C/1739 K1 (Zanotti)

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C/1739 K1 (Zanotti)
Discovery [1]
Discovered by Eustachio Zanotti
Discovery site Bologna, Italy
Discovery date28 May 1739
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch 17 June 1739 (JD 2356384.416)
Observation arc 82 days
Perihelion 0.674 AU
Eccentricity ~1.000
Inclination 121.260°
211.044°
Argument of
periapsis 		104.752°
Last perihelion17 June 1739
Physical characteristics [3] [4]
Mean radius
2.96 km (1.84 mi) [a]
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		3.3

C/1739 K1 is a non-periodic comet that was discovered by Italian astronomer Eustachio Zanotti in 1739. [1] It is the parent body of the Leo Minorids meteor shower. [5]

Contents

Observational history

Zanotti spotted the comet in the constellation of Lynx on 27 May. He described it as a magnitude 3 star surrounded by nebulosity, while a tail 2 degrees long was spotted using a telescope. Zanotti followed the comet with the naked eye until 17 August, when it was only visible via a telescope. He last observed the comet the next day. It was also observed by James Bradley from 30 May to 10 June and Fuhrmann from June 8 to June 19. [4]

The parabolic orbit calculated by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille indicates it passed perihelion on 17.9 June. The comet had passed at a distance of 0.45 AU on 16 April 1739. [4] The comet has a minimum orbital intersection distance with Earth of 0.049 AU and has been associated with the Leo Minorids meteor shower. [6]

In 1929, Tadeusz Banachiewicz initially noted some similarities with the preliminary orbit of the then-newly discovered comet, C/1929 Y1 (Wilk), [7] indicating a potential return of Comet Zanotti. [8] However, the claim is later refuted and both comets are unrelated to each other. [8]

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Calculated mean radius using the formula: [3]
    Where is the comet's absolute total magnitude (M1)

Citations

  1. 1 2 E. Zanotti (1739). "XV. The parabolic orbit for the comet of 1739. Observed by Signor Eustachio Zanotti at Bologna" . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. 41 (452): 809. doi: 10.1098/rstl.1739.0145 . ISSN   0261-0523. JSTOR   104378 . S2CID   186214215.
  2. ↑ "C/1739 K1 – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 J. A. Fernández; A. Sosa (2012). "Magnitude and size distribution of long-period comets in Earth-crossing or approaching orbits". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 423 (2): 1674–1690. arXiv: 1204.2285 . doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.20989.x .
  4. 1 2 3 G. W. Kronk; M. Meyer; D. A. J. Seargent (1999). Cometography: A Catalog of Comets. Vol. 1: Ancient–1799. Cambridge University Press. pp. 402–403. ISBN   978-0-521-58504-0.
  5. ↑ P. M. Jenniskens; D. S. Lauretta; M. C. Towner; S. Heathcote; E. Jehin; et al. (2021). "Meteor showers from known long-period comets". Icarus . 365 (114469). doi: 10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114469 . ISSN   0019-1035.
  6. ↑ P. M. Jenniskens (2006). Meteor Showers and their Parent Comets. Cambridge University Press. p. 82. ISBN   978-1-316-25710-4.
  7. ↑ T. Banachiewicz (27 December 1929). E. Strömgren (ed.). "Comet Wilk (1929d)". IAU Circular. 240 (1).
  8. 1 2 G. van Biesbroeck; T. Banachiewicz. "Comet Notes: Comet Wilk (1929d)". Popular Astronomy. 38: 118–119. Bibcode:1930PA.....38..118V.
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