C/2012 F6 (Lemmon)

DEPARTED

Type: Periodic Perihelion date: 24 March 2013 Perihelion distance (q): 0.7 Aphelion distance (Q) : 974 Period (years): 10,752 Eccentricity (e): 1.00 Inclination (i): 82.6 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve Images taken during the Mt Lemmon Survey with the 1.5m reflector on 23 March 2012 showed another comet, of 21st magnitude. At discovery it was nearly 6 AU from the Sun. The comet came into visual range in November 2012 though it is at a high southern declination. A visual observation by Marco Goiato with a 0.22m reflector on November 18 made the comet 11.7, much brighter than expected. By mid February 2013 it had reached 5th magnitude and it may have reached 4.5 magnitude at perihelion. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 11-Jan-13 11.71 0.24 8.6 6.6 26-Jan-13 10.76 0.04 02-Feb-13 10.43 0.04 7.2 23-Feb-13 8.92 0.04 5.9 8.3 27-Apr-13 9.76 0.04 6.7 3.3