168P / Hergenrother

Originally discovered in 1998, this is the second apparition of the comet since discovery. It’s currently calculated orbital period of 6.9 years brought the comet to perihelion on October 1st.  Astronomers expected the maximum brightness to be 15.1 on the inbound leg in late September.  However, comets tend to defy prediction and Hergenrother was no exception. 

 Analysis of imagery on the 6th of September showed a total magnitude of 11.2 and over the next couple of weeks continued to climb to 10 by the 24th.  The comet is now outbound between Earth’s and Mar’s orbit.

The exposures used to form this image were taken a week after perihelion on the evening of October 8 and show a nuclear magnitude of 11.7.  Forty-five 30 second exposures were taken and stacked with all registered to the comet.