57P/du Toit–Neujmin–Delporte

Lore & Background

The comet has a complicated discovery history due to unreliable communications during World War II. Daniel du Toit discovered it on July 18, 1941, at Boyden Station, South Africa, but his cabled message did not reach Harvard College Observatory until July 27. During a routine asteroid search, Grigory N. Neujmin found the comet on a photographic plate exposed on July 25 at Simeis Observatory, Soviet Union, confirming his observation on July 29, though the radiogram from Moscow took 20 days to reach Harvard. The official announcement came on August 20, 1941. A few days later, Eugène Joseph Delporte at the Royal Observatory in Belgium was found to have also discovered the comet on August 19, so he was added to the list of discoverers. Paul Ahnert at Sonneberg, Thuringia, Germany, had also observed the comet on July 22, but news reached Harvard too late to recognize his contribution.

Reader's Guide

The fragmentation of 57P/du Toit–Neujmin–Delporte in 2002 provided a rare opportunity to observe a comet breaking apart. The discovery of at least 20 fragments spread along the orbital path over an angle of 27 arcminutes from the surviving head offered insight into the processes that disrupt cometary nuclei. As a Jupiter-family comet, its orbit and evolution are strongly influenced by Jupiter, making its breakup a case study in how such comets can disintegrate under gravitational and thermal stresses. Fragment A was last observed in 2002, marking the end of observations of the largest piece. The event was captured in a NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day on August 2, 2002, titled 'Comet 57P Falls to Pieces,' highlighting its significance in cometary science. The comet's complicated discovery history, involving multiple discoverers and delayed communications during wartime, adds a human dimension to its scientific story.

Did You Know?

• The comet was discovered independently by three astronomers during World War II, with communications delays obscuring the order of discovery.
• Paul Ahnert observed the comet on July 22, 1941, but his contribution was not recognized because news reached Harvard too late.
• In 2002, the comet was found to have broken into at least 20 fragments spread over 27 arcminutes along its orbital path.
• Fragment A, the largest surviving piece, was last observed in 2002.