C/2011 KP36 (Spacewatch)

DEPARTED

Type: Periodic Perihelion date: 26 May 2016 Perihelion distance (q): 4.9 Aphelion distance (Q) : 71.9 Period (years): 238 Eccentricity (e): 0.87 Inclination (i): 19.0 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve This unusual asteroid was discovered at the Steward Observatory, Kitt Peak with the Spacewatch 0.9m reflector on 21 May 2011. It has a period of around 240 years and perihelion is at 4.9 au in May 2016. The orbit has a Tisserand criterion of 2.64 with respect to Jupiter and the object can pass within 0.3 au of the planet. In May 2012 cometary features were detected by chance by Tomas Vorobjov, with follow-up observations by Sergei Foglia, Luca Buzzi (as described by Luca) and the object was then given a cometary designation. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 13-Aug-14 17.36 0.05 17.1 0.2 27-Mar-15 16.50 0.04 13.6 0.2 19-Apr-15 16.53 0.02 14.6 0.2 22-May-15 16.30 0.03 14.1 0.2 10-Jun-15 16.20 0.04 12.9 0.3 26-Jun-15 16.01 0.05 14.0 0.3 19-Jul-15 15.76 0.04 13.5 0.3 26-Jul-15 15.58 0.02 11.9 0.3 08-Aug-15 15.60 0.02 13.0 0.3 15-Aug-15 15.61 0.03 11.9 0.4 21-Aug-15 15.69 0.00 13.0 0.2 03-Sep-15 15.62 0.03 12.3 0.3 12-Sep-15 15.76 0.01 13.5 0.5 12-Sep-15 15.76 0.01 13.5 0.6 19-Sep-15 15.78 0.01 12.9 0.5 05-Oct-15 15.94 0.01 13.3 0.3 13-Oct-15 15.85 0.01 13.4 0.9 03-Nov-15 15.88 0.01 12.9 0.4 05-Nov-15 15.88 0.01 12.5 0.4 09-Jun-16 15.85 0.01 12.6 0.5 30-Aug-16 15.41 0.02 11.9 1.1 06-Sep-16 15.47 0.01 12.6 1.1 25-Sep-16 15.14 0.04 11.8 1.6 29-Oct-16 15.64 0.01 13.1 1.4 06-Nov-16 15.88 0.01 12.6 0.4 23-Nov-16 15.85 0.01 13.1 0.8 19-Dec-16 16.15 0.01 12.1 0.6 26-Dec-16 16.16 0.04 12.8 0.5 22-Jan-17 16.41 0.03 13.4 0.6 30-Jul-17 16.94 0.06 14.5 0.6 20-Aug-17 17.00 0.06 14.1 0.6 28-Aug-17 16.84 0.05 13.3 0.4 23-Sep-17 16.84 0.08 13.8 0.5 27-Sep-17 16.94 0.02 14.8 0.5 18-Oct-17 16.69 0.01 14.2 0.4 26-Oct-17 16.61 0.02 14.2 0.5 13-Nov-17 16.59 0.03 14.5 0.4 23-Nov-17 16.70 0.02 14.2 0.5 20-Dec-17 16.99 0.02 14.8 0.6 05-Feb-18 17.49 0.03 14.5 0.4 13-Feb-18 17.22 0.02 15.0 0.4 08-Mar-18 17.36 0.03 15.6 0.4 17-Mar-18 17.45 0.02 08-Nov-18 17.98 0.05 17.4 0.3 16-Nov-18 17.77 0.04 18-Nov-18 17.84 0.03 16.2 0.3 01-Dec-18 17.81 0.06 16.8 0.4 08-Dec-18 17.88 0.02 17.0 0.4 16-Dec-18 18.00 0.04 17.4 0.4 28-Dec-18 17.99 0.05 17.4 0.3 04-Jan-19 17.85 0.07 16.9 0.3 08-Sep-19 19.00 0.01 8.0 0.2 27-Nov-19 18.59 0.06 16.4 0.2 21-Dec-19 18.82 0.08 18.6 0.2 27-Dec-19 18.79 0.08 18.3 0.2 14-Jan-20 18.90 0.04 18.6 0.2 11-Feb-20 19.12 0.10 18.8 0.2