C/1983 H1 (IRAS–Araki–Alcock)

[3] The comet was named after its discoverers – the Infrared Astronomical Satellite and two amateur astronomers, George Alcock of the United Kingdom and Genichi Araki of Japan.

Alcock had made his discovery simply by observing through the window of his home, using binoculars.

[5][6] During the closest approach, the comet appeared as a circular cloud about the size of the full moon, having no discernible tail, and shining at a naked eye magnitude of 3–4.

It swept across the sky at an angular speed of about 30 degrees per day.

[8] This shower's radiant lies between Vega and Cygnus and produces 1 or 2 meteors an hour in mid-May with a peak between 9 May and 11 May.

A false colour image of Comet IRAS–Araki–Alcock in 1983, viewed in infrared light by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS)
This figure combines an International Ultraviolet Explorer FES image showing its diffuse tail, and the long-wavelength redundant (LWR) spectrum depicting the molecular emission lines of sulfur (S 2 ) and hydroxyl (OH).
The comet passed from north to south between 9 May to 13 May, passing through Ursa Major towards Cancer . Its motion is marked every 2 hours here.
Moving north to south, it crossed just inside the Earth's orbit on 11 May.