151P/Helin |
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Past, Present, and Future Orbits by Kazuo Kinoshita |
![]() Copyright © 1993-2000 by the California Institute of Technology
This is one of the two discovery photographs of this comet. In the course of the Second Palomar Observatory Sky Survey, the 48-inch Oschin Schmidt Telescope at Palomar Observatory (California, USA) accidently photographed this comet on 1987 August 26.46. The comet trailed during the exposure of the Kodak IIIaF (red) plate, while a trace of tail extends toward the right. This image was obtained through SkyMorph at the Goddard Space Flight Center. Discovery During September 1987, E. F. Helin discovered this comet on plates exposed on 1987 August 24.43 and August 26.42 in the course of the Second Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (Palomar Observatory, California, USA). The plates were originally exposed by J. Mueller using the 48-inch Oschin Schmidt Telescope. Helin described the comet as magnitude 16.5 and condensed, with a faint diffuseness toward PA 235°. A. Maury (Palomar Observatory) subsequently reported that faint images were found on exposures by Mueller and J. Phinney on September 17 and 18. Historical Highlights
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