55P/Tempel-Tuttle image of the day

March 04, 1997.


Image comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle

Credit & Copyright: Olivier R. Hainaut, Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii.

Discovery image of comet 55P/1997 E1 (TEMPEL-TUTTLE) taken at the Keck II 10 meter telescope on Manua Kea. The image was taken by a team of astronomers including K. J. Meech, O. R. Hainaut and J. Bauer. The LRIS CCD camera was used. Some interference from clouds occurred, but the comet was clearly visible as a point source. No coma yet. The image profile was similar to stars. The seeing was 0".8. The magnitude estimate below is a crude R estimate using a 5" diaphragm. O. R. Hainaut reported these measurements of the recovery images of the comet associated with the Leonid meteors (from IAUC6579):

     1997 UT             R.A. (2000) Decl.        m2    Observer
     Mar.  4.62838   13 43 12.63   + 4 43 37.7   22.5   Meech
           4.637     13 43 12.31   + 4 43 41.7            "
           4.64876   13 43 11.57   + 4 43 49.0            "
           4.65752   13 43 11.07   + 4 43 54.4            "







Last updated: February 06, 1998
P. Jenniskens