502P/NEAT (0502P)

Type: Periodic Perihelion date: 5 August 2025 Perihelion distance (q): 4.2 Aphelion distance (Q) : 11.8 Period (years): 22.6 Eccentricity (e): 0.47 Inclination (i): 11.4 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve Atlas 502P/NEAT = 2003 QX29 = 2025 H1 A 20th magnitude comet was discovered by NEAT on 23 August 2003, although some CCD observers estimate it a little brighter. The comet was nearly a year past perihelion and faded. The perihelion distance was 4.2 au and the period around 23 years. Maik Meyer subsequently found prediscovery observations from Palomar/NEAT made in June 2002, which gave a period of 22.73 years and perihelion at 4.24 au according to calculations by Muraoka. Sam Deen found a probable recovery of 2003 QX29 in DECam images from 1 September 2024. It was accidently recovered in images taken with the 1.5-m reflector of the Mt Lemmon Survey on 23 April at 20th magnitude and posted on the PCCP as CD876E2. Pre-recovery images from PanSTARRS on 1 July 2024 were then found. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 02-Jun-25 20.0 0.4 19-Jul-25 19.1 0.4 31-Jul-25 19.0 0.2 14-Aug-25 19.3 0.2 24-Aug-25 19.4 0.2