Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Pan-STARRS 1.8-m Ritchey–Chrétien (F51)[1] |
Discovery date | 17 May 2012 |
Orbital characteristics | |
Epoch | 11 August 2014[2] |
Orbit type | Oort cloud |
Aphelion | ~52000 AU (inbound)[3] ~14000 AU (outbound) |
Perihelion | 1.0545 AU (q)[2] |
Eccentricity | 1.00021[2] |
Orbital period | several million years inbound (Barycentric solution for epoch 1950)[3] ~600000 yr outbound (Barycentric solution for epoch 2050)[3] |
Inclination | 142.43°[2] |
Last perihelion | 27 August 2014[2] |
Jupiter MOID | 1.5 AU |
C/2012 K1 (PanSTARRS) is a retrograde Oort cloud comet discovered at magnitude 19.7, 8.7 AU from the Sun on 17 May 2012 using the Pan-STARRS telescope located near the summit of Haleakalā, on the island of MauiinHawaii (U.S.).[1]
The comet started 2014 as a Northern Hemisphere object. By late April 2014 it had brightened to roughly apparent magnitude ~8.8[4] making it a small telescope/binoculars target for experienced observers. In June and July 2014 the comet was near the Sickle of Leo.[5] As of 3 July 2014 the comet had brightened to magnitude 7.9.[6]
From 12 July 2014 until 6 September 2014 it had an elongation less than 30 degrees from the Sun.[4] The comet came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 27 August 2014 at a distance of 1.05 AU (157,000,000 km; 98,000,000 mi) from the Sun.[2] It crosses the celestial equator on 15 September 2014 becoming a Southern Hemisphere object.[4]
The comet peaked around magnitude 6.9 in mid-October 2014[7][8] when it had an elongation of around 75 degrees from the Sun.[4] It is visible in binoculars and small telescopes.
2013 in space
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2014 in space
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