Discovery, Orbit and Size
Despite the name, comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma was discovered by Jerome Coggia at the Marseilles
Observatory in January 1867, but the name was awarded to E J M Stephan, the Observatory Director as he first calculated the position with accuracy. This comet has an orbital period of 38 years defined as a Halley-type comet hence why it was last observed in 1980/1. The size of the comet’s nucleus is currently unknown.
Next Perihelion
Perihelion on 38P occurs on 26 August, 2018 by which time it should become sufficiently bright enough for backyard telescopes. On the night of 08/09 November, Comet 38p will lie very close to deep sky object NGC 2392 (The Eskimo Nebula) separated by just 8 arcmins, a good photographic opportunity. The comet will remain well placed in the evening skies for the remainder of the year and on in to 2019 when it becomes almost circumpolar in the constellation of Lynx.
According to theskylive, 38P will not reach closest approach to Earth until 17 December 2018 when it may reach magnitude +9.NASA’s JPL orbit programComet 38P Live Position Data
Finder Charts
20 Oct – 29 Nov 2018
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25 Nov 2018 – 04 Jan 2019
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