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