C/1968 H1 (Tago–Honda–Yamamoto) Explained

C/1968 H1
(Tago–Honda–Yamamoto)
Discoverer:Akihiko Tago
Minoru Honda
Hirofumi Yamamoto
Discovery Site:Japan
Discovery Date:1 May 1968
Designations:1968a
1968 IV
Epoch:17 May 1968 (JD 2439993.5)
Earliest Precovery Date:25 April 1968
Observation Arc:32 days
Obs:35
Perihelion:0.6804 AU
Aphelion:358.941 AU
Semimajor:179.811 AU
Period:2,411 years
Eccentricity:0.99622
Inclination:102.170°
Asc Node:233.108°
Arg Peri:50.447°
Tjup:–0.186
Earth Moid:0.1635 AU
Jupiter Moid:0.5021 AU
M1:9.8
Magnitude:7.0
(1968 apparition)
Last P:16 May 1968

Comet Tago–Honda–Yamamoto, formally designated C/1968 H1, is a retrograde non-periodic comet discovered by Akihiko Tago, Minoru Honda, and Hirofumi Yamamoto on 1 May 1968. Although officially named after the three Japanese astronomers, it was actually first spotted by Kōichi Itagaki about five days earlier on 25 April 1968, however he could not report his sighting for another couple of weeks.

Discovery and observations

Japanese amateur astronomer Kōichi Itagaki, a resident of Yamagata City, was the first person to spot the comet on 25 April 1968, at the time a 7th-magnitude object located near the Andromeda Galaxy. It wasn't until Akihiko Tago, Minoru Honda and Hirofumi Yamamoto made independent observations of the comet on April 30 and later reported their findings to the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory the following day.

C/1968 H1 made its closest approach to Earth on 26 April 1968 at a distance of 0.33AU. The comet then rapidly declined in brightness as it begins its outbound flight back to the outer Solar System. Despite the bright moonlight conditions, M. J. Gainsford managed to observe the comet on May 12, noting that the comet had faded to magnitude 8.75. It was last seen on the evening of 5 June 1968.

See also