149P/Mueller 4

 

This comet was discovered by Jean Mueller with the famous 1.2-m Oschin Schmidt at Mount Palomar on April 9^th 1992. It was her fourth periodic discovery (between 1987 and 1998 this prolific observer totaled no less than five numbered periodic comets, four unnumbered periodic comets and eight non-periodic comets). The comet was magnitude 17.5 and showed a very faint tail. It was recovered on December 22^nd 2000. During the 2001 return it showed some unusual activity (see below). The comet has a period of 9.0 years and a rather low excentricity orbit (e=0.389) with perihelion at 2.65AU.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

149P/Mueller 4 was extensively observed by Pepe Manteca at Begues (Barcelona, MPC 170) in 2001.

Although the comet was of the expected brightness when recovered, it brightened much more than expected, peaking well after perihelion and showing a large perihelion asymmetry. Apparently there was an outburst of some 2 magnitudes. Pepe Manteca’s data shows a steady fade between early April and early June, although the light curve of Seichii Yoshida, in contrast, shows the comet seemingly still brightening until last observed at the end of June 2001.

Pepe Manteca’s data shows that the comet is a rather low activity object (and that even when it was in outburst) with a value of Afrho around 17-cm at maximum.