C/2002 O4 (Hönig)

This comet was discovered visually on July 22^nd by Sebastian Hönig with a 25-cm Schmidt-Cassegrain, but the Full Moon and poor initial positions made it impossible to confirm initially. The reported comet was magnitude 12. It was not until the 27^th that the comet was confirmed. It is a small and intrinsically faint object that will reach perihelion on October 2^nd at 0.77AU and was expected to be no better than a difficult binocular object at brightest, although it seems that the comet may get a little brighter than initially expected.

The light curve

There is quite considerable dispersion in the light curve still, although it appears that the comet should reach a maximum around magnitude 8.

The very large difference between the total visual magnitude estimates and the CCD estimates in a 10" aperture is typical of a large and very diffuse comet with little central condensation. Both Rafael Benevides and Faustino García have estimated rather low degrees of central condensation from 0-3, with a coma diameter as large as 6.5'.

Giovanni Sostero reported on September 30^th that the comet has suffered disruption (see the very convincing image below). On October 17^th 2002 this event was reported on IAUC 7995, although credited to another observer who imaged the comet as late as October 10^th 2002.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CCD observations in a 10 arcsecond aperture by:

• Ramón Naves & Montse Campàs - MPC 213
• Rolando Ligustri - MPC 235
• Alberto Sánchez - MPC 442
• Salvador Sánchez & Juan Rodríguez - MPC 620
• Juan Lacruz - MPC J87
• Carles Pineda - MPC J91

CCD aperture photometry in apertures of 0'.45, 0'.9, 1'.1, 1'.6, 1'.85, 2'.2, 2'.5, 2'.7, 2'.8, 3'.2, 3'.4, 3'.5 by:

• Giovanni Sostero
• R.Ligustri
• G.Degano
• P.Beltrame
• L.Guatto
• V.Savani
• P.Brunato

 

Visual data by:

• Rafael Benevides
• Faustino García

  

 

Image: September 2^nd 2002

Image of C/2002 O4 (Hoenig) taken with a 0.30-m f/6.5 Schmidt-Cassegrain + ST9-E CCD from close to Barcelona (Spain). Exposure 2 minutes.

The comet shows a short tail.

Ramón Naves & Montse Campàs
MPC 213, OBSERVATORIO MONTCABRER CABRILS (SPAIN)
 

 

  

Image: September 30^th 2002

Image of C/2002 O4 (Hoenig) taken with a 0.30-m f/2.8 Baker Schmidt + CCD + I from Remanzacco (Italy). Sum of 30x30s exposures.

The comet appears to be disrupting.

Giovanni Sostero
Remanzacco (Italy)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Última actualización 19/01/2003
Por M.R.Kidger