Posted on 09/15/2006 9:35:38 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
177 P/Barnard (2006 M3)
1. 177 P/Barnard (2006 M3),. is a returning semi-long period (117 year orbit) comet that was originally discovered on June 24th ,1889 by E.E. Barnard with a six-inch refractor from the Lick Observatory in California at mag. 9.5. For all these years it was lost to the world until the LINEAR robotic imager “recovered” it at 17th magnitude as an apparent asteroidal object. This occurred on June 23, almost exactly 117 years later. For a while it carried the designation P/2006 M3 (Barnhard), but it has since been changed to 177P/ Barnard. In addition, in the past it has been variously called Barnard 2, P/1889 M1, 1889 III, and 1889c (Barnard). This, then, is its 6th name, so far. Barnard had a close approach to Earth on July 18th, (.36 AU), and passed perihelion on Aug. 28th. It is currently about mag. 8.5 in Draco, and it will end the month of September in Draco, with its magnitude slowing fading during the month as it continues moving towards the northeast. It will become circumpolar in early September. At this juncture many observers are reporting that the outer coma is difficult to observe.
(Excerpt) Read more at spacsun.rice.edu ...
Dynamics of Cats: Barnard's Comet of 1889 ReturnsSpeculations on astronomy, astrophysics, news I find interesting, theoretical issues, science and science policy. I will digress into computational physics, science fiction and general issues and basically whatever I feel like whenever. And, of course, cats.
Posted on: June 25, 2006 11:06 PM, by Steinn Sigurdsson
The Minor Planet Center reports the discovery by L. Buzzi of the Schiaparelli Observatory, Varese, Italy of comet P/2006 M3.
Computations by Green strongly suggests it is Barnard's comet of 1889 (c). Returning with a about a 128 year period.
Welcome back.
New orbit estimate is 119 year period, with apperihelion at about 1.1 AU and eccentricity of 0.95.
http://www.barnard.nl/english4.html
Barnard's comet was seen in 1889, by the American astronomer E.E. Barnard, and will pass Earth again in 2017.
The six names (repeated because it's amusing):
177P/ Barnard, P/2006 M3 (Barnhard), Barnard 2, P/1889 M1, 1889 III, and 1889c (Barnard)
"New orbit estimate is 119 year period, with apperihelion at about 1.1 AU and eccentricity of 0.95."
and
"Barnard's comet was seen in 1889, by the American astronomer E.E. Barnard, and will pass Earth again in 2017."
don't agree... looks like the perihelion will be in 2008? Rather than 2017?
He's entertaining and enthusuastic. He needs to ditch the rug though.
:')
E.E. Barnard:
http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/Bios/barnard.html
"Edward Emerson Barnard was one of the great observational astronomers..."
Photos:
http://www.klima-luft.de/steinicke/ngcic/persons/barnard.htm
Also known as "Eagle Eye."
Thanks.
and will pass Earth again in 2017...
or should I worry about 2008 ?
Analysis of currently observed comets: 177P/BarnardOn June 23, 2006 an asteroidal object of magnitude 17 was discovered near the border of the constellations Ophiuchus and Sagittarius, which was found to be cometary in the course of more detailed observations. Observations on the following day showed a round 6" coma with a distinct central condensation. Orbit calculations made shortly after the discovery indicated that the object is identical with comet P/Barnard 2 (1889c = 1889 III), which was reported as faint and very diffuse during its whole apparition. However, the observations of 1889 can only be linked to the ones of 2006 by assuming significant non-gravitational forces.
Andreas Kammerer
2006
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