SOLWIND 4
Copyright © 1981 by Naval Research Lab (Washington, D.C.)
These images were obtained with the SOLWIND white light coronagraph aboard the Air Force Space Test Program satellite P78-1 on 1981 November 4. The left-hand image is the second image showing the comet. This image was obtained nearly one hour after the first image, which was of poor quality. The right-hand image was among the best showing the comet and, shortly after this image was obtained, the comet began fading. This was the faintest of the SOLWIND comets.
Discovery
This was the fourth comet found on images obtained by the SOLWIND instrument aboard the P78-1 satellite. N. R. Sheeley, Jr. (Naval Research Laboratory) reported the discovery and noted that R. Howard, M. Koomen, and D. Michels were also part of the discovery team. This comet was observed for a rather long period of time with the first reported observation coming on 1981 November 3.999 and the last coming on November 4.371. During this period of time the comet moved from 10.5 to about 3.3 solar radii from the sun.
B. G. Marsden computed a parabolic orbit which indicated the comet was a member of the sungrazing family. He revealed the comet passed perihelion on 1981 November 4.532 TT at a distance of only 0.00450 AU.
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