398P/Boattini (0398P)

TRY AGAIN 2026

Type: Periodic Perihelion date: 7 July 2026 Perihelion distance (q): 1.3 Aphelion distance (Q) : 4.9 Period (years): 5.5 Eccentricity (e): 0.58 Inclination (i): 11.0 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve Atlas 398P/Boattini = 2009 Q4 = 2020 P2 Andrea Boattini discovered a 19th magnitude comet during the Catalina Sky Survey with the 0.68m Schmidt on 26 August 2009. Several amateur observers confirmed the cometary nature. Nicolas Erasmus of The ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) team discovered a 19th magnitude object in images taken with the 0.5m Schmidt at Mauna Loa on 11 August 2020. It was posted on the PCCP as A10oYh3 and the next day deleted and reported on the "Previous NEO Confirmation Page Objects" as P/2020 P2. There was no MPEC or CBET linked to it at this point. CBET 4829 was issued on 16 August 2020. After posting on the PCCP, Hirohisa Sato had noted that it appeared to be a recovery of 2009 Q4, some 10' from the expected position. The comet passed 0.55 au from Jupiter in June 1984. It will passed 0.4 au from the Earth in December 2020. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 07-Nov-20 15.89 0.01 14.3 0.8 17-Nov-20 15.33 0.00 13.5 1.3 06-Dec-20 14.47 0.01 11.7 2.4 14-Dec-20 14.26 0.01 11.8 2.4 20-Dec-20 14.35 0.03 11.7 2.3 09-Jan-21 14.60 0.02 11.5 3.8 17-Jan-21 14.86 0.02 12.6 2.3 01-Feb-21 15.62 0.01 12.6 2.3 07-Feb-21 15.94 0.01 13.7 0.9 14-Feb-21 16.15 0.02 13.9 1.1 04-Mar-21 17.0 0.4 02-Apr-21 17.2 0.6 09-Apr-21 18.2 0.4 05-May-21 18.6 0.4