The comet 88P/Howell
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From Fairfield , 88P/Howell is visible in the dawn sky, rising at 01:15 (EST) and reaching an altitude of 44° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks around 06:00.
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|
Name
88P/Howell
|
Object Type
Comet
|
Current Position
| Constellation: | Virgo |
| Magnitude: | 16.40 (V) [2] |
| Absolute mag (H): | 5.40 [2] |
| Slope parameter (n): | 7.32 [2] |
| Right ascension: | 12h50m [1] |
| Declination: | -01°29' [1] |
| Distance: | 3.12 AU 25.93 lightmin [1] |
Orbital Elements [1]
| Semi-major axis: | 3.11 AU |
| Eccentricity: | 0.564233 |
| Inclination: | 4.38° |
| Longitude ascending node: | 56.69° |
| Argument of perihelion: | 235.91° |
| Epoch of elements: | 13 December 2019 |
| Mean Anomaly at epoch: | 308.01° |
Derived quantities
| Perihelion: | 1.35 AU |
| Aphelion: | 4.86 AU |
| Orbital period: | 5.47 years |
Events
| 17 Sep 2020 | – 88P/Howell reaches its brightest |
| 26 Sep 2020 | – 88P/Howell at perihelion |
Additional sources
Where possible, the brightnesses of comets are estimated from absolute magnitude values computed by the BAA Comet Section, based on the observations they receive. We prefer these to the Minor Planet Center's own magnitude estimates, since the latter are less often updated. Nonetheless, comets are intrinsically unpredictable objects, and magnitude estimates must always be taken with a pinch of salt.