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37P/FORBES

37P on Kronk’s cometography

Af(rho) data obtained from filtered images (CARA Approuch) are available,

please send a request to the CARA-coordinator if you are interested in these data

Discovery:

 Alexander F. I. Forbes (Rosebank, South Africa) discovered this comet  on the evening of 1929 August 1.9 He estimated the magnitude as 11. Forbes informed astronomers at Johannesburg, but no announcement was made until they confirmed the comet on August 3.71.  The comet was confirmed by E. L. Johnson and H.E. Wood (Union Observatory, Johannesburg, South Africa) using the 25 cm Frank-Adams Star Camera on august 3.71. They estimated the magnitude at 11 . The comet was about 1 month past perihelion and about 2 weeks past its closed approach fo the earth.  G.Adamopoulos (Nationals Observatory, Athen, Greece) said the coma had vague borders, but an intense condensation on august 7th and he estimated the magnitude at 12 on the 8th august.

George van Biesbroeck (Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin, USA) was the final observer when he saw the comet at magnitude 16.5 on November 22.

Recovery apparition 1942:

The comet was recovered at its 1942 apparition. Cripps had provided a prediction that the comet would arrive at perihelion on April 16.90, while N. Makarov (University of Kazan, U.S.S.R.) predicted a perihelion date of April 17.6. Van Biesbroeck recovered this comet on a 20-minute exposure obtained with the 24-inch reflector on 1942 June 15.35. His precise position indicated Cripps' prediction was only in error by one-half day, while Makarov's was off by 1.25 day. Van Biesbroeck said the comet appeared on the two plates as a 15th-magnitude object exhibiting a tail extending about 1 arc minute in PA 270 degrees. The comet apparently reached 12th magnitude during July, and then faded and was last seen by van Biesbroeck at McDonald Observatory on October 5.

[ source: Kronk’s Cometography vol. 3 ]

Last updated: 9 dec. 2020