125P/Spacewatch

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125P/Spacewatch
125P 2024-06-03 image ZTF-sso-442-zr-size-8.5arcmin.png
Discovery
Discovered by Tom Gehrels (Spacewatch)
Discovery dateSeptember 8, 1991
Designations
P/1991 R2, 1990 XXIX, 1991x, P/1996 F1
Orbital characteristics
Epoch March 13, 2013 (2456364.5) [1]
Aphelion 4.730779 AU
Perihelion 1.52546421 AU
Semi-major axis 3.12812162 AU
Eccentricity 0.5123385
Orbital period 5.53 a
2020.8 d
Inclination 9.98579°
Last perihelion7 March 2024 [2]
27 August 2018 [3]
16 February 2013

125P/Spacewatch is a periodic Jupiter-family comet. It was discovered on September 8, 1991, by Tom Gehrels using the 0.91 m Spacewatch telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory. [4] It was the first comet discovered with the use of a CCD [5] and also the faintest comet upon discovery up to that point. [4] It has a diameter of 1.6 km. [6]

The comet was discovered in images taken by the 0.91 m Spacewatch telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory by Tom Gehrels on September 8, 1991 as an essentially stellar object with an apparent magnitude of 21, with a tail more than 5 arcminutes long. [7] Brian G. Marsden calculated a parabolic and an elliptical orbit, with the elliptical orbit suggesting an orbital period of 5.58 years and a perihelion date on 18 December 1990. [8]

The comet was recovered on 21 March 1996 by the Spacewatch telescope from James V. Scotti and J. Montani, with an apparent magnitude of 17.6, a tail measuring 0.66 arcminutes long and a coma measuring 15 arcseconds across. The orbit calculated after the recovery indicates an orbital period of 5.56 years. [9] During that apparition the comet experienced an outburst in late July 1996 and brightened to a magnitude of 14.5. [4] During the 2002 apparition the comet brightened to a magnitude of 18. [4]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">C/2004 F4 (Bradfield)</span>

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References

  1. ↑ Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "125P/Spacewatch" . Retrieved 2013-06-02.
  2. ↑ "Horizons Batch for 125P/Spacewatch (90001024) on 2024-Mar-07" (Perihelion occurs when rdot flips from negative to positive). JPL Horizons . Retrieved 2023-07-06. (JPL#32 Soln.date: 2019-May-15)
  3. ↑ "125P/Spacewatch Orbit". Minor Planet Center . Retrieved 2014-06-17.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Garty W. Kronk / cometography.com. "125P/Spacewatch" . Retrieved 2013-06-02.
  5. ↑ "SPACEWATCH® News and History". spacewatch.lpl.arizona.edu. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  6. ↑ comets-asteroids.sciencedailys.com. "125P/Spacewatch" . Retrieved 2013-06-02.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ "IAUC 5341: 1991x; 1991o; SATURN". www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu. 10 September 1991. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  8. ↑ "IAUC 5343: 1991x; N Her 1991". www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu. 12 September 1991. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  9. ↑ Scotti, J. V.; Montani, J.; Nakano, S.; Marsden, B. G. (1 March 1996). "Comet P/1996 F1 (Spacewatch)". International Astronomical Union Circular. 6349: 1. ISSN   0081-0304.
Numbered comets
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126P/IRAS
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