278P/McNaught (0278P)
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Type: Periodic
Perihelion date: 12 September 2020
Perihelion distance (q): 2.1
Aphelion distance (Q) : 5.3
Period (years): 7.1
Eccentricity (e): 0.44
Inclination (i): 6.7
JPL orbit diagram
COBS lightcurve
278P/McNaught = 2006 K2 = 2013 B1
Rob McNaught discovered this comet during the course of the Siding Spring Survey
on 22 May 2006. The object was 18th magnitude and near opposition. It reached
perihelion at 2.1 AU in late June 2006 and has a period of 7.1 years. The comet has
undergone occasional minor perturbing encounters with Jupiter, most recently in
1989.
Jim Scotti recovered 2006 K2 in Spacewatch II images taken with the 1.8-m f/2.7
reflector at Kitt Peak on 19 January 2013.
Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude)
Date
10x10 mag
Error
VEmag
Coma '
03-Apr-13
19.42
0.14
19.2
0.2
02-May-13
18.94
0.08
18.7
0.1
04-Mar-20
19.50
0.07
19.1
0.2
19-Mar-20
19.07
0.14
18.7
0.2
28-Mar-20
18.47
0.04
18.0
0.3
22-May-20
18.12
0.03
17.2
0.3
13-Sep-21
20.3
0.4