2014-03-13

Comet 134P/Kowal-Vavrova


Comet 134P/Kowal-Vavrova is one of many periodic comets.  It's orbital period is 15.6 years. 

It was discovered May 8, 1983. The announcement was made in September by Charles T. Kowal, who had discovered the comet by examining photographic plates made May 8, 9 and 15 with the 1.2-m Schmidt telescope at Palomar Observatory.  The comet appeared as a diffuse, condensed trail on the three plates. He estimated the magnitude as 16.

Shortly after the September announcement of the discovery, it was determined that asteroid 1983 JG was actually the same celestial body as the comet.  The discoverer of the suspected asteroid was Zdenka Vavrova of the Klet' Observatory in the Czech Republic.  Therefore his name was also assigned to the comet.

Jim Scotti recovered the comet with the Spacewatch telescope at Kitt Peak on December 5, 1997 when it was 22nd mag.


On this return, as with the two previous visits into inner Solar System, the comet is not a very impressive comet, but it is an interesting challenge for the astronomer.




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