Comets.
Comet. ICQ/CBAT/MPC: Recent Comet Magnitudes. Note: if you are having troubles reading this webpage, please click here . Selected recent magnitude estimates (often preliminary values!) , as reported to the and for currently-observable comets are given below. NOTE: in 1997, we began adding select magnitudes from fainter comets from CCD astrometry reported to the Minor Planet Center, to make the list of comets below pretty complete for observable comets seen in the last couple of months, for the convenience of observers/readers who wish to know the most recent magnitude information on fainter comets.
(Definitions of the "magnitude" and other terms regarding comets are available.) of observations for this Web page . (Contributors of web data are expected also to contribute complete information for archiving.) We now have a "Descriptive Information" page, reporting interesting information to supplement the magnitudes below. Cometary Designation System. The following text was published on Minor Planet Circulars 23803-4, and subsequently appeared in the International Comet Quarterly, 16, 127: The following resolution concerning designations and names of comets was adopted by the International Astronomical Union at its General Assembly in The Hague on Aug. 24: The Small Bodies Names Committee is now the Committee on Small Body Nomenclature.
See the current list of periodic comet numbers in numerical order or in alphabetical order (by name). Dates Of Last Observation Of Comets. The following tables list the date of the last confirmed astrometric observation reported to the Minor Planet Center (MPC) for each of the currently-observable comets. It is hoped that these tables will assist observers in planning a useful program of astrometric observation of these objects. Observers are reminded of the efficiency of making and reporting observations of specific objects on pairs of nearby nights, as the accuracy of an isolated single-night observation can be difficult to judge. Comet and NEO/Distant Minor Planet Designations Assigned in the Past Year. Comet and NEO/Distant Minor Planet Designations Assigned in the Past Year This page lists the designations (and for minor planets, the type of orbit) assigned in the past year for comets and near-earth and distant minor planets. Comets The 12-character designation to be used when reporting astrometric observations of these objects is shown first, followed by the designation and name.
Also available are a comet designation cross-referencer and a list of periodic comet numbers. Minor Planets Low-precision lists of orbital elements are available; as is a minor-planet designation cross-referencer. Full details of the discovery circumstances for these objects are carried on the IAUCs and MPECs. Observable Comets.