47P/Ashbrook-Jackson |
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Past, Present, and Future Orbits by Kazuo Kinoshita |
![]() Copyright © 1993 by Gerald Rhemann
This image was obtained on 1993 October 10.89 UT with the 171/200/257mm Schmidt camera. Exposure time was 7 minutes and the photographic emulsion was hypered Technical Pan 2415. The comet's total magnitude was then about 11.5. (The image has been cropped by the webmaster to save space and reversed to better represent the visual appearance of the comet.) Discovery This comet was independently discovered by astronomers in the United States and South Africa. The first discovery was made by Yale astronomer Joseph Ashbrook. Ashbrook was visiting Lowell Observatory (Arizona, USA) to observe minor planets. While examining a photo exposed on August 26 for asteroid 1327 Namaqua, he found the comet and said it appeared diffuse, with a short tail. Twelve hours later, Cyril Jackson (Yale-Columbia Station, Johannesburg, South Africa) was experimenting with a 50-cm focus camera to test its ability to photograph fast moving minor planets. This comet was revealed on one of the plates. Historical Highlights
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