Comet 88P/Howell
Taken by José J. Chambó on May 29, 2026 @
Rio Hurtado, Chile
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Comet 88P/Howell, imaged on May 29, 2026 at around magnitude 11, continues to recede from the Sun while showing little sign of fading. Over the past month its brightness has dropped by only a few tenths of a magnitude, maintaining a remarkably consistent appearance.
Its distinctive emerald-green coma looks much the same as it did a few weeks earlier. Broad and strongly gas-rich in appearance, it remains centered on a well-defined condensation, indicating that the comet is still releasing substantial amounts of gas despite moving farther from the Sun after perihelion.
The most noticeable change is found in the tail. Barely detectable in my previous image, it has grown both brighter and longer, extending to roughly half a degree across the sky. Although still faint, it now stands out clearly and gives the comet a much more dynamic appearance than it had just a month ago.
At the time of this image, the comet was crossing the border region between Cetus and Pisces, an otherwise sparse area of the sky. A pair of orange eighth-magnitude stars provides an appealing color contrast against the green glow of the coma, becoming the most eye-catching companions in the field.
A month later, the brightness has changed very little; almost all of the comet's visible evolution has taken place in the tail.
88P/Howell @ 2026-May-29, 10:11 UT
Total Mag= 10.7 [aperture 281"], Dia.= 4.7, Tail= 35' PA= 243° (Tycho Tracker)
ASA N250 Astrograph f/3.6, ZWO ASI 6200 MM. L=3x120s RGB=1x120s, FOV=87x65'(crop), N:Up E:Left. DSC, Coquimbo (Chile). J. Chambó
Photographer's website:
https://cometografia.es
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