168P/Hergenrother

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168P/Hergenrother
168p-hergenrother.jpg
168P/Hergenrother during its 2012 outburst. By Mount Lemmon Observatory.
Discovery
Discovered by Carl W. Hergenrother
Discovery dateNovember 22, 1998
Designations
P/1998 W2
P/2005 N2
Orbital characteristics
Epoch March 6, 2006
Aphelion 5.839 AU
Perihelion 1.426 AU
Semi-major axis 3.632 AU
Eccentricity 0.6075
Orbital period 6.923 a
Inclination 21.8934°
Last perihelionAugust 5, 2019 [1] [2]
October 1, 2012 [3]
November 2, 2005
Next perihelion2026-May-18 [1]
Earth MOID 0.4  AU (60 million  km)

168P/Hergenrother is a periodic comet in the Solar System. The comet originally named P/1998 W2 returned in 2005 and got the temporary name P/2005 N2. [4] The comet was last observed in January 2020, [1] and may have continued fragmenting after the 2012 outburst.

Contents

2012 outburst

The comet came to perihelion on October 1, 2012, [3] and was expected to reach about apparent magnitude 15.2, but due to an outburst the comet reached apparent magnitude 8. [5] As a result of the outburst of gas and dust, the comet was briefly more than 500 times brighter than it would have been without the outburst. [6] On October 19, 2012, images by the Virtual Telescope Project showed a dust cloud trailing the nucleus. [7] Images by the 2 m (79 in) Faulkes Telescope North on October 26, 2012, confirm a fragmentation event. [8] The secondary fragment was about magnitude 17. Further observations by the 8.1 m (320 in) Gemini telescope show that the comet fragmented into at least four parts. [9]

2019

168P came to perihelion on August 5, 2019, [1] when it was 76 degrees from the Sun. It then made a closest approach to Earth on 6 November 6, 2019, when it was 1  AU (150 million  km ) from Earth with a solar elongation of about 110 degrees. It was not recovered until January 3, 2020, when it was 141 degrees from the Sun, but only two observations on a single night were reported.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "168P/Hergenrother Orbit". Minor Planet Center . Retrieved 2014-06-20.
  2. ↑ Syuichi Nakano (2012-07-17). "168P/Hergenrother (NK 2283)". OAA Computing and Minor Planet Sections. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  3. 1 2 Syuichi Nakano (2009-04-23). "168P/Hergenrother (NK 1778)". OAA Computing and Minor Planet Sections. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
  4. ↑ IAUC 8560: recovery of comet P/1998 W2
  5. ↑ Seiichi Yoshida (2012-02-21). "168P/Hergenrother (2012)". Seiichi Yoshida's Comet Catalog. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
  6. ↑ Math:
  7. ↑ Gianluca Masi (October 19, 2012). "Comet 168P/Hergenrother: hi-res images (19 Oct. 2012)". Virtual Telescope Project. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
  8. ↑ Giovanni Sostero; Nick Howes; Ernesto Guido (October 26, 2012). "Splitting event in comet 168P/Hergenrother". Remanzacco Observatory in Italy – Comets & Neo. Retrieved 2012-10-28.
  9. ↑ Phil Plait (2012-11-05). "Breaking up is easy to do. If you're a comet". Bad Astronomy. Archived from the original on 2012-11-08. Retrieved 2012-11-05.
Numbered comets
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169P/NEAT
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