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