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