Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak now visible with binoculars as it heads towards perihelion

Unfortunately, we haven't had a very bright comet for some time now, but there are a number of short-period comets that regularly approach the inner Solar System, and a few of them can even be spotted with binoculars. One of the more interesting is 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak. It has an orbital period of 5.4 years and is currently heading back towards perihelion, which it reaches on April 12th. Over the coming months, this comet will be superbly placed in the evening sky for northern-based observers and bright enough to be seen with binoculars. It may even reach naked eye visibility.

At the beginning of March, comet 41P was located in Leo. From northern locations, it shone at 8th magnitude and appeared high in the early evening sky. The comet continues to brighten and is expected to peak at about mag. +6.1, around the time of perihelion. However, early brightness measurements are encouraging and it's possible it could even reach naked visibility.

Before that, comet 41P continues to move on a north-easterly trajectory, passing into Ursa Major on March 12th and then into Draco on March 29th. Here it remains until April 20th, before then moving south through Hercules and Lyra. Throughout this period, it stays high in the sky from northern and tropical locations, although the Moon somewhat interfere's during the second week of March and April. From Southern Hemispere locations, 41P is not well paced, appearing low down above the northern horizon.

Horace Parnell Tuttle discovered the comet on May 3, 1858. It was independently re-discovered by Michel Giacobini in 1907 and by Lubor Kresak in 1951.

Positions of comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak from March 5th to 9th - pdf format (credit:- freestarcharts)

Positions of comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak from March 19th to April 4th - pdf format (credit:- freestarcharts)

41/P-Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak Data (at epoch March 6, 2006)

Name 41/P-Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak Type Comet Discoverer Horace Parnell Tuttle, Michel Giacobini, Lubor Kresák Discovery date May 3, 1858 Perihelion (AU) 1.048 Aphelion(AU) 5.122 Semi-major axis (AU) 3.085 Eccentricity 0.660 Orbital period (years) 5.419 Inclination (degrees) 9.229 Perihelion April 12, 2017

41/P-Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak