Comet 88P/Howell
Taken by José J. Chambó on April 24, 2026 @
Rio Hurtado, Chile
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The periodic comet 88P/Howell, imaged on April 24, 2026, appears in this return with a brightness around magnitude 10, enough to place it among the more accessible comets of the season, yet surprisingly little observed.
Despite holding that position throughout April and May, its follow-up has remained limited, likely overshadowed by the strong competition from other, more eye-catching comets, and by an unfavorable observing geometry, restricted to subtropical and southern latitudes and always low above the horizon before dawn.
Driven more by the need to properly document it during this apparition, like an old acquaintance that returns every five years as it passes through our local neighborhood of the inner solar system, I used a powerful remote setup in the Coquimbo region of Chile to capture this close-up view.
Within the field, in the constellation of Aquarius, a warm-colored star stands out as the brightest in the frame, with a magnitude of 9.6, providing a useful visual and chromatic reference against the comet’s greenish glow.
The nucleus appears as a nearly stellar condensation embedded in a vivid green coma with a very smooth brightness gradient, characteristic of gaseous emission, from which a faint tail about 4 arcminutes long extends, barely hinted as a subtle diffuse elongation in that direction.
Another return of 88P—quiet, understated… like those old acquaintances who never need to draw attention to remind you they’re still around.
88P/Howell @ 2026-Apr-24, 09:43 UT
Total Mag= 10.4 [aperture 222"], Dia.= 5', DC= 4.5, Tail= 3.5' PA= 242° (Tycho Tracker)
Planewave 20" CDK f/6.7, FLI ML16200. L=10x60s RGB=1x60s, FOV=26x21'(crop), N:Up E:Left. DSC, Coquimbo (Chile). J. Chambó
Photographer's website:
https://cometografia.es
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