54P/de Vico–Swift–NEAT

Observational history

First discovery (1844)

Independent discoveries were made by Melhop (Hamburg, Germany) on 6 September and by Hamilton Lanphere Smith (Cleveland, Ohio, USA) on 10 September.

Paul Laugier and Felix Victor Mauvais calculated an orbit on 9 September 1844, and noted that a similarity existed with comets seen in previous years, by including 289P/Blanpain of 1819, into their calculations, they came up with an orbital period of between 4.6 and 4.9 years.

Hervé Faye (Paris, France) computed the first elliptical orbit on 16 September 1844, and the orbital period as 5.46 years.

The comet was considered lost as subsequent predicted returns after 1844 were never observed.

Second discovery (1894)

Edward D. Swift (Echo Mountain, California, USA) rediscovered the comet on 21 November 1894. Adolf Berberich suggested the comet might be the same as de Vico's comet on the basis of the comet's location and direction of motion.

After 1894, the comet was considered lost again after the 1901 and 1907 returns remained unseen, mainly due to perturbations caused by another close approach of Jupiter in 1897.

Third discovery (1965)

In 1963, Brian G. Marsden used a computer to link the 1844 and 1894 sightings and calculated a favourable return in 1965. The comet was subsequently recovered by Arnold Klemola (Yale-Columbia Southern Observatory, Argentina) on 30June 1965, at magnitude 17.

The comet made another close approach to Jupiter in 1968, which increased its perihelion distance and orbital period. As a result, its most favorable apparitions is expected to be no brighter than 18. The comet was not observed for subsequent predictions, by 1995 it was again considered lost.

Fourth discovery (2002)

The Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) program rediscovered the comet on 11 October 2002. The LINEAR program (New Mexico) found several prediscovery images from 4 October. It was confirmed as a return of comet 54P/de Vico–Swift by Kenji Muraoka (Kochi, Japan).

2009 apparition

On 17 August 2009, comet 54P/de Vico–Swift–NEAT was recovered, while it was 2.3 AU from the Sun.

References

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