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]
 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Tom Gehrels (Spacewatch) |
| Discovery date | September 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 perihelion | 7 March 2024[2] 27 August 2018[3] 16 February 2013 |
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]
References
edit- ^ Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "125P/Spacewatch". Retrieved 2013-06-02.
- ^ "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)
- ^ "125P/Spacewatch Orbit". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
- ^ a b c d Garty W. Kronk / cometography.com. "125P/Spacewatch". Retrieved 2013-06-02.
- ^ "SPACEWATCH® News and History". spacewatch.lpl.arizona.edu. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ comets-asteroids.sciencedailys.com. "125P/Spacewatch". Retrieved 2013-06-02.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "IAUC 5341: 1991x; 1991o; SATURN". www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu. 10 September 1991. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ "IAUC 5343: 1991x; N Her 1991". www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu. 12 September 1991. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ 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.
External links
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