126P/IRAS

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126P/IRAS
126P 2023-07-27 image ZTF-sso-555-zr-size-11arcmin.png
Comet 126P/IRAS photographed from the Zwicky Transient Facility on 27 July 2023
Discovery [1] [2]
Discovered by Infrared Astronomical Satellite
Discovery date26 July 1983
Designations
P/1983 M1, P/1996 P1
1983 XIV, 1983j
Orbital characteristics [3] [4]
Epoch 27 May 2021 (JD 2459361.5)
Observation arc 27.52 years
Number of
observations		1,717
Aphelion 9.573 AU
Perihelion 1.713 AU
Semi-major axis 5.640 AU
Eccentricity 0.69628
Orbital period 13.395 years
Inclination 45.869°
357.86°
Argument of
periapsis 		356.52°
Mean anomaly 303.38°
Last perihelion5 July 2023
Next perihelion11 October 2036
TJupiter 1.964
Earth MOID 0.711 AU
Jupiter MOID 2.771 AU
Physical characteristics [3]
Dimensions 1.57±0.14 km [5]
0.15±0.03 [6]
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		11.8
Comet nuclear
magnitude (M2)		14.9

126P/IRAS is a Jupiter-family comet with an orbital period of 13.4 years. It was discovered in images taken by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) on 28 July 1983 by J. Davies. [1] The discovery was confirmed with images taken with the 1.2-m Schmidt telescope at Palomar Observatory. [2] [7]

Contents

Observational history

Upon discovery the comet had an apparent magnitude of 15 and appeared stellar in appearance. [1] The comet brightened and in mid September 1983 reached an apparent magnitude of 11 while a tail 3.5 arcminutes long was observed. Brian G. Marsden computed its orbit and found it is a short period comet with an orbital period of 13.32 years. [7] The comet was observed again during its next apparition in 1996, when it brightened up to magnitude of about 11 in September 1996 and faded to about 12 in October. [8] [9] The comet was observed during its 2010 and 2023 apparitions. [10]

During the 1996 apparition, the comet was observed by the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) when it was near perihelion. At the time, the comet had a 15 arcminute long tail in mid-infrared.

Physical characteristics

The surface was covered with dust grains smaller than 5 microns, a grain size similar to Halley's Comet. The dust mass loss rate was between 150–600 kg/s, while the comet shed 3.3 times more dust mass than gas mass. The albedo of the dust grain in the tail was estimated to be 0.15±0.03. [6] The nucleus is estimated to have a radius of 1.57 ± 0.14 km (0.976 ± 0.087 mi) based on infrared observations. [5]

Possible meteor shower

It has been proposed that meteoroids expelled from the comet about 13,000 years ago could reach Earth, producing a diffuse meteor shower. [11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 J. Davies; J. Gibson (1 July 1983). D. W. Green (ed.). "Possible Comet". IAU Circular. 3833 (1). Bibcode:1983IAUC.3833....1D. ISSN   0081-0304.
  2. 1 2 J. Davies; A. C. Gilmore; P. M. Kilmartin (7 July 1983). B. G. Marsden (ed.). "Comet IRAS (1983j)". IAU Circular. 3837 (1). Bibcode:1983IAUC.3837....1G. ISSN   0081-0304.
  3. 1 2 "126P/IRAS – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "126P/IRAS Orbit". Minor Planet Center . Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  5. 1 2 O. Groussin; P. Lamy; L. Jorda; I. Toth (2004). "The nuclei of comets 126P/IRAS and 103P/Hartley 2" (PDF). Astronomy & Astrophysics. 419 (1): 375–383. Bibcode:2004A&A...419..375G. doi: 10.1051/0004-6361:20040073 .
  6. 1 2 C. M. Lisse; Y. R. Fernández; M. F. A'Hearn; E. Grün; H. U. Käufl; et al. (2004). "A tale of two very different comets: ISO and MSX measurements of dust emission from 126P/IRAS (1996) and 2P/Encke (1997)". Icarus. 171 (2): 444–462. Bibcode:2004Icar..171..444L. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2004.05.015.
  7. 1 2 G. W. Kronk. "126P/IRAS". Cometography.com. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  8. ↑ B. G. Marsden; D. A. J. Seargent; P. Camilleri; J. Kobayashi; A. Hale (2 October 1996). "Comet 126P/IRAS". IAU Circular. 6483 (2). Bibcode:1996IAUC.6483....2M. ISSN   0081-0304.
  9. ↑ R. Keen; J. Carvajal; K. Sarneczky; D. A. J. Seargent; J. Hu (24 October 1996). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet 126P/IRAS". IAU Circular. 6497 (2). Bibcode:1996IAUC.6497....2K. ISSN   0081-0304.
  10. ↑ S. Yoshida. "126P/IRAS". www.aerith.net. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  11. ↑ D. Tomko; L. Neslušan (2012). "Search for New Parent Bodies of Meteoroid Streams Among Comets I: Showers of Comets 126P/1996 P1 and 161P/2004 V2 with Radiants on Southern Sky" (PDF). Earth, Moon, & Planets. 108 (2): 123–138. Bibcode:2012EM&P..108..123T. doi: 10.1007/s11038-012-9387-x .
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