Honda

[neufer]

<<45P/Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková is a short-period comet discovered by Minoru Honda December 3, 1948. The comet is named after Minoru Honda, Antonín Mrkos, and Ľudmila Pajdušáková. The comet is on a elliptical orbit with a period of 5.26 years. The comet nucleus is estimated to be 0.5-1.6 kilometers in diameter. During the 2011 perihelion passage the comet was recovered on 05 June 2011 at apparent magnitude 21. On 8 July 2011 the comet had a magnitude of approximately 18, and as of 22 July 2011 the comet's nuclear condensation has a magnitude of approximately 16. The comet is expected to reach a peak magnitude of around 7.3 in late September when it is near perihelion.

The comet made a close approach of only 0.0600 AU from the Earth on August 15, 2011, and will be studied by the Goldstone Deep Space Network on August 19th and 20th. It will also pass close to Earth on February 11, 2017.

During the 1995 perihelion passage the comet was visible to Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) on January 16, 1996 when the comet was around apparent magnitude 7 and 4.3° from the Sun.>>

[b][color=#0000FF]This stunning color photo of Comet Honda was made with a wide-field 8-inch telescope on Sept. 26 and shows the bright coma and long ion tail. Comets often have two tails: one of dust that reflects sunlight and another of gas set aglow by ultraviolet light from the sun. Credit: Michael Jaeger[/color][/b]

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Even this 25-second long exposure at ISO 1600 captures
the green glow and short trail of Comet Honda this morning.
The comet is located smack in the middle of the zodiacal light.
Photo: Bob King