88P Howell
Closest to Earth on 2020 May 10 at 1.08AU.
Closest to Sun on 2020 Sep 26 at 1.35AU.
Maximum magnitude 8.5 in Sep 2020.
Orbital period: 5.5 years
88P is one of the more active of the short period (Jupiter family) comets.
With an orbital period of 5.5 years, it arrived at perihelion on 2020
September 26 at 1.35 AU.
It was expected to peak at magnitude 8.5 at this time, when well situated for
southerners in the evening sky.
July 2020
At the start of July, the magnitude 11.0 comet was situated in Virgo, a few
degrees west of Theta Vir, trekking slowly eastwards.
On July 10, 88p was 2 degrees south of Theta Vir and 50'N of 11th magnitude
galaxy NGC4958.
On July 12, it was 13'E of magnitude 12.0 galaxy NGC 4995 in Virgo.
On July 22, the now magnitude 10.5 comet lied 1 degree north of Spica in Virgo.
August 2020
The now magnitude 10.0 comet continued its slow easterly trek through Virgo,
then crossed into Libra on the 17th.
On the nights of August 17-18, the comet lied within a degree of galaxy pair NGC
5595/5597 in Libra.
Moonlight interfered from August 22.
On August 26, the comet lied 30'N of 12th magnitude galaxy NGC 5757.
On August 30, the comet lied 30'S of 12th magnitude galaxy NGC 5791
September 2020
at the start of September, the comet had brightened to magnitude 9.0.
On September 4, it lied a degree south of Iota Librae.
On September 5, the comet was adjacent to
magnitude 8 globular cluster NGC 5897 as seen below.
On September 15, the comet moved into Scorpius and was 1 degree south of
Delta scorpii (Dschubba) on the 18th.
On September 24, it lied 30'N of Sigma Scorpii
On September 26, it lied 1 degree North of Antares
October 2020
at the start of October, the comet achieved peak brightness of magnitude 8.5
but was more difficult to observe amongst the bright star fields of the milky
way.
Plenty of rendezvous events with deep sky targets occurred this month.
On the nights of October 4-5, the comet was within 1 degree of magnitude 6.8
globular cluster M19 in Ophiuchus.
On the nights of October 6-7, the comet was within 1 degree of magnitude 8.2
globular cluster NGC 6293
On October 10, the comet was 35'S of magnitude 9.1 globular cluster NGC 6355
88p Howell in a dense milky way starfield of Sagittarius on 2020 October 12
On October 20, the comet was 35'S of magnitude 7.6 globular cluster NGC 6520 in
Sagittarius
On October 21, the comet was 35'S of magnitude 9.3 globular cluster NGC 6540 but
moonlight interfered.
On October 31, the now magnitude 9.5 comet lied adjacent to Phi Sgr.
November 2020
At the start of November, the 9th magnitude comet was found in Sagittarius,
between Sigma and Pi Sgr.
It trekked slowly eastwards by about 1 degree per day, and entered Capricornus on
November 22, although moonlight interfered from this date.
By the end of November, the comet faded to magnitude 10.0
Below my personal visual observations of 88P Howell
