck said a 3-minute exposure showed a paraboloid envelope 26 from
the nucleus which curved back into a diffuse tail extending 12 in PA 15.
On the 14th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.06. He said the coma was
454
catalog of comets
magnitude was about 14.0. On November 25 and 26, Roemer said the comet
could be visually observed in the 10-cm finder. She obtained short exposures
of the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the stellar nucleus
was magnitude 15.8. On a much longer exposure, she said the jet extended
0.6 in PA 180, and swept back to join the tail which extended 5 in PA 10.
There was also a short broad tail extending about 1 in PA 350.
was 1.9 across, with a nuclear magnitude of about 13.8. On the 12th, Beyer
Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.83 and said the coma was 1.8 across. The
comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 164 on December 21.
On 1956 January 2, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.28 and said the coma
was 1.5 across. On the 3rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.31 and said the
coma was 1.5 across. On the 4th and 9th, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the
magnitude as 15. On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.49 and said
the coma was 2.0 across. On the 16th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.39
and said the coma was 2.1 across. On the 29th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 12.56 and said the coma was 1.8 across. On January 30, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 12.54 and said the coma was 1.4 across.
On February 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.71 and said the coma
was 2.0 across. On the 3rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.55 and said
the coma was 1.3 across. On the 4th and 5th, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 14. He said an 8-minute exposure showed only
a faint indication of the envelope toward PA 160. On the 6th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 12.71 and said the coma was 1.8 across. On the 11th, Beyer
the 16th, Beyer made an unsuccessful search for this comet with the 26-cm
refractor and concluded the brightness was fainter than 12.5. On February
29, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 15.
On March 3 and 5, Beyer made an unsuccessful search for this comet with
the 26-cm refractor and concluded the brightness was fainter than 12.512.8.
across. On the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.90 and said the coma
was 1.3 across. On the 13th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 15.5. On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.2 and said
the coma was about 1.0 across. On the 28th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 13.32 and said the coma was 1.3 across. On March 31, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 13.58 and said the coma was about 1.0 across.
On April 4, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.40 and said the coma was
about 1.0 across. On the 7th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.43 and said
the coma was about 1.0 across. On April 12, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 16. He said a 10-minute exposure showed a
diffuse coma 15 across.
455
catalog of comets
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 11 on June 11. On

September 11, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as
18.5 and said 14- and 20-minute exposures showed a small round coma.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 142 on December 7.
On 1957 February 19, Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm
Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16.5. He said a 1-hour
exposure showed a faint coma 20 across, with a not quite stellar nucleus.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 39 on June 1. On
September 20, Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff station, Arizona,
USA) obtained two 40-minute exposures using the 102-cm reflector which
revealed a small, somewhat diffuse spot of magniutde 19.5. On November 2, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 19.5. He said the
90-minute exposure probably shows the comet. He said only one plate
was obtained, but that a somewhat diffuse object was found in the expected
position.
The comet was last detected by Roemer, who obtained 60-minute exposures using the 102-cm reflector on November 26.34 and November 26.39.
She described the images as weak and diffuse at low altitude, with a magnitude of 19+. Roemer gave the position as = 5h 15.2m , = 36 57 on
the latter date.
spanning the period August 1025 and was published on September 7.
Cunningham gave the perihelion date as 1955 August 16.32. Additional
parabolic orbits by Cunningham and G. Merton established the perihelion
date as August 13.3.
A definitive orbit was calculated by B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1973).
They took 67 positions spanning the period 1954 August 101957 November
26, applied perturbations by all nine planets, and calculated a hyperbolic
orbit with a perihelion date of August 13.30 and an eccentricity of 1.0005091.
This orbit is given below. Marsden and Sekanina also calculated the original
and future orbits and found both to be elliptical. The period of the original
orbit was about 3.7 million years, while the period of the future orbit was
about 251 thousand years.
T
1955 Aug. 13.3050 (TT)
(2000.0)
i
q
e
144.6706 265.3399 100.3891 3.869934 1.000509
absolute magnitude: H10 = 3.3 (Cunningham, 1955); H0 = 3.05, n = 4.33

(Beyer, 1958); H10 = 4.0 (Vsekhsvyatskij, 1963)
Feb. 7, Mar. 8, Apr. 7, May 6, Jun. 5, Jul. 5, Aug. 3, Sep. 2, Oct. 1, Oct. 31, Nov. 29,
Jun. 12, Jul. 11, Aug. 10, Sep. 9, Oct. 8, Nov. 7, Dec. 7
456
catalog of comets
sources: W. H. W. Baade, BAAC, No. 356 (1954 Aug. 10); W. H. W. Baade, HAC,
No. 1266 (1954 Aug. 10); W. H. W. Baade, IAUC, No. 1466 (1954 Aug. 10); G.
van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1267 (1954 Aug. 17); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No.
1470 (1954 Sep. 7); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1269 (1954 Sep. 9); G. Merton,
IAUC, No. 1488 (1955 Jan. 20); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1284 (1955 Jan. 28);
L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1489 (1955 Feb. 1); S. Vasilevskis, R. Innes, and
E. Roemer, AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.), pp. 4412; E. Roemer, PASP, 68 (1956 Feb.), p. 78;
E. Roemer and C. B. Stephenson, AJ, 61 (1956 Nov.), pp. 3812, 3913; G. van
Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 192, 195; M. Beyer, AN, 284 (1958 May 9),
pp. 1236; H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 63 (1958 Jun.), pp. 2501; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 63
(1958 Jul.), pp. 296, 298; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851; E.
Roemer, AJ, 71 (1966 Aug.), pp. 444, 453; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 78
(1973 Dec.), pp. 111920.
65P/1954 P1 Discovered: 1954 August 8.37 ( = 2.73 AU, r = 3.70 AU, Elong. = 159)
(Gunn) Last seen: 1954 August 8.43 ( = 2.73 AU, r = 3.70 AU, Elong. = 159)
1953 VIII Calculated path: AQR (Disc) [Did not leave this constellation]
In November 1980, J. Dengel and R. Weinberger (University Observatory
and Astronomical Institute of Innsbruck, Austria) found images of a comet
on both 103aE and 103aO exposures of plate number 1172 obtained during
the National Geographic SocietyPalomar Sky Survey. The O print had been
exposed from 1954 August 8.37 to August 8.38 and the comets position
was given as = 22h 31.3m , = 23 56 . The E print was exposed from
August 8.39 to August 8.43. The O print showed a small, slightly diffuse,
elongated, weak spot about 5 across, with an estimated magnitude of 191.
The E print showed an insignificantly diffuse trail about 0.2 long, with an
extremely faint, narrow tail extending about 1 in about PA 250. The daily
motion was roughly estimated as about 10 toward PA 240.
On 1981 March 31, it was reported that T. Nomura (Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan) had identified this comet as a prediscovery image of
65P/Gunn. This was confirmed by B. G. Marsden.
G. Forti (1989) took 79 positions obtained during the apparitions of 1954
78, applied perturbations by all nine planets, as well as nongravitational
terms of A1 = +2.23 and A2 = +0.7514, and determined the perihelion
date as May 20.39. This orbit is given below.
T
1953 May 20.3907 (TT)
(2000.0)
173.9517
80.4018
i
10.8648
q
e
3.305925 0.176108
absolute magnitude: H0 = 8.3, n = 6.0 (Kronk)

full moon: Jul. 16, Aug. 14
sources: J. Dengel and R. Weinberger, IAUC, No. 3540 (1980 Nov. 17); T. Nomura
and B. G. Marsden, IAUC, No. 3588 (1981 Mar. 31); G. Forti, AAP, 215 (1989),
pp. 3835.
457
catalog of comets
53P/1954 R1 Discovered: 1954 September 1.18 ( = 1.85 AU, r = 2.86 AU, Elong. = 177)
(Van Biesbroeck) Last seen: 1955 November 13.21 ( = 3.95 AU, r = 4.91 AU, Elong. = 163)
1954 IV = 1954i Calculated path: AQR (Disc), PSC (1955 Feb. 1), CET (Feb. 28), PSC (Apr. 1),
CET (May 30)
During an unsuccessful attempt to recover the asteroid 1953 GC, G. van
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) discovered this comet on
a 16-minute exposure obtained with the 61-cm reflector on 1954 September
1.18. He gave the position as = 22h 48.2m , = 9 34 . Van Biesbroeck
estimated the magnitude as 14.5, and described the comet as round, wellcondensed and 8 across. The comet was also present on a 16-minute exposure obtained with the same telescope on September 1.19, and the daily
motion was given as 39s in and 7 in . Interestingly, this comet was not
far from periodic comet 39P/Oterma which had been found accidentally
and reported as a new comet by Harrington and Abell only 2 days earlier.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 178 on September 2.
On the 3rd, S. Vasilevskis (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed
the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and estimated the magnitude as 16. He said the comet was nearly stellar. On the 4th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated
the magnitude as 15. He said two 11-minute exposures showed a faint tail
extending toward PA 255. On the 5th, van Biesbroeck said a 12-minute
exposure showed a faint tail extending 30 in PA 260. On the 6th and 7th,
van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 15.5. He noted a
tail extending 40 toward PA 255. On the 20th, the photographic magnitude
was given as 16 by E. Roemer (Lick Observatory), using the 51-cm Carnegie
astrograph, and van Biesbroeck, using the 61-cm reflector. Van Biesbroeck
said a 12-minute exposure showed a faint trace of tail toward PA 280. On
the 25th and 30th, Roemer estimated the photographic magnitude as 16 and
said the coma was 0.2 across. On September 28, van Biesbroeck estimated
On October 3, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed
He said 6- and 12-minute exposures showed a coma 6 across which spread
out into a broad tail extending 30 in PA 80. On the 4th, van Biesbroeck
estimated the photographic magnitude as 14.5. He said 10- and 4-minute
exposures showed a tail extending 25 in PA 70. The comet attained its
most southerly declination of 12 on October 21. On the 23rd and 24th, van
Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 15.5. He said two 10minute exposures showed a well-condensed coma 5 across, which exhibited a tail extending 15 in PA 70. On October 26 and 27, van Biesbroeck
estimated the photographic magnitude as 15.5.
On November 13 and 15, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude
458
catalog of comets
as 17. He said a 16-minute exposure did not show any tail. On the 17th, the
photographic magnitude was given as 16.5 by Roemer and 18 by van Biesbroeck. Van Biesbroeck said a 20-minute exposure showed a faint trace of
tail toward PA 70. On November 28, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 18.5. He said a two 20-minute exposures showed a
round coma 4 across.
On 1955 January 15, Roemer photographed the comet using the 91-cm
Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 19. She said the comet
was nearly stellar. The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 4 on
April 7 and then it attained its most northerly declination of +10 on August
5. On September 21, Roemer obtained two 100-minute exposures with the
reflector and said the comet appeared stellar with a magnitude near 19.5.
On September 27, Roemer obtained two 90-minute exposures and said the
comet appeared stellar with a magnitude near 19.5. On October 11, 12, 13,
and 14, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet
using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 19. He said a 20minute exposure showed a round coma 5 across. On the 19th, 20th, and 21st,
van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 19.5. On October
24, Roemer obtained two 90-minute exposures and said the comet appeared
stellar with a magnitude near 19.5. The comet attained a maximum solar
elongation of 172 on November 1. On November 7, Roemer obtained 120and 100-minute exposures with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the
comet appeared stellar with a magnitude near 19.5. On the 9th and 11th, van
Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 19.0. On November
12, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 19.5.
The comet was last detected on November 13.20 and November 13.21,
when van Biesbroeck obtained 16-minute exposures with the 208-cm reflector. For the latter date, he measured the position as = 2h 25.3m , = +6
16 . Van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 19.5. During the fall of
1956, van Biesbroeck took Cunninghams elliptical orbit from the previous
year and computed an ephemeris for the upcoming 1956 opposition. He
noted that for October 1956, the magnitude would be near 20.6. At van Biesbroecks request, astronomers at Palomar Observatory attempted to find
the comet. Plaut exposed plates with the 122-cm Schmidt reflector on October 6 and 7, but nothing cometary was found. Van Biesbroeck pointed out
that the limiting magnitude of these plates was not much fainter than 19.
W. H. W. Baade (Palomar Observatory) exposed two photographic plates of
the comets expected position with the 508-cm reflector on October 15, but
nothing was found.
The first orbits, which were published on September 22, were calculated
by E. K. Rabe, using three positions from September 1, 4, and 7. He gave
a parabolic orbit with a perihelion date of 1954 January 1.57 and an elliptical orbit with a period of 7.78 years. Rabe noted that the elliptical orbit
did not fit the positions as well as the parabolic one, but still left small
residuals.
459
catalog of comets
Using three precise positions obtained between September 3 and 30, L. E.

Cunningham computed an elliptical orbit which was first published on
October 15. The perihelion date was determined as February 11.77 and the
orbital period was 14.1 years. Cunningham remarked that the comet had the
potential of undergoing strong perturbations from Jupiter and Saturn, but
no close approach to either planet has occurred in recent years. Cunningham computed a revised elliptical orbit during the summer of 1955 and sent
the improved elements and an ephemeris to Roemer and van Biesbroeck on
July 5. The result was a perihelion date of February 20.73 and an orbital
The first definitive orbit came from Van Biesbroeck (1958). He took 78
positions obtained during the period spanning 1954 September 1 and 1955
November 13, reduced them to nine Normal places, and applied pertubations by Venus to Pluto (Mercurys mass was added to the sun). At one
point, he requested the help of P. Herget, who improved upon some of van
Biesbroecks five-place computations with some eight-place computations
on the IBM-650. The result was a perihelion date of February 20.81 and
an orbital period of 12.43 years. Van Biesbroeck also provided a prediction for the 1966 apparition, which he found would be better than that of
1954.
K. Muraoka (1993), S. Nakano (1999), and K. Kinoshita (2006). Each
astronomer applied perturbations by all nine planets, although Nakano
and Kinoshita included several minor planets. Nakano and Kinoshita also
solved for nongravitational forces. The result was a perihelion date of February 20.76 and a period of 12.43 years. The nongravitational terms were given
as A1 = +0.396 and A2 = 0.02477 by Nakano and A1 = +0.25 and A2 =
0.0241 by Kinoshita. Kinoshitas orbit is given below.
T
1954 Feb. 20.7560 (TT)
(2000.0)
134.3750 149.6496
i
6.5843
q
e
2.414448 0.550141
absolute magnitude: H10 = 9.0 (van Biesbroeck, 1958); H10 = 9.5 (Vsekhsvyatskij, 1963)
8, Apr. 7, May 6, Jun. 5, Jul. 5, Aug. 3, Sep. 2, Oct. 1, Oct. 31, Nov. 29
sources: G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1268 (1954 Sep. 3); G. van Biesbroeck,
IAUC, No. 1469 (1954 Sep. 4); G. van Biesbroeck, BAAC, No. 357 (1954 Sep. 9);
E. K. Rabe, HAC, No. 1272 (1954 Sep. 22); E. K. Rabe, IAUC, No. 1473 (1954 Sep.
23); E. K. Rabe, BAAC, No. 358 (1954 Oct. 12); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1275
(1954 Oct. 15); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1478 (1954 Oct. 20); S. Vasilevskis
and E. Roemer, AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.), pp. 4412; E. Roemer, AJ, 61 (1956 Nov.),
pp. 3913; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 192, 195; G. van Biesbroeck
and L. E. Cunningham, AJ, 63 (1958 Dec.), pp. 5003; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA,
6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 11 (1970 Sep.), pp. 2323;
460
catalog of comets
K. Muraoka, CCO, 8th ed. (1993), pp. 25, 64; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 718
(1999 Nov. 4); personal correspondence from K. Kinoshita (2006).
46P/1954 R2 Recovered: 1954 September 8.50 ( = 2.07 AU, r = 1.65 AU, Elong. = 51)
(Wirtanen) Last seen: 1954 October 28.53 ( = 1.84 AU, r = 1.79 AU, Elong. = 71)
1954 XI = 1954j Calculated path: GEM (Rec), CNC (Sep. 13), LEO (Oct. 14)
Predictions for the return of this comet came a short time before the comet
was recovered. The first came from G. Merton on 1954 August 27. He reexamined the comets 1948 observations and determined a new orbit. He
then applied perturbations by Jupiter and gave the perihelion date as 1954
August 21.4. A couple of weeks later, Merton revised his calculations for 1947
and W. E. Beart applied approximate perturbations by Jupiter to predict a
perihelion date of August 13.5. Just prior to the announcement of the comets
recovery, S. Kanda took nine positions from 1948, applied perturbations by
Jupiter for the period 194854, and predicted a perihelion date of August
19.59.
C. A. Wirtanen (Lick Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet
with the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph on 1954 September 8.50. His colleague
E. Roemer gave the position as = 7h 42.7m , = +21 07 . Wirtanen said
the comet appeared as a faint image, but it was not possible to confirm it as
the expected comet. Confirmation finally came on September 26.47, when
Roemer and H. M. Jeffers photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector.
They estimated the magnitude as 18.5. They described the comet as diffuse,
without a condensation.
On October 2, Roemer estimated the photographic magnitude as 18.5.
She said the comet appeared somewhat diffuse. On the 3rd and 4th, G. van
using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18. He said a
16-minute exposure showed a diffuse coma 40 across, with hardly any
condensation. On October 24 and 26, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 19. He said two 16-minute exposures showed an
extremely diffuse coma 30 across.
The comet was last detected on October 28.53, when Jeffers found it on
an exposure obtained with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. Roemer gave the
position as = 9h 50.6m , = +18 59 . Jeffers estimated the magnitude as
19.5. An attempt was made to photograph the comet with the 91-cm Crossley
reflector on 1955 January 27, but the 120-minute exposure revealed nothing
cometary.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by P. Herget (1960), Herget and B. G. Marsden (1961), M. P. Imnadze (1964), and Marsden (1968,
1970, 1986). These all applied planetary perturbations and Marsden (1970,
1986) also solved for nongravitational forces. The result was a perihelion
461
catalog of comets
date of August 13.51 and a period of 6.69 years. The orbit from Marsden
(1986) is given below. Marsden (1968) noted a secular acceleration. Marsden (1970) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.20412 and A2 =
0.071500. Marsden (1986) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.52
and A2 = 0.0871.
T
1954 Aug. 13.5089 (TT)
(2000.0)
343.5525
87.1567
i
13.3765
q
e
1.625248 0.542051

full moon: Aug. 14, Sep. 12, Oct. 12, Nov. 10
sources: G. Merton, IAUC, No. 1468 (1954 Aug. 27); E. Roemer and H. M. Jeffers,
HAC, No. 1274 (1954 Sep. 28); S. Kanda, W. E. Beart, H. M. Jeffers, and E. Roemer,
IAUC, No. 1474 (1954 Sep. 28); C. A. Wirtanen and H. M. Jeffers, BAAC, No.
358 (1954 Oct. 12); W. E. Beart and G. Merton, MNRAS, 115 (1955), pp. 1967;
C. A. Wirtanen, E. Roemer, and H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.), pp. 4412; G.
van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 192, 195; P. Herget, AJ, 65 (1960 Aug.),
pp. 3856; P. Herget and B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 2 (1961 Oct.), pp. 1579; S. K.
Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851; M. P. Imnadze, QJRAS, 5 (1964
Sep.), pp. 2345, 238; V1964, p. 76; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 373, 375;
B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970 Feb.), p. 82; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 11 (1970 Sep.),
27 (1986 Mar.), pp. 116.
X/1954 V1 In September 1979, H. Hartl (University Observatory and Astronomical

Institute of Innsbruck, Austria) found images of a comet on both E and O
exposures of plate number 1267 obtained during the Palomar Sky Survey.
The blue print had been exposed on 1954 November 4.43, and showed the
comet at = 5h 22.8m , = +14 33 . Hartl said the uncertainty in the
position was 3 . The red print showed a diffuse trail about 0.4 long, while
the blue print showed a slightly elongated spot about 6 across. In addition,
the blue print showed a very faint tail about 20 long pointing toward the
west. The total magnitude was determined as about 19.5. The daily motion
was roughly estimated as about 11 arc min toward PA 1975.
sources: H. Hartl, IAUC, No. 3406 (1979 Sep. 19).
(HaroChavira) Last seen: 1958 May 15.36 ( = 7.00 AU, r = 7.79 AU, Elong. = 139)
1956 I = 1954k Calculated path: TAU (Disc), PER (1955 Mar. 28), AUR (Jun. 3), LYN (Sep. 2),
CAM (Oct. 2), CEP (Dec. 10), UMi (1956 Jun. 3), CAM (Jun. 7), UMi (Jul. 15),
DRA (Aug. 8), UMi (Aug. 15), DRA (Aug. 21), BOO (Sep. 27), DRA (Oct. 6),
BOO (Oct. 7), HER (Oct. 29), CrB (1957 Jul. 5), SER (Sep. 17), HER (Oct. 9)
G. Haro and E. Chavira (Tonantzintla Observatory, Mexico) were examining
photographic plates obtained during a study of flare stars in the dark clouds
462
catalog of comets
of Taurus, when they found a diffuse moving object on a plate exposed on

1954 December 18.19. They estimated the magnitude as 16. The comet was
then situated at = 4h 30.2m , = +21 52 , and was moving at a daily rate
of 40s in and +5 in . A later analysis of the discovery photograph by
G. van Biesbroeck revealed a magnitude of 15, a well-condensed coma 15
across, and a faint tail extending 30 in PA 200. This comet was then about
a year from its closest approach to both the sun and Earth.
On 1955 January 13, E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and gave the
magnitude as 15. She described the comet as round, with a sharp nucleus,
and a diameter of 0.5 . On the 16th, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory,
gave the magnitude as 15.5. He said two 10-minute exposures showed a
centrally condensed coma 15 across. On the 18th, van Biesbroeck estimated
the photographic magnitude as 15.5. He said a 6-minute exposure showed
the coma slightly elongated toward PA 160. On January 22 and 26, Roemer
estimated the photographic magnitude as 15. She said the coma was well
condensed and about 0.3 across.
On February 10, Roemer estimated the photographic magnitude as 16.5.
She said the small, round coma contained some central condensation. On
the 17th and 18th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as
16. He said a 6-minute exposure showed a broad tail extending toward PA
160. On February 24, R. L. Newburn (Mount Wilson Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 254-cm reflector and gave the
nuclear magnitude as 17. On March 12 and 13, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 16. He said two 8-minute exposures showed a
round coma 10 across and a short tail extending toward PA 170. On April
21, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) said two 6-minute
exposures with the 208-cm reflector showed a centrally condensed round
coma 12 across and a broad tail extending 1 in PA 185. On April 25,
van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 14.5. He said a
5-minute exposure showed a round coma. The comet attained a minimum
solar elongation of 16 on June 4.
On July 19 and 20, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed
He said a 10-minute exposure showed a small diffuse coma. On July 29,
Roemer estimated the photographic magnitude as 15.5. She said the symmetrical coma was about 0.3 across and rather sharply bounded, and contained a well-condensed nucleus. On August 14, van Biesbroeck estimated
the photographic magnitude as 15 and said the coma was round. On the
19th, C. B. Stephenson (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet using
the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 14.5. He said
a 30-minute exposure showed the coma contained a sharply condensed
nucleus and exhibited a broad tail extending 0.7 toward the southwest.
On August 29, Roemer obtained 6- and 8-minute exposures with the 91-cm
463
catalog of comets
Crossley reflector and said the nearly stellar nucleus was about magnitude
16.5. She said there was practically no coma visible. On September 28, Roemer obtained two 3-minute exposures with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and
said the well-condensed nucleus was about magnitude 16.0. Roemer said
the coma was very faint and about 0.3 across. On October 11, 12, and 13, van
Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13. He said a 6-minute exposure
showed a well-defined nucleus 6 across, which was surrounded by a diffuse coma. This coma was noted as slightly elongated toward PA 170. On
October 25, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet using
the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 14.5. Jeffers
said the appearance was unchanged since the August 19 observation by
Stephenson. On November 9, 10, and 11, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 14. He said a 4-minute exposure showed a round
coma 2 across which contained a fuzzy nucleus 15 across. On November 25,
Roemer obtained two 3-minute exposures with the 91-cm Crossley reflector
and estimated the magnitude as 16.5. Roemer said the nucleus was moderately well condensed. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation
of 120 on December 6. The comet had been generally moving northward
since its discovery and attained a declination of +85 on December 21, after
which it began moving southward.
On 1956 January 1 and 4, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 14.5. He said a 6-minute exposure showed a well-defined nucleus
5 across and a tail extending 1 in PA 120. On February 28, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 15 and said a very faint
tail extended 2 in PA 110. After moving slowly southward since December, the comet attained a declination of +77 on March 2 and then began a
slow northward motion. On May 6 and 8, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated
the magnitude as 16. He said a 4-minute exposure showed a nucleus 10
across and surrounded by a faint round coma. The comet attained its most
northerly declination of +87 on May 29 and then attained a minimum solar
elongation of 66 on June 5. On June 10 and July 1, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 15. On August 3, Jeffers estimated the photographic
magnitude as 16. He noted a sharp nucleus and a fan-shaped coma extending 0.2 toward the southwest. On August 7, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 15.5. He said the round coma was 20 across and
centrally condensed. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 68
on August 17. On September 3, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 16. He said the round coma was 20 across and centrally condensed. On October 24, Roemer (Yerkes Observatory) photographed a tail
extending 3 toward PA 0. The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 65 on November 16. On December 30, van Biesbroeck estimated
464
catalog of comets
the photographic magnitude as 16 and said the centrally condensed, round

coma was 25 across.
On 1957 January 15, the comet attained a declination of +41 and began
a northward motion. On March 21, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17. He said an 18-minute exposure showed a round,
centrally condensed coma 25 across. On April 26, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and
estimated the magnitude as 16. He said a 10-minute exposure showed the
coma as 25 across and fanning out toward PA 210. There was also a sharp
nucleus. On April 28, van Biesbroeck said a 10-minute exposure with the
208-cm reflector in hazy skies revealed only a faint image of the comet. On
May 1 and 2, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.
He said a 10-minute exposure showed a fan-shaped coma extending toward
PA 205, as well as a well-defined nucleus. The comet attained a declination
of +46 on May 3, and then began a southward motion. The comet then
attained a maximum solar elongation of 114 on May 26. On June 5, Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) obtained two
30-minute exposures using the 102-cm reflector and noted a nearly stellar
nucleus of magnitude 18.5 near the center of symmetry of an incomplete
round coma 0.7 in diameter and nearly entirely [south] of the nucleus.
On June 27, Roemer obtained two 30-minute exposures which revealed a
stellar nucleus of magnitude 19.2 within an incomplete round coma 0.5 in
diameter and mainly [south] of nucleus.
On July 19, 23, and 24, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed
He said a 24-minute exposure showed a hardly condensed, round coma
20 across. On July 21, Roemer obtained two half-hour exposures which
revealed a nearly stellar nucleus of about magnitude 19.3, and a fanshaped tail extending 0.4 toward PA 200. On August 21, Jeffers estimated
the photographic magnitude as 18. He said the faint coma was 20 across and
contained a nearly stellar nucleus near its northeastern edge. On September
20, Roemer obtained two 60-minute exposures which revealed a small,
somewhat asymmetrical disk of nebulosity 0.5 in diameter around the
nuclear condensation of magnitude 19.5. On September 24, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 19. The comet attained a minimum
solar elongation of 39 on November 27.
On 1958 January 21, the comet attained its most southerly declination of
+15. On February 16, Roemer obtained two 60-minute exposures which
revealed a weak, diffuse object of magnitude 20. On April 13, Roemer
obtained two 90-minute exposures which revealed a weak, diffuse object
with little central condensation of about magnitude 20. The comet attained
a declination of +18 on May 6 and began a southward motion.
The comet was last detected on two 90-minute exposures obtained by
Roemer using the 102-cm reflector on May 15.28 and May 15.36. She gave
the position on the latter date as = 16h 45.9m , = +17 29 . Roemer
465
catalog of comets
described it as a weak, nearly stellar nucleus of magnitude 20.9, which

was surrounded by a very faint disk of nebulosity 0.5 in diameter. The
comet was then near opposition and although Roemer noted that the comet
began fading more rapidly, she wrote that observations may be possible if
excellent seeing occurs during June or July.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham, using positions from January 13, 17, and 22. The result was a perihelion date of 1956
February 4.27. Cunningham later revised his calculations using positions
obtained through March 22 and gave the perihelion date as January 25.88.
G. Merton (1957) took four pairs of positions spanning the period 1955
JanuarySeptember and determined the perihelion date as January 26.96.
A definitive orbit was calculated by B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1973).
They took 74 positions spanning the period 1955 January 131958 May 15,
applied perturbations by all nine planets, and calculated a hyperbolic orbit
with a perihelion date of January 26.66 and an eccentricity of 1.0046668. This
orbit is given below. Marsden and Sekanina also calculated the original and
future orbits and found the former to be elliptical with a period of about 4.0
million years, while the latter is hyperbolic.
T
1956 Jan. 26.6645 (TT)
57.2975
(2000.0)
72.8723
i
79.5999
q
e
4.076871 1.004667

full moon: Dec. 10, 1955 Jan. 8, Feb. 7, Mar. 8, Apr. 7, May 6, Jun. 5, Jul. 5, Aug.
3, Sep. 2, Oct. 1, Oct. 31, Nov. 29, Dec. 29, 1956 Jan. 27, Feb. 26, Mar. 26, Apr. 25,
May 24, Jun. 23, Jul. 22, Aug. 21, Sep. 20, Oct. 19, Nov. 18, Dec. 17, 1957 Jan. 16,
Feb. 14, Mar. 16, Apr. 14, May 13, Jun. 12, Jul. 11, Aug. 10, Sep. 9, Oct. 8, Nov. 7,
Dec. 7, 1958 Jan. 5, Feb. 4, Mar. 5, Apr. 4, May 3, Jun. 1
sources: G. Haro and E. Chavira, HAC, No. 1281 (1954 Dec. 28); E. Roemer
and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1282 (1955 Jan. 20); G. van Biesbroeck and E.
Roemer, IAUC, No. 1488 (1955 Jan. 20); G. Haro, E. Chavira. E. Roemer, and G.
van Biesbroeck, BAAC, No. 359 (1955 Jan. 27); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1283
(1955 Jan. 28); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1489 (1955 Feb. 1); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1292 (1955 Apr. 25); E. Roemer, AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.), pp. 4412;
R. L. Newburn, PASP, 67 (1955 Dec.), p. 419; E. Roemer, C. B. Stephenson, and
H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 61 (1956 Nov.), pp. 3812, 3913; E. Roemer and G. Merton,
MNRAS, 117 (1957), pp. 3401; H. M. Jeffers and G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957
Aug.), pp. 1856, 1923, 1956; H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 63 (1958 Jun.), pp. 2501; G.
van Biesbroeck, AJ, 63 (1958 Jul.), pp. 296, 298; E. Roemer, PASP, 70 (1958 Aug.),
p. 423; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 852; E. Roemer, AJ, 71
(1966 Aug.), pp. 444, 453; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 78 (1973 Dec.),
pp. 111920.
88P/Howell Discovered: 1955 May 22.28 ( = 1.19 AU, r = 2.19 AU, Elong. = 168)
Calculated path: LIB (Disc) [Did not leave this constellation]
466
catalog of comets
This comet was identified on two plates exposed in the course of the
National Geographic SocietyPalomar Sky Survey. The designation of the
plates was 1437. The first exposure was begun on 1955 May 22.28 and was
12 minutes long on 103aO film. The second exposure was begun on May
22.31 and was 50 minutes long on 103aE film. The last exposure ended on
May 22.34.
B. A. Skiff (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) measured the position
precisely during 1995. He gave the position as = 15h 21.0m , = 12 14 .
The magnitude was given as 18.8.
Marsden (1998) wrote: The 1955 observations of 88P/Howell were deliberately searched and identified, and this was done after the orbit was well
established from the discovery and first-recovery apparitions. Therefore, it
was just like a subsequent recovery and does not get a new designation.
T
1955 Sep. 30.0148 (TT)
(2000.0)
203.3262
85.4887
i
6.5156
q
e
1.916213 0.448686
absolute magnitude: H0 = 13.3, n = 6.0 (Kronk)

full moon: May 6, Jun. 5
sources: B. A. Skiff, MPC, No. 25466 (1995 Aug. 10); personal correspondence
from B. G. Marsden (1998); personal correspondence from B. A. Skiff (2007).
52P/1955 F1 Discovered: 1955 March 22.30 ( = 1.05 AU, r = 1.99 AU, Elong. = 155)
(HarringtonAbell) Last seen: 1955 May 18.32 ( = 1.74 AU, r = 2.26 AU, Elong. = 107)
1954 XIII = 1955a Calculated path: LEO (Disc) [Did not leave this constellation]
R. G. Harrington and G. O. Abell (Palomar Observatory, California, USA)
discovered this comet on a plate taken on 1955 March 22.30, with the 122-cm
Schmidt camera during the National Geographic SocietyPalomar Sky Survey. The comet was located at = 11h 08.3m , = +20 24 . They estimated
the magnitude as 17, and described the comet as diffuse, with a central
condensation and a short tail. The comet was confirmed on photographic
plates exposed on March 27.38 and March 30.36. On the latter date, the
nucleus possessed a magnitude of 19.0 and was surrounded by a faint coma.
The comet was already moving away from both the sun and Earth when
discovered.
April 24 and 25, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed
said photographs showed a small coma 5 across which fanned out toward
the second quadrant.
The last two detections of the comet came on May 18.23 and May 18.32,
when E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) obtained exposures
467
catalog of comets
of 120- and 100-minute duration, respectively, with the 91-cm Crossley

reflector. Roemer gave the position on the latter date as = 11h 30.1m ,
= +20 21 . She gave the magnitude as 19.2, and said the comet appeared
slightly diffuse.
spanning the period March 2230. The result was an elliptical orbit with a
perihelion date of 1954 December 18.21 and a period of 7.01 years.
I. Hasegawa (1960) calculated an improved orbit using positions spanning
the period March 22May 18. Perturbations by Venus, Earth, Jupiter, and
Saturn were applied. The result was a perihelion date of December 13.15
and a period of 7.20 years.
1978) and G. Forti (1989). They applied perturbations by all nine planets and
Forti also solved for nongravitational forces. The result was a perihelion
date of December 12.8412.85 and a period of 7.20 years. Forti gave the
nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.34, A2 = 0.0006. Fortis orbit is given
below.
T
1954 Dec. 12.8464 (TT)
(2000.0)
338.0895 146.6416
i
16.8220
q
e
1.774228 0.524187

sources: R. G. Harrington and G. O. Abell, HAC, No. 1289 (1955 Mar. 29); L. E.
Cunningham, HAC, No. 1293 (1955 Apr. 25); E. Roemer, R. G. Harrington, and
G. O. Abell, PASP, 67 (1955 Oct.), p. 359; L. E. Cunningham, MNRAS, 116 (1956),
p. 2267; E. Roemer, AJ, 61 (1956 Nov.), pp. 3812; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62
(1957 Aug.), pp. 193, 196; I. Hasegawa, IAUC, No. 1742 (1960 Nov. 1); S. K.
Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968
Sep.), pp. 31617; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 823; G. Forti, AAP,
215 (1989), pp. 382, 384.
C/1955 G1 Discovered: 1955 April 13.27 ( = 4.83 AU, r = 5.45 AU, Elong. = 123)
(Abell) Last seen: 1956 April 30.22 ( = 7.05 AU, r = 7.42 AU, Elong. = 107)
Closest to the Earth: 1953 July 24 (4.0876 AU), 1954 May 21 (4.0332 AU)
1954 V = 1955b Calculated path: CVn (Disc), UMa (Jul. 3), CVn (Aug. 12), COM (Aug. 25),
CVnUMa (1956 Feb. 2), LMi (Apr. 23)
G. O. Abell (Palomar Observatory, California, USA) discovered this comet
on a plate taken on 1955 April 13.27 with the 122-cm Schmidt camera during the National Geographic SocietyPalomar Sky Survey. The comet was
located at = 13h 29.7m , = +48 00 , and was said to be moving with a
daily motion of 1m 45s in and +02 in . He estimated the magnitude as
15, and described the comet as diffuse, with a central condensation and a tail
less than 1 long. The comet was found over a year after both its perihelion
passage and closest approach to Earth.
468
catalog of comets
On April 15, S. Vasilevskis (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and estimated
the magnitude as 16.5. He described the comet as nearly stellar. On April
17, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed
He said an 8-minute exposure showed a coma 6 across which extended
into a faint tail toward PA 120. The comet attained its most northerly
declination of +48 on April 18. On April 24, van Biesbroeck (McDonald
Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16.5. He said 12- and 10-minute exposures showed a coma 5 across which exhibited a tail extending 30 in
PA 115. On May 10, E. Roemer (Lick Observatory) photographed the
comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and estimated the magnitude
as 17.0. On May 18, 19, 20, and 21, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory)
photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17.5. He said photographs showed a small coma extending into
a tail toward PA 105. On June 15 and 16, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 17.5. He said photographs showed a coma 5
across with a possible tail in PA 90. On June 23, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and
estimated the magnitude as 17.5. He noted a faint, narrow tail extending about 1 toward the east. On July 19, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 18. He said there was a faint tail extending
toward PA 85. The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 30 on
September 14 and then attained its most southerly declination of +29 on
November 12. On November 25 and 26, Roemer obtained 1-hour exposures with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the well-condensed nucleus
was magnitude 17.5. Roemer said a fan-shaped tail extended about 1
in PA 80.
On 1956 February 15, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as
18. He said the coma was diffuse and 0.1 across, with a faint tail in PA
80. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 150 on March 1.
Roemer photographed the comet on March 20 and gave the magnitude as
18. The comet attained a declination of +36 on March 22 and then began a
southward movement.
The last two detections of the comet came on April 30.16 and April 30.22,
when Roemer photographed it using the 91-cm Crossley reflector. She gave
the magnitude as 19.3. The position on the last date was given as =
10h 47.3m , = +34 29 . Jeffers photographed the region of the comet on
June 2, but the comet was not found and he concluded it was fainter than
magnitude 19. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona,
USA) used the 102-cm reflector to take photographs of the predicted positions on 1957 May 3 and 4, but no trace of the comet was found.
The first orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham, using positions from
April 15, 17, and 23. He gave the perihelion date as 1954 June 19.29.
469
catalog of comets
Cunningham revised his calculations using positions obtained to May 10

and gave the perihelion date as 1954 March 24.32.
Van Biesbroeck and B. G. Marsden (1963) took 34 positions obtained
throughout the comets period of visibility, applied the perturbations of
Venus to Neptune, and calculated a hyperbolic orbit. The perihelion date
was March 24.01 and the eccentricity was 1.0015168. A backwards integration was done to 1937 January 27, which included perturbations by Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The result was an elliptical orbit with a period
of about 612 thousand years.
Marsden (1973) revised the orbit calculated by himself and van Biesbroeck. He took 28 positions spanning the period 1955 April 131956 April
30, applied perturbations by all nine planets, and calculated a hyperbolic
orbit with a perihelion date of March 24.12 and an eccentricity of 1.0027911.
This orbit is given below. He also determined that the original orbit was
elliptical with a period of about 1.3 million years, while the future orbit was
hyperbolic.
T
1954 Mar. 24.1152 (TT)
73.7500
(2000.0)
i
q
e
321.3347 123.9327 4.495680 1.002791
absolute magnitude: H0 = 3.3, n = 5.2 (van Biesbroeck and Marsden, 1963);

H10 = 5.1 (Vsekhsvyatskij, 1963)
Dec. 29, 1956 Jan. 27, Feb. 26, Mar. 26, Apr. 25, May 24
sources: G. O. Abell, HAC, No. 1290 (1955 Apr. 14); S. Vasilevskis and G. van
Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1291 (1955 Apr. 18); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1296
(1955 May 5); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1304 (1955 Jul. 11); L. E. Cunningham,
IAUC, No. 1506 (1955 Jul. 13); S. Vasilevskis, E. Roemer, and H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 61
(1956 Nov.), pp. 3812, 3913; [Lick Observatory], MNRAS, 117 (1957), p. 338;
H. M. Jeffers and G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 1856, 193, 196;
E. Roemer, PASP, 69 (1957 Aug.), p. 366; G. van Biesbroeck, B. G. Marsden, and
E. Roemer, AJ, 68 (1963 Apr.), pp. 21214; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963
MayJun.), p. 851; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 78 (1973 Dec.), pp. 111920; B. G. Marsden,
CCO, 2nd ed. (1975), pp. 27, 51.
X/1955 G2 During 1980 June, G. Auner, J. Dengel, and R. Weinberger (University Observatory and Astronomical Institute of Innsbruck, Austria) found images of
a comet on both E and O exposures of plate number 1388 obtained during
the National Geographic SocietyPalomar Sky Survey. The O exposure was
12-minutes in duration and began on 1955 April 15.20. At the middle of the
exposure the comets position was given as = 11h 28.7m , = 23 30 . The
E exposure began on April 15.21 and ended after 50 minutes on April 15.25.
Auner, Dengel, and Weinberger estimated the magnitude as 19.5. The O
exposure showed the comet as only a slightly diffuse elongated spot about
6 across, with a very faint tail extending about 1 in about PA 150. The E
470
catalog of comets
exposure showed a somewhat diffuse trail about 0.6 long. They gave the
comets daily motion as 19 3 toward PA 2953.
sources: G. Auner, J. Dengel, and R. Weinberger, IAUC, No. 3481 (1980 Jun. 3).
47P/1955 H1 Recovered: 1955 April 24.44 ( = 2.69 AU, r = 3.23 AU, Elong. = 113)
(Ashbrook Last seen: 1957 February 19.28 ( = 3.02 AU, r = 3.12 AU, Elong. = 85)
Jackson) Closest to the Earth: 1956 November 4 (1.7945 AU)
Calculated path: CrA (Rec), SCO (Jul. 19), CrA (Sep. 11), SGR (Sep. 13), CAP
1956 II = 1955c (Dec. 7), AQR (1956 Feb. 1), PSC (Mar. 30), CET (Apr. 20), PSC (Apr. 23), ARI
(Jun. 5), TAU (Aug. 14), PER (Sep. 21)
Beginning with the orbit calculated for the 1948 apparition by L. E. Cunningham, M. P. Candy and W. E. Beart independently provided predictions
for the 1956 apparition. Candy determined the perihelion date as 1956 April
5.57, while Beart determined it as April 5.60.
April 24.44. He gave the position as = 18h 42.1m , = 37 57 , which
indicated the published predictions required a correction of +0.6 day. Van
Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 17.5, and said the diffuse coma was
5 across, with a central condensation. Van Biesbroeck confirmed the recovery with an identical exposure with the same telescope on April 24.45.
E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) wrote that the comet was
so far south at the time of recovery that observation from the northern
hemisphere was very difficult, and no further observations were reported
by other observers immediately following the recovery.
On May 27, J. A. Bruwer (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa)
gave the magnitude as 13.8. On June 20 and 23, Bruwer estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.0. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation
of 161 on June 25 and then attained its most southerly declination of 42 on
July 1. On July 12, Bruwer estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.0.
On July 22, Bruwer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.8. On September 7, Roemer obtained two 20-minute exposures with the 91-cm Crossley
reflector and said the comet appeared fairly well condensed and about
magnitude 17. She added that seeing was poor owing to the comets low
altitude. On September 21, Roemer obtained 15- and 16-minute exposures
with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the nearly stellar nucleus was
magnitude 17.0. She added that a weak coma was mainly situated on the
northeast side of the nucleus. On October 11, 12, and 13, van Biesbroeck
(McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13.5. He said photographs showed a
well-defined nucleus and a fuzzy tail extending 1 in PA 35.
On 1956 March 1, the comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 3.
On August 7, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet
471
catalog of comets
using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17. He said two
10-minute exposures showed a diffuse coma. On August 9, C. A. Wirtanen
(Lick Observatory) photographed the comet and said it appeared as a small
diffuse object of magnitude 17. On September 7 and 8, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5. He said a 13-minute exposure
showed a diffuse coma exhibiting a short tail extending toward PA 260.
On October 26, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 16.5. He
obtained a 16-minute exposure which showed a stellar nucleus and a faint
tail extending 0.7 in PA 200. E. Roemer (Yerkes Observatory) photographed
the comet at the end of October using the 61-cm reflector and noted it was
near the limit. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +35
on November 11 and then attained a maximum solar elongation of 164 on
November 18. On December 22, Jeffers described the comets photographic
appearance as a small, round, diffuse object of magnitude 17.5.
The comet was last detected on 1957 February 19.28, when Jeffers photographed it with the 91-cm Crossley reflector. A. G. A. Balz Jr. gave the
position as = 3h 23.5m , = +31 22 . Jeffers determined the magnitude
as 18.6 and said the comet appeared nearly stellar. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) tried to photograph the comet on
December 1 using the 102-cm reflector. Even though stars to magnitude 21.0
were visible, there was no trace of the comet. Roemer again photographed
the predicted position of the comet on 1958 February 11, when the comet was
near opposition, but no trace was found. She wrote, It must be concluded
that this comet is now too faint for the 40-inch reflector.
M. A. Merzlyakova (1973), E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya (1979, 1982),
G. Forti (1983, 1989), S. Nakano (1990, 1998, 2006), P. Rocher (2002), and
K. Kinoshita (2003). These considered perturbations from six or more planets, while calculations from 1983 onwards have solved for nongravitational
forces. The result was a perihelion date of April 6.176.18 and a period of
7.487.51 years. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = too small
to be computed and A2 = 0.0119 by Forti (1983), A1 = +0.33 and A2 =
0.0118 by Forti (1989), A1 = +0.058 and A2 = 0.00705 by Nakano (1990),
A1 = 0.014 and A2 = 0.00393 by Nakano (1998), A1 = +0.02671 and
A2 = 0.00346 by Rocher, A1 = +0.09797 and A2 = 0.00434 by Kinoshita,
and A1 = +0.036 and A2 = 0.00369 by Nakano (2006). The orbit of Nakano
T
1956 Apr. 6.1750 (TT)
(2000.0)
349.0930
2.9797
i
12.4991
q
e
2.324516 0.393807

Sep. 20, Oct. 19, Nov. 18, Dec. 17, 1957 Jan. 16, Feb. 14, Mar. 16
472
catalog of comets
sources: M. P. Candy and W. E. Beart, IAUC, No. 1487 (1955 Jan. 13); G. van
Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1295 (1955 Apr. 29); J. A. Bruwer, IAUC, No. 1512 (1955
Aug. 1); E. Roemer, PASP, 67 (1955 Oct.), p. 359; M. P. Candy, BAA Handbook for
1956 (1955 Nov.), p. 48; M. P. Candy, W. E. Beart, G. van Biesbroeck, J. A. Bruwer,
and E. Roemer, MNRAS, 116 (1956), pp. 2223, 2267; J. A. Bruwer, UOC, 6 (1956
May), p. 258; E. Roemer, AJ, 61 (1956 Nov.), pp. 3914; BAA Handbook for 1957
(1956 Nov.), p. 48; E. Roemer, PASP, 69 (1957 Feb.), p. 92; C. A. Wirtanen, H. M.
Jeffers, and G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 1856, 193, 196; BAA Handbook for 1958 (1957 Nov.), p. 56; E. Roemer, PASP, 70 (1958 Feb.), pp. 1223; H. M.
Jeffers, AJ, 63 (1958 Jun.), pp. 2501; E. Roemer, PASP, 70 (1958 Jun.), pp. 3289;
G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 63 (1958 Jul.), pp. 296, 298; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6
(1963 MayJun.), p. 852; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 27, 49; M. A.
Merzlyakova, QJRAS, 14 (1973 Dec.), pp. 4046; E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya,
CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 27, 53; E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, Akademija Nauk
Trudy Instituta Teoreticeskoj Astronomii, 18 (1982), pp. 91106; G. Forti, AAP, 126
(1983), pp. 30710; G. Forti, AAP, 215 (1989), pp. 3812, 384; S. Nakano, Nakano
Note, No. 538 (1990 May 2); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 664 (1998 Apr. 26);
personal correspondence from P. Rocher (2002); personal correspondence from
K. Kinoshita (2003); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 1308 (2006 Apr. 7).
180P/NEAT Discovered: 1955 May 14.22 ( = 1.79 AU, r = 2.71 AU, Elong. = 150)
Calculated path: VIR (Disc) [Did not leave this constellation]
In 2001, while searching for precovery images of the then newly discovered
periodic comet P/2001 K1 (NEAT), R. Stoss (Darmstadt, Germany) found
an unknown cometary trail of about magnitude 18 on two Palomar Observatory Sky Survey images of 1955 May 14. A tail of about 50 in PA 285
was visible and the position on the first plate was given as = 14h 18.7m ,
= +6 23 . Orbital calculations confirmed that this object could indeed be
linked to P/2001 K1. Since it was found on two plates, taken on May 14.22,
and 14.26, respectively, the sense of motion was clear and strengthened the
suggested link. Due to the rather short orbital arc of the 2001 apparition
and the fact that the 1955 data came from only one night, this link was not
announced officially by the Minor Planet Center. It was proposed to wait
for the next apparition in 2008 before giving a final judgement.
In October 2006, Stoss initiated a search for this comet on the basis of
a linked orbit from the 1955 and 2001 data using the 2.5-m Isaac Newton
Telescope at La Palma (Spain). It was finally recovered as P/2006 U3 on
2006 October 23 and 24, by J. L. Ortiz and A. Mora. The proposed identity
with the 1955 object was finally confirmed and the linked orbit by B. G.
Marsden indicated a perihelion date on 1955 December 22.76. Marsdens
T
1954 Dec. 22.7570 (TT)
473
93.0505
(2000.0)
86.3172
i
16.6409
q
e
2.564300 0.345814
catalog of comets
full moon: May 6
sources: B. G. Marsden, IAUC, No. 7629 (2001 May 24); R. Stoss, personal communication to M. Meyer (2003, 2004, 2006); R. Stoss, B. G. Marsden, and D. W. E.
Green, IAUC, No. 8765 (2006 Oct. 24).
36P/Whipple Recovered: 1955 May 25.46 ( = 2.80 AU, r = 2.73 AU, Elong. = 75)
1955 VIII = 1955d Closest to the Earth: 1955 September 26 (1.4851 AU)
Calculated path: PSC (Rec), CET (1956 Jan. 1), PSC (Feb. 2)
The recovery of this comet began with the calculations of C. Dinwoodie
(1954). He took his orbit calculated for the 1949 apparition, applied corrections based on six observations made at Lick Observatory (California,
USA) during 1948, and applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. The
result was a predicted perihelion date of 1955 November 29.89. E. Roemer
(Lick Observatory) recovered this comet on 1955 May 25.46, at a position
of = 23h 06.6m , = +1 28 . She estimated the magnitude as 18, and
described the comet as not quite stellar. Roemer confirmed the recovery
on May 26.46, and found the comets appearance unchanged from the previous day. Roemer wrote that it was almost exactly in the position predicted
by Dinwoodie.
On May 31, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18.5. He said exposures of 20- and 16-minutes showed a small
round coma. On June 26, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 18. He said two 12-minute exposures showed a coma 10 across.
On June 29, Roemer gave the photographic magnitude as 17.3. She described
the comet as not quite stellar. On July 20, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 18. On July 27, C. B. Stephenson (Lick Observatory) gave the photographic magnitude as 16.3. He said the comet appeared
nearly stellar, but with a small surrounding coma.
After having been moving in a northeasterly direction since recovery, the
comet attained a declination of nearly +7 on August 1 and then began
a southerly motion that gradually turned toward the southwest before
months end. On August 29, Roemer obtained 6- and 8-minute exposures
with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the comet appeared fairly well
condensed and about magnitude 16.0. On September 21, Roemer obtained
two 2-minute exposures and said the nearly stellar nucleus was about magnitude 17.0. She added that a 30-minute exposure showed a faint symmetrical coma about 0.4 across. Roemer noted that the comet was faintly visible
in the 91-cm Crossley reflector.
On October 11 and 12, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13. He said the coma was 3 across and contained a round,
centrally situated nucleus 15 across. On the 13th and 14th, van Biesbroeck
474
catalog of comets
estimated the photographic magnitude as 14. On the 19th, van Biesbroeck

estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He said two 5-minute exposures revealed the coma was no longer symmetrical, but extended as a fan
toward PA 70. On October 24, Roemer obtained two 2-minute exposures
with the reflector and said the stellar nucleus was magnitude 16.3. She said
a 15-minute exposure showed a symmetrical, sharply bounded coma about
0.2 across.
The comet made another turn in the sky during late October and early
November, which directed the motion toward the east. It attained its most
southerly declination of 3.5 on November 22 and then resumed its initial northeasterly motion. On November 9, 10, 11, and 12, van Biesbroeck
obtained an 8-minute exposure while using the 208-cm reflector. He said it
revealed a coma 2 across which extended as a broad fan toward PA 50.
There was also a well-defined nucleus 15 across. Van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 16.
said 12- and 16-minute exposures showed the coma extending toward PA
50. There was also a fuzzy nucleus 8 across. On February 1, 4, and 5, van
Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 18. He said 10- and
12-minute exposures revealed the comet as a faint diffuse spot.
The comet was last detected on February 6.06, when van Biesbroeck photographed it with the 61-cm reflector at Yerkes Observatory. He measured
the position as = 1h 14.6m , = +2 53 . Van Biesbroeck said a 16-minute
exposure showed the comet as a faint diffuse spot of about magnitude 18.
1969, 1986), S. Nakano (2000), and P. Rocher (2005). They applied perturbations by at least nine solar system bodies to determine the perihelion date
as November 29.75 and the period as 7.41 years. Marsden (1968) noted a
very slight secular acceleration. The nongravitational terms were given
as A1 = +0.60516 and A2 = 0.062093 by Marsden (1969), A1 = +0.6
and A2 = 0.063 by Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973),
A1 = +0.332 and A2 = 0.05283 by Nakano, and A1 = +0.49054 and
A2 = 0.04709 by Rocher. Nakanos orbit is given below.
T
1955 Nov. 29.7479 (TT)
(2000.0)
190.4419 189.2175
i
10.2442
q
e
2.449713 0.355619

full moon: May 6, Jun. 5, Jul. 5, Aug. 3, Sep. 2, Oct. 1, Oct. 31, Nov. 29, Dec. 29,
1956 Jan. 27, Feb. 26
sources: C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for 1955 (1954 Nov.), pp. 489; E. Roemer,
IAUC, No. 1500 (1955 May 28); E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1307 (1955 Jul. 20);
E. Roemer, PASP, 67 (1955 Oct.), p. 359; E. Roemer and C. B. Stephenson, AJ,
61 (1956 Nov.), pp. 3812, 3914; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 193,
475
catalog of comets
196; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73
p. 213; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116; S. Nakano, Nakano Note,
No. 711 (2000 May 12); personal correspondence from P. Rocher (2005).
(Mrkos) Last seen: 1956 April 17.4 ( = 3.68 AU, r = 4.60 AU, Elong. = 152)
1955 III = 1955e Calculated path: PER (Disc), AUR (Jun. 13), CAM (Jun. 22), LYN (Jun. 23),
CAM (Jun. 27), UMa (Jul. 1), CVn (Jul. 23), COM (Aug. 6), BOO (Aug. 22),
VIR (Sep. 21), LIB (Oct. 22), SER (Nov. 5), LIB (Nov. 10), SCO (1956 Jan. 7),
LIB (Mar. 16)
A. Mrkos (Lomnicky Stit, Slovakia) discovered this comet during a routine
search for comets with 25 100 binoculars on 1955 June 12.87, at a position
of = 4h 42.0m , = +44 12 . He said it was a naked-eye object with a
tail greater than 1 long. A few minutes later, a more precise position was
obtained at that observatory and the daily motion was determined as 48s
in and +2 40 in . The magnitude was estimated as 6, and the comet was
described as diffuse, with a condensation and a tail greater than 1 long.
The comet was found about a week past perihelion and about two weeks
prior to passing closest to Earth.
On June 14, H. M. Jeffers, C. E. Worley, and E. Roemer (Lick Observatory,
California, USA) observed the comet using binoculars and a 30-cm refractor
and estimated the magnitude as 4 and the tail length as 2. On the 14th and
15th, L. Kresak and M. Kresakova (Skalnate Pleso Observatory) estimated
the magnitude as 5. They said the comet was diffuse, with a condensation
and a tail greater than 1 long. On June 15, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) estimated the magnitude as 6. He said a 1-minute
exposure using the 61-cm reflector revealed that the comet was round, diffuse, and 80 across, with a diffuse nucleus. He added that the tail extended
more than 1 in PA 345, with several lateral streamers extending between
PA 310 and PA 355.
On June 16, the magnitude was given as 4.5 by M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany), 5.5 by G. Merton (University Observatory,
Oxford, England), and 6 by S. Laustsen and E. V. Petersen (Copenhagen,
Denmark), and van Biesbroeck. Beyer observed the comet using a 26-cm
refractor and said the coma was about 5 across, and the tail extended 1 in
PA 348. Merton observed the comet in a bright not very transparent sky
and noted a coma 4 across, with a sharply condensed, bright center. He
added that, in the 5-cm finder, the tail extended about 0.5 toward PA 340.
Laustsen and Petersen described the comet as diffuse, with a condensation.
Van Biesbroeck said two 1-minute exposures showed the comet was round,
476
catalog of comets
diffuse, and 80 across, with a diffuse nucleus. He added that the tail
extended more than 1 in PA 345, with several lateral streamers extending
between PA 310 and PA 355. W. Malsch (Karlsruhe, Germany) observed
the comet with an 8-cm refractor (28) and described it as a weak nebulosity
which was very uncertain to measure.
On June 16 and 17, Roemer said a 15-minute exposure with the 51-cm
Carnegie astrograph showed a coma 4 across and a slender tail extending
nearly 1 in PA 345. On the 17th, the visual magnitude was given as 4.78 by
Beyer and 5 by L. Pajdusakova (Skalnate Pleso Observatory), while J. Bouska
(Prague, Czech Republic) examined a photograph exposed using the 50-cm
Schmidt telescope at Sonneberg (Germany) and estimated the magnitude
as 6.0. Beyer said the coma was about 4 across, the nuclear magnitude was
9.1, and the tail extended 1 in PA 350. Bouska said a photograph showed
the tail was 84 long. Malsch said the comet exhibited a weak tail extending
towards PA 340. On the 18th, the magnitude was given as 4.794.83 by Beyer
and 5.7 by A. K. Wroblewski
(Warszawa, Poland). Beyer said the coma was

3.8 across, the nuclear magnitude was about 8.0, and the tail extended 1
in PA 355. Bouska said a photograph showed the tail was 68 long. On the
19th, Wroblewski
gave the magnitude as 5.7. On June 20, Malsch observed

the comet using an 8-cm refractor (28) and estimated the magnitude as
5.5. He said the comet appeared round, with a weak tail extending towards
PA 360.
On June 21, van Biesbroeck said a 30-second exposure showed the coma
was 4 across, while the main tail extended more than 1 toward PA 355.
He added that the tail consisted of a bundle of numerous filaments. On
the 22nd, the magnitude was given as 5.21 by Beyer and 6.3 by Wroblewski.
Beyer said the coma was about 5 across, and the tail extended 20 in PA 2.
On the 23rd, the visual magnitude was given as 5.8 by van Biesbroeck and
6.5 by Wroblewski,
while S. Vasilevskis (Lick Observatory) photographed

the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and gave the magnitude as
5.5. Vasilevskis said a 1-minute exposure showed a round coma 1 across,
with strong central condensation. On the 24th, the visual magnitude was
given as 5.9 by van Biesbroeck and 6.5 by Wroblewski,
while Bouska said

a photograph obtained at Sonneberg revealed a magnitude of 5.9 and a tail
length of 54 . On the 25th, Beyer said the coma was about 5 across, and a
short tail extended towards PA 10. On the 26th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 5.85, while S. J. V. Arend (Uccle, Belgium) gave the photographic
magnitude as 6.0 and T. Mitani (Kwasan Observatory, Kyoto, Japan) gave it
as 6.8. Beyer said the coma was 3.6 across, the nuclear magnitude was 9.6,
and the tail extended 1 in PA 8. On the 27th, the magnitude was given as
6.08 by Beyer and 6.3 by Wroblewski.
Beyer said the coma was 4.6 across, the

nuclear magnitude was 8.3, and the tail extended 30 in PA 11. On the 28th,
the magnitude was given as 6.1 by van Biesbroeck and 6.5 by Wroblewski.
Van Biesbroeck said a photograph showed a narrow tail extending over 1

in PA 15, with several faint lateral streamers. On the 29th, Wroblewski
gave
477
catalog of comets
the magnitude as 6.6. On June 30, D. P. Elias (National Observatory, Athens,

Greece) gave the magnitude as 7.0.
On July 1, the comet attained its most northerly declination of +61.
The magnitude was then given as 6.37 by Beyer, 7.4 by Elias, and 7.6 by
G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory). Beyer said the coma was 4.0
across, the nuclear magnitude was about 10.5, and the tail extended 20
PA 26. On the 4th, the magnitude was given as 6.5 by Malsch and 7.4 by
Elias. Malsch described the comet as round and diffuse. On the 5th, Elias
He said the coma was about 5 across, the nuclear magnitude was 10.5,
and the tail extended 10 in PA 34. On the 7th, the visual magnitude was
given as 8.0 by Elias, while the photographic magnitude was given as 6
by Vasilevskis. Vasilevskis said a 1-minute exposure showed a round coma
1 across with a sharp condensation. On the 8th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.85. He said the coma was 4.4 across, the nuclear magnitude was
about 11, and the tail extended 30 in PA 52. On the 9th, the magnitude
was given as 6.91 by Beyer and 8.2 by Elias. Beyer said the coma was 6.0
across, the nuclear magnitude was about 11, and the tail extended 15 in PA
56. On July 10th, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 7.0. He said a
40-second exposure using the 61-cm reflector showed a slender tail extending 1.2 in PA 50.
On July 11, the magnitude was given as 7.1 by van Biesbroeck and 8.2
by Elias. Van Biesbroeck said the tail extended 1 in PA 60. On the 12th,
Elias gave the magnitude as 8.7. On the 13th, the visual magnitude was
given as 7.3 by van Biesbroeck, while the photographic magnitude was
estimated as 7.0 by Bouska. Bouska said a photograph showed the tail
was 70 long. On the 14th, the magnitude was given as 7.2 by Wroblewski
and 7.8 by van Biesbroeck. On the 15th, the visual magnitude was given as
7.3 by Wroblewski,
while the photographic magnitude was estimated as 7.0

by Bouska. Bouska said a photograph showed the tail was 68 long. On the
16th, Malsch gave the magnitude as 8.2 using an 8-cm refractor (28). He
described the comet as round and diffuse, without a tail. Bouska examined
a photograph obtained using the 50-cm Schmidt telescope at Sonneberg and
gave the magnitude as 7.2. He said a photograph showed the tail was 64
long. On the 17th, the visual magnitude was given as 7.4 by Wroblewski
and 8.5 by Malsch, while the photographic magnitude was estimated as 7.0
by Bouska. Malsch described the comet as round and diffuse, without a tail.
Bouska said a photograph showed the tail was 58 long. On the 18th, Elias
gave the magnitude as 8.7. Roemer obtained 0.3- and 0.5-minute exposures
with the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and estimated the magnitude as 13.5.
She added that there was a fairly sharp nucleus. Roemer said a 58-minute
exposure showed a narrow tail extending 20 in PA 75, as well as a short,
broad tail in PA 045. On the 19th, the magnitude was given as 8.2 by
478
catalog of comets
van Biesbroeck and 9.5 by Elias. Van Biesbroeck said a 30-second exposure
showed a tail extending 20 in PA 85. On July 20, Wroblewski
gave the
magnitude as 6.6.
On July 21, Wroblewski
gave the magnitude as 6.6. On the 26th, van

Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 8.0, using the 61-cm reflector in
moonlight. On July 30, Roemer obtained 0.7- and 0.4-minute exposures with
the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13. She said
the coma was 0.5 across and contained a well-condensed nucleus. Roemer
noted that the comet was visible in the 4-inch finder in spite of moonlight.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 55 on August 1. On
the 9th, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 10. On the 13th, C. B.
Stephenson (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet using the 91-cm
Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 12, while van Biesbroeck
photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 10.4. Stephenson said a 10-minute exposure showed a round coma
about 2 across, which contained a well-condensed nucleus of magnitude
14. Van Biesbroeck said a 1-minute exposure showed a faint tail extending
over 8 in PA 88. On the 18th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10.8. On August 21, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 11.
as 15. He said an 8-minute exposure showed an extremely diffuse coma.
On the 7th and 8th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 16. He said a 10-minute exposure showed a very diffuse coma 10
across. On September 8, Roemer obtained two 5-minute exposures with the
91-cm Crossley reflector and described the comet as rather diffuse with a
magnitude of about 18. The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of
14 on November 12.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of 11 on 1956 March
13. It was possibly last detected on April 17.4, when Jeffers found it on a 30minute exposure. He described it as condensed and magnitude 17.5. Jeffers
added that the plates [were] unmeasurable at this time due to the lack of
reference star coordinates. According to E. Roemer, An attempt was made
to observe the comet again this spring at Lick on the basis of ephemerides
supplied by G. Merton, but it is not certain that the comet was recorded.
Bouska photographed the spectrum of this comet on July 16 using the
14-cm astrograph. He reported the detection of diatomic carbon, triatomic
carbon, cyanogen, methylidyne, and sodium. Bouska also reported the possible detection of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham and was
published on June 20. He gave the perihelion date as 1955 June 4.40. About
a week later, Kresak took positions from June 14, 15, and 17, and determined
the perihelion date as June 4.45.
The first elliptical orbit was calculated by I. Hasegawa (1956). He took
81 positions obtained during the period June 14July 27 and reduced them
479
catalog of comets
to five Normal places. The result was a perihelion date of June 4.19 and a
G. Merton (1956) took eight positions obtained at Lick Observatory that
spanned the period June 16September 8, but did not apply planetary perturbations. The result was an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of June
B. G. Marsden (1974, 1978) took 74 positions spanning the period June 14
September 8 and applied perturbations by all nine planets. The result was
a perihelion date of June 4.17 and a period of 356 years. This orbit is given
below. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart (1978) found the original and
future orbits to be elliptical with periods of about 353 years and about 332
years, respectively.
M. Marinkovic (1978) took 120 positions, reduced them to 11 Normal
positions, and applied perturbations by Venus, Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn.
The result was a perihelion date of June 4.17 and a period of 356.0 years.
T
1955 Jun. 4.1669 (TT)
32.5143
(2000.0)
48.9416
i
86.5016
q
e
0.534419 0.989361
absolute magnitude: H0 = 7.033, n = 3.21 (Vanysek and Hruska, 1956);

H0 = 6.85, n = 5.21 (Beyer, 1958); H0 = 6.80, n = 2.69 (Bouska, 1958); H10 = 6.6
full moon: Jun. 5, Jul. 5, Aug. 3, Sep. 2, Oct. 1, Oct. 31, Nov. 29, Dec. 29, 1956
Jan. 27, Feb. 26, Mar. 26, Apr. 25
sources: A. Mrkos, IAUC, No. 1502 (1955 Jun. 13); A. Mrkos, HAC, No. 1299
(1955 Jun. 15); G. Merton, BAAC, No. 363 (1955 Jun. 16); L. Kresak and
M. Kresakova, HAC, No. 1300 (1955 Jun. 16); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No.
1301 (1955 Jun. 17); S. Laustsen, E. V. Petersen, and L. E. Cunningham, HAC,
No. 1302 (1955 Jun. 20); L. Kresak, M. Kresakova, Petersen, S. Laustsen, and
L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1503 (1955 Jun. 20); L. Kresak, M. Kresakova, and
L. Pajdusakova, IAUC, No. 1504 (1955 Jun. 29); S. J. V. Arend, IAUC, No. 1505
(1955 Jul. 6); T. Mitani, IAUC, No. 1514 (1955 Aug. 12); A. K. Wroblewski,
IAUC,
No. 1516 (1955 Aug. 25); G. Adamopoulos and D. P. Elias, IAUC, No. 1517 (1955
Sep. 1); H. M. Jeffers, C. E. Worley, and E. Roemer, PASP, 67 (1955 Oct.), p. 360;
V. Vanysek and A. Hruska, BAICz, 7 (1956), pp. 13941; G. Merton, MNRAS, 116
(1956), pp. 2267; W. Malsch, AN, 283 (1956 Mar. 29), pp. 3940; I. Hasegawa,
IAUC, No. 1551 (1956 Apr. 24); E. Roemer, PASP, 68 (1956 Aug.), pp. 3712;
E. Roemer, S. Vasilevskis, and C. B. Stephenson, AJ, 61 (1956 Nov.), pp. 3812,
3934; H. M. Jeffers and G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 1856, 193,
196; M. Beyer, AN, 284 (1958 May 9), pp. 1268; J. Bouska, AN, 284 (1958 Sep. 4),
pp. 1613; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851; L. Kresak and
M. Kresakova, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 120; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 15 (1974), pp. 454
5; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68;
M. Marinkovic, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 523, 57.
(Bakharev Last seen: 1955 November 25.17 ( = 1.96 AU, r = 2.34 AU, Elong. = 99)
480
catalog of comets
MacfarlaneKrienke) Closest to the Earth: 1955 July 16 (0.6585 AU)

Calculated path: PEG (Disc), LAC (Jul. 24), CYG (Aug. 4), CEP (Aug. 13), CYG
1955 IV = 1955f (Aug. 27), CEP (Aug. 28), DRA (Sep. 5), CYG (Oct. 13), CEP (Nov. 12)
A. M. Bakharev (Stalinabad, now Dushanbe, Tajikistan) discovered this
comet on 1955 July 13.81, at a position of = 22h 50.7m , = +20 25 .
a condensation. The daily motion was given as 2m 24s in and +1 36 in
. An independent discovery was made by L. Macfarlane and K. Krienke
(Seattle, Washington, USA) on July 14.29. They estimated the magnitude
as 8 and described the comet as diffuse, with a condensation. The comet
was found about 2 days after passing perihelion and about 3 days prior to
passing closest to Earth.
On July 15, S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij (Kiev, Ukraine) estimated the visual magnitude as 8, while G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory, Athens, Greece)
gave the photographic magnitude as 8.4. During the period July 1621,
T. Mitani (Kwasan Observatory, Kyoto, Japan) estimated the photographic
magnitude as 8. On the 16th, the magnitude was given as 7.8 by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA), 7.9 by Adamopoulos, and
8 by A. Purgathofer (University Observatory, Vienna, Austria). Van Biesbroeck said the coma was 5 across and contained a sharp nucleus. There was
also a narrow tail that extended 8 in PA 230, then bent and extended toward
PA 223 for another 50 , with gradual broadening along the way. Purgathofer said the comet was diffuse, with a condensation. On the 17th, 18th, and
19th, E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) obtained short exposures with the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and said the comet appeared well
condensed and about magnitude 13.5. She said longer exposures showed a
symmetrical coma 2.5 across, containing a nucleus and exhibiting a narrow
tail extending about 20 in PA 310. Roemer visually observed the comet
with a 10-cm finder and said it appeared diffuse and 5 across. On the 18th,
the magnitude was estimated as 8 by L. Kresak (Skalnate Pleso Observatory,
Slovakia) and Purgathofer. Purgathofer said the comet was diffuse, with a
condensation. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 116 on
July 19. That same night, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.0. He said
a 30-second exposure showed a tail extending 45 in PA 215. On July 20,
van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.8. H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory)
visually observed with the 91-cm refractor and described the comet as 3
across. He added that the well-condensed center contained a stellar nucleus
of magnitude 15.
On July 21, W. Malsch (Karlsruhe, Germany) observed the comet using an
8-cm refractor (28) and gave the magnitude as 8.3, while D. Y. Martynov
(Engelhardt Observatory, Kazan, Russia) estimated the photographic magnitude as 8. Malsch described the comet as round and diffuse, without a tail.
Roemer obtained 0.7- and 1.0-minute exposures with the 51-cm Carnegie
astrograph and said the comet was about magnitude 14.0. She said the
481
catalog of comets
nucleus was not quite so sharp as before, though the seeing was good.
On the 21st and 22nd, Kresak estimated the photographic magnitude as
8. On the 22nd, C. B. Stephenson (Lick Observatory) obtained a 10-minute
exposure with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the round coma was 10
across, with a sharply condensed center. Stephenson added that a very faint
tail extended at leat 30 toward the southwest. On the 24th, Malsch gave the
magnitude as 8.5. He described the comet as a weak elliptical nebulosity,
without a tail. On the 25th, Malsch described the comet as a weak elliptical
nebulosity, without a tail. On the 29th, S. Vasilevskis (Lick Observatory)
observed using the 91-cm refractor and estimated the magnitude as 9.5. He
said the coma was 3 across and contained a stellar nucleus of magnitude
13. On July 30, Roemer obtained two 0.5-minute exposures with the 91-cm
Crossley reflector and said the nearly stellar nucleus was about magnitude
12. She added that the coma was slightly unsymmetrical and about 1
across. Roemer noted that the comet was easily detected in the 10-cm finder
in spite of moonlight.
On August 7, 8, and 9, van Biesbroeck said exposures of 30 seconds with
the 61-cm reflector showed a sharp nucleus well visible in moonlight. On
the 11th, van Biesbroeck said a 30-second exposure with the 61-cm reflector showed a coma 5 across and a slender tail extending toward PA 190.
On the 12th, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 8.5. He said a
30-second exposure showed a tail extending 40 in PA 185. On the 13th,
van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 9.0. He said a 30-second exposure showed a coma 7 across and a tail extending 30 in PA 185. On the
16th, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 8.0. On the 17th, M. Beyer
(Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) gave the magnitude as 8.48
using the 10-cm comet seeker. He said the 26-cm refractor revealed a coma
8.0 across and a nucleus of about magnitude 12.5. On the 18th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.4. On the 20th, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 10.2. On the 24th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 8.59,
while van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 10.5. Beyer
said the 26-cm refractor revealed a coma 5.7 across and a nucleus of about
magnitude 12.5. Van Biesbroeck said a 1-minute exposure showed a coma 4
across and a short tail extending toward PA 170. On the 25th, Stephenson
obtained a 20-minute exposure with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and found
a round coma 6 across, with a strong central condensation. On August 30,
Roemer obtained 6- and 8-minute exposures with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the stellar nucleus was about magnitude 14.5. She added that
the nearly symmetrical coma was 0.8 across.
On September 6, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.06. Using the 26-cm refractor he noted a coma 4.8 across and a nucleus of about magnitude 12.5. On
the 7th, Roemer obtained two 0.3-minute exposures with the 91-cm Crossley
reflector and said the magnitude was about 15.0. She added that a 5-minute
exposure showed a stellar nucleus surrounded by a symmetrical coma 0.6
across. On the 7th and 13th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
482
catalog of comets
magnitude as 11. He said a 3-minute exposure showed a coma 1 across,

with a sharp nucleus. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.50. He
said the 26-cm refractor revealed a coma 5.5 across and a nucleus of about
magnitude 13.0. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +62
on September 11. On September 13, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.45.
He said the refractor revealed a coma 6.9 across and a nucleus of about
magnitude 13.0.
On September 17, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.25. He said the refractor
revealed a coma 4.8 across and a nucleus of about magnitude 13.3. On the
18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.22. He said the refractor revealed a coma
5.8 across and a nucleus of about magnitude 13.4. On the 19th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 9.17. He said the refractor revealed a coma 7.7 across and
a nucleus of about magnitude 13.5. On the 20th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 9.07. He said the refractor revealed a coma 7.3 across and a nucleus of
about magnitude 13.2. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.92. On
the 23rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.15. He said the refractor revealed
a coma 4.9 across and a nucleus of about magnitude 13.6. On September
26, in bright moonlight, Roemer said the comet was an easy visual object
with the [91-cm] Crossley reflector, but it could not be seen in the 4-inch
finder. She obtained two 1-minute exposures with the reflector and said
the nearly stellar nucleus was about magnitude 15.5. She added that the
faint coma was 0.3 across and was primarily situated on the southeast side
of the nucleus.
On October 6, Beyer said the 10-cm comet seeker revealed a magnitude of
9.87, while the 26-cm refractor revealed a coma 5.5 across. On the 11th and
13th, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed
said a 1-minute exposure showed a very faint coma, with a nearly stellar
nucleus. On the 15th, Beyer observed the comet using the 26-cm refractor
and gave the magnitude as 11.15. He gave the coma diameter as 4.3 . On the
17th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.45 and the coma diameter as 3.6 . On
the 18th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.55 and said the coma diameter was
3.6 . The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 101 on October 21,
at which time Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.44. He said the coma was 3.7
across. On the 24th, Roemer obtained a 5-minute exposure with the 91-cm
Crossley reflector and said the stellar nucleus was about magnitude 16.0.
She added that the faint coma was 0.4 across and mainly situated on the
east side of the nucleus. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of
101 on October 26.
On November 9, 10, 11, and 12, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 14. He said a 6-minute exposure showed a fuzzy nucleus and
a tail extending 1.5 in PA 95. On the 11th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
12.82 and the coma diameter as 2.4 . On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.04 and the coma diameter as 3.2 . On the 14th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 12.24 and the coma diameter as 3.5 . On the 16th, Beyer
483
catalog of comets
gave the magnitude as 12.44 and the coma diameter as 3 . On the 17th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.47 and the coma diameter as 3 . On the
20th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.64 and the coma diameter as 2.4 . On
November 23, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.09 and the coma diameter
as 1.6 .
The last two detections of the comet came on November 25.16 and November 25.17, when Roemer obtained two 10-minute exposures with the 91-cm
Crossley reflector. She gave the comets position on the latter date as =
21h 06.4m , = +56 28 . Roemer said the stellar nucleus was about magnitude 17 and was surrounded by a faint coma 0.2 across. Roemer and
H. M. Jeffers failed to locate the comet during 1956 February and March on
long-exposure plates obtained using the 91-cm reflector.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham. First published on July 21, it gave the perihelion date as 1955 July 11.37. Less than
2 weeks later, Kresak determined the perihelion date as July 11.99.
Using 12 positions spanning the period July 1429, A. D. Dubiago calculated a hyperbolic orbit. First published on September 6, it gave the perihelion date as July 11.54 and the eccentricity as 1.002788.
I. van Houten-Groeneveld (1963) took 196 positions obtained during the
period 1955 July 14November 25, reduced them to 17 Normal places, and
applied perturbations by eight planets. The result was an elliptical orbit
with a perihelion date of July 11.54 and a period of about 3785 years. This
orbit is given below. Van Houten-Groeneveld also determined the original
orbit to have been elliptical, with a period of about 3480 years.
T
1955 Jul. 11.5421 (UT)
13.2170
(2000.0)
303.4654
i
50.0330
q
e
1.427445 0.994123
full moon: Jul. 5, Aug. 3, Sep. 2, Oct. 1, Oct. 31, Nov. 29
sources: A. M. Bakharev, IAUC, No. 1507 (1955 Jul. 16); A. M. Bakharev, L. Macfarlane, and K. Krienke, HAC, No. 1305 (1955 Jul. 18); G. van Biesbroeck and
A. Purgathofer, HAC, No. 1306 (1955 Jul. 18); L. Macfarlane and K. Krienke,
IAUC, No. 1508 (1955 Jul. 18); A. Purgathofer, HAC, No. 1307 (1955 Jul. 20); G.
Adamopoulos and A. Purgathofer, IAUC, No. 1509 (1955 Jul. 20); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1308 (1955 Jul. 21); L. Kresak and L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No.
1510 (1955 Jul. 22); L. Kresak, S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, and D. Y. Martynov, IAUC,
No. 1512 (1955 Aug. 1); T. Mitani, IAUC, No. 1514 (1955 Aug. 12); A. D. Dubiago, IAUC, No. 1519 (1955 Sep. 6); G. Adamopoulos, IAUC, No. 1524 (1955 Oct.
1); E. Roemer, PASP, 67 (1955 Dec.), p. 424; W. Malsch, AN, 283 (1956 Mar. 29),
pp. 3940; H. M. Jeffers and E. Roemer, PASP, 68 (1956 Jun.), p. 279; H. M. Jeffers,
C. B. Stephenson, S. Vasilevskis, and E. Roemer, AJ, 61 (1956 Nov.), pp. 3812,
3914; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 193, 196; M. Beyer, AN, 284
(1959 Feb. 6), pp. 2413; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851;
I. van Houten-Groeneveld, BAN, 17 (1963 Dec.), pp. 2307.
484
catalog of comets
(Honda) Last seen: 1955 November 20.73 ( = 2.46 AU, r = 2.00 AU, Elong. = 51)
1955 V = 1955g Calculated path: ORI (Disc), TAU (Aug. 9), AUR (Aug. 12), CAM (Aug. 17),
DRACAM (Aug. 21), UMi (Aug. 23), DRA (Aug. 26), HER (Sep. 1), CrB
(Sep. 12), HER (Oct. 2)
M. Honda (Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan) discovered this comet on 1955 July
29.79, at a position of = 4h 49.2m , = 2 33 . He estimated the magnitude as 8, and described the comet as diffuse, with a condensation. A
confirmation came from Kwasan Observatory (Japan) on July 29.8, with the
comet being described as a diffuse, centrally condensed object of magnitude 8. Additional confirmations came from S. Kanda (Yugawara, Japan) on
July 30.77 and T. Mitani (Kwasan Observatory) on July 30.78. Kanda estimated the magnitude as 7, while Mitani gave it as 8.2. The comet was found
less than a week prior to passing perihelion and about 3 weeks prior to its
passing closest to Earth.
The comet headed very rapidly northward. On August 1, Mitani gave
the magnitude as 6.9. He noted a stellar nucleus, a coma 4 across, and a
tail more than 12 long. On August 2, R. Rach (Lick Observatory, California,
USA) photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and
estimated the magnitude as 6. He described the comet as round, about 1
across, with a strong central condensation. On the 3rd, Mitani gave the
photographic magnitude as 6.0. On the 3rd and 4th, S. Vasilevskis (Lick
Observatory) photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph
and estimated the magnitude as 6. He described the comet as round, about
1 across, with a strong central condensation. On the 7th and 8th, G. van
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) said a 30-second exposure
with the 61-cm reflector in moonlight showed a large coma and a sharp
nucleus. On the 8th, Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as 7. On
the 9th, G. E. D. Alcock (Peterborough, Northamptonshire, England) gave
the magnitude as 7.1. He said the coma was globular and 7 across, with
a strongly condensed center, while a diffuse tail was suspected toward PA
270. On the 10th and 12th, Mitani estimated the photographic magnitude as
6. On the 11th, van Biesbroeck observed the comet using an 8-cm finder and
gave the magnitude as 5.6. On the 12th and 14th, van Biesbroeck estimated
the magnitude as 6 in moonlight. He said a 30-second exposure showed a
narrow tail extending over 1 toward PA 270. He added that there was also
material filling the region between PA 180 and PA 270. On the 13th, the
magnitude was given as 6 by E. V. Petersen (Copenhagen, Denmark) and
Mitani. On the 14th, the magnitude was given as 6 by van Biesbroeck and 7
by Mitani. Van Biesbroeck said a 30-second exposure showed a narrow tail
extending over 1 toward PA 270. He said there was also material filling
the region between PA 180 and PA 270. On August 15, Mitani estimated
the magnitude as 6.
485
catalog of comets
On August 16, the magnitude was given as 6 by Mitani and 6.3 by van Biesbroeck. On the 17th, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany)
gave the magnitude as 5.73 using 50-mm binoculars. He said the coma was
8.3 across. On the 18th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 6.1. On the
19th, van Biesbroeck gave the visual magnitude as 5.4, while Vasilevskis
estimated the photographic magnitude as 7. Vasilevskis said the comet was
round and centrally condensed, but smaller than on August 4. On the 20th,
D. P. Elias (National Observatory, Athens, Greece) gave the magnitude as
8.7. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +80 on August
21. The magnitude was then given as 5.82 by Beyer, 6.5 by van Biesbroeck,
and 8.1 by Elias. Beyer said the coma was 6 across and noted a tail extending 0.7 toward PA 358. He noted a fan-shaped tail spanning the region
from PA 305 to PA 8, which was brightest toward PA 358. Van Biesbroeck
said a 12-minute exposure showed a coma 10 across, with a fuzzy nucleus.
He added that a faint narrow tail extended 30 in PA 330, while the area
between PA 270 and PA 330 was filled with a broad stream of material
extending to 15 from the nucleus. On the 24th, Beyer saw the comet using
the naked eye and gave the magnitude as 6.15 using 27-mm opera glasses.
He said the coma was 7.4 across, the nucleus was about magnitude 12.3,
and the tail extended 0.8 toward PA 59. On August 30, Petersen estimated
the magnitude as 8.
F. D. Miller and W. Liller (University of Michigan Observatory, Ann Arbor,
Michigan, USA) obtained photographs with the Curtis Schmidt telescope
on August 16, 19, and 20 and said, the head is conspicuously elongated
along an axis normal to the projected heliocentric radius vector. Similar
elongations of the images of the head on the spectrograms demonstrate
that this is a phenomenon of the common gaseous constituents.
On September 3 and 4, J. Schubart (Sonneberg, Germany) estimated the
magnitude as 5. On the 4th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.7, using a 27-mm
opera glass, while A. K. Wroblewski
(Warszawa, Poland) gave the magnitude as 5.9, using a 7 45 monocular. Beyer noted the coma was 10 across.
On the 5th, Wroblewski
gave the magnitude as 6.6. On the 6th, the magnitude was given as 5.75 by Beyer, using 50-mm binoculars, while van Biesbroeck gave it as 6.0. Beyer estimated the coma as 10.8 across and noted a
tail extending 1.0 toward PA 92. On the 7th, the magnitude was given as
6.3 by van Biesbroeck and 6.5 by Petersen. On the 8th, the magnitude was
given as 7.3 by Wroblewski,
using a 7 45 monocular, and 8.1 by W. Malsch

(Karlsruhe, Germany), using an 8-cm refractor. Malsch said the comet was
somewhat elliptical with the major axis pointing towards PA 270, but there
was no tail. On the 9th, the magnitude was given as 6.55 by Beyer, using
50-mm binoculars, 7.0 by Wroblewski,
and 7.6 by Elias. Beyer estimated the

coma as 6.1 across, the nuclear magnitude as 11.5, and said the tail extended
0.8 toward PA 89. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 7.0,
while Elias gave it as 7.8. On the 11th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.83.
On the 12th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.3. He said a diffuse
486
catalog of comets
companion was vaguely visible. On September 13, the magnitude was

given as 7.48 by Beyer and 7.6 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer estimated the coma
as 9.7 across, the nuclear magnitude as 13.0, and said the tail extended 0.8
toward PA 93. Van Biesbroeck said a diffuse companion was 1.5 magnitudes
fainter than the main nucleus and situated 10 away in PA 70.
On September 17, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.64, using a 10-cm comet
seeker. He estimated the coma as 9.0 across, the nuclear magnitude as 13.0,
and said the tail extended 0.4 toward PA 86. On the 18th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 8.20. He estimated the coma as 8.8 across, the nuclear
magnitude as 12.5, and said the tail extended 0.6 toward PA 91. On the
19th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.617.64. He estimated the coma as
7.6 across and said the tail extended 0.4 toward PA 91. On the 20th, the
magnitude was given as 7.19 by Beyer and 8.5 by Petersen. Beyer estimated
the coma as 7.0 across and said the tail extended 0.4 toward PA 93. On the
21st, the magnitude was given as 7.18 by Beyer, using 50-mm binoculars,
and 8.6 by Wroblewski,
using 20 60 binoculars. Beyer estimated the coma

as 7.6 across, the nuclear magnitude as 12.5, and said the tail extended
0.4 toward PA 95. Roemer said the nucleus was divided into two equal
components separated by 5 in PA 300. On the 22nd, the magnitude was
given as 7.32 by Beyer, using a 10-cm comet seeker, and 8.7 by Wroblewski,
using 20 60 binoculars. Beyer estimated the coma as 7 across. On the 23rd,

Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.46. He estimated the coma as 8.3 across and
said the tail extended 0.4 toward PA 92. On the 25th, Wroblewski
gave
the magnitude as 8.2. On the 27th, the magnitude was given as 8.50 by
Beyer and 8.6 by Wroblewski.
Beyer estimated the coma as 5.6 across. On

the 28th, the visual magnitude was given as 8.60 by Beyer and 9.4 by van
Biesbroeck, while the photographic magnitude was given as 10 by Petersen.
Van Biesbroeck said a diffuse companion was 1.5 magnitudes fainter than
the main nucleus. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 157
on September 29.
On October 4, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.84 using a 10-cm comet
seeker. He estimated the coma as 4.7 across and the nuclear magnitude
as 12. On the 6th, Beyer visually observed the comet using a 10-cm comet
seeker and gave the magnitude as 9.05, while van Biesbroeck (McDonald
Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 12. Beyer estimated the coma as 4.5 across, the
nuclear magnitude as 13.5, and said the tail extended 0.3 toward PA 84.
Van Biesbroeck noted that a diffuse companion was 1.5 magnitudes fainter
than the main nucleus and situated 6.2 away in PA 98. On the 7th, van
Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 9.5. He said there was
no definite companion but coma elongated in 95. On the 10th, the visual
magnitude was given as 9.72 by Beyer, while the photographic magnitude
was estimated as 11 by van Biesbroeck and 12 by Petersen. Van Biesbroeck
said the coma was elongated toward PA 96. Beyer estimated the coma
as 5.3 across and said the tail extended 0.2 toward PA 93. On the 11th,
487
catalog of comets
van Biesbroeck said a 30-second exposure with the 208-cm reflector showed
a diffuse tail extending 10 in PA 80. On the 13th, van Biesbroeck estimated
the photographic magnitude as 12. On the 17th, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 9.78. He estimated the coma as 4.0 across and noted a short tail toward
about PA 99. On the 19th, van Biesbroeck said a 1-minute exposure with the
208-cm reflector showed a tail extending 5 in PA 70. On October 21, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 10.53, using a 10-cm comet seeker, and estimated the
coma as 4.0 across.
The comet attained a declination of +28 on November 11 and then began
a northerly movement. Beyer then observed using the 26-cm refractor and
estimated the magnitude as 13.0. On the 11th, 12th, and 13th, van Biesbroeck
estimated the photographic magnitude as 16. He said a 4-minute exposure
showed a diffuse nucleus and a tail extending 2 in PA 70. On the 13th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.59. He said the coma was 2.5 across. On
across. On the 16th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.43 and said the coma
was 3.1 across. On November 17, Beyer estimated the magnitude as 12.50.
The comet was last detected on November 20.73, when Beyer observed it
using the 26-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as 12.88. He added that
the coma was 2.3 across. H. M. Jeffers and E. Roemer (Lick Observatory,
California, USA) failed to locate the comet during 1956 February and March
on long-exposure plates obtained using the 91-cm Crossley reflector.
The first orbit was calculated by L. E. Cunningham, using positions spanning the period August 24. It was published on August 5 and gave the
perihelion date as 1955 August 3.99. A very similar orbit was published on
September 2 by I. Hasegawa.
Two definitive orbits were published in 1978. B. G. Marsden took 102 positions spanning the period July 30November 12 and applied perturbations
by all nine planets. He determined the perihelion date as August 4.06 and
the eccentricity as 1.000947. F. Buchinger took about 180 positions, reduced
them to 24 Normal places, and applied perturbations by Venus to Pluto.
He determined the perihelion date as August 4.06 and the eccentricity as
1.001316. Marsdens orbit is given below.
T
1955 Aug. 4.0603 (TT)
(2000.0)
i
q
e
348.1929 339.4213 107.5221 0.884616 1.000947
full moon: Jul. 5, Aug. 3, Sep. 2, Oct. 1, Oct. 31, Nov. 29
sources: M. Honda, HAC, No. 1309 (1955 Aug. 1); M. Honda and [Kwasan
Observatory], IAUC, No. 1512 (1955 Aug. 1); R. Rach and S. Vasilevskis, HAC, No.
1310 (1955 Aug. 4); S. Vasilevskis and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 1311 (1955
Aug. 5); S. Kanda and L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1513 (1955 Aug. 8); L. E.
Cunningham, HAC, No. 1312 (1955 Aug. 10); M. Honda, [Kwasan Observatory],
G. E. D. Alcock, and L. E. Cunningham, BAAC, No. 367 (1955 Aug. 11); L. E.
488
catalog of comets
Cunningham and T. Mitani, IAUC, No. 1514 (1955 Aug. 12); T. Mitani and E. V.
Petersen, IAUC, No. 1516 (1955 Aug. 25); T. Mitani and I. Hasegawa, IAUC,
No. 1518 (1955 Sep. 2); J. Schubart, IAUC, No. 1519 (1955 Sep. 6); E. V. Petersen,
IAUC, No. 1520 (1955 Sep. 15); E. V. Petersen, IAUC, No. 1521 (1955 Sep. 22); E.
Roemer and E. V. Petersen, IAUC, No. 1523 (1955 Sep. 28); D. P. Elias, IAUC, No.
1524 (1955 Oct. 1); E. V. Petersen, IAUC, No. 1525 (1955 Oct. 11); I. Hasegawa,
ATsir, No. 164 (1955 Oct. 20); E. V. Petersen and A. K. Wroblewski,
IAUC, No.
1526 (1955 Oct. 21); D. P. Elias, IAUC, No. 1528 (1955 Nov. 10); F. D. Miller and
W. Liller, AJ, 61 (1956 Feb.), p. 10; W. Malsch, AN, 283 (1956 Mar. 29), pp. 39
40; H. M. Jeffers and E. Roemer, PASP, 68 (1956 Jun.), p. 279; R. Rach and S.
Vasilevskis, AJ, 61 (1956 Nov.), pp. 3812; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.),
pp. 194, 1967; M. Beyer, AN, 284 (1959 Feb. 6), pp. 2435; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij,
SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851; B. G. Marsden and F. Buchinger, QJRAS, 19 (1978
Mar.), pp. 523, 57.
18D/1955 U1 Discovered: 1955 October 19.96 ( = 0.89 AU, r = 1.19 AU, Elong. = 78)
(PerrineMrkos) Last seen: 1956 January 9.70 ( = 0.94 AU, r = 1.72 AU, Elong. = 127)
1955 VII = 1955i Calculated path: CNC (Disc), HYA (Nov. 4), SEX (Nov. 20), HYA (Dec. 17)
This comet had been given up for lost several years earlier after several
failed attempts at recovery following its 1909 apparition. The comet was
discovered in 1896 and was then observed for over 3 months in 1909.
For the 1916 apparition, G. Stracke (1916) took the orbit calculated by
H. A. Kobold (1909) for the 1909 apparition and determined the perihelion date as 1916 April 16. He provided ephemerides based on this date,
as well as for perihelion dates of April 8 and 24, but the comet was not
found. For the 1922 apparition, The Observatory (1922) gave assumed perihelion dates of October 3 and 11, while S. Kasakov (1922) determined a
perihelion date of December 25.7. Kasakovs prediction was based on a
redetermination of the orbit for the 1909 apparition and a careful determination of the perturbations by Jupiter up to 1922. He also provided
ephemerides for perihelion dates 4 days before and after this date. M. F. J. C.
Wolf (Konigstuhl
Observatory, Heidelberg, Germany) used the 71-cm reflector to expose plates on the comets predicted position on 1922 October 23,
24, and 25, but no trace of the comet was found. A prediction for the next
apparition came from F. R. Cripps (1928). He gave the perihelion date as
1929 July 24.75. G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
searched for this comet during the summer of 1929, but was unable to
locate it.
After the failed attempts mentioned above, the next person to take on the
problem of trying to recover this comet was H. Hirose (1940). He used all
of the positions obtained in 1909, with consideration given to those of 1896,
and redetermined the comets orbit for the 1909 apparition. He then applied
perturbations by Jupiter and obtained orbits for 1916, 1922, 1929, and 1936.
Hirose (1955) again took positions from the 1896 and 1909 apparitions,
489
catalog of comets
determined the orbit for the 1909 apparition, and then applied perturbations by Jupiter for the period 190942. He gave the likely perihelion date
for 1942 as October 8.41. I. Hasegawa (1955) then took this orbit, applied perturbations by Jupiter for the period 194255 and predicted a perihelion date
of 1955 October 14.24. Hasagawa calculated an ephemeris for the period
1955 July 12December 29, for this perihelion date, as well as dates 10 days
earlier and later.
A. Mrkos (Lomnicky Stit, Slovakia) discovered this comet during a routine
search for comets with 25 100 binoculars on 1955 October 19.96, at a
position of = 8h 37m , = +14 33 . He estimated the magnitude as
9. Mrkos obtained a 5-minute exposure on October 20.10 and a 2-minute
exposure on October 20.15. Almost immediately, L. E. Cunningham said the
comet was probably the lost periodic comet Perrine, which was observed
only in 1896 and 1909.
L. Nogacevsky (Bucharest, Romania) provided another of the first independent confirmations of this comet. The observation was made on October
21.11 and the magnitude was estimated as 9. Van Biesbroeck (McDonald
Observatory, Texas, USA) provided another of the first confirmatory observations when he photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector on
October 21.35. He gave the magnitude as 9.6 and described the comet as
centrally condensed and 10 across. Van Biesbroeck added that a faint tail
extended 20 in PA 280. E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
obtained 3- and 2-minute exposures with the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph
on October 21.46. She said the comet was about magnitude 15.0. Roemer
added that a visual observation with the 10-cm finder showed the comet as
quite diffuse and several minutes of arc in diameter. Cunningham said
Hasegawas prediction for the 1955 return of comet Perrine would best represent the precise positions obtained by Roemer if the perihelion date was
corrected to 1955 September 27.1.
On October 22, J. A. Bruwer (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South
Africa) photographed the comet using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera and gave the magnitude as 8.5. He noted the comet was diffuse and
condensed, but with no tail. A. M. Bakharev (Stalinabad, now Dushanbe,
Tajikistan) described the object as a diffuse object of magnitude 9, without
central condensation. Roemer obtained 4- and 3-minute exposures with the
51-cm Carnegie astrograph and said the comet was about magnitude 15.0.
She noted that a 30-minute exposure showed a fairly sharp nucleus within
a symmetrical coma about 1.2 across. On the 23rd, Astalovich (Ashkhabad,
Turkmenistan) estimated the photographic magnitude as 10, and noted the
coma was 6 across, but there was no tail. On the 24th, Roemer obtained two
1-minute exposures with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the comet
was moderately well condensed and about magnitude 16. She noted that
a 30-minute exposure showed a nuclear condensation surrounded by an
unsymmetrical coma measuring 1.0 0.8 . The coma was elongated at right
angles to a faint tail which extended 3 in PA 290. On the 26th, R. I. Kiladze
490
catalog of comets
(Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory, Georgia) described the comet as

starlike, with a photographic magnitude of 12. On the 27th, Kiladze gave
the photographic magnitude as 13 and noted the comet appeared starlike.
Roemer obtained two 1-minute exposures with the 91-cm Crossley reflector
and said the comet was moderately well condensed and about magnitude
16. She noted that a 30-minute exposure showed a nuclear condensation
surrounded by an unsymmetrical coma measuring 1.0 0.8 . The coma
was elongated at right angles to a faint tail which extended 3 in PA 290.
Roemer added that the comet was faintly visible in the 10-cm finder after
moonset. On the 28th, G. E. D. Alcock (Peterborough, Northamptonshire,
England) observed using his 10-cm refractor and gave the magnitude as
10.0. He said the coma was 5 across, with a degree of condensation of 3. On
October 29, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) gave the
magnitude as 9.85 using the 10-cm comet seeker. He described the comet
as moderately condensed and 6 across. R. L. Waterfield (Ascot, England)
photographed the comet using a 15-cm refractor and gave the magnitude
as 10.1. He noted the coma was 2 across.
On November 12, 13, and 14, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 13. He said photographs showed a coma 5 across, with a wellcondensed nucleus. On the 15th, Bruwer gave the photographic magnitude
as 13.8. He said the comet was very difficult to measure. On the 17th, Beyer
was not able to find the comet using the 10-cm comet seeker, despite very
favorable observing conditions. On the 25th, Roemer obtained two 5-minute
exposures with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the comet was fairly
well condensed and magnitude 18.3. On November 26, K. Tomita (Tokyo
Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka station, Japan) photographed the comet.
T. Mitani (Kwasan Observatory, Yamashina, Kyoto, Japan) photographed
the comet on December 14.
The comet was last detected on 1956 January 9.70, when Tomita photographed it. He gave the position as = 9h 45.5m , = 16 08 . Although
he described the image as very faint and uncertain, S. Nakano (2007)
noted that this observation is not bad. Roemer said she found a very
weak image of about magnitude 18 on exposures of 80 and 90 minutes
during the first week of February, while using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph. She added that the images could not be measured. H. M. Jeffers
and Roemer (1956) said they failed to locate the comet during 1956 February and March on long-exposure plates obtained using the 91-cm Crossley
reflector.
The first orbits were independently calculated by Hasegawa and Hirose,
and were based on their predicted orbits for this comet. Hasegawa gave
the perihelion date as 1955 September 26.84 and the period as 6.47 years.
According to an accompanying note from I. Yamamoto, Hasegawas orbit
shows that Comet Mrkos (1955i) is identical with Perrines comet.
Hirose gave the perihelion date as September 26.95 and the period as
6.46 years.
491
catalog of comets
The first multiple apparition orbit that included positions from this
apparition came from Hirose. He took four Normal places from the 1909
apparition, as well as four positions obtained at Tokyo Observatorys Mitaka
Station, and applied perturbations from Jupiter. The result was a perihelion
date of September 27.35 and a period of 6.47 years.
Additional multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by G. Sitarski
(1968, 1999). Perturbations by all nine planets were applied. The perihelion
date was given as September 27.3827.40, while the period was given as 6.46
years. B. G. Marsden (1978) took 125 positions from the 1896, 1909, and 1955
apparitions and gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.08 and A2 =
0.0597. Sitarski (1999) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.22851,
A2 = 0.04753, and A3 = 0.06176. He added that the best fit came when
he applied a new model of nongravitational terms and considered a rotating and precessing cometary nucleus with forced precession. The orbit of
Sitarski (1999) is given below.
T
1955 Sep. 27.3961 (TT)
(2000.0)
167.8104 243.2386
i
15.8961
q
e
1.153830 0.667425

full moon: Oct. 1, Oct. 31, Nov. 29, Dec. 29, 1956 Jan. 27
sources: H. A. Kobold, AN, 182 (1909 Nov. 10), p. 405; G. Stracke, AN, 202 (1916
Feb. 5), pp. 858; G. Stracke, AN, 203 (1916 Jun. 30), p. 31; The Observatory, 45
(1922 Oct.), p. 334; S. Kasakov, BZAN, 4 (1922 Oct. 20), p. 47; S. Kasakov, AN,
217 (1922 Oct. 31), p. 127; S. Kasakov, The Observatory, 45 (1922 Nov.), pp. 3678;
M. F. J. C. Wolf, BZAN, 4 (1922 Nov. 6), p. 51; F. R. Cripps, The Observatory, 51
(1928 Oct.), p. 328; F. R. Cripps, BAA Handbook for 1929 (1928 Nov.), p. 32; G. van
Biesbroeck, The Observatory, 52 (1929 Nov.), p. 337; H. Hirose, JJAG, 17 (1940),
p. 8; H. Hirose and I. Hasagawa, IAUC, No. 1488 (1955 Jan. 20); H. Hirose and
I. Hasagawa, IAUC, No. 1505 (1955 Jul. 6); A. Mrkos and L. E. Cunningham,
HAC, No. 1314 (1955 Oct. 21); A. Mrkos and L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1526
(1955 Oct. 21); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1315 (1955 Nov. 3); I. Yamamoto, I.
Hasagawa, H. Hirose, L. Nogacevsky, and J. A. Bruwer, IAUC, No. 1527 (1955
Nov. 3); A. Mrkos, I. Hasegawa, and G. E. D. Alcock, BAAC, No. 370 (1955 Nov.
8); L. E. Cunningham and I. Hasegawa, HAC, No. 1316 (1955 Nov. 17); H. Hirose,
IAUC, No. 1530 (1955 Nov. 21); A. Mrkos, A. M. Bakharev, Astalovich, and R. I.
Kiladze, ATsir, No. 165 (1955 Nov. 29); H. Hirose, IAUC, No. 1534 (1955 Dec. 21);
J. G. Porter, MNRAS, 116 (1956), p. 225; A. Mrkos, PASP, 68 (1956 Feb.), p. 77; E.
Roemer, PASP, 68 (1956 Apr.), p. 171; J. A. Bruwer, UOC, 6 (1956 May), p. 258;
K. Tomita, Tokyo Astronomical Bulletin, 2nd series, No. 82 (1956 May 20), p. 854;
H. M. Jeffers and E. Roemer, PASP, 68 (1956 Jun.), p. 279; T. Mitani, IAUC, No.
1556 (1956 Jun. 8); E. Roemer, AJ, 61 (1956 Nov.), pp. 3914; J. G. Porter, MNRAS,
117 (1957), p. 338; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 194, 197; M. Beyer,
AN, 284 (1959 Feb. 6), p. 246; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 851;
A. Mrkos, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 121; G. Sitarski, AcA, 18 (1968), pp. 4238; G. E. D.
Alcock and R. L. Waterfield, ICQ, 4 (1982 Jan.), p. 30; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 19
(1978 Mar.), p. 88; G. Sitarski, AcA, 49 (1999), pp. 11415.
492
catalog of comets
13P/1956 A1 Prerecovery: 1955 November 12.33 ( = 2.30 AU, r = 3.12 AU,

(Olbers) Elong. = 139)
Recovered: 1956 January 4.77 ( = 2.02 AU, r = 2.57 AU, Elong. = 112)
1956 IV = 1956a Last seen: 1956 September 25.78 ( = 2.54 AU, r = 1.85 AU, Elong. = 37)
Calculated path: ERI (Pre), CET (1956 Feb. 7), ARI (Mar. 9), TAU (Mar. 15),
AUR (Apr. 29), LYN (Jun. 12), UMa (Jul. 2), LMi-UMa (Jul. 12), LMi (Jul. 17),
UMa (Jul. 19), COM (Aug. 4), BOO (Aug. 31), VIR (Sep. 18)
H. Q. Rasmusen (1954) investigated the orbit of this comet. He began by
creating 24 Normal places from the 1815 and 1887 apparitions, and corrected
the initial orbit. Perturbations by all nine planets were then applied. The
resulting perihelion date prediction was 1956 June 15.87. Rasmusen noted
that the comet passed 0.08 AU from Mars during July 1887, and 1.5 AU from
Jupiter during July 1889.
Rasmusen (1955) recomputed the motion of the comet during the period
18151955 and applied perturbations by all nine planets. For the epoch of
1955 August 1.0, he determined the perihelion date as 1956 June 13.83 and
the period as 69.47 years. He published a search ephemeris for the period
1955 July 2October 20.
H. M. Jeffers, S. Vasilevskis, and E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) obtained several photographs of the predicted position up to
early October 1955, using both the 91-cm Crossley reflector and the 51-cm
Carnegie astrograph, but no trace was found. A. Mrkos (Skalnate Pleso
Observatory, Slovakia) recovered this comet on 1956 January 4.77, at a
position of = 3h 04.8m , = 12 08 . He confirmed the photographic
observation on January 9.77. Mrkos estimated the magnitude as 16 on
both dates, and described the comet as diffuse, without a condensation.
At a later date, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
found the comet on 12-minute exposures obtained on 1955 November 12.33
and November 12.34, with the 208-cm reflector. He estimated the magnitude as 19.5 and described the comet as a tiny round nebulosity. Another
prerecovery position was found by K. Tomita (Tokyo Observatory, Japan)
on a plate exposed on 1956 January 2.42. He estimated the magnitude
as 14.
On January 13, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the
comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 15.
He said the faint coma was 1 across, with a diffuse nucleus 5 across. On
said a 10-minute exposure showed a faint round coma 1.5 across, with a
small nucleus. On the 29th, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf,
Germany) observed using the 26-cm refractor and estimated the magnitude
as 13.6. He noted the coma was about 0.7 across. On January 30, Beyer
observed using the refractor and gave the magnitude as 13.7. He said the
coma was about 0.8 across.
493
catalog of comets
On February 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.70 and said the coma was
about 1.0 across. On the 3rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.50. He said
the coma was about 1.0 across, while the nuclear magnitude was about 15.
On the 5th and 6th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 13. He said photographs showed a faint, round coma 1.5 across, with a
small nucleus. On the 6th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.66 and said the
coma was 2.0 across. On the 10th, 11th, and 14th, van Biesbroeck estimated
the photographic magnitude as 12.5. He said photographs showed a coma
2 across, with a nucleus 10 across. On the 11th, Beyer gave the magnitude
was about 14.4. On the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.11. He said
the coma was 3.3 across, while the nuclear magnitude was about 14.2. On
February 28, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 11.5.
He said a 4-minute exposure showed a coma spreading out toward the first
quadrant.
11. On the 3rd, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.18. He said the coma was
said the coma was 3.0 across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.52. On
across, while the nuclear magnitude was 13.47. On the 12th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 10.57. He said the coma was about 3 across, while the
as 10.34 and said the coma was about 3 across. On the 17th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 10.14. On the 19th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.8
and said the coma extended toward PA 80. On the 24th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 10.28. On the 17th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.23 using
the 10-cm comet seeker. The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma 3.3 across, a
nucleus of about magnitude 12.9, and a tail extending 7 toward PA 47. On
the 28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.07. The 26-cm refractor revealed
a coma 3.6 across, a nucleus of magnitude 12.59, and a tail extending 8
toward PA 39. On March 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.67. The 26-cm
refractor revealed a coma 3.1 across, a nucleus of magnitude 11.95, and a
tail extending 8 toward PA 49.
On April 1, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.8. He said a 2minute exposure showed a broad tail extending 5 in PA 90. On the 2nd,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.64 using the 26-cm refractor and noted a
coma 3.3 across. On the 4th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.63 using the
10-cm comet seeker. The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma 3.3 across and a
nucleus of magnitude 12.0. On the 6th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.34.
The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma 3.4 across. On the 7th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 9.39. The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma 3.3 across, a
nucleus of magnitude 12.33, and a tail extending 6 toward about PA 63.
494
catalog of comets
On the 10th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.5. On the 11th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 9.33. The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma 2.5 across.
On the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.38 using the 26-cm refractor
and gave the coma diameter as 3.2 . On April 21, Beyer gave the magnitude
as 8.44 using the 10-cm comet seeker. The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma
about 3 across.
On May 5, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.32 using the 10-cm comet seeker.
The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma about 2.5 across. On the 6th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 8.29. The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma about 3 across.
On the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.26 using the 8-cm refractor. The
26-cm refractor revealed a coma 3.1 across, a nucleus of magnitude 10.91,
and a short tail extending toward about PA 60. On the 12th, Beyer gave
nucleus of magnitude 10.74, and a short tail extending toward about PA 64.
On May 13, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.91. The 26-cm refractor revealed
a coma 3.2 across, a nucleus of magnitude 10.80, and a short tail extending
toward about PA 58.
On May 16, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.12. The 26-cm refractor
revealed a coma 3.4 across, a nucleus of magnitude 11.00, and a short tail
extending toward about PA 67. On the 17th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
8.17 using the 10-cm comet seeker. The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma 3.7
across, a nucleus of magnitude 11.10, and a short tail extending toward about
PA 60. On the 20th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.01 using the 8-cm refractor. The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma 3.4 across, a nucleus of magnitude
10.92, and a tail extending 10 toward PA 60. On the 21st, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 7.66 using the 10-cm comet seeker. On the 22nd, Beyer gave
nucleus of magnitude 10.54, and a short tail extending toward about PA 52.
On May 23, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.82. The 26-cm refractor revealed
a coma about 3 across. The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of
31 on May 25. On the 27th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.73. The 26-cm
refractor revealed a coma 2.5 across, a nucleus of magnitude 10.56, and a tail
extending 10 toward PA 60. On the 28th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.69
using the 8-cm refractor. The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma 2.9 across, a
nucleus of magnitude 10.05, and a tail extending 12 toward PA 65. On May
29, Beyer determined the magnitude as 7.54. The 26-cm refractor revealed
a coma 2.4 across, a nucleus of magnitude 10.48, and a tail extending 12
toward PA 68.
On June 2, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 7.4. On the 3rd, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 7.67 using the 10-cm comet seeker. The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma 2.5 across and a tail extending 5 toward PA 70. On the
5th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.36. The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma
2.5 across, a nucleus of magnitude 10.06, and a tail extending 10 toward PA
64. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.12 using the 8-cm refractor.
The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma 2.5 across, a nucleus of magnitude
495
catalog of comets
9.76, and a tail extending 10 toward PA 61. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 7.8. On the 16th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.76
using the 10-cm comet seeker. The 26-cm refractor revealed a coma 3 across.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +45 on June 22. On the
27th, van Biesbroeck obtained a 20-second exposure with the 61-cm reflector
and noted a broad tail extending 10 in PA 70. On the 28th, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 7.0. He said a 6-minute exposure showed a coarse
tail extending 25 in PA 60. On the 29th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 7.2. He said a 12-minute exposure showed a tail extending about 1
in PA 65. On June 30, the magnitude was given as 7.1 by van Biesbroeck
and 7.48 by Beyer. Beyer used the 26-cm refractor and said the coma was
3.1 across, the nucleus was magnitude 9.53, and the tail extended 8 toward
PA 64.
On July 14, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 6.4. On July 27, van
Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 7.7. On August 7, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 8.0. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.77. He
noted the coma was 4.9 across, the nucleus was magnitude 10.21, and the
tail extended 15 toward PA 75. On the 10th, Beyer gave the magnitude as
7.60. He noted the coma was 3.3 across and the tail extended 15 toward PA
80. On the 12th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.66. He noted the coma was
about 3.5 across and the tail extended 12 toward PA 80. The comet had
slowly moved away from the sun since May and attained a maximum solar
elongation of 45 on August 15. It then began to slowly move back toward
the sun. On the 16th, E. V. Petersen (Copenhagen Observatory, Denmark)
estimated the photographic magnitude as 10. On the 21st, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 8.53 and noted the coma was 2.4 across. On the 24th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 8.77. He noted the coma was 2.8 across, the nucleus
was about magnitude 10.7, and the short tail extended toward about PA
89. On the 25th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.44. He noted the coma was
about 3 across and the short tail extended toward about PA 68. On the
26th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.58. He noted the coma was 3.1 across,
the nucleus was magnitude 10.91, and the tail extended 10 toward PA 68.
On the 30th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.62. He noted the coma was 3.3
across and the tail extended 10 toward PA 60. On August 31, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 8.56. He noted the coma was about 3 across and the tail
On September 2, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.69. He noted the coma
was about 3 across, while a short tail extended toward about PA 72. On
the 2nd and 3rd, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.1. He said a
6-minute exposure showed a coma 2 across and a round nucleus 20 across.
There was also a tail extending over 8 in PA 85. On the 12th, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 9.3, while Beyer gave it as 9.61. Beyer noted the coma
was about 2.5 across, while the nuclear magnitude was about 11.5. On the
13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.37. On September 18, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 9.13 and said the coma was about 2 across.
496
catalog of comets
The comet was last detected on September 25.78, when Beyer observed it
using the 26-cm refractor and estimated the magnitude to be 9.89. He noted
the coma was about 2 across. Several unsuccessful attempts were made
to find this comet during 1957. Van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory)
exposed several plates using the 208-cm reflector during April. H. M. Jeffers
(Lick Observatory, California, USA) exposed several plates using the 91-cm
Crossley reflector during June. E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff
station, Arizona, USA) exposed several plates using the 102-cm reflector
during June and early July.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by Rasmusen (1967) and
D. K. Yeomans (1978, 1986). They applied perturbations by all nine planets,
while Yeomans also solved for nongravitational forces. Rasmusen gave the
perihelion date as June 19.15 and the period as 69.51 years; however, various
sources have noted that he used an incorrect value for the mass of Jupiter.
Yeomans gave the perihelion date as June 19.14 and the period as 69.56
69.57 years. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.22 and
A2 = +0.0654 by Yeomans (1978) and A1 = +0.4834 and A2 = +0.0642 by
Yeomans (1986). The orbit by Yeomans (1986) is given below.
T
1956 Jun. 19.1391 (TT)
64.6445
(2000.0)
86.1040
i
44.6106
q
e
1.178461 0.930327
24, Jun. 23, Jul. 22, Aug. 21, Sep. 20, Oct. 19
sources: H. Q. Rasmusen, BAA Handbook for 1955 (1954 Nov.), pp. 501; H. Q.
Rasmusen, IAUC, No. 1505 (1955 Jul. 6); H. M. Jeffers, S. Vasilevskis, and E.
Roemer, PASP, 67 (1955 Dec.), p. 426; A. Mrkos and G. van Biesbroeck, HAC,
No. 1318 (1956 Jan. 13); K. Tomita, PASP, 68 (1956 Apr.), p. 171; E. V. Petersen,
IAUC, No. 1561 (1956 Aug. 21); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 194,
197; G. van Biesbroeck, H. M. Jeffers, and E. Roemer, PASP, 69 (1957 Oct.), p. 476;
G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 63 (1958 Jul.), pp. 296, 298; M. Beyer and K. Tomita, AN,
284 (1959 Feb. 6), pp. 24650; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 852;
H. Q. Rasmusen, The Definitive Orbit of Comet Olbers for the Periods 18151887
1956. Copenhagen: Arnold Busck (1967), pp. 4752; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 19
(1978 Mar.), pp. 823, 88; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 27 (1986), p. 604; D. K. Yeomans,
AJ, 91 (1986 Apr.), pp. 9713.
C/1956 E1 Discovered: 1956 March 12.10 ( = 0.56 AU, r = 1.03 AU, Elong. = 78)
(Mrkos) Last seen: 1956 May 5.14 ( = 1.65 AU, r = 0.93 AU, Elong. = 31)
1956 III = 1956b Calculated path: OPH (Disc), HER (Mar. 14), VULLYR (Mar. 17), CYG (Mar.
20), CEP (Mar. 23), CASCEPCAS (Mar. 28), PER (Apr. 5), CAM (Apr. 6),
PERCAM (Apr. 7), PER (Apr. 9)
497
catalog of comets
A. Mrkos (Lomnicky Stt, Slovakia) discovered this comet on 1956 March

12.10, at a position of = 18h 20.0m , = +6 30 . He estimated the magnitude as 9 and described the comet as diffuse, without a central condensation
or nucleus. The comet was confirmed on March 13.44 and March 13.45, when
G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) obtained 5-minute
exposures with the 8-cm Ross lens and described it as a poorly condensed
round coma of magnitude 9. The comet was found about 10 days prior to
passing closest to Earth and about a month prior to passing perihelion.
On March 16, L. Pajdusakova (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) estimated the magnitude as 8 and described the comet as diffuse, with a central
condensation. On the 18th, Mrkos and Pajdusakova estimated the magnitude as 8. On the 21st, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.3. He
said two 1-minute exposures showed a centrally condensed coma 3 across,
with a very diffuse nucleus. There was also a narrow tail extending 5 in
PA 290. On the 23rd, S. Vasilevskis (Lick Observatory, California, USA)
obtained an 11-minute exposure with the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and
described the comet as round, condensed, and 2 across, but with no nucleus.
The comet attained its most northerly declination of +66 on March 28. M.
Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) gave the magnitude
then as 7.35. He said the coma was 6 across, while the tail extended 12
toward PA 21. On the 30th, E. Leutenegger (Frauenfeld, Switzerland) estimated the magnitude as 9. On March 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.16
8.18. He said the coma was 6.0 across, while the tail extended 15 toward
PA 32.
On April 2, G. Merton (Oxford, England) estimated the magnitude as 8.5
9. He noted the coma was about 6 across and moderately condensed. On the
2nd, Leutenegger estimated the photographic magnitude as 9.5. On the 3rd,
A. Purgathofer (Vienna, Austria) estimated the photographic magnitude as
4.6 across, while the tail extended 7 toward PA 24. On the 5th, the magnitude was given as 9.19 by Beyer and 9.3 by W. E. Steavenson (Cambridge,
England). Beyer said the coma was 5 across. On the 6th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 9.23. He said the coma was 4.0 across, while the tail extended
5 toward about PA 36. On the 7th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.77. He
said the coma was 5.0 across, while the tail extended 7 toward about PA 43.
On the 8th, E. Roemer (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet using
the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and estimated the magnitude as 14. She said
the comets image was diffuse. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck photographed
said a 3-minute exposure showed a diffuse tail extending 2 in PA 40. On
the 11th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.26 and noted the coma was 3.4
was 3.4 across, while the short tail extended toward about PA 32. On April
21, Beyer was not able to find the comet at low altitude and in twilight using
the 26-cm refractor.
498
catalog of comets
The comet was last detected on May 5.14, when van Biesbroeck vaguely
suspected it on a 6-minute exposure obtained with the 208-cm reflector at
McDonald Observatory. He said it was magnitude 18 and, although difficult
to measure, he gave the position as = 4h 27.8m , = +37 40 . Beyer was
unable to see the comet using the 26-cm refractor on May 5.88 and May 6.88,
when it was at low altitude and in twilight.
The first orbit was calculated by Merton, using positions from March 16,
21, and 25. He gave the perihelion date as 1956 April 13.78, which proved
only about 4 hours later than the actual orbit, as was later shown by Z.
Bochnicek and L. Mrkosova, Roemer and A. G. Mowbray, and G. SchrutkaRechtenstamm.
B. G. Marsden (1958) took 32 positions spanning the period March 13
May 5, but did not apply planetary perturbations. He gave the perihelion
date as April 13.61. This orbit is given below.
T
1956 Apr. 13.6092 (TT)
81.0015
(2000.0)
i
q
226.7159 147.4519 0.842240
e
1.0

sources: A. Mrkos, HAC, No. 1323 (1956 Mar. 13); L. Pajdusakova and G. van
Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1324 (1956 Mar. 21); L. Pajdusakova, IAUC, No. 1544 (1956
Mar. 21); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1325 (1956 Mar. 27); G. Merton, BAAC,
No. 375 (1956 Apr. 3); A. Mrkos and L. Pajdusakova, HAC, No. 1326 (1956 Apr.
3); G. Merton, IAUC, No. 1547 (1956 Apr. 3); E. Leutenegger, Z. Bochnicek, and L.
Mrkosova, IAUC, No. 1548 (1956 Apr. 5); E. Roemer and A. G. Mowbray, HAC,
No. 1328 (1956 Apr. 9); A. Purgathofer, G. Schrutka-Rechtenstamm, E. Roemer,
and A. G. Mowbray, IAUC, No. 1549 (1956 Apr. 9); E. Roemer and C. A. Wirtanen,
HAC, No. 1329 (1956 Apr. 16); W. E. Steavenson, IAUC, No. 1550 (1956 Apr. 16);
S. Vasilevskis, E. Roemer, and G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 1856,
194, 197; B. G. Marsden, JBAA, 68 (1958), p. 124; M. Beyer, AN, 284 (1959 Feb. 6),
pp. 2501; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 852.
(Wirtanen) Last seen: 1960 September 25.3 ( = 8.65 AU, r = 9.43 AU, Elong. = 139)
1957 VI = 1956c Calculated path: HYA (Disc), CRT (May 20), CRV (Jul. 14), VIR (Sep. 23), HYA
(Oct. 12), LIB (1957 Jan. 28), SCO (Oct. 10), OPH (Oct. 30), SER (Dec. 15),
OPH (Dec. 24), SER (1958 Jan. 27), SCT (Feb. 13), SER (Mar. 6), AQL (Mar.
9), OPH (Jul. 6), AQL (Oct. 14), SER (Oct. 23), AQL (Nov. 4), DEL (1959 Feb.
9), VUL (Jun. 2), DEL (Sep. 9), PEG (1960 Jan. 4)
on a plate exposed with the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph on 1956 March 16.35,
at a position of = 11h 48.0m , = 30 50 . He estimated the magnitude as
15.5, and described the comet as diffuse with a central condensation, with
499
catalog of comets
a short tail. The daily motion was given as 0m 23s in and +0 03 in .
The comet was confirmed by Wirtanen on March 18.31, at which time the
magnitude was estimated as 15.5. He added that the coma was fairly well
condensed, with a very faint and short tail. On March 20.38, E. Roemer (Lick
Observatory, California, USA) estimated the magnitude as 16.5. Roemer
described the comet as fairly well condensed, with a very faint and short
tail. The comet was discovered 2 months prior to its passing closest to Earth
and about 5.5 months prior to its passing perihelion.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 151 on March 30. On
March 31, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) obtained
a 10-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude
as 15.5. He noted a diffuse coma 20 across and a short tail extending toward
PA 300. On April 12, June 2, and June 3, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 16. After moving generally northward since its
discovery, the comet attained a declination of 21 on August 10 and then
began moving in a southerly direction. The comet attained a minimum solar
elongation of 13 on October 22.
On 1957 February 4, the comet attained a declination of 27 and began a
northward movement. On May 1, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory,
Texas, USA) obtained two 12-minute exposures using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13. He said the diffuse coma was 15
across, with a well-condensed nucleus, and a tail extending 4 in PA 255.
Van Biesbroeck added that a second nucleus was 2.5 magnitudes fainter
than the main nucleus and situated 8 away in PA 204. The comet attained
a maximum solar elongation of 178 on May 11. On the 20th, K. Tomita
(Tokyo Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka Station, Japan) estimated the
photographic magnitude as 11.5. He remarked there was a small nucleus
situated excentrically in a coma or, more probably, small nucleus with a
tail 2 long in PA 280. On the 22nd, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the
magnitude as 10. He said the coma was 40 across and exhibited a very
faint tail extending 4 in PA 250. Jeffers added that the main nucleus was
magnitude 14, while the secondary nucleus was about magnitude 17 and
situated 9.1 away in PA 205.4. On the 23rd, Tomita estimated the photographic magnitude as 11.5. On May 24, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated
the magnitude as 13. He said two 16-minute exposures showed the diffuse
coma was 15 across, with a well-condensed nucleus, and a tail extending 4 in PA 255. He added that the second nucleus was very difficult
to see.
J. A. Bruwer and T. Gehrels (Union Observatory Annexe, Hartbeespoort,
South Africa) announced their discovery of a new comet on photographs
exposed on April 30.93 and May 5.86 with the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star
Camera. The magnitudes were estimated as 11.0 and 10.5, respectively,
500
catalog of comets
while the comet was described as diffuse, with a condensation and a tail
less than 1 long. J. M. Vinter Hansen (Copenhagen Observatory) quickly
realized the position and motion were similar to that expected for comet
Wirtanen.
On June 2, 3, and 4, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 12. On June 4, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as
10.5. He added that the main nucleus was magnitude 14.5, while the secondary nucleus was magnitude 17.5 and situated 9.4 away in PA 207.7. On
June 20, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 12. He
said 8- and 9-minute exposures showed a faint tail extended 3 in PA 260,
while the secondary nucleus was only vaguely suspected. On the 28th,
Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 10.5. He said a faint tail
extended 2.5 in PA 250. He added that the main nucleus was magnitude
14.5, while the secondary nucleus was magnitude 17.5 and situated 8.9
away in PA 206.0. On June 29, Bruwer photographed the comet using the
25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera and estimated the magnitude as 10.5.
On July 18, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 10.5. He said
a faint tail extended 2.5 in PA 250. Jeffers added that the main nucleus was
magnitude 14.5, while the secondary nucleus was magnitude 17.5 and situated 7.6 away in PA 205.9. On July 23, Tomita estimated the photographic
magnitude as 12.
On August 17, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 11. He
added that the main nucleus was magnitude 15, while the secondary nucleus
was magnitude 18 and situated 8.7 away in PA 205.7. On the 23rd, van
Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) obtained a 6-minute exposure with
the 208-cm reflector and said the secondary nucleus was situated 8.7 away
from the main nucleus in PA 329. On the 25th, van Biesbroeck obtained
two 8-minute exposures with the reflector and said the secondary nucleus
was situated 8.6 away from the main nucleus in PA 330. On August
26, van Biesbroeck obtained 2- and 12-minute exposures with the reflector and said the secondary nucleus was situated 8.65 away from the main
nucleus in PA 331. After moving generally northward for several months,
the comet attained a declination of 11 on September 20 and then turned
southward. The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 12 on
December 7.
On 1958 January 25, 26, and 27, van Biesbroeck obtained two 8-minute
exposures with the reflector and said the nearly round coma was 25 across
and contained a well-defined nucleus of magnitude 16. There was a vague
suspicion of a secondary nucleus, of magnitude 18, situated 15 away from
the main nucleus in PA 215. On April 13 and 15, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory) estimated the photographic magnitude as 16.5. He obtained a
10-minute exposure and said, A short fan emanates from the nucleus in 60
ending at a round envelope curving back into a very faint tail in 260. He
added that the secondary nucleus was round, 5 across, and was situated
501
catalog of comets
20 from the main nucleus in PA 240. On April 26, Jeffers photographed
the comet with the reflector and found the main nucleus at magnitude 16,
while the secondary nucleus was magnitude 17.3 and situated 20.1 away
in PA 229.6. Jeffers added that the nuclei were not quite stellar and a fanshaped coma extended 0.5 toward the northeast of the main nucleus. On
May 20 and 21, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as
15.5. He obtained two 20-minute exposures and said the coma was fanshaped and extended mostly toward the first quadrant. He added that the
main nucleus was sharp, while the secondary nucleus was fuzzy and
mangitude 18. On June 18, van Biesbroeck obtained a 12-minute exposure
with the reflector and said the nuclei were well defined, with the primary at
magnitude 15.5 and the second at magnitude 17.5. On June 21, Jeffers and
J. E. Forbes photographed the comet with the reflector and found the main
nucleus at magnitude 16, while the secondary nucleus was magnitude 17.3
and situated 23.5 away in PA 231.2. They noted that the nuclei were not
quite stellar and a fan-shaped coma extended 0.5 toward the northeast of
the main nucleus.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 147 on July 3. On July
21, the comets northerly motion came to an end when it attained a declination of +10 and then turned southward. On August 12, Jeffers and Forbes
photographed the comet with the reflector and found the main nucleus at
magnitude 16.3, while the secondary nucleus was magnitude 17.7 and situated 22.8 away in PA 230.2. They said each nucleus was sharp with a small
coma. On August 12, 13, 14, and 15, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) obtained a 10-minute exposure with the 208-cm reflector and said the
nuclei were well defined, with magnitudes of 16 and 18. He added that the
coma extended 35 in a broad fan towards the first quadrant. On September
5, Forbes photographed the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and
found the main nucleus at magnitude 17, while the secondary nucleus was
magnitude 18 and situated 21.6 away in PA 229.9. On September 11, van
reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17. He obtained two 20-minute
exposures and said only the main nucleus was visible. On October 31, van
Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 18. He obtained an 18minute exposure and detected a coma with a diffuse nucleus. On November
1, van Biesbroeck obtained a 20-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector
and detected a very diffuse nucleus with a hardly visible coma. He gave the
magnitudes of the nuclei as 17.5 and 18.5. On the 4th, Jeffers photographed
the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and found the main nucleus
at magnitude 17.5, while the secondary nucleus was magnitude 18.5 and
situated 20.0 away in PA 234.2. Jeffers said, there is still a faint coma
northeast of the brighter component. The comet attained a declination
of +6 on November 26 and began a generally northward movement. On
November 29 and 30, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 18.5. He obtained a 20-minute exposure and described the comet as
502
catalog of comets
a round diffuse spot. On December 2, van Biesbroeck obtained a 20-minute

exposure with the 61-cm reflector and said the comet was very faint and at
a low altitude.
The comet was lost in the suns glare as 1959 began and attained a minimum solar elongation of 27 on January 24. On June 6, Jeffers photographed
the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and found the main nucleus at
magnitude 18, while the secondary nucleus was magnitude 19 and situated 28.5 away in PA 250.5. Jeffers said both nuclei were slightly diffuse.
On July 9, Jeffers photographed the comet with the reflector and found the
main nucleus at magnitude 18, while the secondary nucleus was magnitude 19 and situated 30.1 away in PA 249.8. Jeffers said both nuclei were
slightly diffuse. The comet attained a declination of +22 on July 25 and
then began a generally southward motion. The comet attained a maximum
solar elongation of 142 on August 14. On September 2 and 3, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm
reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18 for the main comet and 19.5 for
the secondary comet. He obtained a 24-minute exposure and described the
comets as round and centrally condensed. The main comet was 10 across,
and the secondary comet was 6 across. The comet attained a declination of
+15 on December 27 and then began a generally northward motion.
The comet was lost in the suns glare as 1960 began and attained a minimum solar elongation of 29 on February 22. The comet attained its most
northerly declination of +26 on August 1. The comet attained a maximum
solar elongation of 145 on September 4.
The comet was last detected on 1960 September 25, when Roemer (US
Naval Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA) obtained two 2-hour exposures
using the 102-cm reflector. The final exposure ended around September 25.3.
Roemer found weak images of the comet and estimated the magnitude as
fainter than 20. Only a single nucleus was visible. The comet was found
with the help of an ephemeris provided by I. Hasegawa.
The first orbit was calculated by A. G. Mowbray and Roemer, using three
positions obtained at Lick Observatory during the period 1956 March 1620.
The resulting parabolic orbit had a perihelion date of 1955 January 25.68.
A few weeks later, Mowbray revised the calculations, using positions from
March 20, April 2, and April 30. The perihelion date was then given as 1957
August 31.29.
Using precise observations made after the nucleus split, or between 1957
May and 1959 September, Z. Sekanina (1967) computed hyperbolic orbits
for both the A and B nuclei. For the brighter A nucleus, the perihelion
date was determined as September 2.23 and the eccentricity was 1.0030153.
For the fainter B nucleus, the perihelion date was determined as September 2.19 and the eccentricity was 1.0029896.
Z. Sekanina (1978) took 37 positions spanning the period 1956 March 18
1959 September 3 and applied perturbations by all nine planets. The result
was a perihelion date of September 2.41 and an eccentricity of 1.0027452. He
503
catalog of comets
also found that the original and future orbits were elliptical with periods of
about 14 million years and 555 thousand years, respectively.
T
1957 Sep. 2.4137 (TT)
13.2594
(2000.0)
233.6563
i
33.2017
q
e
4.447262 1.002745
absolute magnitude: H10 = 0.65.9 (Vsekhsvyatskij, 1963)

full moon: Feb. 26, Mar. 26, Apr. 25, May 24, Jun. 23, Jul. 22, Aug. 21, Sep. 20,
Oct. 19, Nov. 18, Dec. 17, 1957 Jan. 16, Feb. 14, Mar. 16, Apr. 14, May 13, Jun. 12,
Jul. 11, Aug. 10, Sep. 9, Oct. 8, Nov. 7, Dec. 7, 1958 Jan. 5, Feb. 4, Mar. 5, Apr. 4,
May 3, Jun. 1, Jul. 1, Jul. 30, Aug. 29, Sep. 27, Oct. 27, Nov. 26, Dec. 26, 1959 Jan.
24, Feb. 23, Mar. 24, Apr. 23, May 22, Jun. 20, Jul. 20, Aug. 18, Sep. 17, Oct. 16,
Nov. 15, Dec. 15, 1960 Jan. 14, Feb. 12, Mar. 13, Apr. 11, May 11, Jun. 9, Jul. 8,
Aug. 7, Sep. 5, Oct. 4
sources: C. A. Wirtanen, HAC, No. 1324 (1956 Mar. 21); C. A. Wirtanen, IAUC,
No. 1544 (1956 Mar. 21); C. A. Wirtanen and E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1325 (1956
Mar. 27); A. G. Mowbray and E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1327 (1956 Apr. 9); A. G.
Mowbray and E. Roemer, IAUC, No. 1550 (1956 Apr. 16); A. G. Mowbray, HAC,
No. 1331 (1956 May 24); A. G. Mowbray, IAUC, No. 1555 (1956 May 29); G. van
Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1359 (1957 May 7); J. A. Bruwer, T. Gehrels, and J. M. Vinter
Hansen, IAUC, No. 1606 (1957 Jul. 3); J. A. Bruwer, IAUC, No. 1607 (1957 Jul.
18); K. Tomita, IAUC, No. 1608 (1957 Jul. 27); K. Tomita, IAUC, No. 1609 (1957
Jul. 31); C. A. Wirtanen and G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 1856,
194, 197; J. A. Bruwer, UOC, 6 (1958 Apr.), p. 298; H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 63 (1958 Jun.),
pp. 2501; H. M. Jeffers and J. E. Forbes, AJ, 65 (1960 Apr.), pp. 1634; E. Roemer
and I. Hasagawa, PASP, 72 (1960 Dec.), p. 513; E. Roemer, The Observatory, 80
(1960 Dec.), p. 245; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 66 (1961 Mar.), pp. 967, 101; S. K.
Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 852; Z. Sekanina, IAUC, No. 2043
(1967 Dec. 7); Z. Sekanina, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68.
10P/Tempel 2 Recovered: 1956 May 5.33 ( = 2.06 AU, r = 2.82 AU, Elong. = 130)
1957 II = 1956e Closest to the Earth: 1957 November 16 (1.9524 AU)
Calculated path: COM (Rec) [Did not leave this constellation]
R. Luss (1955) took the orbit predicted by T. A. Goodchild for the 1951
apparition and corrected it using positions obtained in that year. He then
applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn and predicted the comet would
next arrive at perihelion on 1957 February 4.9492. Luss said the comet is
unfavourably placed at perihelion, but is in opposition in the spring of
1956.
comet on a pair of 10-minute exposures obtained with the 208-cm reflector
on 1956 May 5.33 and May 5.34. The comets position on the first plate
was given as = 12h 17.9m , = +16 08 . Van Biesbroeck estimated the
magnitude as 19, and said the comet appeared as a nearly stellar round
coma.
504
catalog of comets
On May 6, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 19.

He said a 10-minute exposure showed a nearly stellar round coma.
The comet was last detected on May 9.26 and May 9.27, when van Biesbroeck obtained two 10-minute exposures with the 208-cm reflector. The
position on the last date was given as = 12h 15.8m , = +16 07 . Van
Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as 19, and said the comet appeared as
a nearly stellar round coma.
1971), Z. Sekanina and Marsden (1979, 1985), and S. Nakano (2001, 2002,
2007). Perturbations were considered by Mercury to Neptune, as well as
other minor bodies, and nongravitational terms were also included for the
calculations published in 1971 and later. The result was a perihelion date
of February 5.20 and a period of 5.27 years. Marsden (1968) noted an
extremely slight secular deceleration. The nongravitational terms were
given as A1 = 0.0179 and A2 = +0.000508 by Marsden (1971), A1 =
0.04 and A2 = +0.0008 by Sekanina and Marsden (1979), A1 = +0.035
and A2 = +0.00140 by Nakano (2001), A1 = +0.034 and A2 = +0.00140
by Nakano (2002), and A1 = +0.031 and A2 = +0.00140 by Nakano (2007).
The orbit of Nakano (2007) is given below.
T
1957 Feb. 5.1966 (TT)
(2000.0)
191.0581 119.9554
i
12.4665
q
e
1.369262 0.547684

full moon: Apr. 25, May 24
sources: R. Luss, BAA Handbook for 1956 (1955 Nov.), p. 53; G. van Biesbroeck,
HAC, No. 1330 (1956 May 14); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 194,
197; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 852; B. G. Marsden, AJ,
73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 371, 374; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31617;
B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 12 (1971 Sep.), pp. 2689; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 76 (1971
Dec.), pp. 11378; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 25, 48; Z. Sekanina and
B. G. Marsden, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 27, 53; Z. Sekanina and B. G. Marsden,
QJRAS, 26 (1985), pp. 11314; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 776 (2001 Apr. 4); S.
Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 841 (2002 May 5); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 1460
(2007 Apr. 10).
48P/1956 P1 Recovered: 1956 August 6.94 ( = 1.30 AU, r = 2.26 AU, Elong. = 153)
(Johnson) Last seen: 1956 October 28.1 ( = 1.74 AU, r = 2.35 AU, Elong. = 116)
1956 V = 1956f Calculated path: AQR (Rec), PsA (Sep. 6)
W. H. Julian and B. O. Wheel (1955) worked out the details of this comets
upcoming apparition and predicted it would arrive at perihelion on 1956
July 24.22. They commented that the comet would be well placed for observation in the Southern Hemisphere during all except the beginning of the
year.
505
catalog of comets
J. A. Bruwer (Union Observatory Annexe, Hartbeespoort, South Africa)

recovered this comet with the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera on 1956
August 6.94, at a position of = 22h 55.2m , = 19 47 . He estimated
the magnitude as 13.5. The position indicated the prediction by Julian and
Wheel needed correction by +2.4 days. Bruwer confirmed the comet on a
plate exposed on August 10.91, and again noted a magnitude of 13.5.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 165 on August 26.
On August 29, Bruwer estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.0. On
September 3 and 8, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16.5. He said 5- and 6-minute exposures showed a diffuse coma 20
across, with an elongation toward PA 90. On the 6th, Bruwer estimated the
photographic magnitude as 13.5. On September 12, Bruwer gave the photographic magnitude as 13.8. E. Roemer (Yerkes Observatory) photographed
the comet using the 61-cm reflector on September 28 and October 1. On
the last date, she described the comet as a well-condensed object of magnitude 16.5. The comet attained its most southerly declination of 27 on
October 2.
The comet was last detected on October 28.1, when Roemer obtained two
20-minute exposures using the 61-cm reflector, at which time she noted it
was near the limit. Roemer then estimated the magnitude as 17.8 and
described the comet as a weak diffuse spot about 0.4 diameter.
Multiple apparitions orbits have been calculated by E. A. Vorobjev (1964),
B. G. Marsden (1972), S. Nakano (1997, 2001, 2005), and K. Kinoshita (2006).
These applied planetary perturbations and nongravitational terms. The
result was a perihelion date of July 26.8826.91 and a period of 6.88
years. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.7794 and A2 =
0.026629 by Nakano (1982), A1 = +0.69 and A2 = 0.0256 by Nakano
(1997), A1 = +0.695 and A2 = 0.02336 by Nakano (2001), A1 = +0.581
and A2 = 0.01885 by Nakano (2005), and A1 = +0.60 and A2 = 0.0198
by Kinoshita. Kinoshitas orbit is given below.
T
1956 Jul. 26.9065 (TT)
(2000.0)
206.0390 118.8430
i
13.8538
q
e
2.258801 0.375473

sources: W. H. Julian and B. O. Wheel, BAA Handbook for 1956 (1955 Nov.), p. 49;
J. A. Bruwer, IAUC, No. 1561 (1956 Aug. 21); BAA Handbook for 1957 (1956 Nov.),
p. 49; E. Roemer, PASP, 68 (1956 Dec.), p. 554; E. Roemer, MNRAS, 117 (1957),
p. 342; E. Roemer, PASP, 69 (1957 Feb.), p. 92; J. A. Bruwer, UOC, 6 (1957 Apr.),
p. 288; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 63 (1958 Jul.), pp. 2978; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA,
6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 852; E. A. Vorobjev, QJRAS, 5 (1964 Sep.), pp. 2345, 238;
B. G. Marsden, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 27, 49; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 410
(1982 Apr. 1); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 411 (1982 Apr. 1); S. Nakano, Nakano
506
catalog of comets
Note, No. 791 (2001 Apr. 28); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 1270 (2005 Oct. 26);
personal correspondence from K. Kinoshita (2006).
27P/1956 S1 Recovered: 1956 September 29.99 ( = 0.62 AU, r = 0.88 AU, Elong. = 60)
(Crommelin) Last seen: 1956 November 29.32 ( = 1.27 AU, r = 0.99 AU, Elong. = 50)
1956 VI = 1956g Calculated path: LYN (Rec), LMi (Oct. 1), LEO (Oct. 3), SEX (Oct. 19), LEO
(Oct. 23), CRT (Oct. 30), CRV (Nov. 13), HYA (Nov. 23)
A. C. D. Crommelin (1930) took positions from the 1818, 1873, and 1878
apparitions, included planetary perturbations, and predicted the comet
would next pass perihelion on 1956 October 3.7. Crommelin (1932) redetermined the perturbations using shorter time intervals and concluded it
would pass perihelion on 1956 October 8.
M. P. Candy and J. G. Porter (1955) used positions obtained during the
1928 apparition and computed an orbit which was linked to the apparitions of 1818 and 1873. This orbit was then used as a basis for the upcoming
apparition. They applied perturbations by Venus to Neptune, where appreciable, and derived a perihelion date of October 19.37. Candy and Porter
noted that the comet would pass 0.23 AU from Venus on October 15.
L. Pajdusakova (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) recovered this
comet on 1956 September 29.99, at a position of = 9h 11.9m , = +38 25 .
She estimated the magnitude as 10, and said the comet was diffuse, with a
central condensation. A. Mrkos (Lomnicky Stt, Slovakia) photographed the
comet on September 30.13 and September 30.14. The position indicated the
prediction of Candy and Porter required the perihelion date be corrected
by +5 days.
On October 2, 6, and 8, G. van Biesbroeck (Harvard College Observatory, Agassiz Station, Massachusetts, USA) said the coma was 2 across and
fanned out towards the first quadrant. On October 12, A. Purgathofer (University Observatory, Vienna, Austria) gave the magnitude as 9.2. The comet
attained a minimum solar elongation of 47 on November 3. On November 7, the magnitude was given as 7.3 by J. A. Bruwer (Union Observatory
Annexe, Hartbeespoort, South Africa) and 8.8 by van Biesbroeck.
The comet was last detected on November 29.32, when exposures of
1 and 2 minutes were obtained by D. McLeish (Bosque Alegre Observatory, Argentina) using the 152-cm reflector. The images were measured by
McLeishs colleague J. Bobone and indicated the comet was at a position of
= 12h 43.3m , = 28 05 on the last photograph.
Later orbits using multiple apparitions and planetary perturbations were
calculated by B. G. Marsden (1973), E. D. Kondrateva (1978), D. K. Yeomans
and P. W. Chodas (1986), and K. Kinoshita (2003). The result was a perihelion
date of October 25.21 and a period of 27.89 years. Calculations made from
1984 onward were solved for nongravitational forces. The nongravitational
terms were given as A1 = 0.01 and A2 = 0.0003 by W. Landgraf (1984),
507
catalog of comets
A1 = 0.08 and A2 = 0.0003 by Yeomans and Chodas, and A1 = 0.099

and A2 = 0.00026 by Kinoshita. Kinoshitas orbit is given below.
T
1956 Oct. 25.2068 (TT)
(2000.0)
195.9669 251.1384
i
28.8799
q
e
0.743369 0.919172

full moon: Sep. 20, Oct. 19, Nov. 18, Dec. 17
sources: A. C. D. Crommelin, MNRAS, 90 (1930 Jan.), p. 324; A. C. D. Crommelin, MNRAS, 92 (1932 Mar.), p. 452; M. P. Candy and J. G. Porter, BAA Handbook for 1956 (1955 Nov.), p. 50; L. Pajdusakova, HAC, No. 1339 (1956 Oct. 1); L.
Pajdusakova, IAUC, No. 1565 (1956 Oct. 1); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1340
(1956 Oct. 16); A. Purgathofer, IAUC, No. 1567 (1956 Oct, 20); L. Mrkosova
Pajdusakova, PASP, 68 (1956 Dec.), p. 554; D. McLeish and J. Bobone, Boletin
del Instituto de Matematica Astronomica y Fisica Universidad Nacional de Cordoba
Argentina, 1, No. 1 (1957), pp. 334; J. G. Porter, MNRAS, 117 (1957), p. 342; J. A.
Bruwer, UOC, 6 (1957 Apr.), p. 288; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 63 (1958 Jul.), pp. 297
8; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 852; A. Mrkos, CAOSP, 3
(1966), p. 121; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 14 (1973 Dec.), pp. 4045; B. G. Marsden,
CCO, 2nd ed. (1975), pp. 23, 49; E. D. Kondrateva, Kazanskaia Gorodskaia Astronomicheskaia Observatoriia, Trudy, No. 44 (1978), pp. 5962; W. Landgraf, MPC,
No. 8779 (1985 May 15); D. K. Yeomans and P. W. Chodas, CCO, 5th ed. (1986),
pp. 20, 54, 66; D. K. Yeomans and P. W. Chodas, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Dec.), pp. 602,
604; personal correspondence from K. Kinoshita (2003).
C/1956 R1 Prediscovery: 1956 November 7.6 ( = 1.88 AU, r = 2.84 AU, Elong. = 162)
(ArendRoland) Discovered: 1956 November 8.93 ( = 1.87 AU, r = 2.83 AU, Elong. = 162)
1957 III = 1956h Closest to the Earth: 1957 April 20 (0.5692 AU)
Calculated path: TRI (Pre), PSC (Nov. 15), CET (1957 Feb. 26), PSC (Apr. 14),
TRI (Apr. 20), AND (Apr. 23), PER (Apr. 25), CAM (Apr. 28), UMa (Jun. 3),
DRA (Nov. 3), UMi (Nov. 30), CEP (1958 Feb. 18), CAM (Apr. 4)
S. J. V. Arend and G. Roland (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium) discovered this comet on two 50-minute minor planet survey exposures made on
103aO plates using the 40-cm double astrograph on 1956 November 8.93.
They gave the position as = 2h 01.0m , = +29 23 . Arend and Roland
estimated the magnitude as 10, and said the comet was diffuse, with a central
condensation. The comet was also found on a 61-minute 30-second exposure
obtained with the same telescope on November 8.94. These images were not
found until over 1 week after the photographs were exposed and confirmation could not be obtained until November 20.83, when Arend obtained
a 10-minute exposure with the double astrograph. He then estimated the
magnitude as 12.0. A short time later, S. Kaho (Tokyo Observatory, Konko
Station, Japan) found an image of the comet on a plate he had exposed for
variable stars on November 7.6.
508
catalog of comets
On November 21, A. Purgathofer (University Observatory, Vienna, Austria) photographed the comet and gave the magnitude as 11. He said the
comet was diffuse, with a condensation. On the 22nd, H. van Woerden
(Leiden, Netherlands) obtained a nonfiltered photoelectric magnitude of
11.2. On the 25th, R. L. Waterfield (Ascot, England) gave the magnitude
as 11.0. On the 27th, M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) gave the magnitude as 10.88 and said the tail extended 4 in PA
60. K. Wenske (Hamburg-Rahlstedt, Germany) photographed the comet
with a 19-cm Schmidt and said the tail was 2 long. On the 28th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 10.78. B. H. Potter (Goethe Link Observatory, Indiana,
USA) described the comet as diffuse, with a condensation and a tail less
than 1 long. On November 30, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 10.85,
while A. G. A. Balz Jr. (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the
comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and gave the magnitude as 10.
Van Woerden obtained a nonfiltered photoelectric magnitude of 11.1. Beyer
said the tail extended 5 in PA 62. Balz said a 10-minute exposure showed a
condensed head with a faint tail extending 1 toward the northeast. Wenske
photographed the comet with a 19-cm Schmidt and said the tail extended
3.5 in PA 57.
On December 2, Waterfield gave the magnitude as 11.0. On the 3rd, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 10.69. He said the nuclear magnitude was 12.80
and the tail extended 8 in PA 62. Wenske photographed the comet with
a 19-cm Schmidt and said the tail extended 5.2 in PA 53.5. The comet
closely approached Earth on December 4 (1.7297 AU) and then this distance began increasing as Earth moved further around its orbit. On the 6th,
12.84, and the tail extended 7 in PA 62. Wenske photographed the comet
with a 19-cm Schmidt and said the tail extended 6.8 in PA 59. On the
14th, Balz photographed the comet using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph
and estimated the magnitude as 9. He said the comet exhibited a condensed
head with a faint tail extending 1 toward the northeast. On the 17th, H.
Pauscher (Berlin-Babelsberg Observatory, Germany) estimated the photographic magnitude as 12. He added that the comet appeared diffuse. On
the 18th, Pauscher said the comet was diffuse, without a nucleus. On the
23rd, van Woerden obtained a nonfiltered photoelectric magnitude of about
10.8. On the 27th, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
obtained a 1-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 11.1. He noted a well-defined nucleus and a tail extending 8 in
PA 51. On the 30th, the visual magnitude was given as 9.5 by Waterfield
and 10.12 by Beyer, while the photographic magnitude was given as 10.8 by
J. Dick (Berlin-Babelsberg Observatory). Beyer said the nuclear magnitude
was 12.65, and the tail extended 6 in PA 48. Dick described the comet as diffuse, with a weak nuclear formation. Wenske photographed the comet with
a 19-cm Schmidt and said the tail extended 5.2 in PA 56.5. On December 31,
Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 10.12, while Dick gave the photographic
509
catalog of comets
magnitude as 11.3. Beyer said the nuclear magnitude was 12.90, and the tail
extended 7 in PA 63. Dick added that the nucleus was not discernible.
Wenske photographed the comet with the Schmidt reflector and said the
tail extended 5.0 in PA 3365.
On 1957 January 1, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 11.0. On the
2nd, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10.8. On the 3rd, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10.5. On the 4th, A. Gutierrez (Astronomical
Observatory, University of Chile) photographed a nearly stellar nucleus
with the Gautier Astrographic Refractor. On the 6th, the visual magnitude
was given as 9.85 by Beyer, while the photographic magnitude was given
as 10.2 by van Biesbroeck and 11.1 by Dick. Dick added that the nucleus
was barely detected, while a weak tail extended towards PA 61. Beyer
said the tail extended 10 in PA 50. Wenske photographed the comet using
the Schmidt reflector and said the tail extended toward about PA 58. On
January 10, the magnitude was given as 9.76 by Beyer and 10.1 by D. P.
Elias (National Observatory, Athens, Greece). Beyer said the tail extended 5
in PA 45.
On January 11, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 9.58, while van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10.3. Dick said the weak tail
extended 2 in PA 60. On the 15th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 10.31 and
said the tail extended towards PA 55. On the 16th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.39 and said the tail extended towards PA 47. On the 17th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 9.23. He said the nuclear magnitude was 12.39, and
the tail extended 10 in PA 52. Wenske photographed the comet with a
19-cm Schmidt telescope and said the tail extended 5.0 in PA 50. On the
18th, Gutierrez photographed the comet using the Gautier Astrographic
Refractor and said it was quite diffuse and barely visible because of clouds
and low altitude. On the 18th and 19th, W. Malsch (Karlsruhe, Germany)
photographed the comet using a 10-cm Petzval camera and estimated the
magnitude as less than 9.5. On January 20, Arend estimated the photographic magnitude as 8.5 and noted a tail 12 long.
On January 21, the photographic magnitude was given as 9.4 by Malsch
and 11.0 by Pauscher. Pauscher said the coma contained a weak nucleus.
On the 22nd, van Woerden obtained a nonfiltered photoelectric magnitude
of 9.4. On the 23rd, the visual magnitude was given as 9.68 by Beyer, while
the photographic magnitude was given as 10 by Gutierrez. Beyer said the
tail extended 6 in PA 57. Gutierrez said the comet was nearly stellar. Van
Woerden obtained a nonfiltered photoelectric magnitude of 9.5. On the 24th,
van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10.2. He said a 1-minute exposure
showed a tail extending 10 in PA 47. On the 26th, the magnitude was given
as 8.5 by Waterfield and 9.8 by van Biesbroeck. Waterfield said, The tail can
be traced for at least half a degree in P. A. 50 and is slightly fan-shaped. He
added that the coma was heavily condensed so that an inner coma was 30
across and an outer coma was 60 across. On the 27th, Dick said the tail was
brighter than when previously observed and extended towards PA 54. He
510
catalog of comets
also noted a distinct nucleus. On the 28th, Dick said the coma was diffuse
with little discernible detail. On the 29th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.00.
He said the nuclear magnitude was 12.30, and the tail extended 9 in PA
51. Pauscher said the comet was conspicuous in the 65-cm refractor, with
a nucleus. The tail was very faint. Wenske photographed the comet using
a 19-cm Schmidt reflector and said the tail extended 7.5 in PA 4058. On
January 31, the photographic magnitude was given as 9.0 by H. L. Giclas
(Lowell Observatory) and 10.5 by van Biesbroeck. Giclas said the comet
possessed a nearly stellar nucleus.
On February 1, R. Bouigue, P. Broglia, D. and A. H. Delsemme, and F.
Lenouvel (Pic du Midi Observatory, France) estimated the magnitude as
9.5. Using blue-filtered photoelectric techniques the Pic du Midi team determined B (blue magnitude) as 10.4. On the 2nd, Malsch gave the photographic magnitude as 9.3 using a 10/50-cm Petzval camera. By February
4, the Earthcomet distance had increased to 1.9432 AU and then began
decreasing. Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.14 and said the tail extended
3 in PA 49. On the 6th, van Woerden obtained a nonfiltered photoelectric
magnitude of 9.2. On the 9th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.68. He said
13th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.4 in moonlight. On the 16th,
van Woerden obtained a nonfiltered photoelectric magnitude of about 8.7.
On the 17th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.1. On the 18th, van
Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.0. On February 19, van Biesbroeck gave
On February 21, the magnitude was given as 7.53 by Beyer, 8.1 by van
Biesbroeck, and 8.5 by D. D. Meisel (Fairmont, West Virginia, USA). Meisel
said the tail was about 0.5 long. On the 22nd, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 8.4. On the 25th, Bouigue, Broglia, Delsemme, and Lenouvel
gave the yellow light magnitude as 7.5. Using blue-filtered photoelectric
techniques the Pic du Midi team determined B = 8.2. On the 26th, W. S.
Houston (Manhattan, Kansas, USA) said the comet was nearly blotted out by
the zodiacal light. On the 27th, Bouigue, Broglia, Delsemme, and Lenouvel
gave the yellow light magnitude as 7.3. Using blue-filtered photoelectric
techniques the Pic du Midi team determined B = 8.0. On February 28,
van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 7.6. The comet was then 25 from
the sun.
The comet passed about 14 from the sun on March 20 and then attained
its most southerly declination of 13 on April 1. Within a few days, its
slow southerly motion changed into a rapid northerly motion as it headed
toward its closest approach to Earth. The comet was picked up by J. G.
Gow (Tapui, New Zealand) on April 2.7, when about 18 from the sun.
He described the comet as little, if any, brighter than Beta Ceti, which
indicated a magnitude near 2. On the 6th, the French Antarctic Expedition
at Adelie Land (Antarctica) estimated the magnitude as 34 and said the tail
extended 35. On the 10th, K. Gottlieb and A. Przybylski (Mount Stromlo
511
catalog of comets
Observatory, Canberra, Australia) obtained a large-scale photograph which

suggested the nucleus was double with a separation of about 9 . Gottlieb
and Przybylski also saw the comet with the naked eye. The comet was about
10 from the sun on the 13th, when Gottlieb and Przybylski estimated the
magnitude as not brighter than magnitude 1. The comet passed about 5
from the sun on April 16 and was closest to Earth on April 20.
On April 21, the comet was 21 from the sun when it was spotted by
several European observatories. The magnitude was given as 1.00 by Beyer
and 2 by J. Hopmann and A. Purgathofer (University Observatory, Vienna,
Austria). Beyer said the tail extended 2.5 in PA 1. The Vienna observers
added that the nucleus was 8 across, while the coma was over 3 across.
Arend said the central condensation was 7 across. Wenske photographed
the comet using a 19-cm Schmidt reflector and said the tail extended toward
PA 1.
On April 22, the magnitude was given as 1.42 by Beyer and 1.9 by F.
Loehde (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada). Beyer said the tail extended 8 in
PA 2. Loehde said the nucleus appeared 10 across in a 15-cm reflector,
while the coma and nucleus were distinctly yellow. R. Fogelquist (Uppsala
Observatory, Sweden) photographed a main tail extending about 25 and a
sunward tail extending 13.
On April 23, Beyer gave the magnitude as 1.58. He said the tail extended
15 in PA 9, while a sunward tail extended 8 in PA 194. Beyer added
that there was also a bright emanation towards PA 125. Waterfield said
the tail was completely devoid of fine structure, while the sunward jet
extended towards PA 194. Wenske photographed the comet using a 19-cm
Schmidt reflector and said the tail extended toward PA 8.4 and was 18 wide
at a point 1 from the nucleus. Wenske added that a ray extended toward
PA 193, while the sunward tail extended toward about PA 210 and was
about 36 wide at a point 30 from the nucleus. Observers at Brno Observatory (Czech Republic) obtained numerous measures. K. Rausal and V.
Vanysek said their photographs showed a fan-shaped sunward jet extending towards PA 183 to 195. Vanysek, J. Tremko, and M. Vetesnik obtained
photoelectric measures which gave a nuclear magnitude of 3.0. Observers
at Poznan Observatory (Poland) obtained photographic and visual observations, with S. Andruszewski, H. Hurnik, F. Koebcke, and J. Witkowski
estimating the tail length as 1520 and W. Szulakowski estimating it as
over 30. Witkowski said a photograph revealed a sunward tail extending
1 in PA 192.
On April 24, the magnitude was given as 1.80 by Beyer, 1.9 by F. W. Wright
(Harvard Observatory, Cambridge, USA), 22.5 by H. de Thier (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium), 2.2 by J. Ashbrook (Harvard Observatory), 2.3 by
Loehde, 2.5 by L. G. Jacchia (Harvard Observatory), 3 by van Biesbroeck
(McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA), and 3.4 by Elias. Van Biesbroeck said
the nuclear magnitude was 6, the main tail extended 25 in PA 10, and the
512
catalog of comets
slender sunward tail extended 4 in PA 194. Waterfield was still detecting

a featureless main tail, while the sunward tail extended towards PA 194.
P. Notni and H. Oleak (Berlin-Babelsberg Observatory) photographed the
comet and said the sunward tail extended over 5 in PA 194.5. This tail was
surrounded by a diffuse paraboloid, divided by a darker band along its
axis. The axis of this envelope was directed towards PA 207. The width
was 0.5 at the head of the comet, but increased to 1.0 one degree south of
the head. The main tail was described as symmetrical in brightness along
a dark axis of about 1.5 length. This axis was directed towards PA 11. De
Thier said the condensation was bright, while the tail extended 15 towards
the north.
On April 25, Elias gave the magnitude as 3.4. M. B. Protitch (Belgrade,
Yugoslavia, now Serbia) said the sunward tail extended 75 on photographs.
Fogelquist said the sunward tail was spearlike in appearance, but was
unsymmetrically surrounded by an ellipsoidal envelope of a greatest width
of nearly 3 degrees. To the naked eye the sunward tail was about 15
long, while the main tail was about 30 long. Rausal and Vanysek said
their photographs showed a slender sunward jet extending towards PA
195. A. McClure (California, USA) estimated the tail length as 30 in 70mm binoculars. Wenske photographed the comet using a 19-cm Schmidt
reflector and said the tail extended toward PA 17.5 and was 26 wide at a
point 1 from the nucleus. He added that a sunward tail extended toward
PA 194.
On April 26, Loehde gave the magnitude as 2.8. J. Dommanget (Uccle, Belgium) said the nucleus was magnitude 6.1, while the central condensation
was 10.5 across and noticeably elongated. Beyer said the main tail was 10
long, while the sunward tail had become weaker. Fogelquist observed without optical aid and said the main tail was about 17 long, but the sunward
tail was no longer visible. Notni and Oleak said the main tail was sharply
bounded on its eastern side, slightly fainter and diffuse to the west. The
dark axis noted on the 24th now extended 2.5 in PA 19 and was slightly
curved like the main tail. The sunward tail extended about 5 in PA 192. Its
western boundary was diffuse towards the head, and the parabolic envelope
was no longer visible. G. Caprioli and G. Gialanella (Monte Mario Observatory, Rome, Italy) said the main tail was widely spread and two-forked,
while the sunward tail was thin and extending 1.3 in PA 191. Rausal and
Vanysek said their photographs showed a slender sunward jet extending
towards PA 194. Vanysek, Tremko, and Vetesnik obtained photoelectric
measures which gave a nuclear magnitude of 4.37. Loehde said the coma
and nucleus appeared distinctly bluish.
On April 27, the magnitude was given as 2.26 by Beyer, 3.6 by Elias, and 4.2
by Malsch. Beyer said the tail extended 9 in PA 25, while the sunward tail
extended 2 in PA 186. He added that a bright emanation extended towards
PA 170. Dommanget said the nucleus looked like a very close double star
513
catalog of comets
that was elongated towards PA 110, the distance of separation being 2.2 .
Waterfield said the main tail was broken up into several longitudinal filaments with an irregular wavy structure. The sunward tail still extended
towards PA 194. Witkowski said the sunward tail extended 2 in PA 193,
while the main tail extended towards PA 21. He added, The structure of
the principal tail is intricate and suggests helicoidally twisted streams. Two
distinct rays of symmetrical curvature parting from the nucleus intersect at
a distance of 1.5 and then separate. Rausal and Vanysek said their photographs showed a slender sunward jet extending towards PA 190. Vanysek, Tremko, and Vetesnik obtained photoelectric measures which gave a
nuclear magnitude of 4.35, while their photographic and visual determinations were 4.67 and 4.38, respectively. K. Lubeck
and K. Eberlein (Hamburg

Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) photographed the comet using a 36-cm
Schmidt reflector and said the tail extended toward PA 21 and was 19 wide
at a point 1 from the nucleus.
On April 28, Malsch gave the photographic magnitude as 3.9, using a
10-cm Petzval camera. On April 29, Elias gave the magnitude as 3.5. Notni
and Oleak obtained a photograph and said the main tail appeared coneshaped and slightly curved only near the head. It was divided into three
filaments at about 1.5 north of the head. The sunward tail was faint and
extended about 0.5 in PA 179. Rausal and Vanysek said their photographs
showed a slender sunward jet extending towards PA 185. Vanysek, Tremko,
and Vetesnik obtained photoelectric measures which gave a nuclear magnitude of 4.60, while their photographic and visual determinations were
4.57 and 4.63, respectively. Wenske photographed the comet with a 190-mm
Schmidt and said the tail extended toward PA 25 and was 13 wide at a
point 1 from the nucleus. On April 30, the magnitude was given as 2.68
by Beyer, 3.3 by Witkowski, and 3.6 by Elias. Dommanget said the nucleus
was elongated 1.2 in PA 126. Witkowski said the sunward tail extended
1 in PA 180. Witkowski added, The principal fan-shaped tail consists of 3
straight distinct rays inclined at angles of 7 to 8 to each other (direction W
E; the western and central rays are very bright. The western ray extended
towards PA 30. The tail was 3 across at a distance of 7 from the nucleus.
Beyer said the tail extended 8 in PA 33, while the sunward tail extended
15 in PA 193. Lubeck
and Eberlein photographed the comet with a 36-cm

Schmidt and said the tail extended toward PA 33 and was 35 wide at a
point 1 from the nucleus.
On May 1, the visual magnitude was given as 3.4 by Witkowski and
3.8 by Elias, while Malsch gave the photographic magnitude as 5.0. Dommanget said the nucleus was elongated towards PA 126. On the 2nd, Elias
gave the magnitude as 4.0. Caprioli and Gialanella said the sunward tail
was almost invisible and very short. Rausal and Vanysek said their photographs did not show the sunward tail. Vanysek, Tremko, and Vetesnik
obtained photoelectric measures which gave a nuclear magnitude of 6.18,
while their photographic and visual determinations were 5.88 and 6.61,
514
catalog of comets
respectively. On the 3rd, the visual magnitude was given as 3.5 by Arend,
3.70 by Beyer, and 4.2 by Witkowski, while Malsch gave the photographic
magnitude as 5.2. Arend said the nuclear magnitude was 7.0. Dommanget
said the nucleus was not elongated. Beyer said the tail was 7 long. On the
4th, the magnitude was given as 3.58 by Beyer, 4.3 by Arend, and 4.5 by
Witkowski. Arend said the nuclear magnitude was 7.5. Dommanget said
the nucleus was elongated 2.4 in PA 79. Caprioli and Gialanella said the
sunward tail was no longer visible on their photographs. Beyer determined
the nuclear magnitude as 9.10, and said the tail extended 5.5 in PA 57.
Lubeck
and Eberlein photographed the comet with a 36-cm Schmidt and

said the tail extended toward PA 30 and was 35 wide at a point 1 from
the nucleus. On the 5th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 3.99. He determined
the nuclear magnitude as 9.36, and said the tail extended 3 in PA 53. F. D.
Miller (University of Michigan Observatory, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA)
obtained seventeen 8-minute exposures using the Curtis Schmidt reflector
and noticed the structure of the tail was complex and variable. He said
a disturbance in the tail moved away from the nucleus at an average rate
of 53 km/s. Miller also noted a fan-shaped array of narrow streamers that
developed during the night.
On May 6, Beyer gave the magnitude as 4.16. He determined the nuclear
magnitude as 9.56, and said the tail extended 6 in PA 58. Dommanget
said the nucleus was round. On the 7th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 4.49.
He determined the nuclear magnitude as 9.41, and said the tail extended
3 in PA 62. Lubeck
and Eberlein photographed the comet with a 36-cm

Schmidt and said the tail extended toward PA 56 and was about 30 wide
at a point 1 from the nucleus. On May 8, Beyer gave the magnitude as 4.40.
He determined the nuclear magnitude as 9.46, and said the tail extended
2.5 in PA 58.
On May 12, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.16 and said the tail extended 2.
On the 13th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.02. He determined the nuclear
magnitude as 9.77, and said the tail extended 2.7 in PA 74, while the tail
fanned across PA 5678. Wenske photographed the comet using a 19-cm
Schmidt reflector and said the tail extended toward PA 78 and was about 30
wide at a point 1 from the nucleus. On the 14th, the magnitude was given as
5.40 by Beyer and 5.5 by Arend. Beyer said the tail extended 1. Arend said
the nuclear magnitude was 8.5. On May 15, the comet attained a declination
of +64 and then turned southeastward. Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.40
and said the tail extended 2. Wenske photographed the comet said the tail
extended about 2 in PA 76 and was about 28 wide at a point 1 from the
nucleus.
On May 16, the magnitude was given as 5.3 by Arend and 5.53 by
Beyer. Arend said the nuclear magnitude was 7.6. Beyer determined the
nuclear magnitude as 9.72, and said the tail extended 2 in PA 75, while
the tail fanned across PA 5582. On the 17th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude as 5.69, while Malsch gave the photographic magnitude as 6.2.
515
catalog of comets
Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 9.97 and added that the tail
extended 2 in PA 77, while the tail fanned across PA 5881. Wenske photographed the comet and said the tail extended toward PA 82 and was
about 33 wide at a point 1 from the nucleus. On the 18th, Elias gave the
magnitude as 6.6. On the 19th, Elias gave the magnitude as 7.6. On May
20, Beyer gave the magnitude as 5.83. He determined the nuclear magnitude as 10.68, and said the tail extended 3 in PA 77, while the tail
fanned across PA 5881. Wenske photographed the comet and said the
tail extended about 2.5 in PA 87 and was 35 wide at a point 1 from the
nucleus.
On May 22, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory) said a long exposure with
the 91-cm Crossley reflector showed complex streamer structure near the
head. On the 23rd, Elias gave the magnitude as 7.8. On the 24th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 6.32. He determined the nuclear magnitude as 10.64,
and said the tail extended 2 in PA 82, while the tail fanned across PA
6691. On the 25th, the magnitude was given as 6.52 by Beyer and 7.9
by Elias. Beyer said the tail extended 1.8 in PA 67, while the tail fanned
across PA 5890. Arend determined the nuclear magnitude as 8.2. Wenske
photographed the comet and said the tail extended about 2 in PA 89 and
was 31 wide at a point 1 from the nucleus. On the 26th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 6.61. He determined the nuclear magnitude as 10.74, and said
the tail extended 1.5 in PA 77, while the tail fanned across PA 6190. Arend
determined the nuclear magnitude as 8.3. On the 28th, Beyer gave the visual
magnitude as 6.81, while Malsch gave the photographic magnitude as 7.6.
Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 10.38, and said the tail extended
1.4 in PA 71, while the tail fanned across PA 5487. Malsch said the tail
extended 0.7 in PA 270295. Arend determined the nuclear magnitude as
9.0. On the 29th, Malsch gave the photographic magnitude as 7.8 and said
the tail extended 15 in PA 285. On the 30th, the magnitude was given as
7.12 by Beyer and 7.9 by Elias. Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude
as 10.79, and said the main tail axis extended 1.0 in PA 79, while the tail
fanned across PA 6693. On May 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 7.25 and
said the tail extended 0.5 in PA 74.
On June 1, the magnitude was given as 7.21 by Beyer and 8.0 by Arend.
Beyer determined the nuclear magnitude as 11.43, and said the tail extended
1.5 in PA 79, while the tail fanned across PA 6693. Wenske photographed
the comet and said the tail extended about 2 in PA 92 and was 32 wide at
a point 1 from the nucleus. On the 2nd, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude
as 7.3. On the 4th, Elias gave the magnitude as 9.1. On the 9th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 8.50. He said the tail extended 15 in PA 75. On the 12th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 8.66. He determined the nuclear magnitude as 12.28,
and said the tail extended 12 in PA 75. On the 13th, Wenske photographed
the comet and said the tail extended about 5 in PA 76. On the 14th, Beyer
gave the magnitude as 8.78 and said the tail extended 14 in PA 77. On the
516
catalog of comets
15th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 8.85 and said the tail extended 15 in PA
76. Wenske photographed the comet and said the tail extended 7 in PA 76.
On the 16th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.06 and said the tail extended 13
in PA 73. Wenske photographed the comet and said the tail extended 6 in
PA 71. On the 17th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.7. On the 18th,
Beyer gave the magnitude as 9.29. He estimated the nuclear magnitude as
12.5, and said the tail extended 12 in PA 70. On the 20th, Beyer gave the
magnitude as 9.40. He determined the nuclear magnitude as 12.73, and said
the tail extended 12 in PA 72. On the 28th, Beyer gave the visual magnitude
as 10.06, while Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 11. Beyer
said the tail extended 8 in PA 69. Jeffers said a 20-minute exposure showed
the tail extending about 10 . On June 29, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude
as 10.0.
On July 2, E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona,
USA) obtained 2- and 3-minute exposures of the comet using the 102-cm
Ritchey Chretien reflector and noted a nucleus of magnitude 14 situated
within a coma less than 0.1 across. She noted a narrow tail extending 2
in PA 90. On July 19 and 24, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 12.5.
The comet attained a declination of +57 on August 18 and then turned
northward again. On the 21st, Beyer gave the magnitude as 11.88. On the
23rd and 25th, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the
a 10-minute exposure showed a diffuse coma 30 across exhibiting a broad
fan-shaped tail extending 4 in PA 40. On the 24th, the visual magnitude was
given as 12.22 by Beyer, while the photographic magnitude was estimated
as 15. Beyer said the tail was 1.5 long. Van Biesbroeck said a 12-minute
exposure showed a diffuse coma 30 across exhibiting a broad fan-shaped
tail extending 4 in PA 40. On August 31, Beyer gave the magnitude as 12.99
and said the tail was 1.5 long.
On September 19, Roemer obtained exposures of 14 and 30 minutes using
the 102-cm Ritchey Chretien reflector and noted a nearly stellar nucleus of
magnitude about 18. On the 24th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13.09 and
the tail length as 1.5 . On September 30, Beyer gave the magnitude as 13 and
the tail length as 1.3 . On November 30, Roemer obtained two 60-minute
exposures of the comet using the 102-cm Ritchey Chretien reflector and
noted a strongly condensed nucleus of magnitude 18.8 situated within a
faint, circular coma 0.2 across. On December 3, Jeffers photographed the
comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 17. He
said the comet appeared nearly stellar.
On 1958 January 16, van Biesbroeck obtained a 12-minute exposure using
the 208-cm reflector and gave the magnitude as 19. He also noted a diffuse
coma 8 across. On the 20th, Roemer obtained 60- and 61-minute exposures of the comet using the 102-cm Ritchey Chretien reflector in poor
517
catalog of comets
seeing and noted the comet was more diffuse than the star images and was
about magnitude 18.5. On January 21, 22, and 25, van Biesbroeck said two
16-minute exposures obtained using the 208-cm reflector revealed a magnitude of 20 and a diffuse coma 8 across. The comet attained its most
northerly declination of +89.5 on February 12 and then passed about 0.1
from Polaris on February 15. On March 10, Roemer obtained exposures of
70 and 90 minutes using the 102-cm Ritchey Chretien reflector in poor seeing and said the suspected comet image [was] very weak. She initially
considered this image somewhat doubtful, until it was photographed the
following month.
The last two detections of the comet came on April 11.20 and April
11.27, when Roemer obtained exposures of 90 and 85 minutes, respectively,
using the 102-cm Ritchey Chretien reflector. She gave the comets position
on the latter date as = 5h 08.0m , = +79 12 . Roemer described the
comet as Fairly well-condensed but weak images with a magnitude of
about 21.0.
The spectrum of the comet was photographed on numerous occasions by
several astronomers. P. Wellmann (Hamburg, Germany) obtained a spectrum of the comets head on April 23. He noted bands of cyanogen, diatomic
carbon, and sodium. He added that the very strong sodium D emission lines
are the outstanding feature of the visual region. Beyer said nine spectrograms were obtained using the 26-cm refractor during the period April 23
May 20. He noted that, overall, the nucleus emitted cyanogen, methylidyne,
diatomic carbon, triatomic carbon, amidyl radical, CO+ , and possible NH3 .
C. Fehrenbach, L. Haser, and P. Swings (Haute Provence, France) obtained
six spectrograms on April 23, 24, and 25. They indicated extreme variability of the spectrum and an abnormally raised and variable intensity of the
doublet D of sodium. They said the sodium emission was sometimes more
intense than the Swan band at 5165 . They added that the tail extended
6 or 7 away from the sun, while an antitail extended 2 or 3 toward the
sun. T. P. Stecher and D. B. McLaughlin (University of Michigan Observatory) obtained spectrographic observations on seven nights between April
24 and June 3. They identified emissions of hydroxyl radical, imidyl radical,
cyanogen, diatomic carbon, and triatomic carbon. The triatomic carbon band
around 4000 weakened with respect to the other emissions between April
14 and May 25, while the cyanogen band at 3590, which was present on
April 26, had disappeared by May 25. The cyanogen band at 3883 remained
the strongest during the period of observation. Stecher and McLaughlin
said an objective-prism specturm was obtained with the 10-cm Ross lens
on April 26 and showed the sunward jet to exhibit a diffuse maximum
about 4700. On April 29, they obtained a slot spectrogram of the tail at a
point 30 from the nucleus and noted a strong continuous spectrum with
relatively weak superimposed tail bands of CO+ .
W. Liller (University of Michigan Observatory) obtained spectra of this
comet on eight nights between 1957 January 23 and June 3. He said the tail
518
catalog of comets
showed no emission features, just a solar continuum. Liller said, If this

continuum is produced by sunlight scattered by small, spherical particles,
it is shown that their average diameters must fall between 0.5 and 4 . He
added, To produce the observed surface brightness of the tail, the particles
must have an average separation of 8 meters 1,700,000 km from the head. The
resulting mass of the visible tail is of the order of 1014 grams. In addition,
the diatomic carbon bands reached a maximum brightness about 4 weeks
after passing perihelion and beyond 1.2 AU, these same bands were a few
percent brighter after perihelion than before.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by M. P. Candy using three precise positions obtained between 1956 November 7 and November 20. The
perihelion date was given as 1957 April 13.15. G. Merton took Candys
orbit and found it indicated that the comet could become as bright as
magnitude 0 before dawn during the first half of April for observers in
the Southern Hemisphere, while it could be equally bright for Northern
Hemisphere observers after sunset during the end of April and early May.
J. Schubart published a parabolic orbit on December 12, which gave the
perihelion date as April 6.21. Z. Bochnicek published a parabolic orbit
on the same date which gave the perihelion date as April 7.60. This
last orbit proved just a few hours early, as shown by the later calculations of L. Oterma, Merton, M. Antal and L. Mrkosova, L. Kresak, and
I. Hasegawa.
The first hyperbolic orbit was calculated by Candy using 76 positions
spanning the period 1956 November 71957 January 26. He determined the
perihelion date as April 8.11 and the eccentricity as 1.0001778. A short time
later, J. Kovalevsky used 48 positions spanning the period 1956 November
181957 January 23, and gave the perihelion date as April 8.05 and the
eccentricity as 1.0002042.
Hasegawa (1957) took 116 observations obtained between 1956 November
18 and 1957 June 28, reduced them to seven Normal places, and determined
a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of April 8.03 and an eccentricity of
1.0002297.
Using 563 observations made between 1956 November 7 and 1958 April
11, Z. Sekanina (1968) computed a hyperbolic orbit, which gave the perihelion date as April 8.03 and the eccentricity as 1.0002492.
B. G. Marsden (1970) took 150 positions spanning the period 1956 November 81958 April 11, applied perturbations by all nine planets, and solved
for nongravitational forces. The result was a perihelion date of April 8.03
and an eccentricity of 1.0002015. The nongravitational terms were given as
A1 = +3.199, A2 = +0.1577.
Marsden (1978) took 150 positions spanning the period 1956 November 8
1958 April 11 and applied perturbations by all nine planets. He gave the perihelion date as April 8.03 and the eccentricity as 1.0002463. Using the same
positions, Marsden also calculated an orbit which in addition included nongravitational forces and obtained a better fit. This orbit gave the perihelion
519
catalog of comets
date as April 8.03 and the eccentricity as 1.0001678. The nongravitational

terms were given as A1 = +1.7, A2 = +0.1. This orbit is given below.
T
1957 Apr. 8.0324 (TT)
(2000.0)
i
q
e
308.7803 215.8558 119.9443 0.316035 1.000168
absolute magnitude: H0 = 5.9, n = 3.8 (Bouska, 1957); H0 = 6.0, n = 3.2

(Hasegawa, 1957); H0 = 7.16, n = 2.56 (preperihelion; Baldet and Bertaud,
1958); H0 = 6.45, n = 2.13 (postperihelion; Baldet and Bertaud, 1958); H0 = 5.15,
n = 4.35 (Beyer, 1959); H10 = 5.4 (Vsekhsvyatskij, 1963)
13, Jun. 12, Jul. 11, Aug. 10, Sep. 9, Oct. 8, Nov. 7, Dec. 7, 1958 Jan. 5, Feb. 4, Mar.
5, Apr. 4, May 3
sources: S. J. V. Arend and G. Roland, HAC, No. 1341 (1956 Nov. 20); A. Purgathofer, HAC, No. 1342 (1956 Nov. 26); M. P. Candy, IAUC, No. 1575 (1956 Dec.
6); J. Schubart and Z. Bochnicek, IAUC, No. 1576 (1956 Dec. 12); L. Oterma, M.
Antal, L. Mrkosova, and G. Merton, IAUC, No. 1577 (1956 Dec. 15); B. Potter,
HAC, No. 1345 (1956 Dec. 17); L. Kresak, IAUC, No. 1578 (1956 Dec. 20); H. de
Thier, CET, 73 (1957), pp. 2289; M. P. Candy and J. Kovalevsky, MNRAS, 117
(1957), p. 343; R. L. Waterfield and I. Hasegawa, IAUC, No. 1580 (1957 Jan. 10);
J. Dick, IAUC, No. 1581 (1957 Jan. 15); S. J. V. Arend, IAUC, No. 1584 (1957 Feb.
5); R. L. Waterfield, IAUC, No. 1585 (1957 Feb. 20); R. Bouigue, P. Broglia, D.
Delsemme, A. H. Delsemme, and F. Lenouvel, IAUC, No. 1588 (1957 Mar. 6); J.
Kovalevsky and H. van Woerden, IAUC, No. 1591 (1957 Mar. 26); S. Kaho, ST, 16
(1957 Mar.), pp. 2445; J. G. Gow, IAUC, No. 1595 (1957 Apr. 17); R. Fogelquist,
G. van Biesbroeck, C. Fehrenbach, L. Haser, P. Swings, and P. Wellmann, IAUC,
No. 1596 (1957 Apr. 29); R. L. Waterfield, H. L. Giclas, and G. van Biesbroeck,
ST, 16 (1957 Apr.), pp. 2978; M. B. Protitch, J. Hopmann, and A. Purgathofer,
IAUC, No. 1597 (1957 May 2); R. L. Waterfield and R. Fogelquist, IAUC, No. 1598
(1957 May 10); P. Notni, H. Oleak, K. Rausal, V. Vanysek, J. Tremko, M. Vetesnik,
G. Caprioli, G. Gialanella, R. Fogelquist, IAUC, No. 1599 (1957 May 24); S. J. V.
Arend, J. Dommanget, and M. B. Protitch, IAUC, No. 1600 (1957 May 24); D. D.
Meisel and W. S. Houston, ST, 16 (1957 May), pp. 3489; S. Andruszewski, H.
Hurnik, F. Koebcke, J. Witkowski, and W. Szulakowski, IAUC, No. 1602 (1957
Jun. 6); J. Bouska, IAUC, No. 1605 (1957 Jun. 27); J. G. Gow, K. Gottlieb, A. Przybylski, G. van Biesbroeck, F. W. Wright, L. G. Jacchia, J. Ashbrook, F. D. Miller, A.
McClure, F. Loehde, and J. D. Kraus, ST, 16 (1957 Jun.), pp. 3645; I. Hasegawa,
IAUC, No. 1608 (1957 Jul. 27); A. G. A. Balz, Jr., AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 1856; D. P.
Elias, IAUC, No. 1614 (1957 Aug. 16); I. Hasegawa, IAUC, No. 1619 (1957 Sep.
25); W. Liller, F. D. Miller, T. P. Stecher, and D. B. McLaughlin, AJ, 62 (1957 Oct.),
pp. 2457; W. Malsch, AN, 284 (1958 Jan. 24), p. 96; J. D. Kraus, AJ, 63 (1958 Feb.),
pp. 558; H. M. Jeffers and A. Gutierrez, AJ, 63 (1958 Jun.), pp. 2502; E. Roemer,
PASP, 70 (1958 Jun.), p. 328; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 63 (1958 Jul.), pp. 2979; F.
Baldet and C. Bertaud, JO, 41 (1958 Jul.), pp. 11519; W. Liller, AJ, 63 (1958 Sep.),
p. 307; K. Wenske, H. Pauscher, and J. Dick, AN, 284 (1958 Sep. 4), pp. 1715, 182;
S. J. V. Arend, G. Roland, and J. Dommanget, BAOBU, 5 (1959), pp. 1213, 1720;
M. Beyer, AN, 284 (1959 Feb. 6), pp. 25160; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963
MayJun.), p. 852; E. Roemer, AJ, 71 (1966 Sep.), pp. 593, 598; Z. Sekanina, IAUC,
520
catalog of comets
No. 2049 (1968 Jan. 22); B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970 Feb.), p. 76; B. G. Marsden,
AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68, 70.
26P/Grigg Recovered: 1956 December 29.82 ( = 1.07 AU, r = 1.01 AU, Elong. = 58)
Skjellerup Last seen: 1957 February 6.11 ( = 1.19 AU, r = 0.86 AU, Elong. = 45)
1957 I = 1956i Calculated path: HYA (Rec), LIB (1957 Jan. 5), SCO (Jan. 12), OPH (Jan. 23),
SGR (Feb. 1)
C. Dinwoodie (1956) published his prediction for the upcoming 1957 apparition. He began with his predicted orbit for the 1952 apparition and corrected
it using positions obtained in that year. Dinwoodie then applied perturbations by Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn, and predicted the comet would next
arrive at perihelion on 1957 February 2.74.
K. Tomita (Tokyo Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka Station, Japan)
recovered this comet on 1956 December 29.82, at a position of =
14h 13.9m , = 27 36 . He estimated the magnitude as 14, and described
the comet as diffuse, without a condensation. The first independent recovery was obtained by G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin,
USA) with the 61-cm reflector on 1957 January 2.48. He estimated the magnitude as 16.5, and described the comet as extremely fuzzy. A second
independent recovery was obtained by D. E. Osterbrock (Palomar Observatory, California, USA) using the 122-cm Schmidt reflector on January 2.55.
a condensation.
On 1957 January 7, Tomita estimated the magnitude as 13 and said the
comet appeared diffuse, without a nucleus. He added that the comets
low altitude made the observations difficult. The comet attained its most
southerly declination of 29 on January 10.
The comet was last detected on February 6.11, when J. A. Bruwer (Union
Observatory Annexe, Hartbeespoort, South Africa) photographed it with
the FranklinAdams Star Camera. He estimated the magnitude as 13.0 and
determined the position as = 18h 08.1m , = 23 00 .
Multiple apparition orbits were calculated by Sitarski (1964, 1981), B. G.
Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1972, 1973), and S. Nakano (1997, 2005). They
gave the perihelion date as February 2.63 and the period as 4.90 years.
Sitarski (1964) noted that a nongravitational acceleration existed in the
motion of this comet. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.03,
A2 = 0.0025 by B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1973), A1 = +0.004, A2 =
0.00113 by Nakano (1997), and A1 = +0.005, A2 = 0.00113 by Nakano
(2005). The orbit of Nakano (2005) is given below.
T
1957 Feb. 2.6335 (TT)
521
(2000.0)
356.3140 216.0994
i
17.6305
q
e
0.855290 0.703639
catalog of comets
full moon: Dec. 17, 1957 Jan. 16, Feb. 14
sources: C. Dinwoodie, IAUC, No. 1562 (1956 Aug. 28); C. Dinwoodie, ATsir,
No. 173 (1956 Oct. 9); C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for 1957 (1956 Nov.), p. 50;
K. Tomita, IAUC, No. 1579 (1956 Dec. 31); K. Tomita, HAC, No. 1346 (1957 Jan.
7); D. E. Osterbrock, HAC, No. 1347 (1957 Jan. 9); D. E. Osterbrock, IAUC, No.
1581 (1957 Jan. 15); K. Tomita, IAUC, No. 1582 (1957 Jan. 19); J. A. Bruwer, UOC,
6 (1958 Apr.), p. 298; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 63 (1958 Jul.), pp. 297, 299; S. K.
Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 852; G. Sitarski, AcA, 14 (1964), pp. 1
5; B. G. Marsden and Z. Sekanina, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 25, 48; B. G. Marsden
and Z. Sekanina, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), pp. 214, 216; G. Sitarski, AcA, 31 (1981),
pp. 4812; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 700 (1997 Dec. 12); S. Nakano, Nakano
Note, No. 1193 (2005 Jul. 4).
29P/ Recovered: Visible throughout orbit

Schwassmann Last seen: Visible throughout orbit
Wachmann 1 Closest to the Earth: 1957 August 17 (4.5315 AU)
Calculated path: CNC (Rec), LEO (Jul. 11), SEX (1950 Aug. 8), LEO (Sep. 9),
1957 IV VIR (1951 Aug. 26), CRV (1952 Jan. 2), VIR (Apr. 3), CRV (Aug. 25), VIR
(Sep. 26), HYA (1953 Feb. 24), VIR (Apr. 5), HYA (Oct. 14), LIB (Oct. 18),
HYA (Nov. 25), LIB (Dec. 8), LUP (1954 Feb. 26), LIB (May 31), SCO (Oct.
15), OPH (1955 Oct. 11), SGR (Oct. 28), CAP (1956 Apr. 28), SGR (Jun. 3),
CAP (Dec. 9), AQR (1957 Apr. 30), CAP (Aug. 3), AQR (Dec. 27), PSC (1958
Mar. 18), ARI (1960 Mar. 23), TAU (1961 Apr. 18), AUR (Jul. 14), PER (Dec.
26), TAU (1962 Feb. 8), AUR (Mar. 20), TAU (Mar. 25), AUR (Apr. 16), GEM
(Sep. 21), AUR (Nov. 23), GEM (1963 May 29), CNC (Oct. 1), GEM (Dec. 21),
CNC (1964 Jun. 15)
This comets nearly circular orbit allowed it to be observed nearly every year
between its aphelions of 1949 April and 1965 June. The comet was difficult
or impossible to observe unless it was experiencing one of its rather frequent
outbursts.
At the time of the 1949 aphelion passage, the comet was hidden by the
glare of the sun. The first observation came on November 30, when H. M.
Jeffers and S. Vasilevskis (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed
They said the comet was nearly stellar.
On 1950 March 9, Jeffers and Vasilevskis estimated the photographic magnitude as 18, while the faint coma was about 0.3 across. On May 19, Jeffers
and Vasilevskis gave the photographic magnitude as 19.2 and said the comet
was nearly stellar.
On 1951 January 5, 8, and 12, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory,
Texas, USA) photographed the comet with the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18. He noted a centrally condensed coma 8 across
and a diffuse extension protruding 12 toward PA 90. On February 4, van
522
catalog of comets
was 20 across and exhibited a sharp nucleus and a fan-shaped extension
toward PA 130. On February 7, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 16.5. He noted a fuzzy nucleus within a faint coma. On February 9, Jeffers and Vasilevskis photographed a stellar nucleus of magnitude
17.5, with a faint coma extending a few seconds eastward. On April 6,
Jeffers and Vasilevskis described the comets photographic image as nearly
stellar and magnitude 18.5. On May 5 and 7, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector
and noted a small round coma of magnitude 17.
On 1952 April 23 and 24, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 15. He noted a nearly stellar nucleus of magnitude 17 located
within a faint coma 2 across. On December 23, van Biesbroeck (McDonald
Observatory) obtained an 10-minute exposure with the 208-cm reflector and
estimated the magnitude as 17.5. He noted a small coma 6 across.
The comet was very well observed during 1953. On January 14, 15, 17,
18, and 19, van Biesbroeck obtained 8- and 10-minute exposures with the
208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18. He said the coma was
5 across.
On March 15, N. Richter, W. Gotz,
and G. Jackisch (Sonneberg, Germany)
photographed the comet using the 50/70/172-cm Schmidt reflector and
gave the magnitude as 15.9. They said the weak coma was 0.14 across, and
contained a central condensation of magnitude 16.3. On the 16th, Richter,
Gotz,
and Jackisch gave the photographic magnitude as 16.0. The diffuse

coma was 0.5 across and was without a condensation. On the 17th, Richter,
Gotz,
and Jackisch gave the photographic magnitude as 14.4. The stellar

nucleus was magnitude 14.4 and was surrounded by a very weak coma
measuring 0.4 across. On the 18th, Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch gave the

photographic magnitude as 14.8. They said the stellar nucleus was magnitude 14.9 and was surrounded by a coma measuring 0.3 across. On the 19th,
Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch gave the photographic magnitude as 15.0. They
noted that the coma was 0.3 across and contained a central condensation.
On the 20th, the photographic magnitude was given as 15.1 by Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch and 15.6 by van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory). Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch said the coma was 0.25 across, with a central condensation.
Van Biesbroeck said a 16-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector revealed
a round coma 20 across. On the 21st, Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch gave the
photographic magnitude as 16.1. The diffuse coma was 0.4 across, with a
slight central condensation. On the 22nd, Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch gave
the photographic magnitude as 16.0. The diffuse coma was 0.25 across.
On the 23rd, Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch gave the photographic magnitude
as 16.0. The diffuse coma was 0.3 across. On the 24th, Richter, Gotz,
and
Jackisch did not detect the comet on a 60-minute exposure obtained with
the Schmidt reflector. The limiting stellar magnitude was 16.8. On the 25th,
Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch did not detect the comet on a 30-minute exposure obtained with the Schmidt reflector. The limiting stellar magnitude
523
catalog of comets
was 16.7. On March 26, Richter, Gotz,

and Jackisch did not detect the comet
on a 15-minute exposure obtained with the Schmidt reflector. The limiting
stellar magnitude was 16.6.
On April 7, the photographic magnitude was given as 13.4 by van Biesbroeck and 14.6 by Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch. Van Biesbroeck said a

20-minute exposure revealed that the coma was 6 across and exhibited
a faint, fan-shaped extension toward PA 200. Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch
said the stellar nucleus was magnitude 14.7 and was surrounded by a very
small and weak coma measuring 0.2 across. On the 14th, E. L. Johnson
(Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) gave the photographic
magnitude as 15.0. On the 17th, Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch gave the photographic magnitude as 16.7. The diffuse coma was 0.3 across, with little
central condensation. On the 18th, Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch did not detect
the comet on a 60-minute exposure obtained with the Schmidt reflector. The
limiting stellar magnitude was 16.8. On the 19th, Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch
gave the photographic magnitude as 17.5. The weak, diffuse coma was 0.4
across. On April 20, 21, and 22, Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch did not detect the
comet on photographic plates exposed using the Schmidt reflector, when
the limiting stellar magnitude was 16.716.8.
On May 1, 2, 3, 5, 15, 16, 17, 19, and 20, Richter, Gotz,
and Jackisch did
not detect the comet on photographic plates exposed using the Schmidt
reflector, when the limiting stellar magnitude was 16.717.5. On May 7, van
Biesbroeck obtained a 12-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and
estimated the magnitude as 16. He noted a small, round coma.
On July 2, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) obtained an 8-minute
exposure and estimated the magnitude as 17.5. He noted a stellar nucleus
with only a vague trace of coma. On the 3rd and 4th, van Biesbroeck
obtained 8-minute exposures and estimated the magnitude as 17. He said
the nucleus was not quite starlike, while the coma was hardly visible. On
July 4, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 18.5. He said the
comet was nearly stellar.
On 1954 February 4, van Biesbroeck obtained a 10-minute exposure with
the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17. He noted a round
coma 5 across. On March 1, van Biesbroeck obtained a 16-minute exposure with the reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16.5. He said the
round coma was 30 across and exhibited little condensation. On March 4,
Jeffers photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18.5. He said the comet was nearly stellar. On April
29, Jeffers photographed the comet using the reflector and wrote, There
was a faint fan-shaped coma extending 0.5 west of an 18th [magnitude]
nucleus. On May 30, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) obtained a
20-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude
as 16.5. He said the round coma was very diffuse and 20 across.
On 1955 May 25, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 18.5.
He noted the comet was not quite stellar. The comet attained its most
524
catalog of comets
southerly declination of 33 on May 28. On July 12, Jeffers obtained two

1-hour exposures using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 14.5. He wrote, The nucleus had a double or dumbbell-shaped
appearance, with the fainter part in position angle 200, and a center-tocenter separation of about 10 . This was in the densest part of a coma nearly
80 across. On the 13th, Jeffers visually observed the comet using the
91-cm refractor and estimated the magnitude as 14. He described it as a
faint hazy patch about 30 across. He also obtained a 2-hour 20-minute
exposure using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph and noted a coma 1.5 across.
On July 15, Jeffers visually observed the comet using the refractor and
estimated the magnitude as 16. He described it as a faint hazy patch
about 30 across. On August 11, C. B. Stephenson (Lick Observatory) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and described it
as of normal appearance and brightness. On October 11, van Biesbroeck
(McDonald Observatory) obtained a 10-minute exposure with the 208-cm
reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18.5. He noted a diffuse coma fanning out toward PA 230. On the 12th and 13th, van Biesbroeck obtained
photographs using the reflector which revealed a magnitude of 19. He said
the round coma was 5 across. On the 14th, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 18. He noted the coma was elongated toward
PA 80. On the 19th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 9.0. He noted a sharply defined elliptical coma measuring 8 12 .
The comet was elongated toward PA 70. On the 20th, van Biesbroeck gave
the magnitude as 9.1. The coma had a round core 10 across, as well as a
fuzzy envelope 15 across. On October 21, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.3. He said the coma was oval, with a measurement of 8 12 ,
and the long axis was directed toward PA 110. The fuzzy envelope was
25 across.
On 1956 May 6, 7, 9, and 11, van Biesbroeck obtained 10-minute exposures using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17. He
said the diffuse coma was fan-shaped and extended about 1 toward PA
22. There was a nearly stellar nucleus. On July 14, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory) obtained a 20-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and
estimated the magnitude as 18. He noted a small, round coma. On August 7,
van Biesbroeck obtained two 20-minute exposures and estimated the magnitude as 17. He said the diffuse nucleus was 10 across, while a faint coma
about 1 across extended mostly toward the third quadrant. On September
3, van Biesbroeck obtained a 16-minute exposure and estimated the magnitude as 16. He said the diffuse nucleus was 15 across, while a coma 1
across extended mostly toward the first quadrant.
On 1957 June 29 and 30, van Biesbroeck obtained two 8-minute exposures using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16. He said
the diffuse coma was centrally condensed and 1 across. On July 7, van
Biesbroeck obtained a 10-minute exposure and estimated the magnitude as
17.5. He said the faint coma was 20 across and centrally condensed. On the
525
catalog of comets
21st, E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA)

photographed the comet using the 102-cm reflector and wrote, Essentially
stellar nucleus of mag. 19.0, surrounded by a very faint coma without definite boundary. On July 24, van Biesbroeck obtained a 12-minute exposure
and estimated the magnitude as 17. On August 21, Jeffers photographed
the comet using the Crossley reflector and gave the magnitude as 16.3. He
noted a stellar nucleus within a round coma about 30 across. On the 22nd
and 23rd, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) obtained two 10-minute
exposures using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16.5.
He noted a sharp nucleus within a coma 10 across. The coma fanned out
toward PA 330. On August 31, Roemer photographed the comet and estimated the magnitude as 13. She noted a stellar nucleus of magnitude 15
and a disk of nebulosity 0.6 across, which was mainly northwest of the
nucleus.
On September 1, Roemer noted a new, smaller and brighter disk of nebulosity mainly [southeast] of nucleus. She gave the total magnitude as 13,
the nuclear magnitude as 18.0, and a coma diameter of 0.1 . On the 4th,
Roemer estimated the photographic magnitude as 1515.5. She noted a stellar nucleus of magnitude 18.5. The disk of nebulosity was 0.8 across and
mainly west of the nucleus, although it was brighter toward the southeast.
On the 15th, Roemer noted a stellar nuclear condensation of magnitude
18.5. The coma was over 2 across and was brightest toward the southeast.
On the 19th, Roemer noted a stellar nucleus of magnitude 18.3. The coma
was ill defined and brightest toward the southeast. On the 24th, Jeffers gave
the photographic magnitude as 17.3. He noted a stellar nucleus in the western edge of an irregular coma about 30 in diameter. On September 24, 25,
and 27, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) obtained photographs using
the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18.5. He noted a tiny
stellar nucleus within a faint coma 85 across.
On October 13, Gotz
gave the photographic magnitude as 13.4 and
described the comet as stellar. On the 15th, Gotz
gave the photographic
magnitude as 12.5. He said there was a stellar nucleus within a weak coma
measuring 0.27 across. On the 18th, Gotz
gave the photographic magnitude as 12.9. He said the nucleus was more distinct, but eccentrically situated within a diffuse coma measuring 0.43 across. On the 20th, Gotz
gave
the magnitude as 14.6. He said the nucleus was diffuse and the coma was
eccentric with a diameter of 0.43 . On the 21st, Gotz
gave the photographic
magnitude as 14.8 and said the comet was diffuse. On the 23rd, Gotz
did
not detect the comet on a 6-minute exposure obtained with the Schmidt
reflector, primarily due to some clouds and haze. He concluded the comet
must have been fainter than magnitude 14.6. On the 25th, Gotz
gave the
photographic magnitude as 14.714.8. He said the nucleus was diffuse and
near the edge of a coma measuring 0.630.67 across. On the 26th Gotz
did
not detect the comet after a 35-minute exposure with the Schmidt reflector,
primarily due to some clouds and haze. He concluded the comet must have
526
catalog of comets
been fainter than magnitude 14.2. On October 28, van Biesbroeck obtained a
16-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude
as 15. He noted a stellar nucleus from which a coma 30 across fanned out
toward the second quadrant.
On November 11, Roemer photographed a stellar nucleus of magnitude
18.7. She said a large, ragged, asymmetrical coma was mainly west and
south of the nucleus. The long axis measured 0.8 and the nucleus was
0.2 from the eastern edge. Roemer noted a crescent-shaped appendage
toward the west.
On December 11, Roemer reported that a subsiding outburst had been
seen at low altitude and in poor seeing. She noted a well-condensed nucleus
of magnitude 17.5 and a round coma 0.7 across that was brightest toward
the northwest.
On 1958 June 25 and 26, Roemer photographed a nearly stellar nuclear
condensation of magnitude 18.5. It was surrounded by a faint, round coma
about 1.5 across. On July 11, Roemer noted a moderately condensed nucleus
of magnitude 17.8. The coma was 0.8 across.
On August 12, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) obtained a
10-minute exposure using the 208-cm reflector and noted an extremely faint
coma 20 across, which contained a sharply defined, nearly stellar nucleus
of magnitude 14. On the 15th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 13.5. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and detected a fuzzy
nucleus from which emanated a broad fan between 20 and 120 position angle the brightest being in the direction 40 and extending to 10.1
from the nucleus. On the 16th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 14. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and detected a fuzzy
nucleus from which emanated a broad fan between 20 and 120 position
angle the brightest being in the direction 40 and extending to 14.7 from
the nucleus. On August 21, Jeffers gave the photographic magnitude as
17.3. He said the coma was fan-shaped and extended 0.5 toward the east.
There was also a stellar nucleus of magnitude 17.5.
On September 6 and 15, Roemer reported a stellar nucleus of about magnitude 17.5. The coma was elongated and extended 0.5 east and south of the
nucleus. On the 12th, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed
obtained a 20-minute exposure and detected a round, centrally condensed,
fuzzy coma 25 across. On the 16th, Jeffers photographed the comet with the
91-cm Crossley reflector and detected a round coma 1 across, which contained a nucleus of about magnitude 17.5. On September 22, van Biesbroeck
estimated the photographic magnitude as 15. He obtained a 15-minute exposure and detected a nearly stellar nucleus with only the faintest indication
of a diffuse coma.
On October 13, Roemer said the coma was elongated northeast to southwest and extended at least 0.5 from the stellar nucleus in each direction.
On October 31, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
527
catalog of comets
as 17. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and detected a coma 40 across,

with a centrally condensed fuzzy nucleus.
On November 1, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 16.5. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and detected a coma 40
across, with a centrally condensed fuzzy nucleus. On the 4th, Jeffers photographed the comet using the reflector and detected a faint coma nearly
1 across, which contained a stellar nucleus of magnitude 17.5. On the 9th,
Roemer reported a stellar nucleus in the center of a faint, round coma 0.8
across. On the 12th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 18. He obtained a 20-minute exposure and described the comet as very
diffuse. On November 29, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 14.5. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and detected a round
coma 1 across, with a centrally situated, well-condensed nucleus 9 across.
15. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and detected a round coma 1 across,
which was brightest in the fourth quadrant, with a centrally situated, wellcondensed nucleus 9 across. On the 2nd, Roemer obtained a 30-minute
exposure using the 102-cm reflector and noted a fairly well-condensed
nucleus of magnitude 17.0 embedded in a disk-shaped coma 1.5 across.
On the 3rd, Roemer obtained a 30-minute exposure which revealed a sharper
condensation of magnitude 17.4. On the 4th, Roemer obtained a 30-minute
exposure which revealed a nearly stellar condensation of magnitude 17.3
embedded in disk-shaped coma. On the 5th, Roemer said the total brightness was definitely less than on the 4th, while the nuclear magnitude was
17.5. On the 6th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as
15.5. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and noted the coma was brightest
in the first quadrant and contained a fuzzy nucleus. On the 8th, Roemer
obtained a 27-minute exposure through clouds and noted the comet was
well condensed. On the 9th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 16. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and described the
comet as very diffuse, with hardly a nucleus. On the 10th, Roemer obtained
a 35-minute exposure which revealed a very sharp nuclear condensation
of magnitude 18.0 near the northwest edge of a coma about 0.4 across.
On the 11th, Roemer obtained a 60-minute exposure which revealed a stellar nucleus of magnitude 17.3 at the northwest edge of a coma 0.5 across.
The coma exhibited a sharply defined edge in the southeast quadrant.
On December 16, Roemer obtained a 60-minute exposure which revealed a
sharply condensed nucleus of about magnitude 18.0. It was situated near
the northwest edge of a coma 0.5 across.
On 1959 January 12, Roemer obtained a 30-minute exposure which
revealed a well-condensed nucleus of magnitude 18.8. There was a narrow streak of nebulosity extending 0.5 toward the southeast. On July 3,
van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5. He obtained
a 20-minute exposure and noted a small round coma. On July 10, van
Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 18. He obtained a
528
catalog of comets
20-minute exposure and noted a small round coma. On August 7.44, Jeffers
photographed the comet using the reflector and described it as nearly stellar
and magnitude 19. On August 29, Roemer obtained a 60-minute exposure
which revealed a very sharp nucleus of magnitude 18.0, which was practically without coma. On September 1, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated
the magnitude as 12.5. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and described
the comet as perfectly stellar. On the 2nd, van Biesbroeck estimated the
photographic magnitude as 12. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and
described the comet as perfectly stellar. On the 3rd, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 12. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and noted a coma 5 across. On the 8th, van Biesbroeck estimated
the photographic magnitude as 14. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and
described the comet as a diffuse, elliptical nebulosity 2324 across. On
September 25, Roemer obtained a 30-minute exposure which revealed a stellar nucleus of magnitude 18.0, with a coma that was a little brighter than on
August 29.
On October 21, Roemer obtained a 5-minute exposure which revealed a
faint, more or less dumbbell-shaped coma at least 1.0 long surrounding a
stellar condensation of about magniude 17.5. On the 23rd, J. Gibson (Lick
Observatory) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector
and noted a nucleus of magnitude 15 within an irregular coma nearly 4
across. On the 26th, Roemer obtained exposures of 5, 17, and 30 minutes
which revealed a stellar nucleus of about magnitude 17.5. She noted that
the nucleus was embedded in a large, bright coma of irregular surface
brightness and at least 2 across. On the 27th, Gibson estimated the photographic magnitude as 10. The irregular coma was about 4 across and the
comet was visible in the 10-cm finder. On October 29, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 14. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and noted a
centrally condensed round coma about 40 across.
On November 3, Gibson estimated the photographic magnitude as 14.
He noted a stellar nucleus of magnitude 17.8 within a coma 3 across. On
November 18, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.
He obtained a 10-minute exposure and noted an extremely diffuse coma.
On the 23rd, Gibson estimated the photographic magnitude as 16. He noted
the coma was fainter and smaller than on the 3rd. On the 28th, Roemer
obtained a 30-minute exposure which revealed a stellar condensation of
about magnitude 17.5. She said the coma was quite faint and was brightest
toward the southeast. On November 29, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and noted
an extremely diffuse coma.
On December 30, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 18.5. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and noted a diffuse coma. On
December 30, Roemer obtained a 30-minute exposure which revealed a
529
catalog of comets
stellar nucleus of about magnitude 18.0. She noted a faint trace of very
weak coma.
On 1960 January 29, Roemer obtained two 30-minute exposures which
revealed a stellar central condensation of magnitude 18.018.5. The round
coma was 1.0 across and was sharply bounded with an irregular surface
brightness. Roemer noted the coma was brightest on the north and west
sides. On February 21, Roemer obtained two 30-minute exposures which
revealed a nucleus of magnitude 18.5. She said the nucleus was partly
obscured by a small, sharply bounded coma about 0.5 across, which had
a much higher surface brightness than on January 29. On July 24, van
Biesbroeck photographed the comets position, but found no trace, indicating a magnitude fainter than 18. On September 1, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 18.5 and said the round coma was 5 across. On
October 2, Roemer obtained a single 60-minute exposure which revealed a
very sharp central condensation of about magnitude 18.0. There was a
very faint trace of coma. On October 17 and 22, van Biesbroeck obtained
20-minute exposures which revealed a very diffuse, small coma of magnitude 18. On October 25, Roemer obtained a single 60-minute exposure
which revealed a very sharp nucleus of about magnitude 18.6. She said
it was embedded in an extremely faint trace of coma. On November 11,
the comet was independently photographed by van Biesbroeck and by Roemer. Van Biesbroeck obtained a 20-minute exposure and found an almost
stellar image of magnitude 18. Roemer obtained a single 30-minute exposure which revealed a stellar nucleus of magnitude 18.0 embedded in a
small, faint coma 0.2 in diameter. On December 7, van Biesbroeck gave
the photographic magnitude as 18. On December 19, Roemer obtained a
single 30-minute exposure which revealed an essentially stellar nucleus
of magnitude 18.2. There was only the barest suggestion of coma.
On 1961 January 11, Roemer obtained a single 30-minute exposure in
very poor seeing and noted the comet had a normal quiescent appearance. On January 20, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude
as 18. He noted a diffuse round coma 10 across. On February 9, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 15.5 and reported a round coma
10 across. On February 15, Roemer obtained a single 10-minute exposure
which revealed a sharp, stellar nucleus of magnitude 16.8. It was situated
within a small, fairly sharply bounded coma 0.2 in diameter. There was
a bright streak extending southeast from the nucleus through the coma.
On March 9, Roemer obtained a single 30-minute exposure which revealed
a very sharp, stellar nucleus of magnitude 18.5. It was in the middle of a
faint, not well-defined coma about 0.2 across. On September 18 and 20, van
Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 18.5. The round coma was
12 across. On October 2, Roemer obtained a single 30-minute exposure in
poor seeing which revealed a rather diffuse object of magnitude 18.5. On
the 12th, van Biesbroeck photographed a perfectly stellar image of magnitude 14, while Roemer photographed a stellar object of magnitude 13. On
530
catalog of comets
the 14th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 12 and noted
a sharp nucleus with a very faint diffuse edge. On the 15th, Roemers
photographic plates revealed a bright, ring-tailed coma of diameter 0.4
[which] partly obscures the central condensation of magnitude 15.2. On
the 17th, van Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 10. He noted
that the nucleus had expanded into a 22 diameter disk surrounded by
a diffuse rim. On October 18, Roemer obtained exposures of 3, 10, and
30 minutes. She wrote, Expanding ring-tailed coma, diameter 0.6 ; central condensation of magnitude 17.2, hardest to distinguish from the coma
on the last plate. On November 3, Roemer obtained exposures of 33 and
31 minutes which revealed the coma was 2 across, with less surface brightness than on October 18. There was also a sharp, stellar condensation of
magnitude 18.4. On November 10, Roemer obtained a single 60-minute
exposure which revealed a sharp nuclear condensation of magnitude
18.8. The ring-tailed-shaped coma was 2.5 across and quite faint and
ill defined. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +33 on
November 11. On December 4, Roemer obtained a single 60-minute exposure which revealed a very sharp nucleus of magnitude 18.4. The nucleus
was within a faint, poorly defined coma extending at least 1.5 from the
nucleus, especially [northwest]. On December 8, van Biesbroeck gave the
photographic magnitude as 18 and noted a coma elongated east to west.
During the period December 2830, van Biesbroecks photographs failed to
reveal the comet and he said it must have been fainter than magnitude 18. On
December 29, Roemer obtained a single 60-minute exposure which revealed
a very strong, sharp nucleus of magnitude 17.5, with no apparent coma.
On 1962 January 25 and 31, van Biesbroeck obtained 20-minute exposures which revealed a magnitude of 18. There was a centrally condensed
extremely faint coma 30 in diameter. On January 28, Roemer obtained
a single 61-minute exposure which revealed a sharp nucleus of magnitude
19.0. The coma was 1.3 across and fairly sharply bounded. On March 4,
Roemer obtained a single 61-minute exposure which revealed a stellar object
of magnitude 19.4. On September 26, Roemer obtained a single 60-minute
exposure which revealed a very sharp stellar object of magnitude 19.4. There
was no coma. On October 23, 26, and 31, van Biesbroeck obtained 20-minute
exposures using the 61-cm reflector and noted a small round coma of magnitude 18.5. On October 28, Roemer obtained a single 60-minute exposure
in inferior seeing. She noted a condensed nucleus of magnitude 18.7 and a
short, faint tail extending north of west. On November 21, Roemer obtained
a single 60-minute exposure which revealed a stellar object of about magnitude 18.8. On December 21, Roemer obtained a single 60-minute exposure
in very poor seeing. She said the comet was no more diffuse than stars
and magnitude 19.0.
F. Borngen
(Karl-Schwarzschild Observatory, Germany) monitored this

comet during the first months of 1962 with the Tautenburg reflector. His
photographs obtained on January 31, February 3, 5, 8, and 9, as well as on
531
catalog of comets
March 9, revealed a diffuse object, with marked condensation, but no coma.

The magnitude was given as 18.
On 1963 January 18, Roemer obtained a single 60-minute exposure which
revealed an exceptionally sharp condensation of about magnitude 18.3.
There was a very weak symmetrical coma no more than 0.1 across. On
February 25, Roemer obtained a single 60-minute exposure which revealed
a stellar nucleus near magnitude 19.0. The nucleus was at the apex of a
moderately bright, fan-shaped coma that extended westward. On March
20, Roemer obtained a single 60-minute exposure which revealed a stellar
nucleus of magnitude 19.3 within a very faint coma. On October 25, Roemer
obtained exposures of 30 and 60 minutes which revealed a stellar condensation of magnitude 18.9. This condensation was located in a symmetrical
and sharply bounded coma 0.8 in diameter with a brighter wedge north
embedded within the coma. On November 15, Roemer obtained exposures
of 30 and 60 minutes which revealed a fairly weak, nearly stellar image
of magnitude 19.0. There was no evident coma. On December 16, Roemer
obtained exposures of 30 and 60 minutes which revealed a very sharp,
stellar image of about magnitude 18.8. There was no coma.
On 1964 January 9, Roemer obtained exposures of 30 and 60 minutes
which revealed a very sharp stellar image of magnitude 18.4. On February
5, Roemer obtained exposures of 30 and 60 minutes which revealed a stellar
image of magnitude 17.7. On March 9, Roemer obtained exposures of 30 and
60 minutes which revealed a not quite stellar image of about magnitude
19.2. On April 10, Roemer obtained exposures of 30 and 60 minutes which
revealed a nuclear condensation of magnitude 18.2. There was nebulosity
in the northwest quadrant which extended 0.7 from the nucleus. On April
12, Roemer obtained a single 90-minute exposure which revealed a stellar
condensation of magnitude 18.7. There was a patch of nebulosity northwest
and west of the nucleus that extended about 0.9 . The nebulosity was
brightest about 0.3 from the nucleus. On May 4, Roemer obtained a single
exposure of 50 minutes which revealed a practically stellar nucleus in a
small coma. The nebulosity mostly extended 0.25 northwest of the nuclear
condensation. On May 11, Roemer obtained 30- and 60-minute exposures
which revealed a very small, sharp condensation of about magnitude
18.8. The coma was very faint and poorly defined, with a diameter of 0.5 . On
October 12, Roemer obtained a single 60-minute exposure which revealed
a fairly well-condensed image of a magnitude near 18.1. There was no
evident coma. On November 5, Roemer obtained exposures of 30 and
60 minutes which revealed a stellar condensation with a magnitude near
19.2. There was only the slightest trace of coma. On December 11, Roemer
obtained exposures of 30 and 60 minutes which revealed a sharp, stellar
condensation of magnitude 18.6. There was a faint symmetrical coma 0.3
across.
On 1965 January 12, Roemer obtained exposures of 10 and 30 minutes
which revealed a practically stellar condensation of about magnitude
532
catalog of comets
17.5. A bright coma was almost exclusively on the northern side of condensation, strongest in [northeast] quadrant, to 0.4 . She wondered if this
was a subsiding outburst. On February 24, Roemer obtained exposures of
30 and 60 minutes which revealed a stellar condensation near magnitude
18.3. She noted, only the slightest trace of coma. On April 23, Roemer
obtained exposures of 30 and 65 minutes which revealed a stellar image of
magnitude 19.4.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by P. Herget (1961, 1972),
S. Nakano (1991, 2001), and K. Kinoshita (2003). Hergets calculations used
between two and seven planets, while the orbits of Nakano and Kinoshita
used perturbations by seven or more planets, as well as some minor planets.
Herget (1961) gave the perihelion date as 1957 May 12.71, while the other
calculations gave it as May 12.8312.85. All calculations gave the period as
16.10 years. Nakano (2005) noted that his 2001 orbit still fits positions up to
2005 with residuals of less than 1 . Kinoshitas orbit, which had the smallest
residuals for the 1902 positions, is given below.
T
1957 May 12.8544 (TT)
(2000.0)
355.8055 322.3280
i
9.4926
q
e
5.537675 0.131499

comets visibility
sources: H. M. Jeffers and S. Vasilevskis, LOB, 20 (1950), p. 39; H. M. Jeffers
and S. Vasilevskis, LOB, 20 (1951), p. 75; N. Richter, IAUC, No. 1397 (1953
Mar. 20); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 58 (1953 Apr.), pp. 84, 87; E. L. Johnson, IAUC,
No. 1408 (1953 Jun. 3); N. Richter, W. Gotz,
and G. Jackisch, AN, 281 (1953 Sep.
15), pp. 1878; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 60 (1955 Mar.), pp. 61, 64; H. M. Jeffers,
AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.), pp. 4401; H. M. Jeffers and C. B. Stephenson, AJ, 61 (1956
Nov.), pp. 3812; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 191, 1934, 196; W.
Gotz,
AN, 284 (1958 May 9), pp. 1434; H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 63 (1958 Jun.), pp. 2501;
G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 63 (1958 Jul.), pp. 296, 298; H. M. Jeffers and J. Gibson,
AJ, 65 (1960 Apr.), pp. 1634; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 66 (1961 Mar.), pp. 100, 102;
P. Herget, AJ, 66 (1961 Aug.), pp. 26671; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 67 (1962 Aug.),
pp. 426, 428; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 852; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 68 (1963 Nov.), pp. 735, 737; E. Roemer, AJ, 71 (1966 Sep.), pp. 592, 598;
P. Herget, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 25, 47; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 548 (1991
Apr. 6); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 787 (2001 May 2); personal correspondence
from K. Kinoshita (2003); personal correspondence from S. Nakano (2005).
1957 VIII = 1957c Closest to the Earth: 1957 September 21 (0.9119 AU)
Calculated path: TAU (Rec), PER (Aug. 7), AUR (Aug. 12), GEM (Sep. 2), CNC
(Sep. 13), LEO (Sep. 22)
533
catalog of comets
S. G. Makover (1956) used positions obtained during the five apparitions

occurring between 1937 and 1954, and applied perturbations by Mercury
to Saturn. He predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1957
October 19.85.
H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) recovered Encke on 1957
July 25.43, at = 3h 31.3m , = +27 48 . He described it as a centrally condensed coma about 10 across, with a total magnitude of 18. E. Roemer (US
Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) confirmed the comets
recovery on July 28.40 and July 30.42. On the former date it was described
as a poorly condensed coma, 0.2 in diameter with a nuclear magnitude
of 19.3. The appearance was similar on the latter date, except that a weak
tail was present extending 0.5 in PA 40. The comet was again detected at
Lick Observatory on July 31.43, when Jeffers and A. R. Klemola obtained
30-minute exposures which showed a sharp nucleus within a coma 15 in
diameter. The magnitude was then given as 17.8.
This apparition was not a particularly good one for comet Encke. Its greatest solar elongation of 68 occurred on August 14, and slowly decreased in
the days that immediately followed; however, it did brighten fairly rapidly.
On August 24, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 12. Van Biesbroeck said 10- and 8-minute exposures showed a
coma 1 across which extended like a fan toward PA 100. There was also a
fuzzy nucleus 15 across which was situated eccentrically within the coma.
C. Fehrenbach, L. Haser, and P. Swings (St. Michel Observatory, France) estimated the photographic magnitude as 12. They obtained three photographs
of the comet and described it as diffuse with condensation, with a coma 3
across. On August 29, Jeffers said a 6-minute exposure obtained with the
91-cm Crossley reflector showed a coma 1 across, which contained some
central condensation, but no stellar nucleus. The comet attained its most
northerly declination of +35 on August 31. That night, Roemer began the
first of three exposures (lasting between 3 and 10 minutes) using the 102-cm
reflector. The comet was described as diffuse with weak central condensation of mag. 16.5.
On September 4, Roemer said the nucleus was situated near the western
edge of a coma 0.7 by 1.0 across. The nucleus was considered so diffuse
that an accurate magnitude could not be determined, but it was estimated
as about 16. On the 5th, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin,
magnitude as 11.5. On the 19th, Roemer described the comet as a bright
fuzzy patch several minutes of arc in diameter. She obtained photographs
which revealed the diffuse nucleus was still present with a magnitude of
about 15 and was situated on the western edge of a coma 1 in diameter. On
said a 1-minute exposure showed a broad fan extending 2 in PA 90 from
one side of a bright nucleus, while a fairly straight filament was emitted
534
catalog of comets
from the other side and extended 25 in PA 295. On September 28, van
Biesbroeck gave the photographic magnitude as 8.0. He said a 1-minute
exposure showed the coma 3 across, with a tail extending 40 in PA 301.
On October 1, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 7.4. He said a
30-second exposure showed a round, centrally condensed coma 3 across,
which exhibited a tail which extended straight for 21 in PA 296, and then
curved toward PA 305 for another 24 . On the 2nd, van Biesbroeck said a
1-minute exposure showed a tail 60 long, which began in PA 300, and then
curved toward PA 304. On October 4, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude
as 6.4. He said the narrow tail starts out for 10 in 283 then gradually
curves northward until the direction reaches 307 at 65 from the nucleus.
obtained a 1-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector in twilight and at
low altitude and described the comet as a difficult object. He gave the position as = 11h 07.1m , = +11 54 . W. Wenzel (1958) said the comet was not
found on October 8, during a search at Heidelberg using the comet finder.
He estimated it was not brighter than magnitude 6.5. The comet attained a
minimum solar elongation of 3 on October 29.
W. Liller (University of Michigan Observatory, Ann Arbor, Michigan,
USA) obtained spectra of the wavelengths between 3400 and 6400 on two
nights. He noted, the faintness of the continuum is particularly striking.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by Makover and S. Y.
Luchich (1963), B. G. Marsden (1969, 1970), G. R. Kastel (1971), N. A. Bokhan
and Y. A. Chernetenko (1974), and Marsden and Z. Sekanina (1974). All of
these orbits included planetary perturbations, while those from 1969 and
later also included the effects of nongravitational terms. The result was
a perihelion date of October 19.85 and a period of 3.30 years. Marsden
and Sekanina (1974) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.03, A2 =
0.00589 and their orbit is given below.
T
1957 Oct. 19.8486 (TT)
(2000.0)
185.2168 335.4388
i
12.3807
q
e
0.338123 0.847396

sources: S. G. Makover, BAA Handbook for 1957 (1956 Nov.), p. 54; S. G. Makover,
IAUC, No. 1595 (1957 Apr. 17); H. M. Jeffers, IAUC, No. 1609 (1957 Jul. 31); E.
Roemer, HAC, No. 1366 (1957 Aug. 6); C. Fehrenbach, L. Haser, and P. Swings,
IAUC, No. 1616 (1957 Aug. 28); C. Fehrenbach, L. Haser, and P. Swings, HAC, No.
1371 (1957 Aug. 29); E. Roemer, PASP, 69 (1957 Dec.), p. 586; W. Wenzel, MNRAS,
118 (1958), p. 395; H. M. Jeffers and A. R. Klemola, AJ, 63 (1958 Jun.), pp. 2501;
G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 63 (1958 Jul.), pp. 2989; W. Liller, AJ, 63 (1958 Sep.), p. 307;
S. G. Makover and S. Y. Luchich, BITA, 9 (1963), pp. 22433; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij,
SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 852; E. Roemer, AJ, 70 (1965 Aug.), pp. 398, 400; B. G.
Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.), pp. 7256, 72830; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 11 (1970
Sep.), pp. 2323; G. R. Kastel, BITA, 12 (1971), pp. 192203; N. A. Bokhan and
535
catalog of comets
Y. A. Chernetenko, QJRAS, 15 (1974 Dec.), pp. 4545, 459; B. G. Marsden and Z.
Sekanina, AJ, 79 (1974 Mar.), pp. 41516.
C/1957 P1 Prediscovery: 1957 July 29.79 ( = 1.22 AU, r = 0.36 AU, Elong. = 15)
(Mrkos) Discovered: 1957 August 2.04 ( = 1.17 AU, r = 0.36 AU, Elong. = 17)
1957 V = 1957d Closest to the Earth: 1957 August 13 (1.0647 AU)
Calculated path: GEM (Disc), CNC (Aug. 1), LYN (Aug. 2), LMi (Aug. 7), UMa
(Aug. 14), COM (Aug. 20), BOO (Sep. 2), VIR (Sep. 12), LIB (Sep. 25), SCO
(Nov. 7), OPH (Nov. 24), SCO (1958 Apr. 11), LUP (Jun. 4)
A. Mrkos (Lomnicky Stt, Slovakia) discovered this comet with the naked
eye on 1957 August 2.04, at a position of = 8h 10.0m , = +32 00 . He
estimated the magnitude as 3, and said the comet was diffuse, with a central
condensation, and a tail more than 1 long. Confirmation came quickly, with
S. Laustsen (Copenhagen, Denmark) detecting the comet under unfavorable
conditions on August 2.87. He estimated the magnitude as 2, and said the
comet was diffuse, with a condensation, and a tail greater than 1 long.
Mrkos observed the comet on August 3.06, and estimated the magnitude as
3. On August 3.08, Laustsen estimated the magnitude as 2.
Following the Central Bureaus official announcement of the new comet
from Copenhagen on August 3, reports began surfacing concerning independent discoveries of the comet. The first observer was S. Kuragano
(Yokohama, Japan), who detected the comet on July 29.79, and sent a message to S. Kanda. The latter astronomer did not dispatch a letter until
August 13. On July 31, P. Cherbak was flying an American Airlines plane
between Denver and Omaha when he saw the comet 5 east of Castor. He
waited until he confirmed the sighting the next morning before he informed
Griffith Planetarium. Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories did not
send a telegram to Harvard College Observatory until August 4, because
cloudy weather prevented immediate official confirmation. Harvard College Observatory then relayed it to the Central Bureau. On August 3.12,
15-year-old C. C. Hare (Tamworth, England) discovered the comet and sent
a message to the Royal Greenwich Observatory stating it was as bright as
Pollux. On August 6, O. Mattson and R. Mattson (St. Paul, Minnesota, USA)
discovered the comet shortly after sunset, as did K. G. Brown (Erieville,
New York, USA). Other independent discoveries received at Harvard College Observatory included L. Aalto (Worcester, Massachusetts, USA), C.
Cartwright Jr. (Andover, New York, USA), M. Chute (Cheboygan, Michigan, USA), Mrs. J. C. Doyle (Eagle Nest, New Mexico, USA), R. Levine
(Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA), F. Loehde (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada),
C. J. Renner (Woodruff, Wisconsin, USA), W. O. Roberts (High Altitude
Observatory, Boulder, Colorado, USA), H. Steele (Marcellus, New York,
USA), L. Wolkoff (Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA), S. A. Zielinski (Fulford,
Canada).
536
catalog of comets
On August 4, the magnitude was estimated as 1 by Laustsen and E. Hoeg

(Copenhagen) and 3 by Mrkos. Laustsen and Hoeg said the comet was diffuse, with a condensation, and a tail greater than 1 long. Mrkos saw the
comet in twilight and at a low altitude, but described it as diffuse, with a
central condensation, and a tail more than 1 long. On the 5th, 6th, and 7th,
M. Antal (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) estimated the magnitude
as 2. On the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 10th, H. K. Raudsaar (Tartu Observatory,
Estonia) gave the magnitude as 1.8. Raudsaar said the diffuse curved tail
was about 3 long in bright skies. On the 7th, P. Jackson (Vienna, Austria)
estimated the magnitude as 2. On the 8th, Laustsen estimated the magnitude
as 1. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +38 on August
10. The magnitude was then given as 1 by Z. Ceplecha (Prague, Czech
Republic), 2 by V. Vanysek (Brno, Czech Republic) and G. van Biesbroeck
(McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA), and 2.152.17 by M. Beyer (Hamburg
Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany). Van Biesbroeck said the comet was diffuse, with a condensation, and a tail greater than 1 long. Beyer estimated
the nuclear magnitude as 5.5 and said the tail was 2 long.
On August 11, the magnitude was given as 1 by H. de Thier (Uccle,
Belgium) and M. Questiaux (Dinant, Belgium), 1.2 by U. Guntzel-Lingner
(Potsdam, Germany), 2 by J. Kordylewski (Cracow, Poland), and 2.5 by

Vanysek. De Thier said the comet was whitish, with a very brilliant nucleus,
and a tail extending 4. On the 12th, Kordylewski estimated the magnitude
as 2. On the 13th, the magnitude was given as 2.45 by Beyer and 3 by Vanysek
and Kordylewski. J. Dommanget said the condensation was 4.2 across. He
also measured the tail width as 105 at a distance of 75 from the coma, and
135 at a distance of 150 . On the 13th and 14th, van Biesbroeck obtained a
10-minute exposure with the 25-cm Cook lens and said the bright head is
surrounded by a sperical envelope nearly 10 in diameter. The tail shows a
complex structure consisting of several straight filaments in position angle
30 to 35 and a broad curved branch in 10 to 25 position angle. The east
side is sharply defined while the opposite side melts away westward. On
the 14th, the magnitude was given as 2.18 by Beyer and 2.7 by D. P. Elias
(National Observatory, Athens, Greece). Beyer said the nuclear magnitude
was 6.00, while the tail extended 2.5 toward PA 34. On August 15, the
magnitude was given as 2 by H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona,
USA) and 2.7 by Elias. Giclas said the comet was diffuse, with a condensation, and a tail greater than 1 long. Van Biesbroeck photographed the
comet and noted a Narrow bundle of filaments in the tail, recorded over a
length of 5 in position angle 40, overlaid with a shorter broad branch curving westward. Beside there is a faint filament 1 long toward 320 position
angle.
On August 16, the magnitude was given as 2.37 by Beyer and 2.8 by Elias.
Beyer said the tail extended 2.5 toward PA 41. On the 16th and 17th, van
Biesbroeck said the straight branch of the tail extended 10 to the naked eye,
and that when it was photographed he noted a dozen narrow filaments
537
catalog of comets
some of which have a wavy structure. The curved branch has diminished in
brightness. On the 17th, Elias gave the magnitude as 2.8. On the 18th, the
magnitude was given as 2.50 by Beyer and 2.8 by Elias. Beyer said the tail
extended 2.0 toward PA 52. Van Biesbroeck photographed the comet and
wrote, A bright straight filament in 49 position angle stands apart from the
main bundle of filaments which is pointing toward 45. The diffuse branch
is very faint. On the 20th, Elias gave the magnitude as 2.7.
On August 21, Beyer gave the naked-eye magnitude as 2.66 and said the
tail extended 2.0 toward PA 58. R. L. Waterfield (Ascot, England) photographed the comet and found the original curved tail to have faded
considerably and the straight tail, previously faint, to have become much
brighter. This straight tail shows numerous irregularities . . .. On the 22nd,
the magnitude was given as 2.75 by Beyer and 3.0 by Elias. Beyer said the
tail extended 2.0 toward about PA 66. Dommanget said the condensation
was 3.9 across. Van Biesbroeck said a 4-second exposure with the 208-cm
reflector hardly showed the sharp nucleus on account of the bright coma.
He added, A half-min. exposure brings out a bundle of wavy thin filaments streaming out in 245 inbedded in a paraboloid envelope. On the
23rd, the magnitude was given as 3.1 by Elias and 3.7 by Vanysek. Vanysek also obtained a photoelectric determination of 3.55. Beyer said the tail
extended 1.0 toward about PA 68. Van Biesbroeck said, A 20-min. exposure with a wide-angle camera shows that the tail splits at about 2 from
the nucleus: one branch goes out straight over 6 in 245 while the other
curves northward; the southern edge of this branch is well defined but the
northern one is diffuse making the tail more than 2 wide towards its end
some 7 from the nucleus. Beyond 6 the first branch splits in turn into a
diffuse stub continuing 2 in 250 and a ragged fainter branch continuing in
230 as far as 16 from the nucleus. On the 24th, the magnitude was given
as 2.5 by A. Schmitt (National Observatory, Quito, Ecuador), 3.1 by Elias,
3.12 by Beyer, and 3.4 by S. J. V. Arend (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium).
Schmitt said the comet possessed a tail greater than 1 long. Beyer said the
tail extended 3.0 toward PA 64. On August 25, Elias gave the magnitude as
3.5. Dommanget said the condensation was 4.4 across. He also measured
the tail width as 45 at the coma, 90 at a distance of 75 from the coma,
120 at a distance of 150 , 120 at 225 , and 150 at a distance of 300 .
On August 26, the magnitude was given as 3.26 by Beyer and 3.5 by Elias.
Beyer said the tail extended 2.5. On the 27th, Elias gave the magnitude
as 3.8. On the 28th, Beyer gave the naked-eye magnitude as 3.45. Dommanget said the condensation was round and 3.4 across. On the 29th, Elias
gave the magnitude as 4.4. On the 30th, H. Moreno (National Astronomical
Observatory, University of Chile) obtained a 10-minute exposure using the
Gauthier Astrographic Refractor and said the tail was 5 long. On August 31,
the magnitude was given as 3.673.72 by Beyer and 4.1 by Elias. Beyer noted
a nuclear magnitude of about 7.9 and said the tail extended 2.0 toward PA
79. E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff station, Arizona, USA)
538
catalog of comets
obtained two exposures of about 30 seconds using the 102-cm reflector and
noted the comet was considerably overexposed. She said 10-minute exposures displayed much fine ray structure, which extended 40 to the edge
of the plate toward PA 6090. She also noted weak streamers extending
about 10 toward PA 90130.
On September 2, Beyer gave the magnitude as 3.92. He said the tail
extended 1.5 toward PA 83. On the 3rd, the magnitude was given as 3.93
by Beyer and 5.1 by Elias. Beyer noted a nuclear magnitude of 7.81 and
said the tail extended 1.7 toward PA 82. Van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) said the round coma was 1.5 across and contained a well-defined
nucleus. This coma was surrounded by a paraboloid envelope which curved
back into a bundle of streamers. He added that the bright central streamer
extended over 1 in PA 85. A. Gutierrez (National Astronomical Observatory, University of Chile) obtained a 20-minute exposure with the Gauthier
Astrographic Refractor and said the tail was 10 long. The comet attained
a maximum solar elongation of 43 on September 10 and Elias then gave
the magnitude as 5.1. On the 12th, Elias gave the magnitude as 5.6. On
September 15, Roemer obtained two exposures of about 30 seconds and
noted a moderately condensed nucleus embedded in an elongated coma
that measures 1.5 1.0 .
On September 16, the magnitude was given as 5.6 by van Biesbroeck and
5.9 by Elias. Van Biesbroeck said the round coma was 1.5 across and contained a well-defined nucleus. This coma was surrounded by a paraboloid
envelope which curved back into a bundle of streamers. He added that the
bright central streamer extended over 1 in PA 85. On the 17th, the magnitude was given as 5.35 by Beyer and 5.8 by Elias. Beyer said the tail extended
1.0 toward about PA 97. On the 24th, the magnitude was given as 5.73 by
Beyer and 6.1 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the tail extended 1.0 toward PA
81. On the 25th, Elias gave the magnitude as 6.9. On the 26th, Beyer gave
the magnitude as 5.74 and said the tail extended 0.3 toward about PA 86.
On the 29th, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.14 and said the tail extended
0.2 toward about PA 82. On September 30, the magnitude was given as
6.20 by Beyer and 6.5 by van Biesbroeck. Beyer said the tail extended 0.3
toward about PA 79.
On October 1, Beyer gave the magnitude as 6.38 and said the tail extended
0.2 toward about PA 82. On October 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, van Biesbroeck
obtained photographs using the 61-cm reflector when the comet was at a low
altitude. He detected a well-defined nucleus and a very faint, broad, diffuse
tail extending toward the first quadrant. The comet attained a minimum
solar elongation of about 4 on December 1.
On 1958 January 25, 26, and 27, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory)
photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 15.5. He obtained a 5-minute exposure and noted the round coma
was 25 across and was centrally condensed into a nucleus 5 across. On
February 17, Roemer obtained two 10-minute exposures which revealed
539
catalog of comets
moderately well-condensed images of about magnitude 16.8. She said

the coma was 0.1 across. On February 21, J. A. Bruwer (Union Observatory Annexe, Hartbeespoort, South Africa) photographed the comet using
the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera and estimated the magnitude as
12.0. On March 2, Bruwer determined the photographic magnitude as 12.3.
On April 25, Roemer obtained two 30-minute exposures which revealed a
well-condensed nucleus without much coma. She gave the magnitude
as 18.0. On April 26, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said the round
coma was 0.2 across and contained a sharp nucleus of magnitude 17.5. On
May 12, Roemer obtained two 30-minute exposures in poorish seeing
which revealed a well-condensed nucleus of about magnitude 18.0. The
nucleus was embedded in an asymmetrical coma about 0.2 across. The
comet attained its most southerly declination of 32 on May 24 and then
attained a maximum solar elongation of 170 on May 28. On June 23, Roemer obtained two 60-minute exposures which revealed a not quite stellar
nucleus of magnitude 18.8.
The last two detections of the comet came when Roemer obtained 60minute exposures using the 102-cm reflector on July 9.20 and July 9.25. She
gave the position as = 15h 32.2m , = 30 40 . Roemer described the
comet as a moderately well-condensed nucleus of magnitude 19.0, which
was in a coma 0.2 across.
Several observations were made of the comets spectrum. T. P. Stecher
and D. B. McLaughlin (University of Michigan Observatory, Ann Arbor,
Michigan, USA) obtained spectrographic observations between August 4
and 13. They identified emissions of cyanogen, diatomic carbon, triatomic
carbon, and sodium. They added, A spectrogram with [61-cm] camera
showed only the resolved D1 and D2 lines of sodium. This very strong
Na emission explains the yellow color of the head of Comet Mrkos. W.
Liller (University of Michigan Observatory, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA)
obtained spectra on three nights across the region 340012000. He noted,
The shorter wave length region is nearly identical in appearance to that
of Comet ArendRoland when at the same solar distance. In the higher
infrared wave lengths, cyanogen bands at 9200 and 11000 were observed
for the first time.
The first orbital computation came from Copenhagen on 1957 August 8.
Using three observations obtained at Copenhagen between August 3 and 5,
Hoeg, Laustsen, and K. A. Thernoe
computed a parabolic orbit which gave
the perihelion date as 1957 August 1.32. This proved an excellent representation of the comets motion, as shown by the slightly later calculations of
V. Bochnicek and M. P. Candy.
The first elliptical orbit came from G. Schrutka-Rechtenstamm (1960).
Using 208 positions spanning the period 1957 August 4October 21 and 17
positions from the period 1958 January 25July 9, the perihelion date was
determined as August 1.44 and the period was about 13 thousand years.
540
catalog of comets
Z. Sekanina (1978) took 108 positions spanning the period 1957 August
51958 July 9 and applied perturbations by all nine planets. The result was
a perihelion date of August 1.44 and a period of 13 thousand years. This
orbit is given below. Sekanina took this orbit and determined an elliptical
future orbit with a period of about 5845 years.
T
1957 Aug. 1.4373 (TT)
40.3197
(2000.0)
68.3242
i
93.9411
q
e
0.354933 0.999365
absolute magnitude: H0 = 4.17, n = 2.36 (Grygar, 1958); H0 = 5.00, n = 2.12

(Baldet and Bertaud, 1959); H0 = 3.63, n = 2.21 (Beyer, 1959); H10 = 4.5
full moon: Jul. 11, Aug. 10, Sep. 9, Oct. 8, Nov. 7, Dec. 7, 1958 Jan. 5, Feb. 4, Mar.
5, Apr. 4, May 3, Jun. 1, Jul. 1, Jul. 30
sources: H. de Thier and M. Questiaux, CET, 73 (1957), pp. 474, 580; A. Mrkos
and S. Laustsen, IAUC, No. 1610 (1957 Aug. 3); A. Mrkos, S. Laustsen, and
P. Cherbak, HAC, No. 1367 (1957 Aug. 6); S. Laustsen and A. Mrkos, IAUC,
No. 1611 (1957 Aug. 6); E. Hoeg and S. Laustsen, HAC, No. 1368 (1957 Aug.
8); E. Hoeg, S. Laustsen, and K. A. Thernoe,
IAUC, No. 1612 (1957 Aug. 8); M.
Antal, P. Jackson, S. Laustsen, Z. Ceplecha, and J. Kordylewski, IAUC, No. 1613
(1957 Aug. 13); E. Hoeg, S. Laustsen, G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1369 (1957
Aug. 14); J. Kordylewski, U. Guntzel-Lingner,
and V. Bochnicek, IAUC, No. 1614

(1957 Aug. 16); H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 1370 (1957 Aug. 20); M. P. Candy and H. L.
Giclas, IAUC, No. 1615 (1957 Aug. 26); S. Kuragano, P. Cherbak, A. Mrkos, C. C.
Hare, R. L. Waterfield, and H. K. Raudsaar, IAUC, No. 1616 (1957 Aug. 28); A.
Schmitt, L. Aalto, K. G. Brown, C. Cartwright Jr., M. Chute, Mrs. J. C. Doyle, R.
Levine, F. Loehde, O. Mattson, R. Mattson, C. J. Renner, W. O. Roberts, H. Steele,
L. Wolkoff, and S. A. Zielinski, HAC, No. 1371 (1957 Aug. 29); M. P. Candy and
H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 1372 (1957 Sep. 4); S. J. V. Arend and J. Dommanget,
IAUC, No. 1617 (1957 Sep. 9); T. P. Stecher and D. B. McLaughlin, AJ, 62 (1957
Oct.), p. 247; A. Mrkos, ST, 16 (1957 Oct.), pp. 56972; D. P. Elias, IAUC, No. 1624
(1957 Oct. 23); J. Grygar, BAICz, 9 (1958), pp. 2212; H. Moreno and A. Gutierrez,
AN, 284 (1958 Sep. 4), p. 176; W. Liller, AJ, 63 (1958 Sep.), p. 307; M. Beyer, AN,
284 (1959 Feb. 6), pp. 2602; J. A. Bruwer, UOC, 6 (1959 Apr.), p. 308; F. Baldet
and C. Bertaud, JO, 42 (1959 Jul.), pp. 1035; H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 65 (1960 Apr.),
pp. 1634; G. Schrutka-Rechtenstamm, IAUC, No. 1740 (1960 Oct. 13); G. van
Biesbroeck, AJ, 66 (1961 Mar.), pp. 97, 101; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963
MayJun.), p. 852; E. Roemer, AJ, 71 (1966 Sep.), pp. 593, 599; Z. Sekanina, AJ, 83
(1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68; Z. Sekanina, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 27, 53.
30P/Reinmuth 1 Recovered: 1957 September 20.36 ( = 2.43 AU, r = 2.52 AU, Elong. = 83)
1958 II = 1957e Closest to the Earth: 1958 January 16 (1.1366 AU)
Calculated path: ORI (Rec), GEM (Sep. 25), CNC (1958 Apr. 18)
M. G. Sumner (1957) took the orbit predicted for the 1950 apparition by F. R.
Cripps, applied a correction of 1.1 days to the perihelion date, and applied
541
catalog of comets
perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. The result was a predicted perihelion

date of 1958 March 25.01.
E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) recovered this comet using the 102-cm reflector on 1957 September 20.36, at a
position of = 6h 16.1m , = +16 24 . The magnitude was estimated as 20,
while the comet was described as diffuse, with a condensation. The position
meant the predicted perihelion date needed a correction of +0.4 day.
On September 22, Roemer photographed the comet using the reflector
and estimated the magnitude as 19.8. She noted it was not quite stellar.
On November 2, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the
magnitude as 17.5. He said the comet appeared nearly stellar. After having
moved southeastward since its recovery, the comet attained a declination of
+15 on November 20 and began a generally northward motion. On November 26, Roemer described the comet as a sharply condensed nuclear concentration of magnitude 18.2. She also noted a tail extending 0.4 toward PA
280. On December 24, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin,
magnitude as 17. He said two 16-minute exposures showed a round coma
with little central condensation.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 175 on 1958 January
6. On January 16, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 15. He said a 10-minute exposure showed a fuzzy coma 10 across.
On the 20th, Roemer photographed the comet in poor seeing conditions and
estimated the magnitude as 17.5. She noted a quite well condensed coma
about 0.1 across. On the 24th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 17. On January 26, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 18. He said a 10-minute exposure showed a coma 10 across.
On February 10, Roemer photographed the comet and estimated the magnitude as 18.0. She described it as a somewhat diffuse small coma. The
comet attained its most northerly declination of +25 on April 1. On April
9 and 18, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 18 and said the
comet was slightly diffuse.
The last two detections of the comet came on 30-minute exposures obtained by Roemer using the 102-cm reflector on May 15.16 and May 15.19.
She determined the magnitude as 18.8 and gave the position on the final
date as = 8h 48.9m , = +22 33 . She described it as a nearly stellar
nuclear condensation, with a faint trace of coma.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by G. Sitarski (1972) and
B. G. Marsden (1979, 1985). Perturbations by all nine planets were applied,
while Marsden also solved for nongravitational forces. The result was a
perihelion date of March 26.04 and a period of 7.66 years. Marsden gave the
nongravitational terms as A1 = +0.16 and A2 = 0.0275. Marsdens orbit
is given below.
542
catalog of comets
T
1958 Mar. 26.0402 (TT)
12.9489
(2000.0)
124.2260
i
8.3992
q
e
2.027774 0.477947

full moon: Sep. 9, Oct. 8, Nov. 7, Dec. 7, 1958 Jan. 5, Feb. 4, Mar. 5, Apr. 4, May
3, Jun. 1
sources: E. Roemer, IAUC, No. 1619 (1957 Sep. 25); E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1373
(1957 Sep. 26); M. G. Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1958 (1957 Nov.), p. 51; H. M.
Jeffers, AJ, 63 (1958 Jun.), p. 251; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 63 (1958 Jul.), pp. 2989;
H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 65 (1960 Apr.), p. 164; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 May
Jun.), p. 852; E. Roemer, AJ, 70 (1965 Aug.), pp. 398, 401; G. Sitarski, AcA, 22
(1972), pp. 1568; G. Sitarski, QJRAS, 13 (1972 Sep.), pp. 4324; B. G. Marsden,
CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 27, 53, 59; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 26 (1985 Mar.), p. 79.
C/1957 U1 Prediscovery: 1957 October 2.11 ( = 0.70 AU, r = 1.42 AU, Elong. = 111)
(Latyshev Discovered: 1957 October 16.82 ( = 0.20 AU, r = 1.18 AU, Elong. = 151)
WildBurnham) Last seen: 1957 October 25.15 ( = 0.20 AU, r = 1.04 AU, Elong. = 97)
Closest to the Earth: 1957 October 21 (0.1297 AU)
1957 IX = 1957f Calculated path: TAU (Disc), ARI (Oct. 16), CET (Oct. 17), SCL (Oct. 21), PsA
(Oct. 22), GRUMIC (Oct. 24)
I. N. Latyshev (Ashkhabad Observatory, Turkmenistan) discovered this
comet on 1957 October 16.82, while observing the short-period variable
star X Arietis with 7 50 binoculars. He estimated the magnitude as 8 and
said the comet was diffuse, without a central condensation. Latyshev gave
the position as = 3h 17.0m , = +11 15 , and he gave the daily motion as
23m 45s in and 4 39 in . Independent discoveries were made by P. Wild
(Berne, Switzerland) on October 18.96 and R. Burnham Jr. (Arizona, USA)
on October 19.27, with the former observer estimating the magnitude as 5,
and the latter estimating it as 8. Wild and Burnham both described the comet
as diffuse, with a central condensation, and a tail less than 1 long. Prediscovery images were found on Sonneberg Sky Patrol plates exposed using
Zeiss Tessar cameras with 250-mm lenses on October 2.11, 3.11, and 5.11.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 165 on October 19.
On October 20, the magnitude was given as 6 by W. Wenzel (Heidelberg,
Germany), 6.2 by E. Leutenegger (Frauenfeld, Switzerland), and 8 by P.
Finsler (Zurich,
Switzerland). Finsler noted a short tail. On October 21, the

magnitude was given as 8 by Wild and 9 by H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA). Giclas said the comet was diffuse, without a central
condensation, and possessed a tail less than 1 long.
The comet was last detected on October 25.15 by Giclas, when he obtained
two 4-minute exposures on 10 13-cm 103aO plates using the 33-cm A.
Lawrence Lowell Astrograph. According to B. Skiff (2007) the last plate
showed the comet as a fuzzy trail, about 3 wide with no obvious tail.
Skiff said the plates covered an area with = 38 and the images were not
very sharp because of an apparently high airmass. Searches were made by
astronomers at Flagstaff and at Johannesburg during 1958 January, but no
543
catalog of comets
trace of the comet was found. E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff
Station, Arizona, USA) made an attempt using the 102-cm reflector on 1958
February 17, but no trace was found. She wrote, If the comet were in the
field and as bright as magnitude 1819, it certainly would have been recognized. G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) reported
that he had searched diligently for it both with a 10 camera and with the
82 reflector but he was not able to locate it.
The first orbit, which was published on October 23, was calculated by
M. P. Candy. It gave the perihelion date as 1957 December 4.82. This orbit
proved an excellent representation of the comets motion, as proven during
the next month by the orbits of B. G. Marsden and I. Hasegawa.
Candy took the two precise positions obtained by Giclas on October 21
and 25, as well as the available approximate positions obtained during the
period October 221, and determined the perihelion date as October 5.13.
This orbit is given below.
T
1957 Dec. 5.1293 (UT)
(2000.0)
i
q
277.6138 210.8753 156.7154 0.539130
e
1.0

full moon: Oct. 8, Nov. 7
sources: P. Wild, R. Burnham Jr., and W. Wenzel, IAUC, No. 1623 (1957 Oct. 21);
I. N. Latyshev, P. Finsler, H. L. Giclas, and M. P. Candy, IAUC, No. 1624 (1957 Oct.
23); I. N. Latyshev and H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 1378 (1957 Oct. 24); M. P. Candy,
HAC, No. 1379 (1957 Oct. 25); E. Leutenegger and B. G. Marsden, IAUC, No. 1625
(1957 Oct. 29); I. N. Latyshev, P. Wild, R. Burnham Jr., H. L. Giclas, M. P. Candy,
and B. G. Marsden, BAAC, No. 391 (1957 Nov. 8); I. Hasegawa, IAUC, No. 1629
(1957 Nov. 23); M. P. Candy, IAUC, No. 1633 (1957 Dec. 21); M. P. Candy and I. N.
Latyshev, MNRAS, 118 (1958), pp. 3968; I. N. Latyshev, PASP, 70 (1958 Feb.),
p. 121; G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 1639 (1958 Feb. 17); H. L. Giclas, PASP, 70
(1958 Apr.), p. 220; E. Roemer, PASP, 70 (1958 Jun.), p. 329; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij,
SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 852; personal correspondence from B. Skiff (2007).
43P/Wolf Recovered: 1957 November 18.10 ( = 2.79 AU, r = 2.82 AU, Elong. = 81)
Harrington Last seen: 1959 April 10.29 ( = 1.83 AU, r = 2.68 AU, Elong. = 140)
1958 V = 1957g Calculated path: AQR (Rec), PEG (Dec. 30), PSC (1958 Feb. 8), PEG (Feb. 15),
PSCPEG (Feb. 18), PSC (Feb. 22), ARI (Apr. 30), TAU (Jun. 5), GEM (Jul.
24), CNC (Sep. 1), HYA (Oct. 3), SEX (Oct. 15), CRT (Nov. 24), HYA (1959
Jan. 23)
Two predictions were published for the 1958 apparition. J. Kordylewski
(1957) took W. Z. Wisniewskis orbit for the 1952 apparition, applied perturbations by Jupiter for the period 195257, and predicted the comet would
next arrive at perihelion on 1958 August 11.71. J. T. Foxell (1957) took
Przybylskis orbit for the 1952 apparition, and applied perturbations. The
544
catalog of comets
result was a predicted perihelion date of August 17.26. Foxell noted that the
comet would be badly placed for observation during MarchJuly of 1958.
During mid-September of 1957, E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory,
Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) obtained good plates of the predicted
position using the 102-cm reflector and concluded the comet was not yet
bright enough to be photographed. Roemer recovered this comet when
she obtained two 60-minute exposures using the 102-cm reflector on 1957
November 18.10 and November 18.15. She gave the position as =
20h 53.1m , = +1 47 on the former date. Roemer estimated the magnitude as 20.5, but noted the images were rather washed out in poor seeing.
Another pair of plates was exposed for 60-minutes each on November 21.
They revealed a nearly stellar nucleus of magnitude 20.5 and a possible faint
tail extending 0.2 toward PA 60.
The comet moved westward after its recovery, with only a slight shift to
the south. Following November 28, it began a northwestward motion. On
December 12, Roemer obtained two 60-minute exposures which revealed a
nearly stellar object of magnitude 19.3.
On 1958 April 12, the comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 10. It
then attained its most northerly declination of +26 on June 26. On August
22, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) obtained 6- and
10-minute exposures using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17. He noted a fuzzy round nucleus and a very faint narrow tail
extending 1 in PA 280. On September 12, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector
and estimated the magnitude as 17. On September 14, Roemer obtained two
15-minute exposures in rather poor seeing, which revealed a nearly stellar
nucleus of about magnitude 16.5. She noted a faint trace of coma that was
mainly on the west side of the nucleus. On September 21, Roemer obtained
two 15-minute exposures which revealed a nearly stellar nucleus of about
magnitude 16.2. Although there was little coma, there was a narrow tail
extending 0.5 toward PA 290. On October 13, Roemer obtained two 10minute exposures which revealed a well-condensed nucleus of magnitude
17.5 in a weak coma about 0.1 across. There was a trace of tail toward
PA 300. On November 9, Roemer obtained a 10-minute exposure which
revealed a fairly well-condensed nucleus of magnitude 18.0. Two 30minute exposures revealed a narrow tail extending about 1 toward PA 295.
On December 10, Roemer obtained two 30-minute exposures in poor seeing,
which revealed a central condensation of about magnitude 18.0. There was
a trace of a faint tail extending 0.5 almost due west.
On 1959 January 12, Roemer obtained a 60-minute exposure which
revealed a sharp central condensation of about magnitude 18.6. She noted
a faint narrow tail extending 1.0 toward PA 300. On February 6, Roemer obtained two 60-minute exposures which revealed a well-condensed
nucleus of magnitude 18.5. There was the trace of a faint tail extending 1
toward the northwest. The comet attained its most southerly declination of
545
catalog of comets
27 on February 16. On March 2, Roemer obtained two 60-minute

exposures which revealed a nearly stellar nucleus of magnitude 19.0. H. M.
Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the expected position of this comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on March 13, but failed
to find the comet. He concluded it must have been fainter than magnitude
18. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 151 on March 16.
On April 1, Roemer obtained a 90-minute exposure in poor seeing, which
revealed a nuclear condensation of about magnitude 19.3.
The comet was last detected on April 10.29, when Roemer found it on a
91-minute exposure made with the 102-cm reflector. She gave the position
as = 10h 35.2m , = 19 53 . Roemer described the comet as a wellcondensed nucleus of about magnitude 19.3. Roemer said only one plate
was obtained because of the comets fairly low altitude in the southwestern
evening sky.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by G. Sitarski (1970),
B. G. Marsden (1979, 1985), S. Nakano (1983), S. Szutowicz (1992), and M.
Krolikowska,
Sitarski, and Szutowicz (1998). Full planetary perturbations

were applied by all and everyone noted nongravitational forces. The perihelion date was given as August 11.42 and the period was given as 6.51 years.
Sitarski (1970) noted a secular acceleration. Nongravitational terms were
given as A1 = +0.24 and A2 = 0.0478 by Marsden (1979), A1 = +0.2371
and A2 = 0.048833 by Nakano, A1 = +0.22433 and A2 = 0.05035 by
Szutowicz (1987), A1 = +0.61827, A2 = 0.03991, and A3 = 0.04172
by Szutowicz (1992), and A1 = +0.199, A2 = 0.0513, and A3 = 0.049
by Krolikowska,
Sitarski, and Szutowicz (2001). The orbit of Krolikowska,
Sitarski, and Szutowicz (1998) is given below.

T
1958 Aug. 11.4228 (TT)
(2000.0)
187.0078 254.9421
i
18.4778
q
e
1.604501 0.539853

full moon: Nov. 7, Dec. 7, 1958 Jan. 5, Feb. 4, Mar. 5, Apr. 4, May 3, Jun. 1, Jul.
1, Jul. 30, Aug. 29, Sep. 27, Oct. 27, Nov. 26, Dec. 26, 1959 Jan. 24, Feb. 23, Mar.
24, Apr. 23
sources: J. Kordylewski and W. Z. Wisniewski, IAUC, No. 1608 (1957 Jul. 27);
J. T. Foxell, BAA Handbook for 1958 (1957 Nov.), p. 55; E. Roemer, IAUC, No. 1630
(1957 Nov. 27); E. Roemer, PASP, 69 (1957 Dec.), p. 587; E. Roemer, PASP, 71 (1959
Aug.), pp. 34950; H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 65 (1960 Apr.), p. 163; G. van Biesbroeck,
AJ, 66 (1961 Mar.), pp. 97, 101; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.),
p. 853; E. Roemer, AJ, 71 (1966 Aug.), pp. 444, 453; G. Sitarski, AcA, 20 (1970),
pp. 27181; G. Sitarski, QJRAS, 11 (1970 Sep.), pp. 2324; B. G. Marsden, CCO,
3rd ed. (1979), pp. 27, 53, 59; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 427 (1983 May 25); B. G.
Marsden, QJRAS, 26 (1985 Mar.), p. 79; S. Szutowicz, AcA, 37 (1987), pp. 179
87; S. Szutowicz, LIACo, 30 (1992), pp. 3713; M. Krolikowska,
G. Sitarski, and
S. Szutowicz, AcA, 48 (1998), pp. 91102; M. Krolikowska,
G. Sitarski, and
S. Szutowicz, AAP, 368 (2001), pp. 67980, 6856.
546
catalog of comets
49P/1958 B1 Recovered: 1958 January 29.43 ( = 1.54 AU, r = 2.07 AU, Elong. = 108)
(ArendRigaux) Last seen: 1958 June 7.26 ( = 2.49 AU, r = 2.95 AU, Elong. = 107)
1957 VII = 1958b Calculated path: BOO (Rec), COM (Mar. 15)
M. P. Candy (1956) took the orbit A. Przybylski computed in 1951 for the
1950 apparition and applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn. The result
was a predicted perihelion date of 1957 August 31.148. I. Hasegawa (1956,
1957, 1959) calculated an orbit for the 1950 apparition and then predicted
the comet would next arrive at perihelion on September 8.29.
G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) obtained search
plates using the 208-cm reflector during 1958 January, but no trace of the
comet was found. E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff station, Arizona, USA) recovered this comet on a 60-minute exposure obtained using
the 102-cm reflector on 1958 January 29.43, at a position of = 13h 39.5m ,
= +8 27 . She described it as stellar, with a magnitude of 19. Roemer
confirmed the recovery with two 60-minute exposures obtained on January 31. The comet was still described as stellar, with a magnitude of 19.
The resulting precise positions indicated the perihelion date predicted by
Candy had to be corrected by +6.8 days. Due to the comets stellar appearance and the fact that a minor planet was on the same plates as the comet,
Roemer waited to officially announce the recovery until it could be determined which object was the expected comet. Additional 1-hour exposures
were obtained on February 12 and 16, which firmly established the identity.
The magnitude was estimated as 19 on each date, while the comet remained
stellar in appearance.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 154 on March 31. On
April 10, Roemer obtained exposures of 80 and 90 minutes and noted good
stellar image of magnitude 19.2. The comet attained its most northerly
declination of +21 on April 21. On May 12, Roemer obtained exposures of
90 and 91 minutes and noted stellar images of magnitude 19.8.
The final observations were obtained by Roemer using the 102-cm reflector. She said a 90-minute exposure on June 7.20 and a 78-minute exposure
obtained on June 7.26 revealed stellar images of about magnitude 20.5. Roemer was not able to locate the comet on a single 90-minute exposure obtained
on July 8.
1986), S. Nakano (1996, 2001), and K. Kinoshita (2005). These included planetary perturbations, although Nakano (2001) and Kinoshita also included
nongravitational forces. The result was a perihelion date of September
6.58 and a period of 6.71 years. The nongravitational terms were given
as A1 = +0.016 and A2 = 0.00043 by Nakano and A1 = +0.005076 and
T
1957 Sep. 6.5857 (TT)
547
(2000.0)
326.4159 125.3039
i
17.1958
q
e
1.385814 0.610427
catalog of comets
absolute magnitude: H10 = 1214 (Vsekhsvyatskij, 1963)
full moon: Jan. 5, Feb. 4, Mar. 5, Apr. 4, May 3, Jun. 1, Jul. 1
sources: M. P. Candy, BAA Handbook for 1957 (1956 Nov.), p. 53; I. Hasegawa,
MNRAS, 117 (1957), pp. 3401; E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1395 (1958 Feb. 21); E.
Roemer, IAUC, No. 1641 (1958 Feb. 24); G. van Biesbroeck, PASP, 70 (1958 Apr.),
p. 222; E. Roemer, PASP, 70 (1958 Jun.), p. 327; E. Roemer, PASP, 70 (1958 Oct.),
p. 515; I. Hasegawa, MNRAS, 119 (1959), pp. 4423; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA,
6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 852; E. Roemer, AJ, 70 (1965 Aug.), pp. 398, 401; B. G.
Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), p. 369; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 316
17; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No.
624 (1996 May 4); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 822 (2001 Dec. 20); personal
C/1958 D1 Prediscovery: 1958 February 10.84 ( = 0.86 AU, r = 1.63 AU, Elong. = 123)
(Burnham) Discovered: 1958 February 22.13 ( = 0.84 AU, r = 1.54 AU, Elong. = 114)
1958 III = 1958a Closest to the Earth: 1958 March 21 (0.8207 AU), 1958 April 16 (0.8424 AU)
Calculated path: ORI (Disc), GEM (Mar. 14), CNC (Apr. 15), LEO (May 4),
LMi (May 12), LEO (May 14), LMi (May 21), LEO (May 28), COM (Jun. 12),
VIR (Jul. 1), BOO (Jul. 17), VIR (Jul. 22), LIB (Aug. 21), SER (Sep. 1), LIB
(Sep. 5)
R. Burnham Jr. arrived home from his job at Lowell Observatory, and
decided to venture outside to try out his new 20-cm reflector. On 1958
February 22.13 (after only 15 minutes), he found a diffuse object at a position of = 5h 52.0m , = +10 16 . He estimated the magnitude as 9, and
described the comet as diffuse, with a condensation. Burnham then drove
the 90 miles back to Lowell Observatory and informed E. C. Slipher of his
find. Notices were immediately sent out. E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory,
Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) photographed the comet using the 102-cm
reflector on February 22.21. She noted a sharply condensed but not quite
stellar nucleus of magnitude 15.5. Through the 13-cm finder, she noted the
magnitude was about 9. Prediscovery images were found on two survey
plates obtained at Sonneberg Observatory (Germany). H. Huth found the
comet on a plate exposed on February 10.84, while W. Gotz
found it on
a plate exposed on February 16.89. The magnitude was about 11 on each
plate.
On February 23, Roemer obtained two 3-minute exposures which
revealed a sharply condensed but not quite stellar nucleus. On the 25th,
the photographic magnitude was estimated as 9 by Roemer and 10 by J. L.
Gossner (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA). Roemer described
the comet as diffuse, with a condensation, and a nuclear magnitude of 15. On
the 27th, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) obtained
a 30-second exposure with the 61-cm reflector in moonlight and identified
the comet as a faint diffuse spot. Gotz
photographed the comet using the
Schmidt camera and said it appeared very faint because of moonlight. On
548
catalog of comets
February 28, Roemer obtained two 5-minute exposures with the moon only
7 away. The comet appeared weak and diffuse.
On March 10, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10.2. He wrote that
a 30-second exposure showed a coma 1 across, with a not quite stellar
nucleus of magnitude 12. There was also a faint extension to the coma in PA
100. Roemer obtained a 32-minute exposure which revealed a centrally
condensed coma about 2.5 in diameter, which exhibited a narrow straight
tail extending about 12 almost directly eastward. On the 10th and 11th,
G. Richter (Konigstuhl
Observatory, Heidelberg, Germany) gave the visual

magnitude as 9.5 and the photographic nuclear magnitude as 14. On the
12th, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) estimated the photographic
magnitude as 13.5. Van Biesbroeck obtained a 20-minute exposure with the
61-cm reflector and wrote that a faint, slender tail extended 10 in PA 85.
On March 13, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.6.
Between April 13 and June 20, the comet maintained a solar elongation
of 8991. On April 8, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.9. On the
10th, Roemer obtained exposures of 1 and 3 minutes, which revealed a
well-condensed but not stellar nucleus of magnitude 15.0. On the 12th,
van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.9. On the 13th, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 8.4. On the 17th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.5. On April 18, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory) photographed the
comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as
12. He said a 12-minute exposure showed a round coma 2 across, with a
well-condensed center. The comet attained its most northerly declination
of +29 on May 1. On the 6th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.0.
On the 7th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 8.2. He photographed
the comet using the 61-cm reflector and wrote that the coma was 4 across,
with a well-defined nucleus, and a faint tail extending 8 in PA 117. On
the 10th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10.0. Roemer obtained two
1-minute exposures which revealed the nuclear condensation as a slightly
diffuse spot only 23 in diameter and about magnitude 15.5. She said a
30-minute exposure revealed the coma as over 4 across, while a faint narrow tail extended 25 toward PA 120. On the 19th, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 9.9. On May 20, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10.1.
On June 7, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 10.
On the 20th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 9.4. He photographed
the comet and wrote that the faint coma contained a well-condensed, round
nucleus. The coma extended mostly in PA 90. On June 23, Roemer obtained
exposures of 10 and 10.5 minutes which revealed a very sharp, essentially
stellar nuclear condensation of magnitude 15.0. There was a trace of coma
about 0.3 across.
On July 5, Roemer obtained two 3-minute exposures which revealed a
nearly stellar nucleus of about magnitude 16.5. On the 8th, Roemer said
the comet was still easily visible in the 102-cm reflector, but could not be seen
in the 13-cm finder. On July 21, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
549
catalog of comets
magnitude as 15. He obtained an 8-minute exposure and wrote that the

round coma was centrally condensed.
On August 12, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed
obtained 8- and 6-minute exposures and wrote that the faint coma extended
mostly toward PA 110 and contained a nucleus 3 across. On the 15th and
18th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 16.5. On
August 20, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.
The last two detections of the comet came when Roemer obtained
60-minute exposures using the 102-cm reflector on September 14.15 and
September 15.14. She gave the position on the latter date as = 15h 33.7m ,
= 5 10 . She described the comet as a fairly well-condensed nucleus of
about magnitude 19.0, with little coma. Roemer noted that the comet was
so low in the west in the evening that only one plate could be obtained each
night.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by B. G. Marsden during the first
week of March. He gave the perihelion date as 1958 April 24.08. An orbit by
Roemer was published shortly thereafter. It used positions from February
22, 25, and 28, and gave the perihelion date as April 16.41. This orbit proved
a very good representation of the comets motion, as shown by the later
calculations of J. Bobone and I. Hasegawa.
Marsden (1963) computed an elliptical orbit using 121 positions obtained
during the period February 16September 15 that were reduced to
12 Normal positions. He also applied perturbations by Venus to Neptune.
The result was a perihelion date of April 16.30 and a period of about
142 thousand years.
Marsden (1978) took 75 positions spanning the period February 16
September 15 and applied perturbations by all nine planets. The result was
a perihelion date of April 16.30 and a period of about 3.5 million years. This
orbit is given below. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart (1978) found
that both the original and future orbits were elliptical. The period of the
original orbit was about 244 thousand years, while the period of the future
orbit was about 13 thousand years.
T
1958 Apr. 16.3036 (TT)
16.4658
(2000.0)
151.1944
i
15.7879
q
e
1.322689 0.999943

full moon: Feb. 4, Mar. 5, Apr. 4, May 3, Jun. 1, Jul. 1, Jul. 30, Aug. 29, Sep. 27
sources: R. Burnham Jr. and E. Roemer, IAUC, No. 1641 (1958 Feb. 24); R. Burnham Jr. and E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1396 (1958 Feb. 25); E. Roemer and J. L. Gossner,
HAC, No. 1397 (1958 Feb. 28); E. Roemer, H. Huth, W. Gotz,
and B. G. Marsden,
IAUC, No. 1642 (1958 Mar. 5); B. G. Marsden, HAC, No. 1400 (1958 Mar. 6); E.
Roemer, HAC, No. 1401 (1958 Mar. 7); E. Roemer, IAUC, No. 1643 (1958 Mar. 7);
G. Richter, IAUC, No. 1644 (1958 Mar. 25); L. Boyer, J. Bobone, and I. Hasegawa,
550
catalog of comets
IAUC, No. 1645 (1958 Apr. 15); E. Roemer, PASP, 70 (1958 Jun.), p. 326; E. Roemer,
PASP, 70 (1958 Oct.), p. 515; E. Roemer, PASP, 70 (1958 Dec.), p. 618; J. G. Porter,
MNRAS, 119 (1959), pp. 43940; H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 65 (1960 Apr.), pp. 1645; C.
Hoffmeister and W. Gotz,
AN, 285 (1960 Aug. 10), p. 280; L. Boyer, JO, 44 (1961),
p. 92; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 66 (1961 Mar.), pp. 978, 101; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij,
SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 852; B. G. Marsden, IAUC, No. 1838 (1963 Aug. 3); E.
Roemer, AJ, 71 (1966 Sep.), pp. 593, 599; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66,
68; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 27, 53.
14P/Wolf Recovered: 1958 June 13.41 ( = 2.43 AU, r = 3.10 AU, Elong. = 123)
1959 II = 1958c Closest to the Earth: 1958 August 12 (2.0701 AU), 1959 November 15
(2.0688 AU)
Calculated path: SGE (Rec), VUL (Jul. 21), SGE (Jul. 26), AQL (Aug. 24)
M. Kamienski (1957) took his orbit calculated for the 1950 apparition,
applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn, and predicted the next perihelion would come on 1959 March 21.92. C. Dinwoodie (1957) took Kamienskis 1950 orbit, applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn, and predicted
the comet would next reach perihelion on 1959 March 21.95.
E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) used
the 102-cm reflector to obtain long-exposure photographs of the predicted
positions during late May of 1958, but no trace of the comet was found. At the
suggestion of Roemer, W. A. Baum (Palomar Observatory, California, USA)
exposed a pair of photographic plates using the 508-cm reflector on 1958
June 13.41. The comet was present at a position of = 20h 12.0m , = +16
49 . It appeared stellar and the photovisual magnitude was given as 20.4.
The recovery was confirmed on June 24.33, when Roemer photographed
the comet with the 102-cm reflector.
On July 10, Roemer photographed the comet with the reflector and noted
weak stellar images of magnitude 20.3. The comet attained its most
northerly declination of +20 on July 18 and then attained a maximum solar
elongation of 140 on July 27. On September 14 and 15, Roemer obtained single long-exposures with the reflector, but the images of the comet could not
be identified with certainty. On October 8, Roemer obtained two roughly
90-minute exposures of the comet using the reflector and noted fairly
convincing images of about magnitude 21.
90-minute exposures using the 102-cm reflector on October 14.12 and October 14.19. She noted the comet images were very small and weak and
partly on top of star trail on second plate. Roemer gave the position on
the latter date as = 19h 47.9m , = +7 14 . On November 9, Roemer made
a last attempt . . . to photograph the comet before conjunction. She noted
it had moved out of the rich starfield of the Milky Way, but no trace was
found. At the end of August 1959, Roemer made a single exposure with the
551
catalog of comets
102-cm reflector, but no trace was found. She wrote, The unfavorable position, low in the eastern sky at dawn, combined with the expected magnitude
of about 20.4, made it not at all surprising that the object was not found.
Roemer again photographed the comets predicted position on October 11,
but nothing was found. Although the comets magnitude should then have
been 20.4, she concluded the comet apparently was somewhat fainter than
this.
D. K. Yeomans (1975, 1978), E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya (1977, 1978), S.
Nakano (1982, 1997), and K. Kinoshita (2003) and these revealed a perihelion
date of March 21.84 and a period of 8.43 years. Yeomans (1975), KazimirchakPolonskaya (1977), Nakano (1997), and Kinoshita (2003) indicated that nongravitational effects were apparently no longer active. Kinoshitas orbit is
given below.
T
1959 Mar. 21.8374 (TT)
(2000.0)
161.0721 204.6096
i
27.2921
q
e
2.506907 0.394752

full moon: Jun. 1, Jul. 1, Jul. 30, Aug. 29, Sep. 27, Oct. 27
sources: M. Kamienski, AcA, 7 (1957), pp. 14; C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for
1958 (1957 Nov.), p. 50; W. A. Baum and E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1410 (1958 Jul. 7);
W. A. Baum and E. Roemer, IAUC, No. 1651 (1958 Jul. 8); E. Roemer, PASP, 70
(1958 Aug.), p. 424; E. Roemer, PASP, 70 (1958 Dec.), p. 619; M. Kamienski, AcA,
9 (1959), pp. 13, 6672; E. Roemer and W. A. Baum, MNRAS, 119 (1959), p. 440;
E. Roemer, PASP, 71 (1959 Feb.), p. 67; E. Roemer, PASP, 71 (1959 Dec.), p. 549;
E. Roemer, PASP, 72 (1960 Feb.), p. 64; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 May
Jun.), p. 853; E. Roemer, AJ, 71 (1966 Sep.), pp. 593, 599; D. K. Yeomans, PASP, 87
(1975 Aug.), pp. 6357; E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, SvA, 21 (1977 Jan.Feb.),
pp. 10712; D. K. Yeomans and E. I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, QJRAS, 19 (1978
Mar.), pp. 523, 57; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 413 (1982 Apr. 5); S. Nakano,
Nakano Note, No. 660 (1997 May 4); personal correspondence from K. Kinoshita
(2003).
22P/Kopff Recovered: 1958 June 25.42 ( = 2.36 AU, r = 2.15 AU, Elong. = 65)
1958 I = 1958d Closest to the Earth: 1958 October 4 (1.8433 AU)
Calculated path: PSC (Rec), CET (Jul. 6), PSC (Nov. 1)
M. G. Sumner (1956) took G. Mertons orbit computed for the 1951 apparition and applied perturbations. The result was a prediction that the comet
would pass perihelion on 1957 November 24.80. Sumner noted that the
comet passed 0.17 AU from Jupiter during April of 1954, which caused
severe alterations to the elements, particularly in the longitude of the node.
During the first week of 1957 March, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) reported his recovery of periodic comet Kopff on
552
catalog of comets
photographs exposed with a 61-cm reflector on February 20.23. He described

the object as nearly starlike, with a magnitude of 18. The object received the
preliminary designation of 1957a. During the next few months attempts
to obtain further observations of this object using the ephemeris correction
determined from van Biesbroecks recovery position failed to reveal the
comet. Van Biesbroeck finally suggested that the object detected on February 20 may have been an asteroid.
This comet was finally recovered on 1958 June 25.42, by E. Roemer (US
Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) on photographic plates
exposed for 50 minutes using the 102-cm reflector. The comet was then
situated at a position of = 1h 48.8m , = +7 12 . The comet was confirmed
on June 26.42. On both dates the brightness was not fainter than magnitude
18.8. The comet was then low over the eastern horizon, having remained
in sunlight for several months either side of its January perihelion passage.
On July 17, Roemer obtained a 70-minute exposure which showed a fairly
definite image. The nucleus was moderately condensed and magnitude
18.5, while the coma was 0.3 across. On August 12, 13, 15, 16, and 17, van
using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18.5. He obtained
photographs with exposures ranging from 10 to 20 minutes in length and
wrote that the round coma was 10 across, with little central condensation.
On August 21, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) obtained
two photographs with the 91-cm Crossley reflector and said there was a
very faint coma 0.2 across, with a nearly stellar nucleus of magnitude 19.
On September 14, Roemer obtained exposures of 60 and 62 minutes which
revealed rather diffuse images in poor seeing. On September 22, Roemer
noted a moderately condensed object of magnitude 19.5. On October 8,
Roemer obtained two 90-minute exposures which revealed a moderately
condensed object of magnitude 20.8. The comet attained a maximum solar
elongation of 173 on October 26. On November 4, Roemer obtained exposures of 70 and 90 minutes which revealed a diffuse object near plate
limit.
The last two detections of the comet came when Roemer obtained exposures of about 90 minutes using the 102-cm reflector on December 4.20 and
December 4.27. She gave the magnitude as 21.6 and the position as = 1h
43.9m , = +4 08 . Roemer described the comet as a faint trace of moving
nebulosity very close to the plate limit.
Multiple apparition orbits have been calculated by D. K. Yeomans (1973),
Y. A. Chernetenko (1978), S. Nakano (1982), and G. Sitarski (1994). All of
these astronomers used perturbations by all nine planets. Yeomans, Nakano,
and Sitarski also solved for nongravitational effects. The result was a perihelion date of January 20.43 and a period of 6.31 years. The nongravitational
terms were given as A1 = +0.660 and A2 = 0.0455 by Yeomans (1973,
1974), A1 = +0.2778 and A2 = 0.084299 by Nakano, and A1 = +0.631,
553
catalog of comets
A2 = 0.043, and A3 = 0.340 by Sitarski. The orbit by Sitarski is given

below.
T
1958 Jan. 20.4392 (TT)
(2000.0)
161.8651 121.5485
i
4.7029
q
e
1.517695 0.555395

full moon: Jun. 1, Jul. 1, Jul. 30, Aug. 29, Sep. 27, Oct. 27, Nov. 26, Dec. 26
sources: M. G. Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1957 (1956 Nov.), pp. 556; G. van
Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 1588 (1957 Mar. 6); G. van Biesbroeck, IAUC, No. 1625
(1957 Oct. 29); G. van Biesbroeck, BAAC, No. 391 (1957 Nov. 8); E. Roemer and G.
van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1409 (1958 Jul. 7); E. Roemer and G. van Biesbroeck,
IAUC, No. 1651 (1958 Jul. 8); E. Roemer, PASP, 70 (1958 Oct.), p. 514; H. M.
Jeffers, AJ, 65 (1960 Apr.), pp. 1645; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 66 (1961 Mar.),
pp. 98, 101; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 852; E. Roemer, AJ,
70 (1965 Aug.), pp. 398, 401; D. K. Yeomans, QJRAS, 14 (1973 Dec.), pp. 4046;
D. K. Yeomans, PASP, 86 (1974 Feb.), p. 126; Y. A. Chernetenko, QJRAS, 19 (1978
Mar.), pp. 823, 88; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 408 (1982 Apr. 1); G. Sitarski,
AcA, 44 (1994), pp. 95, 424.
(Burnham Last seen: 1960 April 21.16 ( = 4.45 AU, r = 4.92 AU, Elong. = 112)
Slaughter) Closest to the Earth: 1958 September 18 (1.9184 AU), 1959 March 18
(1.9430 AU)
1959 I = 1958e Calculated path: EQU (Disc), DEL (Sep. 21), VUL (Dec. 12), CYG (1959 Jan.
14), PEG (Jan. 29), LAC (Feb. 5), AND (Feb. 23), CAS (Mar. 6), PERCAS
(Mar. 28), PER (Mar. 30), CAS (Apr. 4), CAM (Apr. 9), AUR (Apr. 27), LYN
(May 21), AUR (May 26), LYN (Jun. 2), CNC (Jun. 24), LEO (Jul. 31), SEX
(Sep. 25), LEO (Nov. 14), CRT (Nov. 22), SEX (Dec. 16), HYA (Dec. 19)
In the course of the proper motion survey at Lowell Observatory (Flagstaff,
Arizona, USA), R. Burnham Jr. and C. D. Slaughter discovered this comet
with the 33-cm telescope on 1958 September 7.31. The position was given as
= 21h 19.6m , = +10 24 . The magnitude was estimated as 14, and the
comet was described as diffuse, with a centrally condensed nucleus situated
within an asymmetrical coma extending 30 into a fan-shaped tail toward
the southeast. The comet was found less than a week prior to its closest
approach to Earth and 6 months prior to perihelion.
On September 11, H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory) estimated the photographic magnitude as 14. On September 12, 13, 15, and 19, G. van Biesbroeck
61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 14.5. He obtained photographs with exposures ranging from 5 to 6 minutes and said the dissymmetrical coma extended into a fan-shaped tail about 30 long. There was
also a well-defined central condensation. On the 14th, E. Roemer (US Naval
Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) visually observed the comet
554
catalog of comets
using the 102-cm reflector and estimated the extrafocal magnitude as 14.
Using the same telescope, she also obtained exposures of 3 and 10 minutes, which revealed a well-condensed but distinctly nonstellar nucleus
of magnitude 17.0. On the 15th, Roemer obtained two 5-minute exposures
which revealed a well-condensed but not stellar nucleus of about magnitude 16.5. There was a trace of coma. On the 16th and 20th, Giclas estimated the photographic magnitude as 14. On September 20 and 21, Roemer
obtained several 5-minute exposures which revealed a well-condensed but
not stellar nucleus of about magnitude 16.5.
On October 4, Roemer obtained two 5-minute exposures which revealed
a well-condensed but not stellar nucleus of about magnitude 16.5. She
also obtained a 50-minute exposure which revealed a fairly strong central
condensation in a coma 0.5 in diameter. There was also a broad tail extending 1.5 toward PA 145. On the 12th, R. L. Waterfield (Ascot, England) gave
the magnitude as 14.5. On October 30, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 15. He obtained 10- and 5-minute exposures and said
the centrally condensed, round coma was 4 across, and exhibited a faint,
fan-shaped tail extending 30 and centered at PA 120.
On November 1, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 15. He obtained a 6-minute exposure and said the centrally condensed,
round coma was 4 across, and exhibited a faint, fan-shaped tail extending
30 and centered at PA 80. On the 4th and 10th, Roemer obtained several
5-minute exposures which revealed a very well-condensed but not quite
stellar nucleus of magnitude 16.7. She said a 63-minute exposure revealed
a strong nuclear condensation near the west end of a much fainter coma
measuring 0.7 1.3 . No tail was present. On November 19, 21, and 27,
van Biesbroeck obtained a 3-minute exposure with the 61-cm reflector in
moonlight and described the comet as faint and difficult.
On December 2, van Biesbroeck obtained a 5-minute exposure with the
61-cm reflector and found the tail centered in PA 50. Roemer obtained two
5-minute exposures which revealed a fairly well-condensed nucleus of
magnitude 15.8. On the 5th, van Biesbroeck obtained a 5-minute exposure
and found a nucleus very eccentrically situated in a coma extending 30
in a broad fan between 0 and 120. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck obtained
a 5-minute exposure which revealed a faint coma extending mostly toward
PA 70, with a nucleus measuring 8 across. On the 20th, van Biesbroeck
obtained a 4-minute exposure and noted a faint, diffuse, round coma. On
the 25th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 14. He
obtained a 4-minute exposure and found a diffuse, round coma. On December 27, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He
obtained 3-minute exposure but noted no well-defined condensation.
On 1959 January 5 and 6, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He obtained 3- and 6-minute exposures and noted a diffuse,
round coma 8 across. On the 10th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He obtained a 4-minute exposure and noted
555
catalog of comets
the coma was elongated toward PA 65. On the 12th, Roemer obtained two
5-minute exposures which revealed a nearly stellar condensation of about
magnitude 15.8. There was a trace of coma. On the 28th and 31st, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13. He obtained a 3-minute
exposure and noted a diffuse, condensed coma 45 across and extending
mostly toward PA 30. The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of
54 on January 31.
On February 1, Roemer obtained two 3-minute exposures of the comet
when it was at a low altitude and noted a nuclear condensation of magnitude 15.4. On the 2nd and 7th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 13. He obtained 3-minute exposures and noted a centrally
condensed, round coma 40 across. On the 6th, Roemer obtained exposures
of 5 and 5.5 minutes which revealed a fairly well-condensed nucleus of
magnitude 15.8. On February 28, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory,
Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13. He obtained an 8-minute exposure and noted a
round coma 30 across, which contained a diffuse central nucleus 4 across.
On March 4, Roemer obtained two 5-minute exposures which revealed
a fairly well-condensed nucleus of magnitude 15.2. On March 13, van
reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13. He obtained a 6-minute exposure and noted a centrally condensed, round coma 25 across. The comet
attained a maximum solar elongation of 57 on March 25.
On April 4, Waterfield gave the magnitude as 12.5. He noted that the comet
was more condensed than in January and February. On the 4th, 5th, and 6th,
van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 13.5. He obtained
exposures ranging from 5 to 10 minutes, and noted a round coma 20 across.
April 29, Roemer obtained two 5-minute exposures which revealed a very
sharp stellar condensation of magnitude 16.3, which was embedded in a
faint coma 0.3 in diameter.
On May 2 and 6, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 14. He obtained 6-minute exposures and noted a diffuse coma 15 across.
reflector, with an aurora in the region, and described the comet as faint.
reflector, when the comet was at a low altitude, and described it as faint.
On May 26, Roemer obtained two 10-minute exposures when the comet
was at a low altitude and noted a fairly well-condensed nucleus of about
magnitude 17.0.
On June 2, 3, and 4, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 14. He obtained exposures ranging from 9 to 12 minutes, when the
comet was at a low altitude, and noted a diffuse coma 8 across. The comet
was in conjunction with the sun thereafter and attained a minimum solar
elongation of 3 on August 15.
556
catalog of comets
Following the comets conjunction with the sun, Roemer recovered it on

a 90-minute exposure obtained using the 102-cm reflector on December 4
and described it as a well-condensed image of about magnitude 19.5. She
obtained two additional 90-minute exposures on the 30th and noted that the
comet appeared as an excellent, sharply condensed image of magnitude
about 19.2.
As 1960 began, Roemer was the only astronomer still following the comet.
She obtained a 90-minute exposure on January 24 and reported fairly wellcondensed images of magnitude 19.519.8. Two 90-minute exposures were
obtained on January 30. Although the first plate was affected by clouds,
the second revealed a magnitude of 19.5. Two 90-minute exposures were
obtained on February 21, which revealed a small diffuse spot of magnitude 19.0. The comet attained its most southerly declination of 18 on
February 22 and then attained a maximum solar elongation of 151 on
February 24. Two 120-minute exposures were obtained on March 20, which
revealed a well-condensed nebulosity around magnitude 19.5. Roemer
obtained a single 120-minute exposure on April 17, at which time the comet
appeared weak and about magnitude 19.7.
The comet was last observed on April 21.16, when Roemer obtained a
single 120-minute exposure using the 102-cm reflector. She described the
comet as weak but fairly sharply condensed and gave the magnitude as
19.7. The position was given as = 9h 16.9m , = 15 18 .
The first orbit was calculated by Giclas and was published on 1958
September 30. He took three positions from September 7, 15, and 21, and
determined a parabolic orbit with a perihelion date of 1959 March 12.6. Just
1 day later, M. P. Candy took positions from September 7, 12, and 21, and
determined the perihelion date as March 17.25. An improved orbit using
positions through November 4 was calculated by Candy. He gave the perihelion date as March 11.53.
A definitive orbit was calculated by Van Biesbroeck (1970). He used 94
positions obtained during the period spanning 1958 September 11 and 1960
April 21, and computed an elliptical orbit with a perihelion date of March
11.52 and a period of about 605 thousand years. B. G. Marsden took this
orbit and determined that both the original and future orbits were elliptical
with orbital periods of about 964 thousand years and 224 thousand years,
respectively.
Z. Sekanina and Marsden (1978) took 85 positions spanning the period
1958 September 71960 April 21 and applied perturbations by all nine planets. The result was a perihelion date of March 11.52 and a period of 1.3 million
years. This orbit is given below. Marsden, Sekanina, and E. Everhart (1978)
determined that the original and future orbits were elliptical with periods
of about 1.5 million years and about 262 thousand years, respectively.
T
1959 Mar. 11.5198 (TT)
557
(2000.0)
100.7361 323.7788
i
61.2576
q
e
1.628198 0.999866
catalog of comets
24, Apr. 23, May 22, Jun. 20, Jul. 20, Aug. 18, Sep. 17, Oct. 16, Nov. 15, Dec. 15,
1960 Jan. 14, Feb. 12, Mar. 13, Apr. 11, May 11
sources: R. Burnham Jr. and C. D. Slaughter, IAUC, No. 1656 (1958 Sep. 12); G.
van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 1415 (1958 Sep. 24); H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 1416 (1958
Sep. 30); M. P. Candy, IAUC, No. 1657 (1958 Oct. 1); E. Roemer and H. L. Giclas,
IAUC, No. 1658 (1958 Oct. 10); H. L. Giclas, HAC, No. 1417 (1958 Oct. 17); E.
Roemer, PASP, 70 (1958 Dec.), p. 617; M. P. Candy, IAUC, No. 1661 (1958 Dec. 1);
R. L. Waterfield, IAUC, No. 1662 (1958 Dec. 15); M. P. Candy, MNRAS, 119 (1959),
pp. 4423; M. P. Candy, PASP, 71 (1959 Feb.), p. 66; R. L. Waterfield, IAUC, No.
1681 (1959 Jul. 3); G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 66 (1961 Mar.), pp. 989, 1012; S. K.
Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 853; E. Roemer, AJ, 71 (1966 Sep.),
pp. 5934, 599; G. van Biesbroeck and B. G. Marsden, CLPL, 8 (1970), pp. 18991;
Z. Sekanina, B. G. Marsden, and E. Everhart, AJ, 83 (1978), pp. 66, 68; Z. Sekanina
and B. G. Marsden, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979), pp. 27, 53.
39P/Oterma Recovered: Visible throughout orbit

1958 IV Closest to the Earth: 1958 January 30 (2.4357 AU)
Calculated path: AQR (Rec), PSC (1955 Mar. 12), CET (Apr. 29), PSC (May 15),
CET (Oct. 16), PSC (1956 Jan. 19), CET (Apr. 9), ARI (Apr. 16), TAU (Jun. 19),
ORI (1957 Jun. 5), GEM (Jun. 27), CNC (1957 Sep. 7), LEO (1958 Jun. 17), VIR
(Sep. 30), LIB (1959 Sep. 26), SCO (Dec. 16), OPH (1960 Jan. 3), SGR (Nov. 5),
CAP (1961 Mar. 17), SGR (Aug. 6), CAP (Nov. 6), AQR (1962 Jan. 29), CAP
(Feb. 3), AQR (1962 Mar. 6)
On 1954 July 4 and 5, E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet and said the coma contained a nearly stellar nucleus
of magnitude 17.5 and exhibited a faint slender tail extending 0.5 in PA
250. On August 10 and 29, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated
the magnitude as 18. He said a 20-minute exposure showed a small coma.
On August 21, Jeffers (Lick Observatory) said a photograph revealed the
coma contained a nearly stellar nucleus of magnitude 17.5 and exhibited a
faint slender tail extending 0.5 in PA 250. The comet attained a maximum
solar elongation of 180 on August 29. On August 30.26, R. G. Harrington and G. O. Abell (Palomar Observatory, California, USA) accidentally
photographed this comet in the course of the National Geographic Society
Palomar Observatory Sky Survey at a position of = 22h 28.4m , = 9
33 . Believing it to be a new comet they immediately notified the proper
authorities. They estimated the magnitude as 19, and described the comet
as diffuse, with a condensation, and a short tail. L. E. Cunningham identified this object as comet Oterma during the first days of September. On
September 26, Roemer said the coma contained a nearly stellar nucleus of
magnitude 17.5 and exhibited a faint slender tail extending 0.5 in PA 250.
558
catalog of comets
On October 3 and 4, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)

photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 19. He said a 12-minute exposure showed a coma 4 across and
slightly elongated toward PA 250. There was also a very faint narrow tail
extending 40 in PA 250. On October 23 and 24, van Biesbroeck estimated
the photographic magnitude as 19. He said a 16-minute exposure showed
the coma fanning out toward PA 40, with no trace of a tail.
On 1955 March 15, the comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 1.
On July 30, Roemer obtained a photograph of the comet using the 91-cm
Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 19.0. She said a 90-minute
exposure showed the comet as stellar. On October 8, Roemer estimated the
photographic magnitude as 18.5. She said a 90-minute exposure showed the
comet as stellar. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of about
177 on October 9. On October 12 and 13, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5. He said 16-minute and 10-minute exposures
showed a tail extending 45 in PA 250. On November 6, Roemer estimated
the photographic magnitude as 18.5. She said a 90-minute exposure showed
the comet as nearly stellar. On November 9, 11, and 12, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 18. He said exposures of 16 minutes
and 20 minutes revealed a very faint tail extending 1 toward PA 260.
On 1956 April 27, the comet attained a minimum solar elongation of
3. On August 9, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 18. He
said the comet was not quite stellar. On October 26, Jeffers estimated the
photographic magnitude as 17. He said the comet was nearly stellar. The
comet attained a maximum solar elongation of about 175 on November 25.
On 1957 January 2 and 24, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18.5. He said 16-minute exposures showed a small, round coma 5
across. On February 17 and 18, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 18.0. He said a 20-minute exposure showed a small, round
coma. The comet attained its most northerly declination of +21 on June
20 and attained a minimum solar elongation of 3 on June 25. On December 3, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 17. He said a 30minute exposure showed a nearly stellar head, with a thin tail extending 1
in PA 290.
On 1958 January 20, Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station,
Arizona, USA) obtained exposures of 60 and 80 minutes using the 102-cm
reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18.5. She noted a tail extending 1.5
toward PA 280. On January 21, 22, and 26, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald
Observatory) photographed the comet using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16. He said several photographs showed a round
coma 6 across exhibiting a slender tail extending 2 in PA 285. The comet
attained a maximum solar elongation of about 177 on January 28. On April
8, 12, 13, 14, and 17, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed
559
catalog of comets
He obtained exposures ranging from 16 to 21 minutes and described the

comet as nearly stellar. The image was less sharp on April 14 and 17 than it
had been on April 8. On April 9, Jeffers photographed the comet using the
91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17.5. He described
it as nearly stellar. On April 12, Roemer obtained two 60-minute exposures
which revealed a well-condensed nucleus of magnitude 18.0. There was a
weak coma which was mainly on the east side of the nucleus. On May 8, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5 and described the comet
as nearly stellar. The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of about
1 on September 8. On December 16, Roemer obtained a single 90-minute
exposure which revealed a strong central condensation of about magnitude
18.8. There was a trace of tail toward the northwest.
revealed a nearly stellar condensation of magnitude 18.6. A narrow
tail extended 0.5 toward PA 290. On February 6, Roemer obtained two
60-minute exposures which revealed an essentially stellar nucleus of magnitude 18.0. A faint, narrow tail extended 0.7 toward PA 290. On the 10th,
13th, and 14th, M. Antal and J. Tremko (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) estimated the photographic magnitude as 16.5. They noted a slight
trace of tail extending about 15 on the February 14 plate. On February 17,
van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet using
the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17. He obtained two
10-minute exposures and noted an almost stellar nucleus and a faint whisp
of tail extending 1 in PA 290. On March 3, Roemer obtained exposures of
30 and 60 minutes which revealed an essentially stellar nucleus of magnitude 18.0. A faint, narrow tail extended 1.0 toward PA 290. On March
13, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 17. He said his two
photographs showed a faint tail extending 0.6 in PA 300. On April 6, van
reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17.5. He obtained two 16-minute
exposures and detected a fuzzy coma 10 across. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of about 176 on April 10. On April 11, Roemer
obtained two 30-minute exposures which revealed a stellar nucleus of about
magnitude 17.4. There was a very faint trace of nebulosity extending 0.3
west of the nucleus. On May 2, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 17. He obtained a 16-minute exposure and detected a fuzzy
coma 10 across. On May 4, Roemer obtained two 30-minute exposures
which revealed an essentially stellar nuclear condensation of about magnitude 18.5. There was an extremely faint trace of nebulosity extending
less than 1 north of west from the nucleus. On May 26, Roemer obtained two
30-minute exposures which revealed a practically stellar condensation of
about magnitude 18.8. The coma was 0.1 across. On May 29, Jeffers estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5 and said the comet was nearly
stellar. On June 28, Roemer obtained a single 60-minute exposure which
revealed a very well condensed image no fainter than magnitude 19.1.
560
catalog of comets
She noted it was practically without coma. The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of about 3 on November 14.
On 1960 March 30, Roemer obtained exposures of 86 and 90 minutes which
revealed a small diffuse spot of about magnitude 19.5. She noted this was
a very crowded region of the Milky Way. On May 18, Roemer obtained
a single 70-minute exposure which revealed a condensed image of about
magnitude 19.0. She noted the image was partly confused with a star, so
that identity with the comet was not entirely certain. On May 25, Roemer
obtained two 60-minute exposures which revealed a condensed image of
about magnitude 19.0. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of
about 175 on June 8. On June 19, Roemer obtained exposures of 60 and 61
minutes which revealed good, essentially stellar images near magnitude
19.0. On July 14, Roemer obtained exposures of 60 and 70 minutes which
revealed good essentially stellar images of about magnitude 19.2. The
comet attained its most southerly declination of 21 on December 4.
On 1961 January 1, the comet attained a minimum solar elongation of
about 3. On 1961 June 10, Roemer obtained a single 90-minute exposure
which revealed a weak, essentially stellar image of magnitude 19.5. On
July 20, Roemer obtained a single 120-minute exposure which revealed a
condensed image of magnitude 19.5. The comet attained a maximum solar
elongation of about 177 on July 24. On September 6, Roemer obtained two
120-minute exposures which revealed condensed images of magnitude
19.2. On 1962 February 10, the comet attained a minimum solar elongation
of about 1.
The last two detections of the comet came on 120-minute exposures
obtained by Roemer on 1962 August 7.34 and August 7.43, using the 102-cm
reflector. She wrote, Comet image weak and rather diffuse on first plate,
partly from imperfect guiding. Second plate the better. Roemer gave the
position as = 22h 53.9m , = 7 51 on the last date. Roemer tried to record
the comet using the same telescope and long exposures on 1962 September
25, 1963 September 23, October 18, and October 23, and 1964 October 12.
Marsden (1970), S. Nakano (2001), P. Rocher (2002), and K. Kinoshita (2003).
They used perturbations by various planets and minor planets. The result
was a perihelion date of 1958 June 10.50 and a period of 7.88 years. Marsden
noted that no detectable nongravitational forces were acting on this comet.
Kinoshitas orbit is given below.
Marsden (1961) examined this comets predicted close approach to Jupiter
for the period 196165. Using the orbit of Herget, he used the IBM 650
computer at Yale University and applied perturbations by Venus to Saturn.
He found the comet moved to within 1 AU of Jupiter in 1961. By 1963
April 1, it had moved to within 0.096 AU. The comet finally moved beyond
1 AU from Jupiter in 1966. Marsdens computations showed the comets
orbit as of 1966 October 2 had a perihelion distance of 5.42 AU and a period
of 19.3 years. Based on ephemerides, Marsden said it was unlikely the comet
561
catalog of comets
would still be observable after early 1966, but suggested it might be detected
during its next perihelion passage in 1983.
As it turned out, the comet was apparently too faint to be observed
around the 1983 perihelion passage, but bigger telescopes and CCD cameras
allowed the comet to be recovered in 2001.
T
1958 Jun. 10.5010 (TT)
(2000.0)
354.9049 155.7756
i
3.9861
q
e
3.387828 0.144486

comets visibility
sources: R. G. Harrington and G. O. Abell, IAUC, No. 1469 (1954 Sep. 4); E.
Roemer and H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 60 (1955 Dec.), pp. 4401; E. Roemer, AJ, 61 (1956
Nov.), pp. 3913; H. M. Jeffers and G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 62 (1957 Aug.), pp. 185
6, 192, 195; H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 63 (1958 Jun.), pp. 2501; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 63
(1958 Jul.), pp. 297, 299; M. Antal and J. Tremko, IAUC, No. 1670 (1959 Feb. 26);
H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 65 (1960 Apr.), pp. 1634; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 66 (1961 Mar.),
pp. 100, 102; B. G. Marsden and P. Herget, AJ, 66 (1961 Jun.), pp. 2468; S. K.
pp. 5923, 598; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970 Feb.), pp. 823; S. Nakano, Nakano
Note, No. 447 (1984 Feb. 28); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 810 (2001 Aug. 24);
personal correspondence from P. Rocher (2002); personal correspondence from
K. Kinoshita (2003).
56P/1959 B1 Discovered: 1958 December 10.16 ( = 1.76 AU, r = 2.65 AU, Elong. = 147)
(SlaughterBurnham) Last seen: 1959 April 9.16 ( = 3.48 AU, r = 3.01 AU, Elong. = 54)
1958 VI = 1959a Calculated path: ARI (Disc), TAU (1959 Feb. 19)
C. D. Slaughter and R. Burnham Jr. (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA)
were blink examining plates exposed with the 33-cm photographic telescope during the course of the Proper Motion Survey. On 1959 January 27,
they found a comet on a plate exposed on 1958 December 10.16 at a position
of = 2h 45.0m , = +28 16 . They estimated the magnitude as 16, and
described it as diffuse, with a central condensation. Further examination
revealed eight additional plates showing the comet on December 10, 11,
12, 13, and 15, and this enabled E. Roemer to compute an elliptical orbit
and ephemeris, which revealed a perihelion date of 1958 August 4.53 and
an orbital period of 11.18 years. Although searches at Lowell Observatory
during the last days of January proved fruitless, Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) managed to photograph the comet
with the 102-cm reflector on 1959 February 2.12. She said there was only
a trace of coma surrounding a nearly stellar central condensation of about
magnitude 18.0.
The comet attained its most southerly declination of +27 on January 21.
On February 6, Roemer obtained two 30-minute exposures which revealed
562
catalog of comets
nearly stellar images of magnitude 18.0. She added that a 90-minute exposure showed the comet to be well condensed, with a trace of faint narrow
tail east. On February 26, Roemer obtained two 1-hour exposures which
revealed a well-condensed nucleus of about magnitude 19.0.
On March 3, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the
magnitude as 19. He described the comet as diffuse. On March 8, Roemer
obtained a 1-hour exposure which revealed a well-condensed nucleus of
magnitude 18.6. On April 1, Roemer obtained a single 84-minute exposure
which revealed a well-condensed image of magnitude 19.6.
The comet was last detected on April 9.16, when Roemer obtained a
90-minute exposure using the 102-cm reflector which revealed a weak
image of about magnitude 20.1. She gave a position of = 4h 38.9m , =
+29 06 . Roemer wrote, By the beginning of April the position of the fading
comet low in the twilight sky permitted only single exposures each evening,
and persistent high cloudiness in Flagstaff spoiled many an evening. It was
certain that no additional observations would be obtained after mid-April.
Roemers orbit mentioned above was the first to be calculated and, despite
an arc of only 6 days, she managed to identify it as a short-period comet with
a period over 11 years. After the comet was no longer visible, Roemer took
three positions spanning the period December 10April 1 and calculated a
revised orbit that was published on July 7. She gave the perihelion date as
September 5.37 and the period as 11.64 years. Roemer added, The period
should be determinate to within less than two days.
G. Sitarski (1968) took 14 positions spanning the entire period of visibility
and calculated an orbit with a perihelion date of September 5.16 and a period
of 11.61 years.
Multiple apparitions orbits have been calculated by Sitarski (1970), S.
Nakano (1990, 2002, 2005), and K. Kinoshita (2004). These applied full planetary perturbations, while Kinoshita and Nakano (2005) also solved for nongravitational forces. While Sitarski determined a perihelion date of September 5.11, Nakano and Kinoshita calculated it to be September 5.225.25. Each
solution determined the period as 11.61 years. Kinoshita gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = 0.14 and A2 = +0.0209. Nakano (2005) determined
the nongravitational terms based on sublimating carbon monoxide and gave
values of Y1 = +0.349 and Y2 = +0.00140. The orbit of Nakano (2005) is
given below.
T
1958 Sep. 5.2488 (TT)
44.3626
(2000.0)
346.9632
i
8.1717
q
e
2.543752 0.503920

full moon: Nov. 26, Dec. 26, 1959 Jan. 24, Feb. 23, Mar. 24, Apr. 23
sources: C. D. Slaughter, R. Burnham Jr., and E. Roemer, IAUC, No. 1666
(1959 Feb. 3); C. D. Slaughter, R. Burnham Jr., and E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1424
563
catalog of comets
(1959 Feb. 5); E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1425 (1959 Feb. 9); E. Roemer, HAC, No.
1426 (1959 Feb. 9); E. Roemer, PASP, 71 (1959 Apr.), p. 180; E. Roemer, PASP, 71
(1959 Jun.), p. 245; E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1439 (1959 Jul. 7); E. Roemer, IAUC, No.
1682 (1959 Jul. 7); E. Roemer, PASP, 71 (1959 Aug.), p. 349; H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 65
(1960 Apr.), pp. 1645; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 853; E.
Roemer, AJ, 70 (1965 Aug.), pp. 398, 401; G. Sitarski, AcA, 18 (1968), pp. 41920;
G. Sitarski, AcA, 20 (1970), p. 160; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 537 (1990 May 2);
S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 840 (2002 May 5); personal correspondence from
K. Kinoshita (2004); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 1272 (2005 Oct. 27).
21P/Giacobini Recovered: 1959 May 8.42 ( = 1.61 AU, r = 2.34 AU, Elong. = 126)
Zinner Last seen: 1960 April 25.2 ( = 2.57 AU, r = 2.43 AU, Elong. = 71)
1959 VIII = 1959b Calculated path: HER (Rec), CrB (Aug. 3), HER (Aug. 25), OPH (Sep. 30), SER
(Oct. 16), SCT (Oct. 20), SGR (Oct. 27), MIC (Nov. 11), GRU (Nov. 15), PHE
(Nov. 26), ERI (Dec. 14), PHE (Dec. 17), ERI (Dec. 20), FOR (1960 Jan. 4), ERI
(Jan. 10), FOR (Jan. 11), ERI (Jan. 16), LEP (Feb. 18), ORI (Mar. 17), MON
(Mar. 24)
C. Dinwoodie (1951) took the orbit predicted for the 1946 apparition by F. R.
Cripps, and used several positions from that apparition to apply corrections
to the orbit. Dinwoodie then applied perturbations by Earth, Jupiter, and
Saturn for the period between 1946 and 1953, and predicted a perihelion date
as 1953 April 17.02. Although the comet was not recovered, a related meteor
shower, called the Draconids, was detected by the radio dish at Jodrell Bank
(England) in daylight on 1952 October 9. At its peak, the hourly rate reached
about 170.
C. Dinwoodie (1957) applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn and,
when appreciable, Earth, to the predicted orbit for that year and predicted
perihelion would next occur on 1959 October 25.82. Another prediction
was made by I. Hasegawa and T. Seki. They took the orbit calculated by
U. V. Evdokimov which represented the positions for 1946. The comet was
expected to approach to within 0.34 AU from Earth on 1959 November 7.
The first attempts to recover this comet were made by E. Roemer (US
Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) using the 102-cm reflector on 1959 March 8 and April 10. Nothing was found near the comets
expected position. Following the latter attempt, Roemer concluded the
comet was fainter than magnitude 20.5. Roemer finally recovered the comet
on May 8.42. Her 60-minute exposure obtained using the reflector revealed
the comet at a position of = 17h 53.5m , = +15 53 . She estimated the
magnitude as 20.0, and described the comet as stellar. Roemer confirmed
the recovery on May 9.40, when a 61-minute exposure revealed a stellar
image with a magnitude not fainter than 20.5.
On May 10, Roemer gave the photographic magnitude as 19.8. She said
the comet was essentially stellar. On the 16th, Roemer gave the photographic
magnitude as 19.5 and described the comet as stellar. On May 28, Roemer
564
catalog of comets
estimated the photographic magnitude as 19.0. She described the comet as

a very small diffuse spot, with a diameter less than 1 . The comet attained
a maximum solar elongation of 131 on May 30.
On June 6, Roemer gave the photographic magnitude as 18.7. She
described the comet as slightly diffuse, with a central condensation. On
the 12th, H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed
the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18. He described the comet as nearly stellar. On June 28, Roemer noted a very well-condensed but not stellar nucleus of about magnitude 18.0. She also reported a short, weak trace of nebulosity to the
south.
On July 2 and 3, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA)
photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18. He obtained 20-minute exposures and detected a very faint
coma 10 across, which contained a nearly stellar nucleus. On the 4th, Roemer described the comet as a very sharply condensed but not quite stellar
nucleus of about magnitude 17.5. On the 11th, Roemer said the nucleus
was sharply condensed and about magnitude 17.3. The round coma was
0.1 across, while a trace of tail extended east of south. The comet attained
its most northerly declination of +33 on July 15. On the 26th, Roemer
estimated the nuclear magnitude as 17.0. She said the comet possessed a
rather sharp nuclear condensation and a narrow tail extending 0.5 in
PA 130. On July 29, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 16. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and detected a nearly round
coma.
On August 1, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as
15.5. He obtained a 10-minute exposure and detected a small, nearly stellar
coma elongated toward PA 140. He also noted a tail extending 1 in PA 140.
On the 2nd and 5th, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude
as 15. On August 29, Roemer said two 1-minute exposures revealed a stellar
image of magnitude 16.8. She said a 30-minute exposure revealed a sharp
nuclear condensation embedded in a coma 0.7 in diameter. There was also
a narrow tail extending 1.0 toward PA 100.
On September 5, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed
the comet using the 25-cm Ross lens and estimated the magnitude as 12. On
the 6th, Roemer noted a sharp central condensation of about magnitude
16.0. On the 21st, Roemer obtained two 5-minute exposures and reported a
practically stellar nucleus of magnitude 15.5. She said a 60-minute exposure revealed a coma about 1.5 across and a narrow tail extending 10 toward
PA 90. On the 22nd, the photovisual magnitude was given as 9.1 by C. A.
Swindin (Bristol, England), while the photographic magnitude was given
as 9.2 by S. Archer (Sidmouth, England) and 11 by van Biesbroeck (Yerkes
Observatory). The plates of Swindin and Archer each revealed a coma 80
across. Van Biesbroeck obtained 10- and 4-minute exposures using the 61-cm
reflector and detected a coma strongly elongated in the direction of the tail
565
catalog of comets
in position angle 85. On September 27, Roemer obtained two exposures

of about 30 seconds each and reported a sharp nuclear condensation of
about magnitude 14.0. She said a 60-minute exposure revealed a coma 2
across and a narrow tail extending 20 toward PA 90.
During the first week of September, A. S. Sharov (Crimea, Ukraine)
reported the discovery of a new comet, which was subsequently designated 1959g, but M. P. Candy quickly realized this was none other than
21P/GiacobiniZinner.
On October 3, L. Boyer (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) gave the photographic magnitude as 11.4. On the 9th, S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij (Kiev, Ukraine)
observed using 80-mm binoculars and gave the magnitude as 9.059.26.
Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 11.0. On the 10th, Vsekhsvyatskij gave the visual magnitude as 8.57, while van Biesbroeck estimated
the photographic magnitude as 10. On the 11th, Roemer described the
comet as a sharp nuclear condensation of magnitude 13.5. On the 15th,
Vsekhsvyatskij gave the magnitude as 9.17. On the 18th, Vsekhsvyatskij
gave the magnitude as 8.288.5. On the 19th, Vsekhsvyatskij gave the
visual magnitude as 8.708.85, while Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 10.8. On the 20th, Vsekhsvyatskij gave the magnitude as 8.22.
On the 21st, Roemer obtained two exposures of about 30 seconds each
which revealed a very sharp nuclear condensation of magnitude 13.2.
She said a 15-minute exposure revealed a bifurcated tail that extended
39 to the edge of the plate. Meanwhile, a 45-minute exposure revealed
a narrow tail with a single spine to at least 20 . The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 70 on October 23. On the 26th, Vsekhsvyatskij
gave the magnitude as 8.128.30 and said the coma was 3 across. Roemer obtained two exposures of about 30 seconds each which revealed a
sharp nuclear condensation somewhat brighter than magnitude 13.0. She
said a 15-minute exposure revealed a narrow, sharp tail extending 40
to the edge of the plate, while a 45-minute exposure revealed a narrow
tail about 35 long, which was very weak at the edge of the plate. On the
27th, Vsekhsvyatskij gave the magnitude as 7.95 and said the coma was 3.5
across. On the 29th, Vsekhsvyatskij gave the visual magnitude as 9.15 when
the comet was near the horizon, while van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 8.0. Van Biesbroeck obtained a 1-minute exposure
and detected a well-developed tail in PA 80. On October 30, J. A. Bruwer
(Union Observatory Annexe, Hartbeespoort, South Africa) photographed
the comet using the 25-cm FranklinAdams Star Camera and estimated the
magnitude as 6.5.
On November 3, Boyer gave the photographic magnitude as 10.2. On the
5th, Roemer noted a sharp nucleus of magnitude 12.5, with a trace of coma
and tail. On the 9th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 7.7. He obtained a
1-minute exposure in moonlight and detected a sharply condensed coma.
On the 18th, Bruwer gave the photographic magnitude as 6.3. On the 19th,
M. Itzigsohn (Cordoba,
Argentina) estimated the photographic magnitude

566
catalog of comets
as 10. On November 20, 21, 25, and 26, Bruwer estimated the photographic
magnitude as 6.5. The comet attained its most southerly declination of
53 on November 29. On December 7, Bruwer estimated the photographic
magnitude as 7.0.
On 1960 January 17 and 23, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic
magnitude as 13. On the latter date, he obtained an 8-minute exposure and
detected a centrally condensed, round coma. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 101 on January 20. On the 23rd, Roemer reported
a very sharp nuclear condensation of magnitude 16.7. She also noted a
coma 0.3 across that was elongated toward the northeast. On February 15,
van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 14, while Roemer
gave it as 16.0 in poor seeing. Van Biesbroeck obtained a 6-minute exposure
in moonlight and noted the comet was very faint and uncertain. On March
1, van Biesbroeck estimated the photographic magnitude as 15. On the 16th,
Roemer reported a very sharp nuclear condensation of about magnitude
18.0. There was a trace of tail extending 0.4 toward the east. On March 19
and 20, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory) photographed the comet
using the 208-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 15. He obtained
8-minute exposures and detected a diffuse, round coma 6 across which
exhibited a faint tail extending 1 in PA 85.
The last two photographs of the comet were obtained on April 18.16 and
April 25.2, by Roemer, using the 102-cm reflector. On the first date, she
reported a fairly sharply condensed image of magnitude 18.7. Roemer
said the 60-minute exposure began when the comet was less than 30 above
the horizon. The position was given as = 6h 35.0m , = 5 06 . On the
latter date, Roemer wrote, the image of the comet was partly superimposed
on two star trails.
F. Baldet and C. Bertaud (1962) took 13 photographic magnitude estimates obtained during the period 1959 September 23October 8 and gave
the parameters as H0 = 10.66, n = 5.40. Another five photographic magnitude estimates obtained during the period 1959 October 2025 revealed
parameters of H0 = 10.8, n = 11.2.
Hawagawa took positions obtained by Roemer during the period 1960
May 8July 26 and calculated an improved orbit. He gave the perihelion
date as October 26.97 and the period as 6.43 years.
Calculations using multiple apparitions and planetary perturbation were
published by Y. V. Evdokimov (1970, 1972) and D. K. Yeomans (1972, 1986).
Yeomans also solved for nongravitational forces. These revealed a perihelion
date of October 26.92 and a period of 6.42 years. The orbit of Yeomans (1986)
is given below. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.1209 and
A2 = +0.0426 by Yeomans (1971, 1972) and A1 = +0.4388 and A2 = +0.1322
by Yeomans (1986).
T
1959 Oct. 26.9171 (TT)
567
(2000.0)
172.8373 196.7326
i
30.8976
q
e
0.935967 0.728953
catalog of comets
Dec. 15, 1960 Jan. 14, Feb. 12, Mar. 13, Apr. 11, May 11
sources: C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for 1952 (1951 Nov.), pp. 445; C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for 1953 (1952 Nov.), p. 39; C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook
for 1958 (1957 Nov.), p. 58; C. Dinwoodie, BAA Handbook for 1959 (1958 Nov.),
pp. 467; E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1434 (1959 May 13); E. Roemer, PASP, 71 (1959
Jun.), p. 246; E. Roemer, IAUC, No. 1680 (1959 Jun. 23); E. Roemer, IAUC, No.
1682 (1959 Jul. 7); E. Roemer, IAUC, No. 1685 (1959 Aug. 17); A. S. Sharov and
M. P. Candy, IAUC, No. 1689 (1959 Sep. 8); I. Hasegawa, IAUC, No. 1691 (1959
Sep. 16); C. A. Swindin and S. Archer, IAUC, No. 1696 (1959 Oct. 23); L. Boyer,
IAUC, No. 1698 (1959 Nov. 18); S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, IAUC, No. 1699 (1959 Nov.
23); A. S. Sharov and M. P. Candy, PASP, 71 (1959 Dec.), pp. 5478; M. Itzigsohn, PASP, 72 (1960 Feb.), p. 64; H. M. Jeffers, AJ, 65 (1960 Apr.), pp. 1645; J. A.
Bruwer, UOC, 6 (1960 Apr.), p. 320; E. Roemer, PASP, 72 (1960 Aug.), p. 324; L.
Boyer, JO, 44 (1961), p. 92; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 66 (1961 Mar.), pp. 99, 102; F.
Baldet and C. Bertaud, JO, 45 (1962 Sep.), pp. 2436; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6
(1963 MayJun.), p. 853; E. Roemer, AJ, 71 (1966 Sep.), pp. 594, 599; Y. V. Evdokimov, TrKaz, 37 (1970), pp. 1389; D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 76 (1971 Feb.), pp. 846;
Y. V. Evdokimov and D. K. Yeomans, IAUS, No. 45 (1972), pp. 176, 185; D. K.
Yeomans, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116.
50P/1959 N1 Recovered: 1959 July 6.43 ( = 2.16 AU, r = 1.91 AU, Elong. = 62)
(Arend) Last seen: 1960 February 17.24 ( = 1.71 AU, r = 2.36 AU, Elong. = 120)
1959 V = 1959c Calculated path: ARI (Rec), TAU (Jul. 31), PER (Aug. 5), AUR (Sep. 2), LYN
(Oct. 20), CAM (Nov. 26), LYN (Dec. 1), CAM (1960 Jan. 12), AUR (Jan. 28)
Beginning with A. Przybylskis orbit for the 1951 apparition, W. H. F. Calway
(1957) applied perturbations and predicted the comet would next arrive
at perihelion on 1959 September 1.67. Using 41 positions obtained during
the 1951 apparition, S. U. Kan (1959) redetermined the orbit, then applied
perturbations by Venus to Saturn, and predicted the next perihelion date as
September 2.47.
E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) recovered the comet on a 30-minute exposure obtained using the 102-cm reflector
on 1959 July 6.43. She gave the position as = 2h 30.8m , = +20 43 , which
indicated the prediction by Calway required a correction of 0.5 day. Roemer confirmed the recovery by obtaining additional 30-minute exposures
on July 7.41 and July 7.43. On each occasion the comet was described as a
small, somewhat diffuse image of about magnitude 19.2.
On July 11, Roemer obtained a 30-minute exposure which revealed a
stronger and better condensed image of about magnitude 19.0. On August
29, Roemer obtained exposures of 15 and 16 minutes which revealed an
essentially stellar nucleus of magnitude 17.5 and a faint trace of very faint
coma. On September 25, Roemer obtained a 15-minute exposure which
revealed a magnitude of about 17.0. On November 7, Roemer obtained
568
catalog of comets
exposures of 23 and 30 minutes which revealed a stellar central condensation of magnitude 17.5. There was a faint trace of coma, which was mainly
on the northwest side of the nucleus. On November 25, Roemer obtained
two 30-minute exposures which revealed a sharp central condensation
of magnitude 15.5, which was about 0.15 across. The round coma was 0.8
across. On November 29 and 30, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory,
Wisconsin, USA) photographed the comet using the 61-cm reflector. On
December 3, Roemer obtained two 15-minute exposures which revealed a
sharp central condensation in a small coma. The comet attained its most
northerly declination of +62 on December 19 and then attained a maximum
solar elongation of 142 on December 30. On this last date, Roemer obtained
two 30-minute exposures which revealed a stellar nucleus condensation
of about magnitude 18.5. She noted a very faint trace of coma.
revealed a very sharp nuclear condensation of magnitude 18.5.
The last two detections of the comet came when Roemer used the 102-cm
reflector to obtain exposures of 36 minutes on February 17.22 and 30 minutes
on February 17.24. She gave the position on the latter date as = 6h 09.2m ,
= +51 10 . Roemer described the comet as a small, faint condensation
of about magnitude 19.0. Van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas,
USA) obtained photographs with the 208-cm reflector on 1960 March 19
and March 20, but no comet was found. He said the plates showed stars
down to magnitude 20.
1970, 1986), P. Rocher (2000), K. Kinoshita (2000), and S. Nakano (1996,
2004). Planetary perturbations were considered by everyone, with Marsden
(1970, 1986), Rocher, Kinoshita, and Nakano also calculating nongravitational terms. The result was a perihelion date of September 1.20 and a period
of 7.79 years. The orbit of Nakano (2004) is given below. The nongravitational terms were given as A1 = 0.12013 and A2 = 0.025067 by Marsden
(1970), A1 = +0.14 and A2 = 0.0286 by Marsden (1986), A1 = +0.017 and
and A2 = 0.02192 by Nakano (2004).
T
1959 Sep. 1.2031 (TT)
44.5945
(2000.0)
358.3063
i
21.6553
q
e
1.831546 0.533957

14, Feb. 12, Mar. 13
sources: A. Przybylski, MNRAS, 112 (1952), pp. 3423; W. H. F. Calway, BAA
Handbook for 1958 (1957 Nov.), p. 58; W. H. F. Calway, BAA Handbook for 1959
(1958 Nov.), p. 48; S. U. Kan, PASP, 71 (1959 Jun.), p. 245; S. U. Kan, CET, 75
(1959 Nov.Dec.), pp. 33741; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 66 (1961 Mar.), pp. 99, 102;
569
catalog of comets
S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 853; E. Roemer, AJ, 71 (1966
Sep.), pp. 594, 599; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31617; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970 Feb.), p. 82; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 11 (1970 Sep.), pp. 2324;
B. G. Marsden, CCO, 5th ed. (1986), pp. 23, 56, 66; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 27
(1986 Mar.), p. 116; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 638 (1996 Apr. 11); personal correspondence from P. Rocher (2000); personal correspondence from K. Kinoshita
(2000); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 1058 (2004 Apr. 8).
C/1959 O1 Prediscovery: 1959 June 2.95 ( = 0.44 AU, r = 1.42 AU, Elong. = 156)
(Bester Discovered: 1959 July 26.85 ( = 0.26 AU, r = 1.27 AU, Elong. = 158)
Hoffmeister) Last seen: 1959 September 11.00 ( = 0.57 AU, r = 1.51 AU, Elong. = 143)
1959 III = 1959d Calculated path: OPH (Disc), SER (Jun. 27), SGR (Jul. 4), MIC (Aug. 3), GRU
(Aug. 16)
M. J. Bester and C. Hoffmeister (Harvard College Observatory, Boyden Station, Bloemfontein, South Africa) discovered this comet on photographs
exposed on 1959 July 26.85, at a position of = 19h 38.7m , = 38 49 .
The initial messages gave the magnitude as 8, but the discoverers later
said the magnitude was no brighter than 10. Numerous prediscovery
images were found. At Sonneberg Observatory (Germany), seven measurable images were found on survey plates exposed between June 2.95 and
June 5.00, and seven additional images were found on survey plates exposed
between July 7.98 and July 13.95. The estimated magnitude of the comet on
the Sonneberg images was 14.
The comet had attained a maximum solar elongation of 165 on July 10.
Bester and Hoffmeister also photographed the comet on July 28, 29, 30, 31,
and August 8. They said the magnitude was no brighter than 10. The comet
attained its most southerly declination of 45 on August 15.
The comet was last detected on September 11.00, when Hoffmeister
exposed a photograph with the 25-cm Metcalf camera at Boyden Observatory. He measured the position as = 22h 31.2m , = 40 19 .
News of this object did not reach the proper authorities until midAugust, when the first two positions arrived at the Bureau Central des
Telegrammes Astronomiques in Copenhagen (Denmark). Additional positions did not arrive until late August, at which time J. Schubart calculated
the first parabolic orbit, which indicated a perihelion date of 1959 July 15.77.
Schubart used three precise positions obtained between July 26 and September 8, to compute a parabolic orbit which was first published at the beginning
of 1960. The perihelion date was determined as July 17.57.
A definitive orbit was calculated by Schubart (1961). He took 29 positions obtained during the period June 2September 11, reduced them to
four Normal places, and applied perturbations by Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn. The result was a hyperbolic orbit with a perihelion date of July 17.56
and an eccentricity of 1.002656. This orbit is given below. B. G. Marsden
570
catalog of comets
(1962) took this orbit, applied perturbations by Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn
and determined the original orbit had an eccentricity of 1.000554. He stated
that Schubart privately communicated the fact that the mean error in eccentricity for his 1961 orbit was 0.0003. With this knowledge, Marsden concluded that the original orbit of this comet was most probably an ellipse.
T
1959 Jul. 17.5587 (TT)
(2000.0)
186.5105 105.7343
i
12.8318
q
e
1.250541 1.002656

full moon: May 22, Jun. 20, Jul. 20, Aug. 18, Sep. 17
sources: M. J. Bester and C. Hoffmeister, IAUC, No. 1685 (1959 Aug. 17); M. J.
Bester and C. Hoffmeister, HAC, No. 1445 (1959 Aug. 21); M. J. Bester, C.
Hoffmeister, and J. Schubart, IAUC, No. 1686 (1959 Aug. 28); J. Schubart, HAC,
No. 1463 (1960 Jan. 6); C. Hoffmeister, AN, 285 (1960 Aug. 10), pp. 27980; J.
Schubart, M. J. Bester, and C. Hoffmeister, AN, 286 (1961 Jan. 11), pp. 7980;
B. G. Marsden, JBAA, 72 (1962), pp. 13940; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963
MayJun.), p. 853.
C/1959 Q1 Prediscovery: 1959 August 24.86 ( = 0.79 AU, r = 1.15 AU, Elong. = 79)
(Alcock) Discovered: 1959 August 25.88 ( = 0.78 AU, r = 1.16 AU, Elong. = 79)
1959 IV = 1959e Closest to the Earth: 1959 September 13 (0.6889 AU)
Calculated path: CrB (Pre), HER (Aug. 31), OPH (Sep. 12), SER (Sep. 22), SCT
(Sep. 26), AQL (Sep. 30), SGR (Oct. 3), CAP (Oct. 17), MIC (Oct. 30)
G. E. D. Alcock (Peterborough, Northamptonshire, England) discovered this
comet while sweeping for 21P/GiacobiniZinner with 25 105 binoculars
on 1959 August 25.88, at a position of = 15h 54.2m , = +34 25 . He
estimated the magnitude as 10, and described the comet as diffuse and condensed, but without a tail. Alcock stopped his observing session on August
25.99, because of deteriorating seeing, and noted that it was impossible to
determine if the comet had moved. He confirmed motion on August 26.9.
The comet was discovered about a week after passing perihelion and about
3 weeks before passing closest to Earth. Prediscovery images were found
by H. Huth (Sonneberg Observatory, Germany) from August 24.86 and
August 25.86.
On August 27, B. Morkowska (Poznan Observatory, Poland) estimated
the photographic magnitude as 10. M. Antal (Skalnate Pleso Observatory,
Slovakia) described the comet as diffuse, with a condensation, on 5- and
15-minute exposures. On the 28th, H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA) gave the photographic magnitude as 12. On the 29th, E. Roemer
(US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) obtained two
1-minute exposures using the 102-cm reflector which revealed a fairly
sharp nuclear condensation of magnitude 15.3. She said a 15-minute
571
catalog of comets
exposure revealed a sharp condensation embedded in a coma 1.5 in diameter, while a tail extended about 3 toward the east. On August 31, the
magnitude was given as 9.9 by S. Archer (Norman Lockyer Observatory,
Sidmouth, England) and 11 by D. D. Meisel (West Virginia, USA). Meisel
said the comet was diffuse, with a condensation.
On September 1, J. Gibson (Lick Observatory, California, USA) photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the
magnitude as 10.5. He said the round coma was 3 across and centrally
condensed. G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) photographed the comet using the 25-cm Ross lens and estimated the magnitude as 10. He obtained two 5-minute exposures with the 25-cm lens and a
6-minute exposure with the 208-cm reflector and noted the round coma was
1.3 across, with a nearly stellar nucleus, and exhibited a faint tail extending
4 in PA 95. Roemer obtained two 1-minute exposures which revealed a
fairly sharp condensation of about magnitude 16.0. She said a 20-minute
exposure revealed a sharply condensed nucleus embedded in a coma 1.5
in diameter, while a tail extended 10 toward the east. On the 3rd, Archer
gave the magnitude as 11.6. On the 4th, Roemer obtained two 3-minute
exposures which revealed a sharp central condensation of about magnitude 16.0, within a small, round coma. She said a 30-minute exposure
revealed a coma 1.5 across and a tail extending 9 toward the east. On the
5th, van Biesbroeck photographed the comet using the 25-cm Ross lens and
estimated the magnitude as 12. On the 8th, Roemer obtained two 3-minute
exposures which revealed a stellar nucleus of about magnitude 16.0 within
a small coma. On the 20th, Roemer obtained two 5-minute exposures which
revealed a stellar nucleus of magnitude 15.8 within a coma 0.2 across. On
the 22nd, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) photographed the comet
using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 13. He obtained
a 16-minute exposure and noted a centrally condensed, round coma 1.0
across. On September 24 and 27, Roemer obtained exposures of 5 and
5.5 minutes which revealed a sharp nucleus of magnitude 16.5 within a
small coma.
On October 4, Roemer obtained two 10-minute exposures which revealed
a central condensation of about magnitude 17.5, within a faint coma 0.3
across. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 97 on October
5. On the 20th, Roemer obtained exposures of 30 and 30.5 minutes which
revealed a fairly sharp central condensation of about magnitude 18.0,
within a faint coma 0.3 across. On October 21, van Biesbroeck photographed
obtained two 24-minute exposures and noted a faint, round coma 8 across.
The last two detections of the comet came when Roemer used the 102-cm
reflector to obtain exposures of 60 minutes on November 5.11 and 62 minutes
on November 5.16. She gave the position on the last date as = 21h 10.1m ,
= 28 54 . Roemer described the comet as a centrally condensed diffuse
spot of about magnitude 19.5.
572
catalog of comets
The first orbit was calculated by L. Kresak and was published on September 3. The perihelion date was determined as 1959 August 18.66. Over a
month later, M. P. Candy calculated an orbit using positions from August 28,
September 5, and September 20. The result was a perihelion date of August
17.59. A few days after that, B. G. Marsden used eight positions spanning
the period August 27September 22 and determined the perihelion date as
August 17.61.
A definitive orbit was calculated by G. T. Yanovitskaya (1968). He began
with 95 positions, but eliminated 26 for the final calculations. He also applied
perturbations by Mercury to Neptune. The result was a perihelion date of
August 17.61 and an eccentricity of 1.0009192. This orbit is given below.
T
1959 Aug. 17.6075 (TT)
(2000.0)
124.7085 159.9227
i
48.2566
q
e
1.150354 1.000919

full moon: Aug. 18, Sep. 17, Oct. 16, Nov. 15
sources: G. E. D. Alcock and M. Antal, IAUC, No. 1686 (1959 Aug. 28); M. Antal
and D. D. Meisel, HAC, No. 1447 (1959 Sep. 1); B. Morkowska, IAUC, No. 1687
(1959 Sep. 1); L. Kresak, IAUC, No. 1688 (1959 Sep. 3); L. Kresak and H. L. Giclas,
HAC, No. 1449 (1959 Sep. 8); S. Archer, IAUC, No. 1689 (1959 Sep. 8); M. P. Candy,
IAUC, No. 1695 (1959 Oct. 13); B. G. Marsden, HAC, No. 1452 (1959 Oct. 19); E.
Roemer, IAUC, No. 1696 (1959 Oct. 23); J. Gibson, AJ, 65 (1960 Apr.), pp. 1645;
G. E. D. Alcock, QJRAS, 1 (1960 Dec.), p. 229; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 66 (1961
Mar.), pp. 99, 102; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 853; G. E. D.
Alcock, JBAA, 76 (1965 Dec.), pp. 523; M. Antal, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 122; E.
Roemer, AJ, 71 (1966 Sep.), pp. 594, 599; G. T. Yanovitskaya and H. Huth, BITA,
11 (1968), pp. 54453; G. E. D. Alcock, A&G, 42 (2001 Apr.), p. 367.
C/1959 Q2 Discovered: 1959 August 30.14 ( = 0.96 AU, r = 0.60 AU, Elong. = 35)
(Alcock) Last seen: 1959 September 6.50 ( = 0.86 AU, r = 0.39 AU, Elong. = 22)
1959 VI = 1959f Calculated path: CNC (Disc), HYA (Sep. 5)
G. E. D. Alcock (Peterborough, Northamptonshire, England) discovered this
comet during a routine sweep for comets with a 25 105 binocular-telescope
on 1959 August 30.14, at a position of = 8h 09.5m , = +17 31 . He
estimated the magnitude as 6, and described the comet as diffuse, with a
central condensation, and a short tail.
On September 1, G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
obtained a 2-minute exposure with the 208-cm reflector and noted a coma 2
across and a tail over a degree in length consisting of a bundle of straight
filaments spread over an angle of 20. E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory,
Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) obtained two exposures of about 30 seconds
each using the 102-cm reflector and reported a sharply condensed nucleus
573
catalog of comets
that was overexposed for a magnitude estimate. She added that the tail was
over 1 long and displayed ray structure on longer exposures.
On September 2, the magnitude was given as 5.7 by D. P. Elias (National
Observatory, Athens, Greece), and 6 by A. Purgathofer (Vienna Observatory,
Austria) and van Biesbroeck. Purgathofer said the comet was diffuse, with a
condensation, and a short tail. Van Biesbroeck obtained a 2-minute exposure
with the 208-cm reflector at low altitude and said the comet was diffuse, 2
across, and contained a central condensation, but the sharp nucleus couild
not be distinguished. He added, The brightest filament in the tail shows
a kink at 18 from the nucleus.
On September 3, the magnitude was given as 5.4 by Elias and 5.7 by
van Biesbroeck. Van Biesbroeck said the comet was diffuse, with a central
condensation, and a tail greater than 1 long. On the 4th, van Biesbroeck
gave the magnitude as 4.9 using binoculars. He said the comet was diffuse,
with a central condensation, and a tail greater than 1 long. On September
5, J. A. Bruwer (Union Observatory Annexe, Hartbeespoort, South Africa)
and estimated the magnitude as 5.0. M. Antal (Skalnate Pleso Observatory,
Slovakia) described it as diffuse with a condensation, as well as a short tail.
The comet was last detected on September 6. Antal and A. AntalovaVisnovcova obtained two 0.5-minute exposures using the 60-cm reflector
on September 6.12, while Roemer obtained two 0.7-minute exposures using
the 102-cm reflector on September 6.50. Roemer said the comet was at a
very low altitude and that it was overexposed in recording reference
stars. She gave the position as = 9h 29.9m , = +5 05 .
Following conjunction with the sun, numerous professional and amateur
astronomers unsuccessfully searched for this comet. According to Roemer,
R. Burnham Jr. took several plates with the 13-inch astrograph of the Lowell
Observatory, in addition to making visual searches with his own 8-inch
reflector. Visual searches also were made with several instruments at the
Naval Observatory Station (Arizona, USA), as well as by Alcock himself,
in England. She added, There is, then, much observational evidence to
support the idea that the comet was at least four magnitudes fainter than
expected during the first half of October. Van Biesbroeck used the 25-cm
Ross lens at McDonald Observatory to photograph the region of the comet
on October 18 and October 23, but no trace was found. Stars to magnitude
12 were recorded on these photographic plates.
The first orbit was calculated by L. Kresak and published on September
10. He gave the perihelion date as 1959 September 15.88 and noted that
the orbit resembles that of comet C/1853 R1 (Bruhns). The correctness of
this orbit was confirmed by M. P. Candy (1959) and B. G. Marsden (1960).
Marsdens orbit is given below.
T
1959 Sep. 15.8803 (TT)
574
(2000.0)
i
q
300.6059 225.7683 107.7622 0.165507
e
1.0
catalog of comets
full moon: Aug. 18, Sep. 17
sources: G. E. D. Alcock, HAC, No. 1447 (1959 Sep. 1); G. E. D. Alcock, IAUC, No.
1687 (1959 Sep. 1); A. Purgathofer, IAUC, No. 1688 (1959 Sep. 3); A. Purgathofer,
HAC, No. 1449 (1959 Sep. 8); G. van Biesbroeck and D. P. Elias, IAUC, No. 1689
(1959 Sep. 8); G. van Biesbroeck and L. Kresak, HAC, No. 1450 (1959 Sep. 10);
L. Kresak and M. Antal, IAUC, No. 1690 (1959 Sep. 10); J. A. Bruwer, IAUC, No.
1691 (1959 Sep. 16); M. P. Candy, IAUC, No. 1698 (1959 Nov. 18); E. Roemer, R.
Burnham Jr., B. G. Marsden, and M. P. Candy, PASP, 72 (1960 Feb.), p. 63; J. A.
Bruwer, UOC, 6 (1960 Apr.), p. 320; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 1 (1960 Dec.), pp. 232
4; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 66 (1961 Mar.), pp. 99, 102; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6
(1963 MayJun.), p. 853; G. E. D. Alcock, JBAA, 76 (1965 Dec.), pp. 523; M. Antal
and A. Antalova-Visnovcova, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 123; E. Roemer, AJ, 71 (1966
Sep.), pp. 594, 599.
24P/Schaumasse Prerecovery: 1959 September 8.40 ( = 2.13 AU, r = 2.75 AU, Elong. = 118)
Recovered: 1959 September 30.44 ( = 1.74 AU, r = 2.57 AU, Elong. = 138)
1960 III = 1959h Last seen: 1960 July 15.19 ( = 1.84 AU, r = 1.63 AU, Elong. = 62)
Calculated path: CET (Pre), PSC (Dec. 25), CET (1960 Jan. 18), ARI (Jan. 30),
TAU (Mar. 7), AUR (Apr. 2), GEM (Apr. 26), CNC (May 15), LEO (May 31)
M. G. Sumner (1957) took his improved orbit for the 1952 apparition, which
was derived using 22 positions obtained during 195152, as well as planetary perturbations and a link with the apparition of 1944, and applied
perturbations for the period of 195260. The result was a prediction that
this comet would next arrive at perihelion on 1960 April 17.43.
H. M. Jeffers and J. Gibson (Lick Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet with the 91-cm Crossley reflector on plates exposed on
1959 September 30.44. The position was = 3h 12.5m , = +2 43 .
Jeffers and Gibson described the comet as nearly stellar, with a magnitude of about 19.4. Their recovery positions indicated Sumners perihelion date required a correction of +0.6 day, and a revised ephemeris
enabled E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona,
USA) to find prerecovery images on photographic plates exposed using
the 102-cm reflector for 90 minutes on September 8.40 and 82 minutes
on September 8.47. She described the comet as a fairly well-condensed
object of magnitude 20.0 and noted the images were by no means
conspicuous.
On October 4, Roemer described the comet as sharply condensed and
about magnitude 19.5. On October 26, Roemer described the comet as a
small, not quite stellar spot of about magnitude 19.0. On October 27,
Gibson photographed the comet using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and
estimated the magnitude as 18.5. He said the comet appeared nearly stellar.
The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 165 on November 3
and then attained its most southerly declination of 0 on November 21. On
575
catalog of comets
November 25, Roemer said the comet exhibited a sharp central condensation
of about magnitude 19.0 and displayed a trace of faint coma. On November
30, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) obtained a
as 18. He noted a very diffuse coma 20 across. On December 27, Roemer
noted a well-condensed nucleus of magnitude 18.0 within a coma 0.3
across. She said a trace of very short tail was possibly extending toward the
northeast.
On 1960 January 23, Roemer noted a very sharp nucleus of about magnitude 18.8 that was embedded in an extremely faint round coma. Van
Biesbroeck obtained a 16-minute exposure using the reflector and noted
a slightly condensed round coma 25 in diameter. He estimated the
magnitude as 17.5. On February 17, Roemer noted a stellar nuclear condensation of magnitude 17.8 in a faint coma 0.3 across. On February 19
and 20, van Biesbroeck obtained exposures of 10 and 16 minutes using
the reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16. On March 1, van Biesbroeck obtained an 8-minute exposure using the reflector and estimated
the magnitude as 15. He noted a diffuse round coma. On the 16th, Roemer noted a stellar condensation of magnitude 16.0 in a faint coma 0.3
across. On the 20th, van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
obtained a 2-minute exposure using the 208-cm reflector and estimated
the magnitude as 10. He noted an almost stellar nucleus in the center of a circular coma 2.5 in diameter. There was no trace of a tail. On
March 24, J. Kvzova (Ondrejov Observatory, Czech Republic) estimated the
magnitude as 12.
On April 11 and 12, van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory) obtained
6-minute exposures in moonlight using the 61-cm reflector and noted a
fan-shaped coma toward PA 180. On the 16th, van Biesbroeck obtained a
12-minute exposure and estimated the magnitude as 13. He noted a broad
fan-shaped tail extending 40 toward PA 175. Roemer noted a nearly
stellar nucleus of magnitude 15.2 in a round coma 0.2 across. The comet
attained a minimum solar elongation of 62 on April 19. On the 27th, van
Biesbroeck obtained a 10-minute exposure and estimated the magnitude as
10. He noted a diffuse coma 1 across. The comet attained its most northerly
declination of +33 on April 29. On May 12 and 18, van Biesbroeck obtained
3-minute exposures and estimated the magnitude as 10.5. He noted a fuzzy
nucleus in the center of a 1 round coma. On the 16th, Roemer estimated
the total magnitude as 10 in the 13-cm finder. She said photographs revealed
a nearly stellar nuclear condensation of about magnitude 15.0 in a round
coma 0.3 across. On May 24, van Biesbroeck obtained a 3-minute exposure and estimated the magnitude as 11. The comet attained a maximum
solar elongation of 65 on June 14. On the 15th, van Biesbroeck obtained an
8-minute exposure and estimated the magnitude as 13. He noted a centrally condensed diffuse round coma. On June 19, Roemer said she could
barely see the comet in the 13-cm finder. She said photographs taken using
576
catalog of comets
the reflector revealed a sharp, stellar condensation of about magnitude 17.8

in a coma 0.3 across.
The comet was last detected on July 15.19, when Roemer found it on a 30minute exposure obtained using the 102-cm reflector. She gave the position
as = 11h 53.6m , = +10 37 . Roemer noted a strong, nearly stellar
nucleus of about magnitude 18.5 in a symmetrical coma 0.8 in diameter.
She wrote, the position was so low in the western evening sky that it was
doubtful whether additional observations could be made.
K. P. Matsukov (1968) took 33 positions from the 1960 apparition. He gave
the perihelion date as April 18.06 and the period as 8.19 years.
1969, 1986), C. M. Christison and E. R. Delo (1968), Matsukov (1978), S.
Nakano (1998), and P. Rocher (2001). Planetary perturbations were applied
by each astronomer, while several also applied nongravitational terms.
The result was a perihelion date of April 18.0418.06 and a period of 8.18
years. Marsden noted a secular acceleration. The nongravitational terms
were given as A1 = +0.17536 and A2 = 0.019119 by Marsden (1969),
A1 = +0.4 and A2 = 0.040 by Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans
(1973), A1 = +0.36 and A2 = 0.0407 by Marsden (1986), A1 = +0.214
and A2 = 0.05568 by Nakano, and A1 = +0.10621, A2 = 0.05781, and
A3 = +0.15562 by Rocher. Nakanos orbit is given below.
T
1960 Apr. 18.0529 (TT)
51.9699
(2000.0)
86.9144
i
12.0196
q
e
1.195943 0.705439

13, Apr. 11, May 11, Jun. 9, Jul. 8, Aug. 7
sources: M. G. Sumner, BAA Handbook for 1958 (1957 Nov.), p. 58; M. G. Sumner,
BAA Handbook for 1959 (1958 Nov.), p. 49; H. M. Jeffers and J. Gibson, IAUC, 1694
(1959 Oct. 5); E. Roemer and M. G. Sumner, PASP, 71 (1959 Dec.), p. 547; M. G.
Sumner, QJRAS, 1 (1960 Dec.), pp. 2324; H. M. Jeffers and J. Gibson, AJ, 65
(1960 Apr.), pp. 1645; J. Kvzova, IAUC, No. 1721 (1960 Apr. 22); E. Roemer,
PASP, 72 (1960 Aug.), p. 324; M. G. Sumner, QJRAS, 1 (1960 Dec.), pp. 2324; E.
Roemer and G. van Biesbroeck, PASP, 72 (1960 Aug.), p. 324; E. Roemer, PASP,
72 (1960 Oct.), p. 425; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 67 (1962 Aug.), pp. 422, 427; S. K.
pp. 594, 599; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 73 (1968 Jun.), pp. 373, 375; B. G. Marsden, C. M.
Christison, E. R. Delo, and K. P. Matsukov, QJRAS, 9 (1968 Sep.), pp. 31617, 320;
B. G. Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.), pp. 729, 731; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 10 (1969
Mar.), p. 213; K. P. Matsukov, QJRAS, 19 (1978 Mar.), pp. 845, 88; B. G. Marsden,
CCO, 5th ed. (1986), pp. 22, 55; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 27 (1986 Mar.), p. 116;
S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 676 (1998 May 1); personal correspondence from
P. Rocher (2001).
577
catalog of comets
40P/Visl 1 Recovered: 1959 November 11.51 ( = 2.09 AU, r = 2.49 AU, Elong. = 101)
1960 IV = 1959i Closest to the Earth: 1960 February 21 (0.9812 AU)
Calculated path: CNC (Rec), LEO (Apr. 21)
L. Oterma (1958) took her orbit predicted for the 1949 apparition, adjusted
it by using the recovery position of A. Mrkos, and applied perturbations by
Jupiter and Saturn. She predicted the comet would next arrive at perihelion
in 1960. Oterma added that the comet would be favourably placed at this
return, being in opposition in the spring of 1960.
The recovery of this comet was first reported by M. Antal (Skalnate Pleso
Observatory, Slovakia) on photographs exposed on 1959 November 4.14.
The position was = 8h 22.8m , = +11 53 , while the comet was described
as magnitude 18 and stellar. Antal later revised his magnitude estimate to
19 or fainter. E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona,
USA) wrote that it was a rather disturbing fact that Antals position was 10
from the predicted position. She added that her attempt to confirm the recovery on November 5 and 7 was unsuccessful. Attempts to confirm Antals
find were also made by J. Gibson (Lick Observatory, California, USA) on
November 11 and November 12; however, careful examination of the photographic plate failed to reveal an object in a position consistent with that
announced by Antal. On the other hand, Gibson did note a nearly stellar,
19.5-magnitude object very close to the predicted position. The precise position was given as = 8h 29.1m , = +11 41 . Gibson confirmed his recovery
on November 12.54, and found the physical appearance unchanged. The
indicated correction to the predicted perihelion date was +0.1 day.
On November 25, Roemer obtained two 30-minute exposures using the
102-cm reflector, which revealed a nearly stellar object slightly fainter than
magnitude 19.0. On December 1 and 3, Gibson photographed the comet
using the 91-cm Crossley reflector and estimated the magnitude as 19.0.
He said the comet appeared stellar. On the 4th, Roemer obtained two
90-minute exposures which revealed a nearly stellar object of about magnitude 19.0. The comet attained a declination of +11 on December 10, and
then began a northward motion. On December 30, Roemer obtained two
60-minute exposures which revealed a very sharp stellar condensation of
about magnitude 18.3. Although she noted practically no coma, she did
report a trace of tail extending about 6 toward the west.
On 1960 January 5, Gibson estimated the photographic magnitude as 17.5.
He said the comet was not quite stellar and exhibited a faint tail extending 0.4 in PA 290. On January 24, Roemer obtained exposures of 15 and
20 minutes through clouds, which revealed a very sharp stellar condensation not fainter than magnitude 17.7. She noted there was practically no
coma or tail. The comet attained a maximum solar elongation of 178 on
January 31.
578
catalog of comets
On February 16, Gibson obtained a 20-minute exposure with the 91-cm

Crossley reflector and said the plate was fogged by moonlight. Nevertheless, the comet still displayed a faint coma, but no tail. On the 17th, Roemer obtained two 5-minute exposures which revealed a practically stellar
nucleus of about magnitude 16.0. She noted only a trace of coma. On February 20, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) obtained a
as 17. He noted the centrally condensed, round coma was 10 across and
slightly washed out.
On March 19, Roemer obtained two 10-minute exposures which revealed a
very sharp stellar nucleus of about magnitude 17.5. There was practically
no coma. On the 20th, Gibson estimated the photographic magnitude as
17. He said a 20-minute exposure showed the comet as condensed and
exhibiting a very faint coma or tail in 100. On March 20, 21, and 22,
van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA) obtained a 10-minute
exposure using a 25-cm lens and estimated the magnitude as 14. He noted
a centrally condensed, diffuse coma 15 across that exhibited a fan-shaped
tail extending 50 toward PA 115.
the 16th, Roemer observed with the 102-cm reflector and visually described
the comet as a small diffuse object with a faint but sharp central condensation. She obtained two 10-minute exposures which revealed a practically stellar nucleus of about magnitude 18.0. On April 22, van Biesbroeck
(Yerkes Observatory) obtained a 20-minute exposure using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16. He noted a centrally condensed,
diffuse coma that exhibited a fan-shaped tail.
On May 14, van Biesbroeck obtained a 10-minute exposure using the
reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16.5. He noted a tail extending
1 toward PA 120. On the 17th, Roemer again noted the comet appeared
as a small diffuse object with a faint but sharp central condensation.
She obtained two 30-minute exposures which revealed a strong, essentially stellar central condensation of about magnitude 17.5. She noted
a trace of narrow tail extending eastward. On May 24, van Biesbroeck
obtained a 10-minute exposure using the reflector and estimated the
magnitude as 17.
On June 15, van Biesbroeck obtained a 16-minute exposure using the
61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 18. He noted a small, round
coma.
30-minute exposures using the 102-cm reflector on June 18.19 and June
18.22. She gave the position as = 11h 24.4m , = +15 43 on the latter date. Roemer described the comet as a sharp, stellar central condensation of about magnitude 17.5. She noted a coma and a short, faint tail
extending eastward. Roemer wrote, The position is now low in the evening
twilight . . ..
579
catalog of comets

gave the perihelion date as May 10.84 and the period as 10.46 years. The
nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +0.02 and A2 = 0.0090 by
Forti, A1 = 0.039 and A2 = 0.01336 by Nakano (1990), A1 = +0.084 and
Kinoshita, and A1 = +0.03811 and A2 = 0.01096 by Rocher. Kinoshitas
T
1960 May 10.8361 (TT)
44.4616
(2000.0)
136.1056
i
11.2863
q
e
1.741508 0.635805

full moon: Oct. 16, Nov. 15, Dec. 15, 1960 Jan. 14, Feb. 12, Mar. 13, Apr. 11,
May 11, Jun. 9, Jul. 8
sources: L. Oterma, BAA Handbook for 1959 (1958 Nov.), p. 45; BAA Handbook
for 1960 (1959 Nov.), p. 52; M. Antal, IAUC, No. 1697 (1959 Nov. 6); M. Antal,
HAC, No. 1454 (1959 Nov. 9); J. Gibson, HAC, No. 1455 (1959 Nov. 18); J. Gibson.
IAUC, No. 1698 (1959 Nov. 18); J. Gibson, IAUC, No. 1702 (1959 Dec. 11); E.
Roemer and J. Gibson, PASP, 72 (1960 Feb.), p. 62; J. Gibson, AJ, 65 (1960 Apr.),
p. 165; E. Roemer, PASP, 72 (1960 Aug.), p. 324; E. Roemer, PASP, 72 (1960 Oct.),
p. 425; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 67 (1962 Aug.), pp. 422, 427; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij,
SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 853; E. Roemer, AJ, 71 (1966 Aug.), pp. 444, 453; B. G.
Marsden, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 26, 48; B. G. Marsden, QJRAS, 26 (1985), p. 114;
G. Forti, AAP, 215 (1989), pp. 382, 384; S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 536 (1990
May 2); S. Nakano, Nakano Note, No. 780 (2001 Apr. 26); personal correspondence
from K. Kinoshita (2004); personal correspondence from P. Rocher (2005).
(Mrkos) Last seen: 1960 September 26.15 ( = 3.91 AU, r = 4.22 AU, Elong. = 100)
1959 IX = 1959j Calculated path: LIB (Disc), SCO (Dec. 19), OPH (Dec. 25), SER (1960 Jan. 12),
SGR (Feb. 2), CAP (Apr. 20), SGR (Jun. 1)
A. Mrkos (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) discovered this comet on
1959 December 3.18, at a position of = 15h 04.0m , = 5 10 . He described
it as diffuse, with a condensation and a short tail. The magnitude was estimated as 8. Mrkos and J. Tremko obtained a 3-minute exposure on December
3.21. The physical appearance was unchanged. The comet was discovered
about 3 weeks after making its closest approaches to the sun and Earth.
On December 4, E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, Arizona, USA) noted the comet was an easy object in the 13-cm finder at low altitude. She obtained exposures of about 30 seconds and 10 minutes using the
102-cm reflector and reported a moderately strong central condensation
of about magnitude 13.5. On the 6th, R. Burnham Jr. (Lowell Observatory,
580
catalog of comets
Arizona, USA) estimated the photographic magnitude as 10. On December 31, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) obtained a
as 10. He noted a diffuse coma and a tail extending 20 toward PA 297.
On 1960 January 4 and 8, van Biesbroeck obtained exposures of 3 and
4 minutes using the reflector and estimated the magnitude as 10. On January 30, Roemer obtained two 5-minute exposures which revealed a strong
central condensation of about magnitude 15.5, within a faint coma.
On March 1, van Biesbroeck obtained a 12-minute exposure using the
reflector. The comet was then at a low altitude and was described as very
faint. On March 25, Roemer obtained exposures of 22 and 30 minutes, which
revealed a strong, stellar central condensation of magnitude 16.3. She
noted a trace of coma that was slightly more conspicuous to the west and
north.
On April 7, van Biesbroeck obtained exposures of 12 and 16 minutes
using the reflector and estimated the magnitude as 16. He noted a diffuse
coma 10 across that was slightly washed out toward PA 280. On April
21, Roemer obtained a single 10-minute exposure which revealed a fairly
sharp nuclear condensation of magnitude 17.8. She wrote, essentially no
coma.
On May 1, van Biesbroeck obtained a 15-minute exposure using the reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17. He noted a diffuse coma that was
slightly washed out toward PA 280. On May 22, Roemer obtained two
10-minute exposures which revealed a fairly sharp nuclear condensation
of magnitude 17.5. There was little coma.
On June 18, Roemer obtained two 10-minute exposures which revealed an
essentially stellar nucleus of about magnitude 17.8. On June 21, Roemer
obtained two 30-minute exposures which revealed a strong stellar nucleus
of about magnitude 17.0. There was a faint coma 0.3 across. The comet
attained a maximum solar elongation of 175 on July 12.
On August 1, Roemer obtained two 30-minute exposures which revealed
a strong stellar nucleus of about magnitude 17.8. She said it was practically without coma. On August 18, Roemer obtained exposures of 30 and
32 minutes which revealed a well-condensed nucleus of magnitude 18.4
in a faint coma. The comet attained its most southerly declination of 29
on September 17.
The last two detections of the comet came on September 26.12 and September 26.15, when Roemer obtained 30-minute exposures using the 102-cm
reflector and described the comet as a very faint, diffuse image. She
determined the magnitude as 19.1 and gave the position as = 19h 04.2m ,
= 29 20 .
The first orbit was calculated by B. G. Marsden using positions spanning
the period December 310. First published on December 17, the perihelion
date was given as 1959 November 12.83. This orbit represented the comets
motion quite well. Marsden revised the orbit in mid-January, using positions
581
catalog of comets
spanning the period December 3January 4. He gave the perihelion date as

1959 November 13.22.
A hyperbolic orbit was calculated by Z. Sekanina, using positions from
December 3, 21, and January 5. He gave the perihelion date as 1959 November 13.20 and the eccentricity as 1.000750. Sekanina noted that the eccentricity of the orbit is not too accurate.
Van Biesbroeck (1966) took 62 positions, reduced them to 12 Normal
places, and applied perturbations by Venus to Pluto. The resulting perihelion date was 1959 November 13.22 and the period was about 500 thousand
years.
Z. Sekanina (1974, 1975, 1978) took 29 positions spanning the period 1959
December 41960 September 26 and applied perturbations by all nine planets. The result was a perihelion date of 1959 November 13.22 and a period
of about 350 thousand years. This orbit is given below. B. G. Marsden,
Sekanina, and E. Everhart (1978) calculated elliptical original and future
orbits that had periods of about 1.7 million years and about 7653 years,
respectively.
T
1959 Nov. 13.2162 (TT)
84.6925
(2000.0)
100.6205
i
19.6339
q
e
1.253464 0.999748
absolute magnitude: H10 = 6.4 (Vsekhsvyatskij, 1963); H0 = 4.2, n = 13 (van

Biesbroeck, 1966)
full moon: Nov. 15, Dec. 15, 1960 Jan. 14, Feb. 12, Mar. 13, Apr. 11, May 11,
Jun. 9, Jul. 8, Aug. 7, Sep. 5, Oct. 4
sources: A. Mrkos and J. Tremko, IAUC, No. 1701 (1959 Dec. 5); A. Mrkos, HAC,
No. 1457 (1959 Dec. 8); E. Roemer, IAUC, No. 1702 (1959 Dec. 11); R. Burnham
Jr., HAC, No. 1460 (1959 Dec. 17); B. G. Marsden, HAC, No. 1461 (1959 Dec.
17); B. G. Marsden, HAC, No. 1466 (1960 Jan. 15); Z. Sekanina, IAUC, No. 1713
(1960 Feb. 26); E. Roemer, PASP, 72 (1960 Apr.), p. 134; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 67
(1962 Aug.), pp. 422, 427; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 MayJun.), p. 853;
A. Mrkos and J. Tremko, CAOSP, 3 (1966), p. 123; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 71 (1966
Apr.), pp. 2001; E. Roemer, AJ, 71 (1966 Sep.), pp. 5945, 599600; Z. Sekanina,
and QJRAS, 15 (1974), pp. 4545; Z. Sekanina, CCO, 2nd ed. (1975), pp. 27, 52;
B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and E. Everhart, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), pp. 66, 68.
(Burnham) Last seen: 1960 July 13.2 ( = 2.66 AU, r = 2.20 AU, Elong. = 52)
1960 II = 1959k Calculated path: PSC (Disc), CET (Jan. 3), PSC (Jan. 31), CET (Feb. 5), AQR
(Feb. 21), PEG (Apr. 16), CYG (Apr. 23), CEP (Apr. 26), DRA (Apr. 27), UMi
(Apr. 29), DRA (May 1), UMa (May 3), LMi (May 21), LEO (Jun. 18)
The night of 1959 December 29/30 was a clear one in Flagstaff, Arizona,
actually following and preceding snowstorms. R. Burnham Jr. (Lowell
582
catalog of comets
Observatory, Arizona, USA) proceeded to obtained several photographic

plates for the Lowell Proper Motion Survey program. Upon examining
a plate the next day he noticed a fairly bright, diffuse trail on a plate
exposed on 1959 December 30.11. He gave the position as = 1h 51.8m ,
= +4 22 . Burnham estimated the magnitude as 11, and said the comet
was diffuse, without a condensation. Cloudy weather prevented immediate
confirmation at Lowell, so Lick Observatory (California, USA) was asked to
assist. J. B. Gibson and C. A. Wirtanen confirmed the comet on 1960 January
1 and 2. H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory) acquired the next photograph
from Lowell on 1960 January 2.14. He estimated the magnitude as 14, and
said the comet was diffuse, without a condensation. The comet was found
3 months prior to perihelion passage and nearly 4 months prior to its closest
approach to Earth.
On January 4, E. Roemer (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station,
Arizona, USA) obtained two 5-minute exposures using the 102-cm reflector
and described the comet as moderately well-condensed, with a magnitude of about 15.5. The coma was slightly elongated toward PA 60. On
the 5th, G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) obtained
exposures of 3 and 6 minutes using the 61-cm reflector and estimated the
magnitude as 13. He noted the centrally condensed coma was 20 across
and exhibited a tail extending 1 toward PA 70. On the 7th, van Biesbroeck
obtained two 3-minute exposures using the reflector and noted the images
were very diffuse as a result of moonlight fogging the plates. On the 17th,
J. R. Smith (Texas, USA) observed using a 41-cm reflector (140) and estimated the magnitude as 11. On the 18th, Roemer obtained two 3-minute
exposures which revealed a well-condensed image of magnitude 15.3.
The coma was 1 across, while a short brush-shaped tail extended toward
PA 65. On January 28, Roemer obtained two 3-minute exposures which
revealed a strong central condensation of about magnitude 16.0 which
was embedded within a nearly symmetrical coma 0.5 across. She said a
30-minute exposure revealed a coma 1.3 across, as well as a short, curved
tail extending 3 toward PA 60 and a narrow, straight tail extending about
15 toward PA 80.
On February 7, Roemer obtained exposures of 3 and 3.5 minutes in poor
seeing which revealed a rather large, moderately condensed nucleus of magnitude 15.6. The coma was 0.6 across. On the 15th, R. L. Waterfield (Ascot,
England) estimated the magnitude as 8 or brighter. Roemer obtained two
5-minute exposures in poor seeing and noted a faint, thin tail extending
eastward. On February 17, Roemer obtained two 5-minute exposures which
revealed a fairly strong central condensation of about magnitude 15.0. She
said the coma was 0.7 across.
The comet attained a minimum solar elongation of 8 on March 9 and
then attained its most southerly declination of 13 on March 21. On March
25, H. S. Spigl (Perth, Western Australia, Australia) was the first to observe
the comet as it exited morning twilight.
583
catalog of comets
On April 4, Roemer visually saw the comet with both the 102-cm reflector and its 13-cm finder in morning twilight. She estimated the magnitude as 7. F. Dossin (St. Michel Observatory, France) detected the comet
on two plates exposed on April 7. He estimated the magnitude as 8
and said the comet exhibited a central condensation, but no tail. Also
on the 7th, A. McClure (Hollywood, California, USA) observed using
12 70 binoculars and determined the magnitude as 6.2. He noted, It
looked like a small un-resolved globular cluster and no tail was visible. On
the 8th, McClure obtained a 17-minute exposure in blue light using an 18-cm
triplet lens and noted a very faint tail about 3 long. On the 10th and 12th,
van Biesbroeck obtained exposures of 2, 3, and 6 minutes using the 61-cm
reflector, with the comet at a low altitude. He estimated the magnitude as
5 and said the round coma was 1 across. On April 13, van Biesbroeck gave
On April 17, S. Archer (Sidmouth, England) noted the coma was 3 across.
On the 18th, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 4.7 using an 8-cm telescope. He obtained shorter exposures of 30 seconds and 1 minute because
of moonlight and found the coma was 2 across. On the 20th, the magnitude
was given as 4.7 by Archer and 5.3 by S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij (Kiev, Ukraine).
Archer noted the coma was 1.7 across. On the 21st, Vsekhsvyatskij gave the
visual magnitude as 4.95, while Archer gave the photographic magnitude
as 6.3 and noted the coma was 2.3 across. On the 22nd, the magnitude was
given as 4.8 by van Biesbroeck and McClure and 5.3 by Vsekhsvyatskij. Van
Biesbroeck said a 30-second exposure revealed a round coma 7 across, with
a nearly stellar nucleus. The tail consisted of several filaments and extended
over a degree toward PA 260. McClure said the visual tail length was about
2.5, while a photograph in blue light showed a narrow tail extending 7.4.
Vsekhsvyatskij said the coma was 4 across, while the straight tail extended
more than 1 in PA 265. C. Bertaud (Meudon Observatory, France) photographed the comet and noted a tail 4.6 long. On the 23rd, the magnitude
was given as 4.62 by Vsekhsvyatskij and 4.9 by van Biesbroeck. On April 24,
W. Malsch (Karlsruhe, Germany) estimated the magnitude as 3.5 and said
the tail extended about 3.5 toward PA 266.
On April 26, Malsch estimated the magnitude as 3.5 and said the tail
extended 2 toward PA 265. On the 27th, the visual magnitude was given
as 3.9 by Archer and 4.5 by van Biesbroeck, while the photographic magnitude was given as 5.3 by S. J. V. Arend (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium).
Van Biesbroeck said a a 10-minute exposure with a 5 aerial camera revealed
a straight tail extending over 7 toward PA 267. He wrote, the south edge
is well defined while the north side shades off in a broad cloud. Archer
said a photograph revealed a coma measuring 6 4 and a tail extending
2 in PA 240. Arend said a 5.2-minute exposure using the 40-cm double
astrograph revealed a tail extending toward PA 104. J. B. Tatum (University of London Observatory, England) photographed the comet using the
61-cm Radcliffe refractor. He noted a centrally condensed coma, which was
584
catalog of comets
elliptical with the major axis perpendicular to the tail. Tatum noted a bite
out of the head opposite to the tail. The tail was described as straight and
thin, and extended 3 in PA 267. On the 28th, Archer obtained a 20-minute
exposure which revealed a coma measuring 11 8 and the tail extending
more than 3 . Tatum photographed the comet and noted the coma was more
centrally condensed, while the tail was shorter and fainter, and extended
toward about PA 253. The comet attained its most northerly declination of
+77 on April 29. The visual magnitude was then given as 5.7 by E. Gilson
(Saint-Servais, Namur, Belgium), while the photographic magnitude was
given as 4.1 by Archer, 4.5 by C. A. Swindin (Bristol, England), and 5.6 by
Arend. Gilson said the nucleus was barely discernible. Archer said the coma
measured 3.5 2.5 . Swindin obtained a 20-minute exposure and said the
coma was centrally condensed and measured 8 6 , He noted two nuclei.
Swindin added that the tail extended 3 in PA 210. Tatum photographed
the comet and noted a more centrally condensed coma and a very faint tail
toward about PA 201. On April 30, the visual magnitude was estimated
as 4.0 by Malsch, 5.0 by Archer, and 6.06.5 by Gilson. Archer obtained a
photograph which revealed the coma measured 4.5 2.5 .
On May 1, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 4.8. On the 2nd, the
magnitude was given as 4.0 by Malsch and 5.6 by Gilson. Malsch noted a
round coma. Arend photographed the comet with the 40-cm double astrograph and said the nucleus was round, 2 across, with a magnitude of 9.
He added that the central condensation was 20 across, the coma was about
10 across, and the tail extended 2.5 toward PA 216. J. Kvzova (Ondrejov
Observatory, Czech Republic) photographed the comet and said the centrally condensed coma was elliptical, with dimensions of 6 by 10 , and
possessed a tail extending 200 toward PA 140. The comas major axis was
perpendicular to the tail. On the 3rd, Arend estimated the photographic
magnitude as 6.5 and noted a tail extending toward PA 216. Kvzova photographed the comet and said the centrally condensed coma was elliptical,
with dimensions of 6 by 10 , and exhibited a tail extending 260 toward
PA 130. The comas major axis was perpendicular to the tail. On the 4th,
Archer and Swindin (Sidmouth) gave the magnitude as 6.3. Kvzova photographed the comet and said the centrally condensed coma was elliptical,
with dimensions of 3 by 5 , and possessed a tail extending 60 toward PA
135. The comas major axis was perpendicular to the tail. Tatum obtained a
40-minute exposure which revealed the coma was even more centrally condensed than on previous nights, while no tail was visible. He added that
the bite noted several nights ago was still clearly visible at PA 316. On
the 5th, Malsch estimated the magnitude as 4.5 and noted a round coma.
Interestingly, Gilson said the comet was at the limit of his 8-cm telescope
(40) and estimated the magnitude as 9. The comet attained a maximum
solar elongation of 98 on May 7. On the 12th, van Biesbroeck gave the
magnitude as 8.9 in moonlight. On May 14, van Biesbroeck estimated the
585
catalog of comets
On May 18, van Biesbroeck gave the magnitude as 10.5. He obtained a

1-minute exposure that revealed a round coma 4 across, that was centrally
condensed into a fuzzy nucleus. Van Biesbroeck also noted a tail extending
28 toward PA 290. On May 24, van Biesbroeck estimated the magnitude as
12. On May 31, Roemer obtained two 10-minute exposures which revealed
a strongly condensed nucleus of about magnitude 17.5. She noted a faint
coma and a faint, structureless tail.
On June 15, van Biesbroeck obtained a 16-minute exposure using the
61-cm reflector and estimated the magnitude as 17. He noted an extremely
diffuse round coma 20 in diameter.
The comet was last definitely detected on two photographic plates
exposed using the 102-cm reflector on June 17 at the US Naval Observatory.
The first image was obtained by Roemer and was a 60-minute exposure
obtained on June 17.20, while the second image was an 80-minute exposure
obtained by B. G. Marsden on June 17.25. The comet was described as an
essentially stellar nuclear condensation of magnitude 18.0. There was a
faint, narrow tail extending 20 toward PA 110. The position on the final
observation was given as = 11h 02.3m , = +25 22 . Roemer also reported
the comet was probably photographed one last time around July 13.2, but
the image was very weak, because of the comets low altitude in evening
twilight, and no position could be measured.
W. Liller (1961) studied the spectrum of this comet while at the University
of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA). He noted that the intensities
of diatomic carbon and cyanogen were nearly identical, except on 1960
April 28, when the diameter of the diatomic carbon image appears to have
changed by nearly a factor of 2 over a time interval of 70 min. Liller also
pointed out that this comet exhibited a very weak continuum, which he
noted would lead one to believe that it is very old.
The first parabolic orbit was calculated by B. G. Marsden, using four positions from December 30January 5. He gave the perihelion date as 1960
March 21.68. Marsden said the comet might reach magnitude 3 during
March and April, at which time it would be within 0.2 AU from Earth.
Marsden published a revision using positions from 1959 December 301960
January 18. The subsequent perihelion date of 1960 March 20.96 proved
quite close to the final value, as shown by his later calculations.
The first hyperbolic orbit was calculated by van Biesbroeck and Marsden
(1963). They took 198 positions obtained during the period 1959 December
301960 June 17, reduced them to 16 Normal places, and applied perturbations by Venus to Saturn. The result was a perihelion date of 1960 March
21.00 and an eccentricity of 1.0002876. It was noted that a systematic trend
remained in the residuals and although it was believed that one of the
reasons might have been because of the difficulty in measuring the comet
when close to Earth, it was suggested that some nongravitational effect
was present . . .. They deduced a hyperbolic original orbit, with an eccentricity of 1.000095. They commented that the hyperbolic excess might be
586
catalog of comets
incorrect since a very weak continuum in the spectrum was deduced by

Liller to indicate the comet must be very old, with many revolutions about
the sun having removed most of the dust particles.
Z. Sekanina (1968) collected 213 positions spanning the period 1969
December 301960 June 17 and applied perturbations by all nine planets.
His first orbit covering the entire period gave the perihelion date as 1960
March 21.00 and the eccentricity as 1.0003005. But he did not consider the
fit to be satisfactory. Sekanina then calculated six additional orbits using
various periods of time and found only three orbits that fitted the positions
satisfactorily. He wrote, Apparently, only the observations covering an arc
of orbit not longer than about two months can be fitted by a single set of elements. Sekanina concluded, Strong non-gravitational forces were acting
upon the comets nucleus within the half-yearly period of observation.
Marsden (1969) took the 37 positions obtained by Roemer during the
period 1960 January 4June 17, applied perturbations by all nine planets,
and solved for nongravitational forces. The best result gave a perihelion date
of 1960 March 20.99 and an eccentricity of 1.0001411. The nongravitational
term was given as A1 = +0.54064 and he said that nothing more was gained
by also solving for A2 .
Marsden (1970) took the same 37 positions used in Marsden (1969),
applied perturbations by all nine planets, and solved for nongravitational
forces under the assumption that they vary according to the inverse square
of the heliocentric distance. The result was a better fit to the positions than
in the previous paper. He gave the perihelion date as 1960 March 20.99
and the eccentricity of 1.0000592. The nongravitational terms were given as
A1 = +0.92715 and A2 = 0.18779.
Marsden (1972) again used the same 37 positions employed in his two
earlier papers, applied perturbations by all nine planets, and solved for
nongravitational forces using a method based on the vaporization of snow.
The result was a perihelion date of 1960 March 20.99 and an eccentricity of
1.000030. Marsden, Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans (1973) gave the nongravitational terms as A1 = +5.8 and A2 = 1.4. They concluded, It appears
that we might have to accept that comet 1960 II originated outside the solar
system, although we cannot exclude the possibility that part of the effect we
have attributed to nongravitational forces is merely due to a departure of
the center of light from the center of mass . . ..
Marsden (1978, 1979) again used 37 positions, applied perturbations by
all nine planets, and solved for nongravitational forces. The result was a
perihelion date of 1960 March 21.00 and an eccentricity of 1.0001452. The
nongravitational terms were given as A1 = +5.9 and A2 = 1.4. This orbit
is given below.
T
1960 Mar. 20.9956 (TT)
587
(2000.0)
i
q
e
306.6343 252.6387 159.6002 0.504353 1.000145
catalog of comets
absolute magnitude: H0 = 8.5, n = 3.4 (Bouska, 1960); H10 = 8.7 (Sekanina,
1960); H10 = 8.00 (Vsekhsvyatskij, 1963)
full moon: Dec. 15, 1960 Jan. 14, Feb. 12, Mar. 13, Apr. 11, May 11, Jun. 9, Jul. 8,
Aug. 7
sources: R. Burnham Jr., H. L. Giclas, and E. Roemer, HAC, No. 1464 (1960 Jan. 6);
B. G. Marsden, HAC, No. 1465 (1960 Jan. 8); B. G. Marsden, IAUC, No. 1711 (1960
Jan. 29); B. G. Marsden, HAC, No. 1471 (1960 Mar. 3); B. G. Marsden, IAUC, No.
1715 (1960 Mar. 16); R. Burnham Jr., H. L. Giclas, J. B. Gibson, and C. A. Wirtanen,
PASP, 72 (1960 Apr.), pp. 1345; R. L. Waterfield, IAUC, No. 1718 (1960 Apr. 5);
F. Dossin, IAUC, No. 1719 (1960 Apr. 8); A. McClure, IAUC, No. 1721 (1960 Apr.
22); A. McClure, HAC, No. 1481 (1960 Apr. 26); E. Gilson, CET, 76 (1960 MayJun.), pp. 1778; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, IAUC, No. 1724 (1960 May 6); S. Archer
and C. A. Swindin, IAUC, No. 1725 (1960 May 11); J. B. Tatum, IAUC, No. 1726
(1960 May 18); S. Archer and C. A. Swindin, IAUC, No. 1727 (1960 May 21); S. J. V.
Arend, IAUC, No. 1728 (1960 May 27); E. Roemer, PASP, 72 (1960 Jun.), p. 213; J.
Kvzova and J. Bouska, IAUC, No. 1730 (1960 Jun. 15); Z. Sekanina, IAUC, No.
1735 (1960 Jul. 19); E. Roemer, PASP, 72 (1960 Oct.), p. 425; W. Malsch, AN, 286
(1961 Sep. 18), p. 132; W. Liller, AJ, 66 (1961 Oct.), pp. 3724; J. G. Porter, QJRAS,
2 (1961 Oct.), p. 153; G. van Biesbroeck, AJ, 67 (1962 Aug.), pp. 423, 427; S. J. V.
Arend, BAOBU, 5 (1962 Aug.), p. 37; S. K. Vsekhsvyatskij, SvA, 6 (1963 May
Jun.), p. 853; G. van Biesbroeck and B. G. Marsden, AJ, 68 (1963 Oct.), pp. 5667;
E. Roemer and B. G. Marsden, AJ, 71 (1966 Sep.), pp. 595, 600; Z. Sekanina,
BAICz, 19 (1968), pp. 21022; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 74 (1969 Jun.), pp. 7312; B. G.
Marsden, AJ, 75 (1970 Feb.), pp. 756; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 1st ed. (1972), pp. 28,
49; B. G. Marsden, Z. Sekanina, and D. K. Yeomans, AJ, 78 (1973 Mar.), pp. 218,
221; B. G. Marsden, AJ, 83 (1978 Jan.), p. 70; B. G. Marsden, CCO, 3rd ed. (1979),
pp. 28, 53, 60.
588
Appendix 1
Uncertain Objects
1933 While examining plates taken in the regular work on asteroids carried out
at the Madrid Observatory in Spain, R. Carrasco found the images of a
1933 V = 1933d cometlike object on a plate exposed on 1933 July 15.88. The photograph had
been exposed twice each exposure being 15 minutes in length. The diffuse
images were well defined, of magnitude 10, and were elongated because of
the objects apparent motion during the exposure. The position of the object
on the first plate was given as = 13h 10.4m , = 12 38 . The indicated
daily motion was 1m 32s in and +56 in .
Carrasco could not expose a plate on July 16, but two plates were exposed
on July 17.92. The first was another double-exposure plate and showed no
trace of anything cometary; however, a faint, diffuse image was found on a
plate exposed for 30 minutes. No further plates could be exposed until July
22, at which time nothing cometary could be found.
The position of the object on the final date was found to disagree with
the expected position deduced from the July 15 motion, but A. C. D. Crommelin (1934) obtained remeasured positions from Carrasco and calculated
a conjectural orbit, which indicated a perihelion date of 1933 July 22.26.
This orbit is given below. Crommelin said there was a discordance of many
seconds of arc in the second position of July 15, but the orbit implies a very
near approach to the Earth on July 13, so that earlier positions would be very
distant from those given. The rapid recession from Earth would explain the
fading.
T
1933 Jul. 22.26 (TT)
193.33
(2000.0)
111.70
i
173.03
q
1.0139
e
1.0
sources: R. Carrasco, HAC, No. 271 (1933 Jul. 17); R. Carrasco, IAUC, No. 442
(1933 Jul. 18); R. Carrasco, BZAN, 15 (1933 Jul. 19), p. 45; R. Carrasco, BZAN,
15 (1933 Jul. 27), p. 47; R. Carrasco, The Observatory, 56 (1933 Aug.), p. 266; R.
Carrasco, PA, 41 (1933 Aug.Sep.), p. 405; R. Carrasco, AN, 249 (1933 Sep. 11),
pp. 41920; R. Carrasco, PA, 41 (1933 Oct.), p. 440; R. Carrasco, The Observatory, 56
(1933 Oct.), pp. 31920; R. Carrasco and A. C. D. Crommelin, MNRAS, 94 (1934
Feb.), pp. 3278.
1934 C. V. Jackson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) discovered

this object on 1934 March 27.90, at a position of = 13h 18.2m , = 27 10 .
589
appendix 1: uncertain objects
1934a He estimated the magnitude as 12 and described the object as diffuse. Jackson gave the daily motion as 1m 36s in and 24 in .
G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) reported that he
experienced cloudy weather and moonlit skies following the announcement
and he was unable to look for the object until April 6. He was not able to
find it, but noted this would not be unexpected since 10 days had passed
since the objects discovery and the objects apparent motion had taken it
far into the southern sky.
Despite van Biesbroecks failure to locate the object, observations were
obtained elsewhere. According to van Biesbroeck, the object proved to be
an asteroid moving in a highly inclined orbit and all subsequent observations revealed a perfectly sharp image. The minor planet received the
preliminary designation of 1934 FG and is now known as 1318 Nerina.
sources: C. V. Jackson, HAC, No. 295 (1934 Mar. 28); G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 42
(1934 May), p. 258; C. V. Jackson, The Observatory, 57 (1934 May), p. 170; C. V.
Jackson, The Observatory, 57 (1934 Jun.), p. 202; G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 42 (1934
Jun.Jul.), pp. 3334.
1935 G. F. Kellaway (England) discovered this object on 1935 January 6.91 at a

position of = 4h 25.4m , = +16 11 . He estimated the magnitude as 10
and described it as exhibiting a nucleus, but nothing was reported about
a tail. Kellaway gave the daily motion as 2m 08s in and +60 in . No
further observations were obtained.
sources: G. F. Kellaway, HAC, No. 323 (1935 Jan. 10); G. F. Kellaway, HAC, No.
324 (1935 Jan. 12).
1937 Kozawa reported that he had discovered a comet on 1937 March 9.59 at a
position of = 11h 17.3m , = +6 19 . He estimated the magnitude as 10 and
described the object as diffuse, with a central condensation or nucleus. There
was also a short tail. The original discovery announcement on March 12
included the statement that R. Sekiguti noted the comet was unconfirmed.
Another telegraph issued on March 15 said Sekiguti had reported that
the comet was still not confirmed. C. Hoffmeister (Sonneberg Observatory,
Germany) said a search plate that had been taken of that region on March
10 did not show any suspicious objects brighter than magnitude 10.5.
sources: Kozawa and R. Sekiguti, BZAN, 19 (1937 Mar. 12), p. 14; Kozawa and
R. Sekiguti, IAUC, No. 645 (1937 Mar. 12); Kozawa and R. Sekiguti, IAUC, No.
646 (1937 Mar. 15); C. Hoffmeister, BZAN, 19 (1937 Mar. 19), p. 16.
1937 This represents one of the most doubtful objects in this volume and is
included because it received a preliminary designation, the supposed
1937d 1-month observational arc, and the experienced observer. W. F. Gale
590
(Waverly, New South Wales, Australia) discovered this object about 8 south
of Mars on 1937 April 6.50. It was described as a small nebulous spot with
a magnitude of 10. Gale gave the position as = 16h 13.5m , = 20
27 , and said the object was moving eastward. He immediately sent a telegram announcing his discovery to Melbourne Observatory (Victoria, Australia), whereupon J. M. Baldwin sent a radiogram to the Central Bureau in
Copenhagen.
Gale observed the object again on April 7.64, and described it as exhibiting a strong condensation at the preceding end, as well as a large faint
nearly bifurcated tail about 40 long. G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) searched for the comet on April 9, but found nothing,
despite the fact that an object as bright as magnitude 10 would have been
picked up easily . . .. He suggested the object was probably a ghost of
Mars, though he tried to give Gale (who had three comet discoveries to his
name) the benefit of the doubt by suggesting the telegraphed position was in
error.
No additional observations were reported, and it seemed van Biesbroecks
ghost theory was correct, but, in June 1937, A. C. D. Crommelin received a
letter from Gale which stated the comet had been observed for a month
by several Australian observers. No further details were revealed until the
end of the year, when Gale sent Crommelin a list of four positions given
with respect to the position of Mars, rather than the standard astronomical
coordinate system of right ascension and declination. These positions were
from April 7, 11, 16, and May 5. Crommelin noted, The fact of the object
keeping so close to Mars, and the failure to see it elsewhere than in Sydney,
naturally arouses some suspicion that it may be a ghost . . .. Despite this
assessment, Gale and his friends continued to express their conviction of
this objects cometary character.
Additional details also surfaced at the end of 1937. Gale said the May 5
observation of this comet was also the last, at which time it exhibited a
faint tail 30 long.
sources: W. F. Gale, HAC, No. 412 (1937 Apr. 8); W. F. Gale, IAUC, No. 652 (1937
Apr. 8); W. G. Gale, BZAN, 19 (1937 Apr. 9), p. 19; G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 413
(1937 Apr. 12); W. F. Gale, BZAN, 19 (1937 Apr. 14), p. 21; W. F. Gale, PA, 45 (1937
May), p. 264; G. van Biesbroeck, BZAN, 19 (1937 May 4), p. 26; W. F. Gale, JBAA,
47 (1937 Jul.), p. 338; W. F. Gale, The Observatory, 60 (1937 Jul.), p. 203; A. C. D.
Crommelin, PA, 45 (1937 Oct.), p. 440; W. F. Gale and A. C. D. Crommelin, JBAA,
48 (1938 Jan.), p. 132; W. F. Gale, The Observatory, 61 (1938 Jan.), p. 30; W. F. Gale,
JBAA, 48 (1938 Feb.), p. 183; W. F. Gale, MNRAS, 98 (1938 Feb.), pp. 3489.
1939 On July 31, S. Orlov (Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, Russia) announced
the discovery and subsequent confirmation of a 7th-magnitude comet
1939i by Kaminsky (Tashkent, Russia, now Uzbekistan) on 1939 July 24.92 and
July 28.95, respectively. The position on the first date was given as = 20h
55.0m , = 7 00 . The comet was described as diffuse, with condensation.
591
Additional observations were reported during the next 2 weeks by Teplov

(the director of Tashkent Observatory), who detected the object on July 28.96
at magnitude 7, and by A. Fresa (Pino Torinese Observatory, Turin, Italy),
who photographically detected the object on August 1.04. The moon was
full on July 31.
Despite the apparent confirmations, several negative reports surfaced
immediately following the comets initial announcement. Astronomers at
Sonneberg Observatory (Germany) searched Sky Survey plates exposed
on the nights of July 17/18 and July 18/19, but no cometary object was
found. Astronomers at Harvard College Observatorys Oak Ridge Station
(Massachusetts, USA) examined a 2-hour exposure made with a 13-cm
Cooke lens on July 21.2, but found no comet in the extrapolated position
despite a limiting magnitude of 13.5. During the first days of August, G.
van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) searched the region
containing the extrapolated position of the comet and failed to find anything unusual. He admitted that bright moonlight did interfere, but said
objects as faint as 11M were visible in the region explored. The object was
also searched for at Mount Hamilton, but again no cometary object was
detected.
N. Richter (1949) suggested this should be considered to be another case
of comet flare-up. He cited the observations by three observers as an indication of the comets maximum magnitude and suggested the Oak Ridge
photograph of July 21 indicated the possible strength of the flare-up.
After several years of researching comets, the author noted that no orbit
had ever been published for this object. He wrote to B. G. Marsden in 1977
and asked for a possible solution. Marsden commented, a parabola gives
residuals up to 1, and I cannot accept an ellipse. While completing this
manuscript in 2007, the author approached Marsden again and asked for
an elaboration. He wrote, I might have made that cryptic remark about an
ellipse because my best parabola . . . gave an inclination around 35 deg.
But a typical ellipse does no better on the residuals than a parabola does.
In 2004, the author investigated the orbit himself. Using the three earliest
reported positions and ignoring Teplovs position submitted 2 weeks later,
the orbit looks like what would be expected for an Amor-class minor planet;
however, there are residuals of about 45 in the middle position. During 2007,
M. Meyer took the positions and tried to derive an orbit. He noted the orbit
very likely had an inclination of 2035, while the object was probably quite
close to Earth. He indicated there were many potential solutions, but none
could push the average residuals to anything less then 33 . Marsden (2007)
wrote, I just dont think the comet ever existed, while Meyer generally
agreed.
sources: Orlov and Kaminsky, HAC, No. 496 (1939 Jul. 31); Kaminsky, IAUC,
No. 785 (1939 Jul. 31); G. van Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 498 (1939 Aug. 3); A. Fresa,
IAUC, No. 788 (1939 Aug. 5), Teplov, IAUC, No. 790 (1939 Aug. 14); Kaminsky,
592

The Observatory, 62 (1939 Sep.), p. 247; Kaminsky, A. Fresa, and G. van Biesbroeck,
PA, 47 (1939 Oct.), p. 446; Kaminsky, PASP, 51 (1939 Oct.), pp. 2945; Kaminsky,
MNRAS, 100 (1940 Feb.), p. 327; Kaminsky and [Sonneberg Observatory], VJS, 76
(1941), pp. 334; N. Richter, AN, 277 (1949 Feb.), p. 21; personal correspondence
from B. G. Marsden (1977); personal correspondence from B. G. Marsden (2007);
personal correspondence from M. Meyer (2007).
1939 Albaugh reported that a comet had been discovered on 1939 December 9.06,
at a position of = 21h 20.0m , = 2 05 . The magnitude was estimated
as 7 and the object was said to be moving southeastward. The observation was apparently forwarded by N. T. Bobrovnikoff (Perkins Observatory,
Delaware, Ohio, USA), who included the remark that this was not the globular cluster M2 in Aquarius.
G. van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) searched for
this object on December 12. The search included photographs with the 8-cm
Ross lens, but the only cometary object nearby was C/1939 V1 (Friend). Van
Biesbroeck pointed out that on December 9, comet Friend was located 5
from Albaughs position and was about magnitude 10.
sources: Albaugh and G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 48 (1940 Jan.), pp. 512.
1939 G. Kulin (Konkoly Observatory, Budapest, Hungary) discovered this object

on a plate exposed with a 60-cm reflector on 1940 January 6.97, and esti1939 VIII = 1940a mated the position as = 8h 33m , = +15 14 . He gave the magnitude
as 15.8 and announced it as a new minor planet, which led to the designation of 1940 AB. Additional photographic observations were obtained
on January 11.96, January 12.84, and January 30.84. The moon was full on
January 24.
Kulin took his four positions and calculated a distinctly cometary elliptical
orbit with a perihelion date of 1939 October 3.52 and an orbital period of 5.64
years. His subsequent re-examination of the photographic images revealed
the object appeared less sharp than the surrounding stars, which apparently
confirmed that this was a comet rather than a minor planet.
Unfortunately, news of the possible cometary nature of the object did
not spread rapidly, and it was late March before astronomers in the USA
became aware of it. G. van Biesbroeck (McDonald Observatory, Texas, USA)
exposed a couple of plates on April 1 and 3, using the 208-cm reflector, but
the object was not detected, despite a limiting magnitude of 19. On April 6,
H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) failed to detect it on plates
exposed with the 91-cm Crossley reflector.
Using the orbit computed by Kulin for the 1940 apparition, P. Naur
(1945) applied perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn and integrated the
objects motion forward. He concluded the next date of perihelion would
be 1945 May 27.55. An ephemeris was given for the period 1945 November
171946 March 25, but the object was not expected to be brighter than
593
magnitude 17. Jeffers obtained a long-exposure plate of the predicted position with the Crossley reflector on 1946 January 13, but nothing was found.
A. Doppler (1998) reported that he had successfully linked minor planet
1998 KD53, found just a few months earlier, with minor planet 1988 RZ4.
With the more precise orbit, G. V. Williams (1998) quickly linked this minor
planet to minor planets 1989 WL6 and 1940 AB, the latter of which was
Kulins object. The minor planet was given the permanent number 10258
and Kulins object was proven to be a minor planet.
sources: G. Kulin, IAUC, No. 810 (1940 Feb. 22); G. Kulin, IAUC, No. 811 (1940
Mar. 19); G. Kulin, PASP, 52 (1940 Apr.), p. 152; G. Kulin and G. van Biesbroeck,
PA, 48 (1940 May), pp. 266; H. M. Jeffers, PASP, 52 (1940 Dec.), p. 420; G. Kulin,
VJS, 76 (1941), p. 87; G. Kulin, PASP, 53 (1941 Feb.), pp. 5960; G. Kulin and G.
van Biesbroeck, VJS, 77 (1942), pp. 767; P. Naur, IAUC, No. 1021 (1945 Nov. 26);
H. M. Jeffers, LOB, 19 (1947), p. 183; G. Kulin, MNRAS, 107 (1947), pp. 11011,
113; G. Kulin, B. G. Marsden, A. Doppler, and G. V. Williams, IAUC, No. 7069,
(1998 Dec. 18); A. Doppler and G. V. Williams, MPEC, No. 1998-Y10 (1998 Dec.
18); personal correspondence from G. V. Williams (1999).
1943 S. J. V. Arend (Royal Observatory, Uccle, Belgium) discovered this object on a

photographic plate obtained of C/1942 X1 (WhippleFedtkeTevzadze) on
1943a 1943 March 28.99. It was a 40-minute exposure made using the Zeiss Double
Astrograph. Arend estimated the magnitude as 13 and gave the position as
= 12h 39.9m , = +47 48 , which was next to the tail of C/1942 X1. He
described the object as diffuse, with a central condensation, but displaying
no tail. Arend added that the direction and rate of motion were different
from that of C/1942 X1. The object was not noticed until the beginning of
April. Arends colleagues F. Rigaux and E. J. Delporte photographed the
extrapolated position on April 3 and April 5, respectively, but the object
was not found.
In a letter to the Central Bureau on April 1, Arend noted, the object in
question occupied almost the same position as the comet [C/1942 X1] on
the date of March 28.5.
W. Brunner-Hagger (Zurich,
Switzerland) suggested the object photographed by Arend should not . . . be called a comet. He said photographic plates obtained at his observatory on March 29.88 and 31.00 revealed
a diffuse tail patch about 0.3 across that was located 1.5 from the head
on the first date and 2.7 from the head on the second date. He noted that the
distances indicate the patch left the head on March 28.5, which coincides
with the date given by Arend.
sources: S. J. V. Arend, IAUC, No. 943 (1943 Apr. 1); S. J. V. Arend, IAUC,
No. 944 (1943 Apr. 6); S. J. V. Arend, IAUC, No. 946 (1943 Apr. 16); S. J. V. Arend,
F. Rigaux, and E. J. Delporte, IAUC, No. 947 (1943 May 6); W. Brunner-Hagger
and S. J. V. Arend, IAUC, No. 950 (1943 May 27).
594
1944 D. C. Berry (Dunedin, New Zealand) found this object in the constellation
Volans on 1944 September 13.34 at a position of = 7h 40.0m , = 75 00 .
1944d It was said to be moving at a daily rate of +22m in and +3 12 in . Berry
gave the magnitude as 5 and said the tail was 1 long. Berry confirmed the
discovery on September 16.45, and estimated the position as = 8h 50.0m ,
= 65 00 . The brightness was then estimated as between magnitude 6
and 7. The comets rapid motion was taking it into evening twilight. The
1944 October 1 issue of the New York Times reported the comet was seen
with the naked eye by many soldiers in the Southwest Pacific. Berry was
the director of the comet section of the New Zealand branch of the British
Astronomical Association.
L. E. Cunningham, made rough calculations which indicated a possible
reappearance in the morning sky in the area of Crater, Leo, and Sextans.
Though searches were made, no further observations were reported.
sources: D. C. Berry, HAC, No. 694 (1944 Sep. 20); D. C. Berry, IAUC, No. 995
(1944 Sep. 22); D. C. Berry and L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 696 (1944 Oct. 10);
D. C. Berry and L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 996 (1944 Oct. 16); Science (NewsSupplement), 100 (1944 Oct. 16), p. 10; New York Times (1944 Oct. 1), section 4,
page 11.
Observatory, Argentina) discovered this object on 1946

1946 Cecilio (Cordoba
July 31.96 at a position of = 12h 08.7m , = 2 14 . It was described as dif1946g fuse, without a central condensation, and of magnitude 13. The observation
was confirmed by J. Bobone (National Astronomical Observatory, Cordoba,
Argentina) on August 2.95, when it was described as diffuse, with a central condensation, and a magnitude of 11. Based on the positions and daily
motion it was reported as a recovery of periodic comet du ToitNeujmin
Delporte. It should be noted that several publications said this object was
discovered by V. Manganiello, the director of Cordoba
Observatory, but this

astronomer simply reported the discovery by Cecilio.
Based on a 4-day arc, Bobone computed a parabolic orbit, which was first
published on August 13. This indicated a perihelion date of 1946 October
13.06, a perihelion distance of 3.06 AU, and an inclination of 2.0. He said
the object was definitely not periodic comet du ToitNeujminDelporte.
Finally, on August 26, L. E. Cunningham (Students Observatory, Berkeley, California) reported that Object Cecilio was actually the asteroid 135
Hertha.
sources: V. Manganiello, HAC, No. 760 (1946 Aug. 5); J. Bobone, IAUC, No.
1053 (1946 Aug. 5); J. Bobone, HAC, No. 764 (1946 Aug. 13); Cecilio and J.
Bobone, IAUC, No. 1055 (1946 Aug. 14); P. Naur, IAUC, No. 1056 (1946 Aug.
17); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 767 (1946 Aug. 26); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC,
No. 1058 (1946 Sep. 9); Cecilio, The Observatory, 66 (1946 Oct.), p. 351; J. Bobone,
V. Manganiello, and Cecilio, IAUC, No. 1063 (1946 Oct. 7).
595
1946 E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) discovered

this object on 1946 August 21.82 at a position of = 22h 06.6m , = 14 04 .
1946i The object was described as quite stellar, with a magnitude of 12, and a daily
motion of 37s in and 28 in . It was confirmed by Johnson on September
3.80 and on September 4.90. The magnitude was estimated as 12 on both
dates, though he reported it as diffuse on the former date.
the object on September 7 and gave the magnitude as 13. Johnson obtained
another observation on September 15 and described it as diffuse, with a
magnitude of 12. It then received the temporary cometary designation
of 1946i. Interestingly, although observations continued, no other photographs, including those obtained at Union Observatory, revealed any
diffuseness. The object subsequently received the temporary minor planet
designation 1946 QB. Orbital calculations were published by L. E. Cunningham, C. V. Jackson, and J. Bobone, which all revealed a perihelion date
of 1946 November 30 and a period of about 3.6 years. The minor planet was
recovered by H. M. Jeffers and B. J. Mattson (Lick Observatory, California,
USA) on 1948 January 17.4. It eventually received a permanent minor planet
number of 1568 and was named Aisleen.
sources: E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1058 (1946 Sep. 9); E. L. Johnson and G. van
Biesbroeck, HAC, No. 768 (1946 Sep. 10); E. L. Johnson, IAUC, No. 1060 (1946
Sep. 17); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 772 (1946 Sep. 25); E. L. Johnson, IAUC,
No. 1062 (1946 Sep. 30); L. E. Cunningham and C. V. Jackson, IAUC, No. 1063
(1946 Oct. 7); E. L. Johnson, J. Bobone, C. V. Jackson, and L. E. Cunningham, The
Observatory, 66 (1946 Dec.), p. 398; J. Bobone, HAC, No. 785 (1946 Dec. 10); L. E.
Cunningham, HAC, No. 875 (1948 Jan. 7); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 897 (1948
Apr. 1); H. M. Jeffers and B. J. Mattson, IAUC, No. 1147 (1948 Apr. 7).
1946 D. C. Berry (Dunedin, New Zealand) discovered this object on a photographic plate exposed on 1946 September 2.74 at a position of = 9h 24.4m ,
1946j = 17 40 . It was described as diffuse, with a central condensation, and of
magnitude 11. Berry found additional images on plates exposed on September 3.74 and September 4.74. He described the object as diffuse, with a central
condensation, and gave the magnitude as 10 on the former date and 11 on
the latter.
L. E. Cunningham tried to compute an orbit using the three published
positions, but concluded, The three positions of comet Berry cannot be
represented by any orbit. He added, The large acceleration along the path
can be represented by assuming the comet was close to the earth, but then
the curvature of the apparent path would have been appreciably greater
than observed.
sources: D. C. Berry, HAC, No. 768 (1946 Sep. 10); D. C. Berry, IAUC, No. 1059
(1946 Sep. 10); L. E. Cunningham, HAC, No. 770 (1946 Sep. 19); L. E. Cunningham, IAUC, No. 1065 (1946 Oct. 25).
596
1946 At the end of October 1946, D. Y. Martynov (Engelhardt Observatory, Kazan,

Russia) was examining photographic plates of comet 16P/Brooks 2 obtained
earlier in the month and found two comet-like objects. The first was
located on two plates exposed on October 6.92. The position was given
as = 3h 16.9m , = +13 02 , while the daily motion was 23s in and
+22 in . The object was described as diffuse, without a central condensation, and the magnitude was estimated as 13. The second object was found
on one plate exposed on October 20.92. The position was given as =
3h 24.2m , = +12 13 , but no daily motion was provided. This object
was described as diffuse, without a central condensation, and exhibited a
slight tail. The magnitude was estimated as 12. Bad weather prevented Martynov from trying to recover the objects and he requested verification on
November 1.
On November 5 and 6, H. L. Giclas (Lowell Observatory, Arizona, USA)
used the 33-cm A. Lawrence Lowell Astrograph to search for the objects. Two
photographic plates covering an area of 160 square degrees were exposed.
The first was centered 2 north of 16P/Brooks 2 and possessed a limiting
magnitude of 14, while the second was centered on = +25 and possessed
a limiting magnitude of 16. No cometlike objects were found, although
24 asteroids were located, the faintest being magnitude 14.2. L. Oterma
(Turku University Observatory, Finland) examined a photographic plate
she had exposed for 16P/Brooks 2 on October 4, but did not find anything
unusual.
sources: D. Y. Martynov, IAUC, No. 1067 (1946 Nov. 4); H. L. Giclas, IAUC, No.
1072 (1946 Dec. 11); L. Oterma, IAUC, No. 1076 (1947 Jan. 3).
1947 Jakovin Jr. (Russia) discovered this object on 1947 June 15.91, at a position
of = 16h 17.6m , = 11 50 . He estimated the magnitude as 11, and said
1947e the object was diffuse, with a condensation, but without a tail. The daily
motion was given as 23s in and +6 in .
E. L. Johnson (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) tried to
locate this object on June 18 and 19, but without success. E. G. Reuning (US
Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA) did not detect this object on
search plates exposed for 18-minutes and 30-minutes on June 22. G. van
Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) also failed to detect the
object.
sources: Jakovin Jr., HAC, No. 821 (1947 Jun. 18); Jakovin Jr., IAUC, No. 1095
(1947 Jun. 18); E. G. Reuning, HAC, No. 827 (1947 Jul. 18); E. L. Johnson, IAUC,
No. 1098 (1947 Jul. 22); G. van Biesbroeck and Jakovin, Jr., PA, 55 (1947 Aug.),
p. 378.
1947 During February 1948, J. Dufay (Lyon, France) reported his discovery of a
cometary object found on a single photograph exposed on 1947 September 17.98. The position was determined as = 0h 37.7m , = +43 28 ,
597
thus placing it about 2 to the north of the faint elliptical galaxy NGC 205.
Dufay described the object as diffuse, with a stellar central condensation,
but without a tail. The magnitude was estimated as 14.0. The photograph
had been exposed by J. H. Bigay for 30 minutes with a Schmidt telescope.
Dufay checked the available comet ephemerides, but could not match this
object with any known comet.
sources: J. Dufay and J. Bigay, IAUC, No. 1138 (1948 Feb. 11).
1948 Keuskamp (Hardenberg, Netherlands) discovered this object on 1948 March

7.00, at a position of = 8h 36.3m , = +69 35 . He estimated the mag1948c nitude as 5, and described the object as diffuse, with a condensation, and
a tail greater than 1 long. On March 9.79, H. G. van Bueren (Netherlands)
apparently confirmed the object, though he reported a magnitude of 8 and
said the object was diffuse, without a nucleus or tail. His estimated position
of = 7h 48.6m , = +66 33 , indicated a daily motion of 17m 05s in and
1 05 in .
J. H. Oort (Leiden Observatory, Netherlands) said a 1-hour exposure with
the F5 camera on the night of March 13/14 failed to show any trace of the
comet in the region in which it was expected to be found. He added that
the plate showed stars to magnitude 14.
P. Ahnert (Sonneberg, Germany) said a Sky Patrol plate exposed on 1948
March 5.89 revealed no cometary object brighter than eleventh magnitude
near the suggested place . . .. This was 27 hours prior to the reported discovery.
N. Richter (1948) considered this a case of a comet found around the peak
brightness of an outburst. He noted several examples of comets brightening
several magnitudes in a matter of hours and attributed Ahnerts failure to
locate the comet on a Sky Patrol plate as due to the comet being too faint. He
noted that van Buerens observation indicated the rate at which the comet
was fading and added that comets become more diffuse when they fade
following an outburst. He said that at the time of Oorts search the comet
might have been magnitude 12.5 and very diffuse in which case it would
have been missed.
sources: Keuskamp, Hemel en Dampkring, 46 (1948), p. 136; Keuskamp and N.
Richter, Die Sterne, 24 (1948), pp. 524; Keuskamp, IAUC, No. 1141 (1948 Mar.
13); Keuskamp and H. G. van Bueren, HAC, No. 891 (1948 Mar. 15); Keuskamp
and J. H. Oort, IAUC, No. 1143 (1948 Mar. 20); P. Ahnert, IAUC, No. 1148 (1948
Apr. 24).
1949 The Central Bureau (Copenhagen, Denmark) received a telegram from A.

Schmitt (Alger, now al-Jazair, Algeria) on July 17 announcing a comets tail
or an aurora that was seen on 1949 July 16.83. It was 70 long and was in
the northwestern sky. The sky was overcast in Copenhagen, so the Central
598
Bureau sent out a few requests for confirmation. There were no confirming
replies.
The Central Bureau received a telegram from Schmitt on July 21 that
elaborated on the observation. He said that Madame Schmitt (probably O.
Schmitt-Bancilhon) spotted an intense light beam through the observatory
parks trees. He continued, From a clear viewpoint we saw a beam, like
one coming from a large spotlight, that was rectilinear, flaming, and slightly
sloping over the horizon (the sea) and appearing to come from a point under
the [northwest] horizon and end toward the [north-northeast]. He said the
northwest portion was red, while the north-northeast portion was yellow.
Schmitt noted that the beams width was 1 and the height of its axis
over the horizon was 1. The entire phenomenon had faded from view by
July 16.87. Schmitt wrote, I cannot say whether it was an aurora borealis,
the tail of a comet, or twilight distress caused by volcanic ashes in the upper
atmosphere.
sources: A. Schmitt and Madame Schmitt, IAUC, No. 1221 (1949 Jul. 22).
1950 A. Ali (Nizamiah Observatory, Hyderabad, Deccan, India) said he and M.

Ghouse discovered this object at the edge of a photographic plate exposed
for 15 minutes on 1950 November 8.69. He gave the position as = 0h 46.3m ,
= 1 59 and estimated the magnitude as 8. Ali described the object as
diffuse, with no nucleus. Ali said bad weather and moonlight followed, but
a 15-minute exposure on November 27.60, at the same location of the sky,
revealed a diffuse object near the edge of the plate. The magnitude was
given as 8 and it was again described as diffuse, with no nucleus. He gave
the position as = 0h 20.6m , = +2 26 .
Based on the daily motion from these two plates, Ali obtained another
15-minute exposure on November 29.62 and found a diffuse object of magnitude 10 near the center of the plate. He again noted no nucleus. Ali gave
the position as = 0h 12.5m , = +3 04 . He added that the reality of this
object was very doubtful as no trace of it could be found on a fourth plate
with twice the exposure in the same region taken [the] next day.
Ali said they tried to visually confirm the object using the 15-inch refractor,
but were unsuccessful due to variable sky conditions. He also noted that
the daily motion was not consistent between the three photographs and
wrote, Personally I am inclined to think that we have been rather too
optimistic.
G. van Biesbroeck searched for the object on December 4, but no
moving object corresponding to the above description cound be found.
K. Reinmuth (Konigstuhl
Observatory, Heidelberg, Germany) obtained a

1-hour exposure using the Bruce telescope on December 6.78. The plate
was centered at = 0h 07.3m , = +4 33 , but nothing cometary was
found. G. Merton (1951) wrote, there seems little doubt the images were
spurious.
599

sources: A. Ali, HAC, No. 1109 (1950 Dec. 1); A. Ali and M. Ghouse, IAUC, No.
1293 (1950 Dec. 1); A. Ali, IAUC, No. 1295 (1950 Dec. 12); K. Reinmuth, IAUC,
No. 1296 (1950 Dec. 20); G. van Biesbroeck, PA, 59 (1951 Jan.), p. 47; G. Merton,
MNRAS, 111 (1951), p. 240.
1952 On October 19, L. Kresak (Skalnate Pleso Observatory, Slovakia) reported his
discovery of an object fairly close to 32P/Coma Sola on a photographic plate
exposed on 1952 October 18.10. The position was given as = 10h 21.7m ,
= +20 32 . The magnitude was estimated as 14 and the daily motion was
given as +2m 50s in and 30 in . He added that the object was not verified.
This latter statement prompted the Central Bureau in Copenhagen to only
notify a few observatories. One of these was Harvard College Observatory,
which reported on October 25 that a moving object was indeed found in
the position given by Kresak, but that its appearance was asteroidal. In
November, Kresak wrote that the object differed distinctly from the sharp
trails of the neighboring stars, thus indicating that it might be cometary.
No additional observations were received.
sources: L. Kresak, IAUC, No. 1381 (1952 Nov. 26).
1955 C. J. Renner (Castalia, Ohio, USA) discovered this object on 1955 August
16.20, at a position of = 19h 12.5m , = +67 33 . The magnitude was
1955h estimated as 10, and the daily motion was given as 5.6 towards the southsouthwest. R. A. Rach (Lick Observatory, California, USA) obtained plates
of the region using the 51-cm Carnegie astrograph, but found no trace of a
comet. A delay in receiving the news prevented M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) from looking for the comet until August 24.
During the period August 24.88August 24.92, he searched the area within
2 of the extrapolated position, but found no nebulous object brighter than
magnitude 12.5. He concluded that since other observatories had failed to
confirm the object, Renner might have been fooled by a reflection of the
bright star Draconis.
sources: C. J. Renner, IAUC, No. 1515 (1955 Aug. 20); C. J. Renner, BAAC, No.
368 (1955 Aug. 23); C. J. Renner, HAC, No. 1313 (1955 Aug. 24); C. J. Renner,
BAAC, No. 369 (1955 Oct. 3); C. J. Renner, ATsir, No. 164 (1955 Oct. 20), p. 1; R. A.
Rach, PASP, 67 (1955 Dec.), p. 424; M. Beyer, AN, 284 (1959 Feb. 6), p. 246.
1956 D. Y. Martynov (Engelhardt Observatory, Kazan, Russia) sent a telegram to

the Central Bureau stating that Tcherepashtshuk had discovered a comet
1956d on 1956 March 29. The magnitude was given as 5, while the object was
described as diffuse, with a short tail. Apparently the discoverer saw the
comet again on March 30.75 and gave the position as = 3h 48.0m , =
+23 34 . Correspondence with K. Cernis (2005) revealed that the discoverer
was actually A. M. Cherepashchuk, a 16-year-old amateur astronomer.
600
M. Beyer (Hamburg Observatory, Bergedorf, Germany) looked for the

comet on April 2.8, but found no nebulous object brighter than magnitude 10. Beyer suggested the comet was a reflection of Venus. G. Merton
(Oxford, England) searched with a 3-cm monocular on April 2.9 under
rather poor conditions, but no bright comet was seen. He said other negative reports had also been reported. R. L. Waterfield (Ascot, England) photographed the region on April 2.9, but found no comet within 5 of the
reported position. Merton wrote, The proximity of Venus, which might
give rise to optical ghosts, raises the old doubt as to the reality of the object.
E. Roemer (Lick Observatory, California, USA) reported that a pair of plates
was exposed using the 13-cm Ross lens on April 3, but no comet was found.
sources: A. M. Cherepashchuk, D. Martynov, G. Merton, and R. L. Waterfield,
BAAC, No. 375 (1956 Apr. 3); A. M. Cherepashchuk, HAC, No. 1326 (1956 Apr.
3); D. Martynov and A. M. Cherepashchuk, IAUC, No. 1547 (1956 Apr. 3); G.
Merton, IAUC, No. 1550 (1956 Apr. 16); E. Roemer, PASP, 68 (1956 Jun.), p. 279;
M. Beyer, AN, 284 (1959 Feb. 6), p. 251; personal correspondence from K. Cernis
(2005).
1956 A. Sandford (Gosport, England) reported the discovery of this object with
his 60-mm refractor. He was 13 years old and first saw the object on 1956
December 26.8 at a position of = 9h 30.6m , = +26.3. He estimated the
magnitude as 8 and noted faint multiple tails. He observed the object again
on December 31.8, January 2.8, January 12.8, and January 16.8 before sending
a diagram showing the rough positions to G. Merton. Merton said the times
were assumed.
Searches were conducted by S. Laustsen (Copenhagen Observatory, Denmark) and by astronomers at Toyko Observatory (Japan), but without success. In addition, J. Schubart and C. Hoffmeister (Sonneberg Observatory,
Germany) examined Sky Patrol plates exposed on December 14.15 and January 10.07, but found nothing cometary. Merton wrote early in February,
It has now been established that the comet seen by Sandford was due to
optical ghosts.
sources: A. Sandford and G. Merton, IAUC, No. 1582 (1957 Jan. 19); G. Merton,
IAUC, No. 1583 (1957 Jan. 24); J. Schubart, C. Hoffmeister, S. Laustsen, and G.
Merton, IAUC, No. 1584 (1957 Feb. 5).
1957 W. G. Rijves (Tartu, Estonia) discovered this object on 1957 March 17.77, at
a position of = 9h 23.3m , = +18 01 . He estimated the magnitude as
1957b 10 and said the daily motion was 33s in and 16 in . A few days later,
Rijves reported that the object had not been verified.
sources: W. G. Rijves, IAUC, No. 1591 (1957 Mar. 26); W. G. Rijves, PASP, 69
(1957 Jun.), p. 276; W. G. Rijves, MNRAS, 118 (1958), p. 395.
601
Appendix 2
Periodical and Book Abbreviations
To help keep the Sources listings from overwhelming the text, the
following abbreviations have been used for the primary periodicals and
books consulted while researching Cometography.
A&G
AAP
AcA
AJ
AJSU
AN
APJ
ASSAMN
ATsir
BAAC
BAICz
BAN
BAOBU
BITA
BSAF
BZAN
CAOSP
CCO
CET
CLPL
HAC
HCOB
IAUC
IAUS
ICQ
JASSA
JBAA
JO
KomMe
LIACo
602
Astronomy & Geophysics

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Acta Astronomica
Astronomical Journal
Astronomical Journal of the Soviet Union
Astronomische Nachrichten
Astrophysical Journal
Astronomical Society of South Africa, Monthly Notes
Astronomicheskij Tsirkulyar
British Astronomical Association Circular
Bulletin of the Astronomical Institutes of Czechoslovakia
Bulletin of the Astronomical Institutes of the Netherlands
Bulletin Astronomique de LObservatoire Royal De Belgique, a`
Uccle
Byulleten Instituta Teoreticheskoj Astronomii (Leningrad)
Bulletin de la Societe Astronomique de France
Beobachtungs-Zirkulare der Astronomische Nachrichten
Contributions of the Astronomical Observatory Skalnate Pleso
Catalogue of Cometary Orbits (Cambridge: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory)
Ciel et Terre
Communications of the Lunar & Planetary Laboratory
Harvard Announcement Cards
Harvard College Observatory Bulletin
International Astronomical Union Circulars
International Astronomical Union Symposium
International Comet Quarterly
Journal of the Astronomical Society of South Africa
Journal of the British Astronomical Association
Journal des Observateurs
Komety i Meteory
Proceedings of the Liege International Astrophysical Colloquium
appendix 2: periodical and book abbreviations
LOB
MNASSA
MNRAS
MPC
MPEC
NAZ
PA
PASJ
PIAJ
PYO
QJRAS
RA
SoSyR
ST
SvA
TK
TrITA
TrKaz
UOC
V1964
VJS
603
Lick Observatory Bulletin

Monthly Notices of the Astronomical Society of South Africa
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Minor Planet Circular
Minor Planet Electronic Circular
Nachrichtenblatt der Astronomischen Zentralstelle
Popular Astronomy
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan
Proceedings of the Imperial Academy of Japan
Publications of the Yerkes Observatory
Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society
Ricerche Astronomiche
Solar System Research
Sky & Telescope
Soviet Astronomy
Termeszettudomanyi Kozlony
Institut Teoreticheskoi Astronomii Trudy
Trudy Kazanskaia Gorodkoj Astronomicheskoj Observatorii
Union Observatory Circular
Physical Characteristics of Comets, by Sergey Konstantinovich
Vsekhsvyatskij, Jerusalem: Israel Program for Scientific
Translations (1964).
Vierteljahrsschrift Astronomische Gesellschaft
Person Index
Aalto, Leo 536, 541
Abell, George Ogden 349, 4212, 429,
451, 458, 4678, 470, 558, 562
Achmarof, 94, 98
Adamopoulos, G. 56, 1415, 223, 25,
527, 59, 823, 85, 878, 924, 968,
10911, 267, 272, 31213, 317, 343, 346,
3778, 384, 387, 478, 4801, 484
Adams, Betty 757, 80, 889, 100, 1024,
10911
Ahnert, Paul 379, 41, 43, 66, 74, 112,
151, 156, 159, 163, 166, 234, 2679, 272,
2989, 301, 598
Albaugh, 593
Alcock, George Eric Deacon 424, 426,
430, 485, 488, 4912, 571, 5735
Ali, Akbar 599600
Aller, Lawrence H. 623
Aller, Ramon
M. 23, 25
Ananeva, L. Ya. 6, 934, 21516, 363
Anderson, Claude Matthews, Jr. 34, 12
Andrenko, Leonid 72, 74
Andruszewski, S. 512, 520
Antal, Milan 51920, 537, 541, 560, 562,
571, 5735, 578, 580
Antalova-Visnovcova, A. 5745
Archenhold, G. 37, 43
Archer, S. 565, 568, 5723, 5845, 588
Arend, Sylvain Julien Victor 95, 98,
11213, 115, 121, 163, 165, 17980, 189,
2578, 342, 346, 356, 35961, 37880,
477, 480, 508, 510, 51516, 520, 538,
541, 5845, 588, 594
Armellini, Giuseppe 229, 231
Ashbrook, Joseph 1815, 189, 304, 307,
512, 520
Astalovich 490, 492
Atkinson, Robert dEscourt 31112, 317
Auner, G. 439, 4701
Baade, Wilhelm Heinrich Walter 136,
149, 1723, 349, 451, 457, 459
Babcock, H. W. 119, 121
Bakharev, Anatolij Mikhailovich 17880,
189, 396, 398, 481, 484, 490, 492
Bakulin, P. 578
Balazs, Julia 70, 74
Baldet, Fernand 134, 520, 541, 5678
Baldwin, Joseph Mason 591
Balz, A. G. A., Jr. 472, 509,
520
Banachiewicz, Tadeusz 44, 46
Bappu, Manali Kallat Vainu 325, 326,
32930
604
Barlow, E. W. 94, 98
Barnes, L. S. 13, 126, 133
Barteneva, O. N. 1089, 121, 18990,
254, 294, 3245, 4445
Barthelman, C. H. 13
Bartlett, Thomas Jefferson 8790, 978,
1034, 313, 317
Baturin, A. P. 104
Baum, W. A. 551, 552
Beart, W. E. 216, 219, 226, 228, 252, 254,
272, 274, 339, 341, 3667, 443, 445,
4612, 471, 473
Becvar, Antonn 162, 165, 24950, 368,
371
Behrens, Johann Gerhard 149
Beljawsky, Sergei Ivanovich 21, 25, 84,
878, 94
Belorizky, David 423
Belous, L. M. 50, 978, 176, 201, 319,
32930, 352, 4389
Belyaev, Nikolaj Alekseevich 2089
Bergen, Catherine 34
Bernasconi, Giovanni 151, 1556, 162,
165, 298, 301
Berry, Douglas C. 237, 240, 2489,
31314, 317, 5956
Bertaud, Charles 134, 520, 541, 5678,
584
Bester, Michiel Johanvii, 2278, 240,
244, 246, 249, 2512, 265, 272, 280, 302,
304, 3089, 31819, 5701
Beyer, Maxvii, 24, 225, 3541, 434,
5261, 63, 667, 6975, 7880, 858,
912, 948, 11618, 121, 1245, 1323,
1478, 1506, 1634, 166, 17787, 190,
2034, 2324, 2378, 2407, 2501,
25964, 26771, 283, 285, 28794,
298301, 3057, 31519, 3223,
32530, 3324, 3424, 346, 35361,
36971, 3778, 3847, 393402, 4056,
41016, 4227, 42932, 4367, 4413,
44650, 4525, 457, 4768, 480, 4824,
4869, 4919, 50918, 520, 5379, 541,
6001
Bielicki, Maciej 910, 85, 88
Bigay, Joseph Henri 598
Blaauw, Adriaan 2789, 281
Bobone, Jorge 424, 47, 49, 735, 11213,
119, 121, 128, 1323, 138, 140, 150,
1556, 1645, 1756, 2034, 20811,
21516, 21820, 225, 234, 2434, 249,
277, 281, 3069, 3245, 3456, 3768,
395, 4014, 432, 5078, 550,
5956
person index
Bobrovnikoff, Nicholas Theodore
11718, 1201, 1313, 1524, 156,
1635, 1889, 593
Bochnicek, V. 499, 51920, 5401
Boeva, N. F. 159
Bohrmann, Alfred 456, 66, 74
Bok, Bart Jan 325, 330
Bokhan, Nadezhda Antonovna 15, 80,
1345, 261, 355, 421, 535
Borngen,
Freimut 531
Bouigue, Roger 511, 520
Bourgeois, Paul E. 34, 43, 102, 311, 317
Bouska, Jir 234, 47780, 520, 588
Boyd, Constance D. 1, 4
Boyer, Louis 523, 59, 91, 93, 193,
22431, 2338, 2404, 2506, 2624,
267, 272, 2835, 2878, 2934, 3012,
3047, 30911, 31519, 321, 3256, 328,
3304, 3424, 3479, 3601, 3746,
378, 3801, 3834, 387, 4056, 435, 437,
54951, 566, 568
Brady, Joseph L. 359, 361, 3701, 41819
Brandt, R. 678, 701, 735
Breson, Elias 712, 74
Brito, A. 312, 317
Broglia, P. 511, 520
Brown, Kurt G. 536, 541
Brown, Peter Lancaster 314, 317
Brown, W. 358
Brunner-Hagger, W. 1889, 594
Bruwer, Jacobus Albertus 3915, 4024,
4201, 427, 430, 435, 437, 4423, 471,
473, 4902, 5001, 504, 5068, 5212,
5401, 5668, 5745
Buchar, Emil 3941, 43, 67, 70, 73, 75, 94,
978, 17885, 187, 189, 284
Buchinger, F. 4889
Bunton, G. W. 118, 121
Burnham, Robert, Jr. vii, 5434, 548, 550,
554, 558, 5623, 5745, 580, 5823, 588
Burton, Harry Edward 1, 2, 4, 117, 121,
1625, 174, 176, 178, 189
Bussolini 277, 281
Calway, W. H. F. 3623, 438, 5689
Campa, Maria 359, 41, 436, 546,
5960, 63, 656, 712, 75, 856, 88, 95,
98, 117, 121, 1313, 1625
Candy, Michael Philip 21314, 363, 434,
471, 473, 5078, 51920, 5401, 544,
5478, 5578, 566, 568, 5735
Caprioli, G. 51315, 520
Carr, H. J. 41516
Carrasco, Rafael 1, 4, 1415, 589
Cartwright, C., Jr. 536, 541
Catala, A. 42930
Cecilio 128, 133, 595
Ceplecha, Zdenek 537, 541
605
Cernis, Kazimieras 601

Chaisson, L. J. 21113
Chamberlin, A. B. 337
Chang, Yu-Che 1323
Chavira, Enrique 462, 466
Cherbak, Peter 536, 541
Cherepashchuk, Anatolii Mikhailovich
6001
Chernetenko, Yuliya Andreevna 15, 80,
100, 1345, 21819, 261, 355, 3678,
421, 5356, 5534
Chernitso, A. M. 104
Chernov, V. 11618, 121
Chis, Gheorghe 579
Chodas, Paul Winchester 5078
Chofardet, P. 14, 223, 25, 3541, 43, 57,
5960, 63, 667, 69, 71, 75, 88
Christison, C. M. 577
Churms, Joseph 4334
Chute, Margaret 536, 541
Clark, Guy W. 278, 281
Clark, W. A. 424, 430
Classen, J. 67, 6970, 74
Connelley, Mary 356, 359
Coster, Graham 276
Cripps, Frederick Richard 68, 1617,
49, 51, 82, 84, 1002, 107, 16972, 197,
199, 2001, 226, 22831, 2346, 2456,
2956, 3356, 3512, 407, 4378, 489,
492, 541, 564
Crommelin, Andrew Claude de la
Cherois 36, 8, 10, 13, 15, 625, 77,
801, 83, 90, 1046, 1335, 226, 228,
259, 2967, 368, 371, 4324, 437, 5078,
589, 591
Cunningham, Leland Erskin 1, 34,
1012, 17, 20, 267, 29, 324, 426,
4852, 579, 625, 734, 76, 804, 878,
1034, 109, 111, 11315, 1201, 1256,
1323, 140, 150, 1923, 231, 2346,
23940, 2434, 246, 24950, 252, 254,
256, 258, 2634, 2712, 2756, 281,
2846, 294, 2967, 301, 3034, 30611,
31617, 32021, 32325, 32939, 341,
3446, 34952, 355, 3589, 3617,
36970, 37281, 383, 38793, 395,
3978, 401, 4034, 407, 41821, 429,
4312, 435, 440, 4423, 445, 451, 4567,
45960, 466, 46871, 47980, 484,
48890, 492, 558, 5956
Daimaca, Victor 193, 195, 2024
Daro, Simone 222, 225
Dartayet, Martin 119, 121, 128, 133, 138,
1645, 395
Davidson, Martin 3, 4, 1213, 247,
424, 578, 734, 978, 1556, 158,
1889, 225
person index
Davis, Dorothy N. 38, 434, 46, 95, 98
Dawson, Bernhard H. 402, 44, 81, 83,
868, 934, 11213
de Jekhowsky, Benjamin 1889
de Kock, Reginald Purdon 1267, 133,
202, 204, 2789, 282
de Roy, Felix 912, 94
de Their, H. 512, 520, 537, 541
Delo, E. R. 577
Delporte, Eug`ene Joseph 2, 4, 10, 12,
456, 60, 63, 85, 88, 102, 104, 109, 111,
1567, 159, 163, 165, 378, 594
Delsemme, Armand H. 511, 520
Delsemme, D. 511, 520
Dengel, J. 457, 4701
Deutsch, Alexander Nikolaevich 88,
945, 98
Dezso,
L. 39, 43
Dick, Julius 35, 43, 50, 85, 8890, 50911,
520
Dieckvoss, Wilhelm 512, 5761, 635,
689, 746, 78, 80, 8891, 94
Dinwoodie, Cameron 8384, 1056, 195,
197, 21416, 2301, 2556, 259, 261,
2734, 3356, 34950, 3913, 41819,
4334, 4489, 451, 4745, 5212,
5512, 564, 568
Dolderer 7980
Dommanget, Jean 51315, 520, 5378,
541
Doppler, A. 594
Dossin, Francois 584, 588
Doyle, J. C. 536, 541
Driggers, F. E. 1223
du Toit, Danielvii, 1567, 159, 162, 165,
207, 209, 21314, 21922
Dubiago, Alexander D. 223, 25, 38, 44,
4953, 5961, 63, 1012, 1756, 1889,
2001, 2346, 334, 351, 395, 408, 484
Duborg, H. 76
Dufay, Jean 5978
Dziurla, M. 85, 88, 94, 98
Ebell, Carl Wilhelm Ludwig Martin 70,
72, 74
Eberlein, K. 51415
Edmondson, Frank K. 834
Egerton, P. 38990
Einarsson, Sturla 49, 51
Elias, Demetrius P. 47880, 486, 489, 510,
51214, 516, 520, 5379, 541, 5745
Ellsworth, J. 68, 74
Elvey, C. T. 11921
Emelyanenko,Vacheslav V. 1056,
2089
Ensor, George Edmund 412, 44
Estremadoyro, V. A. 279, 282
Etchecopar, Carlos A. 247, 249
606
Evdokimov, I. Yu. 1012, 2356, 408

Evdokimov, Y. V. 8, 1012, 107, 130, 236,
408, 564, 5678
Everhart, Edgar 1556, 1656, 301, 317,
330, 3778, 398, 480, 550, 5578, 582
Farnsworth, Alice H. 1534, 156, 1623,
165
Febrer, J. 58, 623, 74
Fedtke, Carl 223, 25, 3741, 43, 536,
58, 601, 63, 6574, 7880, 164, 166,
177, 1867, 189, 202, 204
Fehrenbach, Charles 518, 520, 5345
Fell, P. E. 11011
Fernandez, Y. R. 337
Finsler, P. 78, 63, 65, 74, 139, 150, 202,
5434
Fischer, Harald 69, 74, 2034
Flammarion, Gabrielle Camille 856, 88,
95, 98, 102, 104
Fogelquist, Rune 51213, 520
Font 42930
Forbes, Alexander Forbes Irvine 412,
44, 824, 151, 155
Forbes, J. E. 4012, 502, 504
Forti, Giuseppe 1920, 2930, 489,
8990, 159, 161, 1967, 214, 274, 307,
3345, 3389, 3756, 419, 4501, 457,
468, 4723, 580
Foxell, J. T. 1517, 14950, 197, 199, 261,
335, 5446
Franklin, Kenneth 319
Franz, Julius 22, 25, 367, 43, 6671, 74,
131
Fresa, Alfonso 59, 63, 85, 88, 102, 104,
1224, 126, 1323, 143, 1502, 155,
1579, 162, 165, 168, 5923
Friend, Clarence L. 94, 98, 109, 111, 123,
1256, 130, 133, 2201
Fry 109, 111
Fulcher, D. J. 31415, 317
Gadomski, J.3940, 43, 67, 714, 946, 98
Gale, Walter Frederick 814, 591
Galibina, I. V. 3245
Gaviola, Enrique 221
Gayfer, W. T. 39, 43, 7980
Gehrels, T. 500, 504
Ghouse, Mohamed 599600
Gialanella, G. 51315, 520
Gialanella, L. 868, 92, 94, 1623, 165,
178, 180, 189
Gibson, James B. 529, 533, 5723, 575,
5778, 580, 583, 588
Giclas, Henry Lee vii, 356, 447, 49, 85,
88, 143, 150, 157, 159, 162, 165, 16872,
174, 1768, 190, 21421, 22338,
2402, 2446, 24854, 2578, 2602,
person index
2645, 272, 2789, 2815, 287, 294,
299301, 305, 3079, 31214, 317,
3201, 3334, 356, 359, 3946, 398, 511,
520, 537, 541, 5434, 5545, 5578, 571,
573, 583, 588, 597
Gill, J. R. 1534, 156
Gilson, E. 585, 588
Ginori, N. V. 1827, 189
Gleissberg, W. 115, 121
Gliese, W. 13942, 150, 17987, 189
Goedicke, Victor 131
Goodchild, T. A. 363, 365, 4078, 504
Goryajnova, N. Yu. 2089
Gossner, Joseph L. 2201, 3945, 4056,
548, 550
Gottlieb, K. 278, 2812, 51112, 520
Gotz,
W. 523, 524, 526, 533, 548, 5501
Gow, John Graham 511, 520
Grabner, H. 398
Graff, Kasimir 21, 25, 356, 3840, 434,
656, 68, 74
Gramatzki, Hugh John 163, 166
Grandon,
R. 1279, 133
Green, Daniel W. E. 474
Green, Warren Kimball 35, 43
Greenstein, Jesse Leonard 138, 150
Gregor, E. 1856, 189
Grosch, Herbert Reuben John 423, 46,
489, 578, 878, 111, 113, 1589
Grygar, Jiri 541
Guigay, G. 2812
Guntzel-Lingner,
Ulrich 537, 541

Gurtler,
J. 70, 75
Guth, Vladimr 46, 978, 232, 234, 294
Guthe, Karl Frederick 11213, 1246
Gutierrez, Adelina 510, 520, 539, 541
Haidrich, K. 712, 74
Hall, Claude H., Jr. 49, 51
Hamid, Salah El-Din 326, 32930
Hare, Clive C. 536, 541
Haro, Guillermo 462, 466
Harrington, Robert G. 3367, 349, 376,
378, 380, 382, 388, 390, 398, 401,
41719, 440, 458, 4678, 558, 562
Harris, P. J. 17, 20, 635, 99100, 108,
432, 434
Hartl, Herbert 462
Hartley 214
Hartwig, Georg 668, 712, 74
Harwood, Margaret 49, 51
Hasegawa, Ichiro 361, 38990, 406,
4478, 468, 47980, 48892, 5034,
51920, 544, 5478, 550, 564,
5678
Haser, Leo 518, 520, 5345
Hassel, Olaf 94, 98
Helin, Eleanor Francis 337
607
Henderson, W. P. 8, 10, 635, 99100,

108, 1601, 1723, 195, 197, 199201,
2045, 216, 219, 226, 228, 252, 254, 272,
274, 349
Hendrie, Michael J. 4246, 430
Henyey, L. G. 80
Herbig, George Howard 118, 121, 144,
14950, 1913, 1969, 202, 20411,
21516
Herget, Paul 423, 878, 14950, 1923,
207, 286, 3489, 371, 4089, 41516,
4602, 533, 5612
Herrera, Lauro 312, 317
Herrick, Samuel 44, 46, 489
Higami, T. 435, 437
Higasi, T. 298, 301
Hill (Miss) 489
Hill, Betty 276
Himpel, K. 368, 401, 43, 547, 59,
668, 70, 723, 75, 17889
Hinderer, F. 978
Hirose, Hidewo 1617, 46, 501, 85,
878, 97, 99100, 1223, 1389, 150,
1601, 201, 267, 2756, 3336, 3589,
36871, 383, 387, 489, 4912
Hirst, W. P. 2434, 2812, 31619, 3245,
3312
Hoeg, Erik 537, 5401
Hoffman, Frederick W. 1034, 1201
Hoffmeister, Cuno 13942, 150, 162, 165,
2067, 2689, 272, 2989, 301, 551,
5701, 590, 601
Hogg, A. R. 312, 317
Hollander, Frederick 131
Honda, Minoruvii, 1224, 2746, 298,
301, 319, 321, 404, 406, 446, 448, 485,
488
Hooke, F. H. 229, 231
Hopmann, Josef 6673, 75, 512, 520
Houghton, Henden Egerton 412, 44
Houston, Walter Scott 511, 520
Howarth, Mark 151, 1556
Hruska, A. 480
Hubble, Edwin Powell 756
Hunaerts, J. 95, 98, 102, 1201
Hunt, M. R. 1645
Hunter, Alan 356, 359
Hurnik, K. 223, 225, 22931, 512, 520
Hurukawa, Kiichiro 21314, 2756,
3823, 406, 432
Hutchings, J. W. 413
Huth, Hans 548, 550, 571, 573
Iannini, Gualberto Mario 165
Idelson, Naum I. 13, 15, 1323
Imnadze, M. P. 286, 4612
Inglis, Stuart J. 248, 265, 272
Innes, Robert 451, 457
person index
Irwin, J. H. B. 11011, 1223
Itzigsohn, Miguel 247, 4034, 4423,
566, 568
Jacchia, Luigi Giuseppe 512, 520
Jackisch, G. 5234, 533
Jackson, Cyril V. 257, 479, 138, 150,
281, 304, 3069, 312, 317, 58990,
596
Jackson, John 126, 133, 165, 2034,
20811, 21314, 2767, 282
Jackson, P. 537, 541
Jakovin, Jr. 597
Jancik, T. 368, 371
Jeffers, Hamilton Moore vii, 14, 723,
25, 2734, 439, 52, 546, 5863, 656,
747, 80, 835, 8791, 936, 98106,
10811, 116, 1213, 1323, 139, 141,
1458, 1501, 15661, 190, 193, 21011,
217, 21921, 22336, 23846, 24857,
259, 2615, 2714, 2801, 2836, 290,
2936, 3027, 31011, 31523, 325,
32932, 3356, 3402, 34653, 355, 361,
3647, 36976, 378, 380, 383, 387,
3978, 4034, 4079, 41619, 4312,
437, 4445, 44751, 4567, 4612,
4646, 46970, 4723, 476, 47981, 484,
4889, 4913, 497, 5004, 51617, 520,
5229, 5335, 5403, 546, 549, 551,
5534, 55860, 5625, 568, 575, 577,
5934, 596
Jeffrey, A. 312, 317
Jehoulet, Nien D. 435, 437
Johnson, Ernest Leonard 56, 201, 25,
30, 33, 824, 88, 934, 1056, 150,
2278, 2301, 237, 2402, 2447, 249,
2512, 2657, 272, 2756, 280, 282,
3024, 3079, 312, 314, 31722, 3245,
3304, 3401, 344, 346, 3489, 3545,
3628, 371, 376, 378, 41819, 524, 533,
5967
Johnson, W. A. 26, 65, 74
Jones, Albert Francis Arthur Lofleyvii,
21719, 2367, 240, 2459, 2657, 272,
27780, 282, 302, 304, 31215, 317,
3545, 3668, 3913, 4024, 414, 416,
4201, 4278, 4302
Jose, Paul D. 2789, 281
Julian, W. H. 3667, 3723, 38990, 435,
437, 5056
Junkes, Joseph 177, 179, 181, 189
Jurlof, 94, 98
Kaho, Sigeru 44, 46, 508, 520
Kahrstedt, Albrecht 878, 2034
Kaiser, Friedrich 14, 1112, 21, 235,
289, 34, 36, 43, 54, 56, 58, 61, 63, 668,
74, 7980, 136, 149
608
Kalandadze, N. B. 3334
Kamensky, M. 172
Kamesima, ? 40, 43
Kamienski, Micha 89, 10, 95, 98, 1723,
34950, 5512
Kaminsky 5913
Kan, S. U. 37980, 5689
Kanda, Shigeru 1617, 269, 501, 161,
16970, 1723, 3356, 37980, 3823,
387, 42930, 432, 434, 438, 4612, 485,
488, 536
Karpov, Boris George 116, 121, 124, 126,
163, 165
Kasakov, S. 489, 492
Kastel, G. R. 421, 535
Kaster, Katherine Prescott 978, 1034
Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, Elene
Ivanovna 910, 1723, 176, 307, 350,
4723, 552
Keenan, Philip C. 1011, 26
Kellaway, G. F. 623, 745, 189, 2002,
204, 381, 383, 590
Kepinski, Felicjan 99100, 216, 21819,
3668
Keuskamp, 598
Khanina, F. B. 1089, 254, 4445
Kharadze, E. K. 174, 1767, 179, 189,
4001
Kiladze, R. I. 4902
King, I. 2201
Kinoshita, Kazuo 12, 824, 8990,
14950, 176, 1923, 209, 21213,
3078, 3312, 3389, 34850, 3612,
37980, 390, 415, 4601, 4723, 5068,
533, 5478, 552, 5614, 56970, 580
Kinsey, E. Lee 49, 51
Klemola, A. R. 5345
Klemola, I. 166
Klevetskij, V. N. 745
Knappe, F. 36, 43
Knochel,
H. 67, 74
Kobold, Hermann Albert 49, 489, 492
Kochlashvili, T. A. 3334
Koebcke, F. 423, 60, 623, 878, 223,
225, 512, 520
Kondrateva, E. D. 5078
Konopleva, Valentina Petrovna 384, 387
Kordylewski, Jerzy 3823, 537, 541, 544,
546
Kosai, H. 333, 367
Kotsakis, Dimitris 1415, 356, 43, 545,
59
Kovalevsky, Jean 51920
Kowal, Charles T. 21113
Kozawa 590
Koziel, K. 123
Kozik, Stefan 44, 46, 84, 878, 94, 98
Krassowski, Jan 49, 51
person index
Kraus, J. D. 520
Kresak, Lubor 368, 3701, 3745,
38890, 3935, 4026, 410, 415, 422,
42932, 4413, 445, 4478, 476,
47982, 484, 51920, 57375, 600
Kresakova, Margita 476, 480
Krienke, Karl 481, 484
Krolikowska,
M. 3823, 546
Kron, Gerald E. 489
Kronk, Gary Wayne 439, 467, 474
Krumm, H. E. 276, 281
Krumpholz, Hans 24, 213, 25, 35,
3740, 44, 523, 5960, 63, 668, 70,
724, 856, 88, 912, 946, 98, 10911,
11518, 121, 1256, 131, 133, 1516,
1589, 1625, 168, 174, 176, 17883,
1858, 190, 1967, 229, 231, 241, 244,
305, 307
Kulikovkii, Petr Grigorevich 11516,
121, 1756, 183, 185, 189
Kulin, Gyorgy
6972, 74, 162, 165, 5934

Kumon, T. 3940, 43
Kuragano, Sukehiro 536, 541
Kvzova, Jana 5767, 585, 588
Kwiek, A. 7980
Lacchini, Giovanni Battista 34, 43, 86,
88, 95, 98, 151, 155, 1815, 189
Landgraf, Werner 623, 111, 5078
Lange, G. A. 17980, 189
Larink, Johannes 245
Latyshev, I. N. 5434
Lause, F. 1356, 149
Laustsen, Svend 476, 480, 5367, 5401,
601
Lavdovsky, V. V. 84, 88
Leclaire, Roger C. 2201, 267, 272, 342,
346
Lehtinen, J. 1667
Lenouvel, Francois 511, 520
Leutenegger, E. 4989, 5434
Levin, A. E.1517, 90, 934, 197, 199, 335
Levine, R. 536, 541
Li, C. C. 1323
Liebermann, K. 60, 63, 70, 72, 74, 136,
149
Liller, W. 21113, 385, 387, 486, 489,
51820, 535, 5401, 586, 588
Lindgren, J. 34
Lis, Wladyslaw 44, 46
Lisse, C. M. 337
Liu 1323
Loehde, Franklin 51213, 520, 536, 541
Long, A. W. 412, 44
Loreta, Guiseppe Eppe 3641, 436,
546, 58, 601, 63, 668, 70, 72, 74,
7980, 1301, 1857, 189
Lourens, Jan van Breda 312, 317
609
Lower, Harold A. 71
Lubeck,
K. 51415
Luchich, S. Y. 15, 80, 1345, 261, 355,
421, 535
Luss, Rudolph 352, 355, 4201, 4334,
5045
Lyons, U. S. 535, 5960, 68, 75, 86, 88,
956, 98, 10911, 11518, 121, 1303,
1513, 1557, 159
Macfarlane, Lewis 481, 484
Mdlow,Edgar 202, 204, 232
Makarov, N. 1712
Makover, Samuel Gdalevich 80, 1345,
261, 355, 4201, 5345
Malsch, Wolfgang 60, 668, 71, 74,
2601, 4256, 430, 446, 448, 4778,
4802, 484, 486, 489, 51011, 51316,
520, 5845, 588
Mamedov, M. A. 1201, 4423
Manganiello, V. 595
Marinkovic, M. 480
Marsden, Brian G. 6, 1213, 1517,
1920, 2930, 334, 4851, 589, 645,
745, 80, 824, 8990, 934, 1012,
1049, 11315, 121, 123, 1325, 1556,
159, 161, 1657, 1702, 18990, 1923,
1967, 199, 201, 2037, 21016, 2212,
2258, 2346, 2434, 246, 249, 252, 254,
256, 2589, 261, 2712, 274, 2812, 286,
294, 2967, 301, 3034, 307, 30911,
317, 3201, 3245, 3302, 3349, 341,
3456, 3489, 352, 355, 359, 361, 3635,
371, 373, 37580, 3823, 387, 38993,
398, 404, 406, 408, 41719, 421, 42930,
432, 434, 4368, 440, 4445, 4501,
4567, 4602, 4668, 470, 4726, 480,
4889, 492, 499, 5058, 519, 5212,
5356, 5424, 5468, 5501, 5578,
5612, 56971, 5735, 577, 5802,
5868, 5924
Marshall, Roy Kenneth 1645
Martynov, Dmitrij Yakovlevich 1756,
180, 1826, 189, 2001, 21416, 3324,
3868, 3903, 481, 484, 597, 6001
Masters, J. G. 216, 219, 3667
Mathews, R. B. 235, 254
Matkiewicz, L. 13, 15, 77, 80, 135, 259,
261
Matsukov, K. P. 577
Mattson, Beverly J. 255, 263, 2712, 285,
296, 298, 301, 304, 309, 311, 596
Mattson, Owen 536, 541
Mattson, Russell 536, 541
Maxwell, Allan Douglas 1213, 247,
33, 423, 46, 489, 578, 623, 734, 76,
878, 98, 1034, 111, 113, 1203, 1256,
1323, 258, 2634, 2712, 284, 294,
person index
Maxwell, Allan Douglas (cont.)
3067, 31011, 31617, 32930,
3334
Mayall, Nicholas Ulrich 90, 14850,
1589
McBain, F. M. 11315, 255
McClure, Alan 513, 520, 584, 588
McFadden, L. A. 337
McGann, Frank 311, 317
McIntosh, Ronald A. 12831, 133
McKellar, Andrew 1201
McLaughlin, Dean B. 518, 520,
5401
McLeish, David 21516, 297, 3089,
4034, 5078
McLeod, Noah W. 6872, 74
McMullin, Delia F. 192
McNeile, J. D. 8, 10, 17, 20
Meisel, David D. 511, 520, 5723
Menager,Leon 31112
Mergentaler, Jan 117, 121
Merton, Gerald 8, 10, 1617, 201, 225,
239, 2512, 259, 261, 2712, 2856, 305,
31517, 3201, 335, 3512, 3556, 359,
384, 387, 393, 395, 40910, 415, 424,
430, 4345, 437, 4423, 4567, 4612,
466, 476, 47980, 4989, 51920, 552,
599601
Merzlyakova, M. A. 307, 4723
Meyer, Ernst Joachim 6971, 74
Meyer, Maik 157, 159, 232, 234, 3923,
439, 474, 5923
Meyermann, Bruno 2, 4, 202, 204
Michie, C. B. 129
Michiels, L. 385, 387
Michkovitch, Vojislav V. 84, 88, 95, 98
Miczaika, G. R. 367, 43, 70, 72, 74
Mielke, H. 446, 448
Mikesell, Alfred H. 66, 75, 232, 234
Mikkola, S. 1667
Miller, F. D. 42830, 486, 489, 515, 520
Minkowski, Rudolph Leo Bernhard 341,
346
Mitani, Tetsuyasu 393402, 4046, 411,
413, 41516, 4257, 4302, 435, 437,
441, 443, 4458, 477, 4801, 4846, 489,
4912
Model, Artur 164, 17787, 189
Moller,
Jens P. 245, 423, 46, 65, 736,

878, 978, 1034, 113, 1201, 1556,
1623, 165, 1889, 2035
Mora, A. 473
Moreno, H. 538, 541
Morkowska, B. 571, 573
Mowbray, Albert G. 222, 422, 440, 499,
5034
Mrkos, Antonnvii, 2501, 2827, 2934,
31921, 33536, 3389, 3512, 393,
610
395, 402, 4046, 476, 480, 490, 4923,

4979, 5078, 5367, 541, 578, 580, 582
Mrkosova, Ludmilla 499, 508, 51920
Muller,
K. 289, 59
Mundler,
Max 12, 4
Muraoka, Kenji 834, 38990, 4601
Musen, Peter 41516
Nabokov, Mikhail Evgenevich 1805,
189
Nagtegaal, Gerrit P. 190, 192
Nakano, Syuichi 1213, 645, 824,
8990, 1047, 11415, 14950, 1923,
209, 21214, 227, 256, 2978, 3078,
3312, 3389, 34850, 3615, 373,
37980, 3823, 38990, 3923, 419,
439, 4445, 4501, 4601, 4723,
4756, 491, 5057, 5212, 533, 5468,
5524, 5614, 56970, 577, 580
Naur, Peter 159, 1945, 2034, 207, 225,
284, 294, 3089, 319, 593, 594
Neckel, H. 423, 429
Neujmin, Grigory Nikolaevich 35, 434,
467, 49, 95, 98, 136, 139, 14950, 156,
159, 1746
Neven, L. 163, 165
Newburn, Ray L. 449, 451, 463, 466
Newkirk, Gordon Allen, Jr. 326, 330
Nicholson, Seth Barnes 2967, 4201
Niemi, A. 21213
Nikoloff, Ivan 46, 222, 225, 229, 231
Nogacevsky, L. 490, 492
Nomura, T. 457
Notni, Peter 51314, 520
OConnell, D. J. K. 119, 121
Ohman,
Yngve 978, 1201
Okabayasi, Shigeki 94, 98, 1223
Oleak, Hans 51314, 520
Oort, Jan Hendrik 598
Orchitson, W. 133
Oriano, (G.Oriano???) 102, 104
Orkisz, Lucien 59, 63, 7980
Orloff, B. 734
Orlov, S. 5912
Orlow, S. 98
Ortiz, J. L. 473
Osterbrock, Donald E. 5212
Oterma, Liisi 8990, 106, 1256, 143,
150, 1669, 173, 1756, 18890, 1923,
195, 197, 207, 3389, 51920, 578, 580,
597
Page, T. 2789, 2812
Pajdusakova, Ludmilla 231, 234, 2501,
2867, 294, 319, 321, 356, 359, 430, 432,
477, 480, 4989, 5078
Pallot, Harold 2767
person index
Pallot, Shirley 276
Panofsky, Hans Arnold A. 8790, 1034,
11011, 1223
Panther, Roy W. 4245, 430
Paraskevopoulos, John Stefanos 11213,
127, 133, 213, 27682, 31112, 317
Parenago, Pavel Petrovich 35, 36, 40, 44,
72, 75
Parks, 313, 317
Paroubek, A. 430, 432
Pauscher, H. 50911, 520
Peisino, Giovanni 40, 43, 74, 86, 88, 95,
98
Pels, Gerrit 1556, 21920, 2256, 239
Peltier, Leslie Copusvii, 12, 4, 34, 434,
59, 63, 84, 878, 1935, 202, 204, 217,
21921, 396, 398, 441, 443
Petersen, Erik V. 476, 480, 4857, 489,
4967
Pickering, William Henry 368, 371
Piotrowski, Stefan L. 5960, 63
Plakidis, Stavros 35, 36, 43, 223, 225
Platzeck, Ricardo P. 1645
Plaut, Lukas 459
Pochintesta, Alberto 128, 133
Pohl, Eckhard 41314, 416, 4256, 430
Pollock, Kennet 14950, 21416
Pope, J. D. 312, 317
Popovici, Calin 7980, 1935, 2034
Popper, Daniel Magnes 323, 43, 1645
Porter, John Guy 81, 83, 90, 934, 21416,
3623, 38990, 492, 5078, 551, 588
Potter, Beryl H. 509, 520
Pretre, P. 3456, 401
Protitch, Milorad B. 95, 98, 102, 104, 118,
121, 1256, 1889, 225, 282, 2845, 513,
520
Przybyllok, Erich 345, 38, 401, 43,
545, 5961, 63
Przybylski, Antoni 767, 878, 978,
21011, 359, 361, 37780, 3823,
51112, 520, 544, 547, 5689
Puch, A. P. 395, 4014
Purgathofer, Alois 481, 484, 4989,
5079, 512, 520, 5745
Quenisset, F. 44, 46, 68, 74, 7980, 856,
88, 95, 98, 102, 104
Questiaux, M. 537, 541
Quirk, Mary H. 1201
Rabe, Eugene Karl 1034, 111, 1556,
1589, 1889, 263, 41617, 45960
Rach, Robert A. 485, 4889, 600
Ramensky, P. 226, 228
Rasmusen, Hans Quade 1720, 245,
11314, 1601, 170, 172, 192, 2724,
3725, 493, 497
611
Raudsaar, Hugo K. 297, 537, 541

Rausal, K. 51214, 520
Raynsford, G. M. 1301, 133
Recht, Albert William 26, 197, 199, 313,
317, 339, 341
Reese, Elmer J. 123, 1256
Reilly, Edith Frances 2201
Reinmuth, Karl 262, 264, 287, 294,
599600
Renner, C. J. 3945, 536, 541, 600
Reuning, Ernest Gunther 232, 234,
2412, 244, 2578, 287, 294, 305, 307,
332, 334, 597
Reznikov, E. A. 6, 934, 21516, 363
Ribot, S. 58, 623
Richardson, Robert S. 117, 121
Richter, G. 54950
Richter, N. 667, 734, 1402, 1502, 156,
2712, 5234, 533, 5923, 598
Rigamonti 4423
Rigaux, Fernand 47, 49, 60, 63, 945, 98,
109, 111, 223, 225, 262, 264, 35961,
37981, 383, 594
Riggs, Barbara Pease 45, 47
Riggs, Philip Shaefer 12, 35, 43
Rigollet, Roger 912, 946, 98, 102,
104
Rijves, W. G. 601
Rivera, Luis 312, 317
Roberts, Walter O. 536, 541
Rocher, Patrick 1213, 82, 84, 8990,
11415, 176, 256, 3078, 3389, 3489,
37980, 38990, 4723, 4756, 5612,
56970, 577, 580
Roemer, Elizabethvii, 375, 38990,
3979, 4019, 41112, 41519, 422,
4258, 430, 4334, 4368, 4405,
4478, 45084, 48793, 497500,
5034, 506, 51718, 520, 52635,
53884, 586, 588, 601
Roland, Georges 508, 520
Rondanina, Esteban 2467, 249
Rotbart, David 231, 234
Roubaud, Eduardo 128, 133
Rubingh, H. 360, 378
Rudsky, N. A. 223, 25, 3541, 44
Sadler, D. H. 11315, 255
Salanave, Leon E. 168, 250
Sandig, HansUlrich 32, 34, 57, 59, 645,
689, 748, 80
Sanford, A. 601
Sarneczky, Krisztian 166
Sasky, R. 430, 432
Savedoff, Malcolm P. 2201
Schaldach, Robert D. 332
Schaumasse, Alexandre 7880, 92, 946,
98, 11618, 121
person index
Schembor, Friedrich 35, 43, 52, 58, 109,
111
Schmidt, Bernhard viii
Schmitt, Alfred 215, 27, 30, 357, 44,
912, 948, 2235, 2278, 241, 2434,
2812, 287, 294, 3201, 3256, 32930,
385, 387, 393, 395, 435, 437, 538, 541,
5989
SchmittBancilhon, Odette 599
Schneider, Gerhard 7980, 2334
Schorr, Richard Reinhard Emil 18, 11,
13, 1618, 201, 245, 2830, 34, 434,
1357, 149
Schrutka-Rechtenstamm, Guntram 301,
499, 5401
Schubart, Joachim 486, 489, 51920,
5701, 601
Schurer,
Max 37, 40, 43

Schwassmann, Friedrich Carl Arnold
12, 4, 6, 10, 12
Scott, Elizabeth L. 8790, 978, 1034,
11011, 1223, 234
Scott, H. L. 1589
Seargent, David Allan John 277, 282
Seifert, C. 138, 150
Sekanina, Zdenek 6, 15, 2930, 334, 51,
589, 645, 80, 934, 1012, 1056,
1089, 11415, 1256, 1345, 1556,
161, 1656, 1702, 197, 199, 201, 205,
216, 2258, 2356, 23940, 246, 252,
254, 256, 259, 261, 274, 27982, 2845,
294, 296, 301, 31011, 317, 319, 3245,
330, 3456, 352, 355, 3635, 3758, 387,
3923, 398, 4012, 408, 421, 42930,
432, 434, 438, 4445, 4478, 4501,
4567, 466, 4756, 480, 5035, 51922,
5356, 541, 550, 5578, 577, 582, 5878
Seki, Tsutomu 564
Sekiguti, R. 142, 150, 590
Shajn, Pelageya Fedorovna 3324
Shane, Charles Donald 265, 272, 309,
31112, 317
Shane, William Whitney 299, 301, 441,
443
Sharov, Alexander Sergeevich 566, 568
Sharpless, Bevan P. 232, 234
Sherman, Nevin 304, 307, 3312, 361,
3701
Shimizu, Shin-ichi 5051, 645
Shmakova, M. Ya. 176
Shulman, B. 978
Sidgwick, John Benson viii
Simidu 267
Simonow, G. V. 266, 272, 2789, 2812
Sitarski, Grzegorz 645, 100, 2089,
21819, 246, 336, 3678, 3823, 3923,
4012, 419, 492, 5212, 5423, 546,
5534, 5634
612
Skiff, Brian A. 467, 544

Skjellerup, James Francis 126, 133
Slaughter, Charles D. 554, 558, 5623
Slipher, Earl Charles 548
Smiley, Charles Hugh 623, 978
Smith, J. L. 178, 184, 187, 189
Smith, J. Russell 583
Smith, Lewis V. 94, 98
Smith, Robert T. 11718, 1213, 152, 156
Soloviev, A. V. 17980, 1823, 1856, 189
Spigl, Hyman Solomon 583
Spinrad, Hyron 4012
Stackpole, Howard W. 146, 150
Stahr, Martha E. 1589, 168, 2245,
23940
Stanila, George 3456
Steavenson, William Herbert viii, 523,
58, 78, 80, 109, 111, 2001, 2245,
2512, 315, 317, 332, 334, 369, 371, 381,
3834, 387, 396, 3989, 401, 410, 415,
4234, 430, 4468, 4989
Stecher, T. P. 518, 520, 5401
Steele, H. 536, 541
Stein, J. 35, 43
Stephenson, C. B. 444, 454, 457, 463, 466,
4745, 47980, 482, 484, 525, 533
Stern, Albert Victor 2756
Stobbe, Joachim Otto 2830, 357, 43,
61, 63, 6772, 745, 7980, 94, 98, 157,
159, 163, 165, 168
Stoss, R. 439, 4734
Stoy, R. H. 12730, 133, 312, 31617
Stracke, Gustav 489, 492
Strohmeier, Wolfgang 734
Struve, Otto 151, 155, 204
Succi, F. 180, 182, 1846
Sumner, Michael G. 15, 645, 81, 83,
1556, 2045, 21416, 259, 261, 3356,
383, 387, 4324, 438, 541, 543, 552, 554,
575, 577
Swanson, Conrad D. 11, 16, 323
Swindin, Cyril Ashley 565, 568, 585, 588
Swings, Polydore 11921, 1645, 2789,
2812, 518, 520, 5345
Szulakowski, W. 512, 520
Szutowicz, Slawomira 3823, 546
Taffara, S. 11718, 121
Takagi, T. 40, 43
Tatum, J. B. 5845, 588
Tchudovitchev, N. I. 1756, 180, 189
Teplov, I. A. 592
Tevzadze, G. A. 1747, 189
Thernoe,
Karl August 1589, 359, 401,
5401
Thomas, Richard Nelson 1213, 11213,
1246, 140, 150, 165, 1923
Thomsen, Ivan Leslie 277, 281, 427, 430
person index
Thomson, 311, 317
Timmers, Matthew 17880, 185, 189,
222, 2256, 326, 330
Tomita, Koichiro 261, 3334, 3589,
36771, 3834, 387, 430, 432, 4913,
497, 5001, 504, 5212
Torondzhadze, A. F. 3334
Torres, Carlos Guillermo 1645, 20811,
21516, 4012
Tremko, Jozef 51214, 520, 560, 562, 580,
582
Tretter, Jose 42, 44
Tscherny, S. D. 23, 25, 3641, 43, 667,
69, 735
Tufts, R. J. 241, 244
Visl,Yrjo 84, 8890, 94, 98, 106,
1246, 1623, 1659, 173, 176, 190,
1923, 2067
van Biesbroeck, George vii, 18, 1041,
4369, 74111, 11318, 1216, 13065,
167, 16985, 187204, 20611, 21519,
22330, 23249, 25165, 267, 2704,
27987, 289327, 32930, 33881,
3838, 390, 392401, 40314, 41627,
4308, 441512, 51618, 52031, 5335,
5379, 54160, 562, 5659, 5727,
57986, 588, 5904, 5967, 599600
van Bueren, Hendrik G. 598
van den Bos, Willem Hendrik 119, 121,
2779, 2812, 312, 317
van Gent, Hendrik 119, 121, 151, 1556,
2012, 204, 20811, 21314, 21920
van Houten, Cornelis Johannes 373
van Houten-Groeneveld, Ingrid 3456,
365, 484
van Schewick, H. 956, 98
van Woerden, Hugo 50911, 520
Vandekerkhove, Edgard 34, 43, 52, 58,
232, 234
Vanysek, Vladimir 480, 51214, 520,
5378
Vasilevskis, Stanislavs 148, 150, 273,
306, 336, 3813, 4056, 4304, 451,
4578, 460, 46970, 4778, 480, 482,
4846, 4889, 493, 4979, 5223,
533
Vergnano, A. M. 52, 58, 645, 78, 80,
823, 8991, 93, 99100, 105, 111, 115,
121
Vetesnik, Miroslav 51214, 520
Viaro, Maria 67, 75
Vick, Carl 234
Vinter Hansen, Julie Marie 27, 29, 94, 98,
167, 174, 1767, 189, 332, 3735, 435,
437, 443, 501, 504
Vlaicu, S. 4001
Vocca, Paolo 22, 25
613
Volk, O. 85, 88, 1034, 143, 150, 152, 156

Volta, Luigi 501, 912, 945, 98, 1512,
1557, 159
Vorobjev, E. A. 3312, 506
Voroschilov, K. A. 115, 121
Votrubec, C. 17986, 189
Vozarova, Margita 422, 42932, 4413,
445, 448
Vsekhsvyatskij, Sergey Konstantinovich
viii, 245, 578, 978, 3912, 41517,
421, 42930, 432, 437, 440, 4423, 445,
448, 4501, 4567, 460, 462, 466, 468,
470, 4723, 4756, 4801, 484, 4889,
492, 497, 499, 5046, 508, 520, 522, 533,
535, 541, 5434, 546, 548, 5502, 554,
558, 5624, 566, 56871, 573, 575, 577,
580, 582, 584, 588
Wachmann, Arno Arthur 4, 6, 10, 12, 17,
201, 235, 289, 345, 40, 43, 47, 49,
56, 58, 109, 111, 1245, 1601
Wahl, E. 8990
Wallbrecher, Itzigsohn 249
Walter, K. 70, 74
Warmbier, E. 2, 4
Waterfield, Reginald Lawson 95, 4245,
430, 441, 443, 4468, 4912, 50910,
51214, 520, 538, 541, 5556, 558, 583,
588, 601
Watson, R. 42, 44
Weber, Anton 1817, 189, 232, 234
Weber, F. 217, 219
Weber, R. 217, 219
Weinberger, R. 3901, 439, 457, 4701
Wellmann, Peter 518, 520
Wenske, K. 50913, 51517, 520
Wenzel, Wolfgang 535, 5434
Werner-Starke, Dorothea 4, 6
Wesselink, A. J. 280, 282
Wheel, B. O. 38990, 5056
Whichello, H. 1601, 1723, 199201,
349
Whipple, Fred Lawrence 34, 1012,
267, 34, 423, 456, 512, 579, 623,
11213, 1612, 165, 173, 1757, 1889,
222, 225
White 978
White, Amelia 3334
White, B. R. 11011
White, J. L. 314, 317
Whitney, Balfour S. 279, 281
Whitwell, T. 197, 199
Wierzbinski, Stefan 623, 3034
Wild, Paul 5434
Wilk, Antoni 59, 63
Williams, Gareth V. 157, 159, 337, 373,
395, 398, 594
Willis, John E. 81, 83, 130, 133, 1589
person index
Wilson, Albert G. 3367, 376, 378, 388,
390
Wilson, R. H., Jr. 313, 317
Wirtanen, Carl Alvar 2568, 262, 264,
2856, 2989, 3012, 304, 309, 31112,
317, 396, 3989, 401, 4612, 4723,
499500, 504, 583, 588
Wisniewski, Wieslaw Z. 3823, 544,
546
Witkowski, J. 3940, 43, 67, 701, 74,
512, 51415, 520
Wolf, Maximilian Franz Josef Cornelius
489, 492
Wolkoff, L. 536, 541
Wood, David B. 4012
Wood, F. J. 1223
Wood, Harley W. 12833, 311, 317
Wood, Harry Edwin 21, 247, 30, 33,
878, 1323
Wood, Mrs. Harry Edwin 2778,
282
Woolley, Richard 277, 281
Worley, C. E. 476, 480
Wright, Frances Woodworth 115, 121,
512, 520
614
Wroblewski,
Andrzej Kajetan 47780,

4867, 489
Wyse, A. B. 34, 423, 623
Yamamoto, Issei 4912
Yanovitskaya, G. T. 573
Yeomans, Donald Keith 6, 810, 2930,
51, 934, 1002, 1057, 11415, 161,
170, 1723, 176, 197, 199, 201, 205, 216,
21819, 231, 236, 256, 274, 296, 350,
352, 363, 3678, 371, 3756, 387, 408,
41516, 434, 4389, 4501, 4756, 497,
5078, 5524, 5678, 577,
5878
Zagar, Francesco 151, 155, 162, 165
Zeidler 117, 121
Zheverzheyev, V. F. 108
Zielinski, S. A. 536, 541
Zimmerman, G. 183
Zirwes, Albert 1802, 185, 189, 222,
2256
Zug, Richard Seth 85, 88
Zukerwanik 95, 98
Zweck, Franz K. 17, 20
Comet Designation Index

This index contains all comets with formal designations given in this volume. The
well-known periodic comets are listed first, since their designation does not include
a year, and the remaining comets are listed chronologically thereafter. There are four
prefixes that were adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1994 as part
of the new designation system. These are as follows:
r P/ represents the predictable comets and these have well-established orbits.
When a number precedes this letter, it indicates astronomers have either seen it at
more than one apparition or are confident the comet can be followed throughout
its orbit.
r C/ indicates comets observed well enough for an orbit to be determined. Sometimes this orbit is only parabolic, indicating that the observations were either too
few or too imprecise to allow the computation of an elliptical or hyperbolic orbit.
Elliptical orbits indicate the comet will eventually return, while hyperbolic indicate
the comet will likely never return.
r D/ indicates comets observed well enough for a short-period orbit to be determined, but which have either ceased to exist or may suffer from a large enough
uncertainty in the orbit to seriously hamper future recovery. Some of these comets
have a number in front of them because they were once returning and being
observed at regular intervals.
r X/ indicates comets which were very likely real, but whose positions are too few
for or so poor that a reliable orbit cannot be determined. In this volume, there are
no comets that qualified as X/ comets. Several objects listed in Appendix 1 may
seem to qualify, but the confirming observations are of considerable doubt.
2P/Encke 1315, 7780, 1335, 25961,
3525, 4201, 5336
4P/Faye 1079, 2524, 4435
6P/dArrest 1979, 33941
7P/PonsWinnecke x, 46, 904,
21416, 3623
8P/Tuttle 1046, 2268
10P/Tempel 2 3635, 5045
12P/PonsBrooks 40816
13P/Olbers 4937
14P/Wolf 810, 1723, 34950, 5512
15P/Finlay 4324
16P/Brooks 2 1002, 2346, 4078
18D/PerrineMrkos 48992
19P/Borrelly 4379
21P/GiacobiniZinner 68, 107, 22831,
5648
22P/Kopff 98100, 21619, 3658, 5524
24P/Schaumasse 2046, 3837, 5757
26P/GriggSkjellerup 635, 16970,
2446, 3913, 5212
27P/Crommelin 5078
28P/Neujmin 1 2968
29P/SchwassmannWachmann 1 x,
13550, 52233
30P/Reinmuth 1 1517, 3356, 5413
31P/SchwassmannWachmann 2
1720, 15961, 2724, 44851
32P/Comas Sola 2730, 1957, 3736
33P/Daniel 4951, 199201, 3512
615
34D/Gale 814
35P/HerschelRigollet 1024
36P/Whipple 1013, 11315, 2546,
4746
37P/Forbes 1702, 2956
38P/StephanOterma 1736
39P/Oterma x, 1903, 3469, 55862
40P/Visl 1 8890, 3389, 57880
41P/TuttleGiacobiniKresak 36871
42P/Neujmin 3 3713
43P/WolfHarrington 3803, 5446
44P/Reinmuth 2 2624, 41617
45P/HondaMrkosPajdusakova
31921, 4347
46P/Wirtanen 2856, 4612
47P/AshbrookJackson 3048, 4713
48P/Johnson 3302, 5057
49P/ArendRigaux 35962, 5478
50P/Arend 37880, 56870
51P/Harrington 41719
52P/HarringtonAbell 4678
53P/Van Biesbroeck 45861
56P/SlaughterBurnham 5624
57P/du ToitNeujminDelporte 1569
58P/JacksonNeujmin 469
61P/ShajnSchaldach 3325
65P/Gunn 457
66P/du Toit 2079
79P/du ToitHartley 21314
88P/Howell 4667
comet designation index

95P/Chiron 21113
107P/WilsonHarrington 3367
139P/VislOterma 1067
180P/NEAT 4734
183P/KorlevicJuric 439
C/1933 D1 (Peltier) 14
C/1935 A1 (Johnson) 205
C/1935 M1 (Jackson) 257
C/1935 Q1 (van Biesbroeck) 304
C/1936 K1 (Peltier) ix, 3444
C/1936 O1 (KahoKozikLis) 446
C/1937 C1 (Whipple) 519
C/1937 D1 (Wilk) 5963
C/1937 N1 (Finsler) ix, 6575
C/1937 P1 (Hubble) 757
C/1939 B1 (KozikPeltier) 848
C/1939 H1 (JurlofAchmarofHassel)
ix, 948
C/1939 V1 (Friend) 10911
C/1940 O1
(WhippleParaskevopoulos) 11213
C/1940 R2 (Cunningham) ix, 11521
C/1940 S1 (OkabayasiHonda) 1223
C/1941 B1 (FriendReeseHonda)
1236
C/1941 B2 (de KockParaskevopoulos)
ix, 12633
C/1941 K1 (van Gent) 1506
C/1942 C1
(WhippleBernasconiKulin) 1616
C/1942 C2 (Oterma) 1667
C/1942 EA (Visl 2) 1679
C/1942 X1 (WhippleFedtkeTevzadze)
17690
C/1943 R1 (Daimaca) 1935
C/1943 W1 (van GentPeltier
Daimaca) 2014
C/1944 H1 (Visl) 2067
C/1944 K2 (van Gent) 20911
C/1945 L1 (du Toit) 21920
C/1945 W1 (FriendPeltier) 2201
C/1945 X1 (du Toit) 2212
C/1946 C1 (Timmers) 2226
C/1946 K1 (Pajdusakova
RotbartWeber) 2314
C/1946 P1 (Jones) 23640
C/1946 U1 (Bester) 2404
C/1947 F1 (RondaninaBester) 2469
C/1947 F2 (Becvar) 24951
C/1947 K1 (Bester) 2512
C/1947 O1 (Wirtanen) 2568
C/1947 S1 (Bester) 26472
C/1947 V1 (Honda) 2746
C/1947 X1 (Southern Comet) ix, 27682
C/1947 Y1 (Mrkos) 2825
616
C/1948 E1 (PajdusakovaMrkos)
28694
C/1948 L1 (HondaBernasconi)
298301
C/1948 N1 (Wirtanen) 3014
C/1948 R1 (Johnson) 3089
C/1948 T1 (Wirtanen) 30911
C/1948 V1 (Eclipse Comet) ix, 31117
C/1948 W1 (Bester) 31719
C/1949 K1 (Johnson) 3215
C/1949 N1 (BappuBokNewkirk)
32530
C/1950 K1 (Minkowski) 3416
C/1951 C1 (Pajdusakova) 3559
X/1951 G1 365
X/1951 G2 365
X/1951 K1 373
C/1951 P1 (WilsonHarrington) 3768
D/1952 B1 (HarringtonWilson)
38890
X/1952 C1 3901
C/1952 H1 (Mrkos) 3935
C/1952 M1 (Peltier) 3968
C/1952 Q1 (Harrington) 398402
C/1952 W1 (Mrkos) 4024
C/1953 G1 (MrkosHonda) 4046
C/1953 T1 (Abell) 42130
C/1953 X1 (Pajdusakova) 4302
X/1954 C2 439
C/1954 M1 (Harrington) 43940
C/1954 M2 (KresakPeltier) 4403
C/1954 O1 (Vozarova) 4458
C/1954 O2 (Baade) 4517
X/1954 V1 462
C/1954 Y1 (HaroChavira) 4626
C/1955 G1 (Abell) 46870
X/1955 G2 4701
C/1955 L1 (Mrkos) 47680
C/1955 N1 (BakharevMacfarlane
Krienke) 4804
C/1955 O1 (Honda) 4859
C/1956 E1 (Mrkos) 4979
C/1956 F1 (Wirtanen) 499504
C/1956 R1 (ArendRoland) ix, 50821
C/1957 P1 (Mrkos) x, 53641
C/1957 U1 (LatyshevWildBurnham)
5434
C/1958 D1 (Burnham) 54851
C/1958 R1 (BurnhamSlaughter)
5548
C/1959 O1 (BesterHoffmeister) 5701
C/1959 Q1 (Alcock) 5713
C/1959 Q2 (Alcock) 5735
C/1959 X1 (Mrkos) 5802
C/1959 Y1 (Burnham) 5828

Cometo Graphy

Enviado por

Dados do documento

Título original

Direitos autorais

Formatos disponíveis

Compartilhar este documento

Compartilhar ou incorporar documento

Opções de compartilhamento

Você considera este documento útil?

Este conteúdo é inapropriado?

Direitos autorais:

Formatos disponíveis

Cometo Graphy

Enviado por

Direitos autorais:

Formatos disponíveis

This page intentionally left blank

Cometography is a multi-volume catalog of every comet observed throughout

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, So Paulo

Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy

Appendix 1: Uncertain Objects

Appendix 2: Periodical and Book Abbreviations

Comet Designation Index

The period of 193359 brought forth several improvements in the study of

The most interesting comets from 1933 to 1959

and Michael, never stop keeping my life interesting. My step-daughters,

Observatory, Heidelberg, Germany). Van Biesbroeck added

Observatory) and 11 by Mundler.

Schorr noted the coma was 3 across,

estimated the nuclear magnitude as about 13. On the 21st,

Germany) and 10.5 by H. Krumpholz (Vienna University

absolute magnitude: H0 = 9.9, n = 3.39 (Beyer, 1933); H10 = 10.2 (V1964)

F. C. A. Schwassmann, C. M. Anderson Jr., and A. B. Wyse, BZAN, 15 (1933 Feb.

absolute magnitude: H10 = 10.4 (V1964)

but orbital calculations proved this was definitely an observation of

absolute magnitude: H10 = 12.1 (V1964)

investigations in the orbital motion of this comet predicted a perihelion

absolute magnitude: H10 = 8.0 (V1964)

detected almost as soon as its steadily increasing brightness permitted. On

absolute magnitude: H10 = 11.6 (V1964)

1.42. H. M. Jeffers (Lick Observatory, California, USA) recovered this comet

absolute magnitude: H10 = 11.5 (V1964)

absolute magnitude: H10 = 9.9 (V1964)

no nucleus. On the 20th, G. Adamopoulos (National Observatory, Athens,

H. Q. Rasmusen, A. D. Maxwell, and G. van

absolute magnitude: H10 = 4.4 (V1964)

(Hamburg Observatory). On March 25,

absolute magnitude: H10 = 9.6 (V1964)

A better representation of the orbit came to light on September 16, when

absolute magnitude: H10 = 5.4 (V1964)

now Kaliningrad, Russia) said the coma was about 3 across,

PA 291335. The brightest portion extended 10 in PA 303. Chofardet said

within the range of 7.78.5, according to van Biesbroeck, Stobbe, Himpel,

now Kaliningrad, Russia), Loreta, Campa, and Beyer.

(Berlin-Babelsberg Observatory) estimated the nuclear

magnitude as 5. Przybyllok obtained a photograph which showed a sharp

found it on a 45-minute exposure made with a 75-cm reflector. The position

and Maxwell during early June.

absolute magnitude: H0 = 6.13, n = 7.87 (Beyer, 1937); H10 = 6.9 (V1964)

Observatory, Heidelberg, Germany), and 7.0 by Campa. Van Biesbroeck said

Cunningham revised his orbital calculations using observations made up

absolute magnitude: H10 = 8.4 (V1964)

AN, 260 (1936 Aug. 17),

absolute magnitude: H10 = 13.3 (V1964)

for the third missed apparition. He carefully calculated the perturbations

and A2 = +0.054463 by Marsden (1970), A1 = +1.1 and A2 = +0.073 by

absolute magnitude: H10 = 12.1 (V1964)

Krumpholz said the comet exhibited a very distinct condensation and a

actually published a hyperbolic orbit in March and an elliptical orbit in

absolute magnitude: H10 = 6.0 (V1964)

and H.-U. Sandig,

now Kaliningrad, Russia), 7.8 by F. Koebcke (Poznan

absolute magnitude: H10 = 10.4 (V1964)

Switzerland) was routinely examining the sky with a large

(Danzig, now Gdansk, Poland). Knochel

added that the coma

44.5 using 10 50 binoculars. Stobbe photographed the comet with a

(Vienna, Austria), 4.42 by Himpel,