399P/PANSTARRS (0399P)

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Type: Periodic Perihelion date: 22 May 2021 Perihelion distance (q): 2.1 Aphelion distance (Q) : 5.5 Period (years): 7.4 Eccentricity (e): 0.45 Inclination (i): 13.3 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve 399P/PanSTARRS = 2013 O2 = 2020 O4 Pan-STARRS discovered a 21st magnitude comet on 16 July 2013. It makes occasional approaches to Jupiter, most recently to within 0.3 au in 1994. This reduced the perihelion distance from 2.6 au to its present value. Syuichi Nakano noticed that recovery observations of 2013 O2 had been published in recent MPECs listing observations of comets (2020-P19, Q175 and R04). The earliest observations (30 July 2020) were by Mt Lemmon, with several other observers/observatories including Werner Hasubick at Buchloe also observing the comet. Nakano then computed a linked orbit and an MPEC was issued giving a designation, followed by the CBET. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 27-Oct-13 18.93 0.13 18.3 0.1 09-Nov-13 18.68 0.24 17.9 0.2 27-Dec-13 19.55 0.13 19.2 0.2