260P/McNaught (0260P)
TRY AGAIN 2026
Type: Periodic
Perihelion date: 4 August 2026
Perihelion distance (q): 1.4
Aphelion distance (Q) : 5.8
Period (years): 6.9
Eccentricity (e): 0.61
Inclination (i): 15.0
JPL orbit diagram
COBS lightcurve
Atlas
260P/McNaught = 2005 K3 = 2012 K2
Rob McNaught discovered a 17th magnitude comet with the 0.5-m Uppsala Schmidt
during the Siding Spring Survey on 20 May 2005. Its period is 7.1 years with
perihelion at 1.51 AU in August 2005.
The comet was recovered by M Masek with the 0.3m reflector at the Pierre Auger
Observatory, Malargue on 15 May 2012 and it will reached perihelion in September,
0.22 days earlier than predicted. It reached a peak near 11th magnitude in October
2012.
Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude)
Date
10x10 mag
Error
VEmag
Coma '
30-Jun-19
15.69
0.02
14.4
0.8
13-Jul-19
15.11
0.02
13.6
0.8
28-Jul-19
14.79
0.02
12.8
0.9
12-Aug-19
14.18
0.05
12.1
0.8
26-Aug-19
14.27
0.01
12.5
1.0
02-Sep-19
14.00
0.04
12.4
1.5
10-Sep-19
13.69
0.01
12.1
1.2
24-Sep-19
13.61
0.01
11.7
1.8
01-Oct-19
13.56
0.01
11.7
1.6
08-Oct-19
13.49
0.01
11.6
1.4
22-Oct-19
13.62
0.01
11.5
1.3
29-Oct-19
13.71
0.01
11.6
1.5
23-Nov-19
14.57
0.01
12.3
1.4
30-Nov-19
14.90
0.01
12.6
1.6
20-Dec-19
15.89
0.01
13.1
1.0
27-Dec-19
16.24
0.01
14.1
1.0
28-Jan-20
17.50
0.14
14.6
0.7
11-Feb-20
18.22
0.07
16.3
0.5