331P/Gibbs (0331P)

Type: Periodic Perihelion date: 22 December 2025 Perihelion distance (q): 2.9 Aphelion distance (Q) : 3.1 Period (years): 5.2 Eccentricity (e): 0.04 Inclination (i): 9.7 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve Atlas 331P/Gibbs = 2012 F5 Alex Gibbs discovered a 20th magnitude comet on 22 March 2012 on images taken during the Mt Lemmon Survey with the 1.5m reflector. The comet was at perihelion at 2.9 au in 2010 March, so given the interval since perihelion, it may be in outburst. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 28-Mar-16 18.68 0.03 15.7 0.2 28-Mar-16 18.58 0.09 15.7 0.2 06-Apr-16 18.46 0.06 15.4 0.2 06-Apr-16 19.30 0.25 16.4 0.2 11-Apr-16 19.04 0.07 16.1 0.2 11-Apr-16 18.85 0.02 17.3 0.2