303P/NEAT (0303P)
Type: Periodic
Perihelion date: 19 February 2026
Perihelion distance (q): 2.5
Aphelion distance (Q) : 7.6
Period (years): 11.3
Eccentricity (e): 0.51
Inclination (i): 7.0
JPL orbit diagram
COBS lightcurve
Atlas
303P/NEAT = 2003 U3 = 2014 L1
K. Lawrence, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, reports the discovery by the NEAT project of
a 19th magnitude comet on 22 October 2003. Observations by J. Young at Table
Mountain on 23 October show a 3" coma with a short, broad, fan-shaped tail about 8"
long spanning p.a. 255-285 deg.
2003 U3 (P/NEAT) was recovered in images taken at the ESA Optical Ground Station
in Tenerife with the 1.0m reflector by P Ruiz. It returned to perihelion 1.80 days earlier
than predicted.
Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude)
Date
10x10 mag
Error
VEmag
Coma '
02-Sep-14
18.36
0.14
18.0
0.2
11-Sep-14
18.55
0.08
18.3
0.2
19-Sep-14
18.66
0.07
17.6
0.2
26-Sep-14
18.44
0.20
16.9
0.2