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C/1968 H1 (Tago–Honda–Yamamoto)

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C/1968 H1
(Tago–Honda–Yamamoto)
Discovery[1]
Discovered byAkihiko Tago
Minoru Honda
Hirofumi Yamamoto
Discovery siteJapan
Discovery date1 May 1968
Designations
1968a[2]
1968 IV
Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch17 May 1968 (JD 2439993.5)
Observation arc32 days
Earliest precovery date25 April 1968
Number of
observations		35
Aphelion358.941 AU
Perihelion0.6804 AU
Semi-major axis179.811 AU
Eccentricity0.99622
Orbital period2,411 years
Inclination102.170°
233.108°
Argument of
periapsis		50.447°
Last perihelion16 May 1968
TJupiter–0.186
Earth MOID0.1635 AU
Jupiter MOID0.5021 AU
Physical characteristics[4]
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		9.8
7.0
(1968 apparition)

Comet Tago–Honda–Yamamoto, formally designated C/1968 H1, is a retrograde non-periodic comet discovered by Akihiko Tago, Minoru Honda, and Hirofumi Yamamoto on 1 May 1968.[5] Although officially named after the three Japanese astronomers, it was actually first spotted by Kōichi Itagaki about five days earlier on 25 April 1968, however he could not report his sighting for another couple of weeks.[6]

Discovery and observations

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Japanese amateur astronomer Kōichi Itagaki, a resident of Yamagata City, was the first person to spot the comet on 25 April 1968, at the time a 7th-magnitude object located near the Andromeda Galaxy.[6] It wasn't until Akihiko Tago, Minoru Honda and Hirofumi Yamamoto made independent observations of the comet on April 30 and later reported their findings to the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory the following day.[1]

C/1968 H1 made its closest approach to Earth on 26 April 1968 at a distance of 0.33 AU (49 million km; 31 million mi).[3] The comet then rapidly declined in brightness as it begins its outbound flight back to the outer Solar System. Despite the bright moonlight conditions, M. J. Gainsford managed to observe the comet on May 12, noting that the comet had faded to magnitude 8.75.[7] It was last seen on the evening of 5 June 1968.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b O. Gingerich (1 May 1968). "Comet Tago-Honda-Yamamoto (1968a)". Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. 2071.
  2. ^ "Comet Names and Designations". International Comet Quarterly. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b "C/1968 H1 (Tago–Honda–Yamamoto) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  4. ^ E. Roemer (1968). "COMET NOTES". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 80 (473): 239. doi:10.1086/128622.
  5. ^ a b G. W. Kronk (1999). Cometography: A Catalog of Comets. Vol. 5: 1960–1982. Cambridge University Press. pp. 205–207. ISBN 978-0-521-87226-3.
  6. ^ a b T. Seki. "Memorable Comets: Comet Tago-Honda-Yamamoto". Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  7. ^ M. J. Gainsford (1968). "Observation of Comet Tago-Honda-Yamamoto 1968a". The Astronomer. 5: 2. Bibcode:1968Astr....5Q...2G.
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