C/2012 K1 (PANSTARRS)

DEPARTED

Type: Hyperbolic Perihelion date: 27 August 2014 Perihelion distance (q): 1.1 Aphelion distance (Q) : n/a Period (years): n/a Eccentricity (e): 1.00 Inclination (i): 142.4 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve Pan-STARRS discovered a 19th magnitude comet on 17 May 2012. Calculations by Hirohisa Sato suggested a more interesting perihelion distance of around 1 au in August or September 2014, compared to the original MPEC orbit. This was confirmed by further observations, which gave perihelion at 1.1 au in August 2014. By March 2014 it was under visual observation. By April it was well placed for observation, entering Ursa Major, and by the end of the month was high in the sky in the early evening. The comet was near its brightest at 7th magnitude in mid October 2014. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 28-Feb-13 15.99 0.05 15.8 0.5 11-Mar-13 16.20 0.03 16.0 0.4 24-Mar-13 16.01 0.04 15.7 0.2 03-Apr-13 16.06 0.04 15.7 0.3 22-Apr-13 15.87 0.06 15.4 0.3 01-May-13 15.82 0.02 15.3 0.4 08-May-13 16.09 0.01 15.5 0.3 09-Jun-13 15.41 0.03 14.7 0.4 17-Jun-13 15.49 0.04 15.1 0.3 28-Jun-13 15.46 0.02 14.8 0.4 08-Jul-13 15.61 0.01 14.3 0.4 18-Jul-13 15.54 0.02 14.8 0.3 28-Jul-13 15.39 0.02 14.5 0.4 12-Aug-13 15.52 0.01 14.7 0.5 24-Aug-13 15.58 0.02 14.8 0.4 21-Sep-14 11.17 0.01 7.9 2.8 25-Sep-14 11.29 0.01 8.0 2.0 26-Sep-14 11.27 0.03 8.1 3.3 29-Sep-14 11.30 0.01 8.3 3.5 02-Oct-14 11.34 0.01 8.3 2.7 06-Oct-14 11.39 0.01 8.3 3.6 11-Oct-14 11.42 0.01 8.3 4.6 15-Oct-14 11.47 0.02 8.2 4.7 18-Oct-14 11.48 0.01 8.4 4.0 24-Oct-14 11.57 0.02 8.2 4.9 25-Oct-14 11.74 0.00 8.5 4.7 28-Oct-14 11.35 0.01 8.2 4.5 01-Nov-14 11.95 0.01 8.8 4.5 07-Nov-14 11.65 0.02 8.3 4.5 10-Nov-14 11.86 0.03 8.6 4.3 16-Nov-14 12.00 0.04 8.8 4.4 20-Nov-14 12.41 0.03 9.2 3.7 23-Nov-14 11.74 0.03 8.2 4.2 26-Nov-14 12.67 0.03 9.1 3.8 30-Nov-14 12.83 0.02 9.5 2.8 03-Dec-14 12.84 0.03 9.6 2.8 06-Dec-14 12.93 0.02 9.2 1.3 07-Dec-14 12.83 0.02 9.6 2.9 11-Dec-14 13.02 0.01 9.7 3.0 14-Dec-14 12.97 0.02 9.6 3.3 17-Dec-14 13.14 0.03 9.8 1.8 20-Dec-14 13.20 0.03 9.8 2.0 23-Dec-14 13.36 0.02 10.1 1.8 26-Dec-14 13.35 0.07 10.2 0.6 29-Dec-14 13.43 0.03 10.3 1.4 01-Jan-15 13.64 0.02 10.5 1.0 14-Jan-15 13.83 0.05 11.1 0.8 17-Jan-15 13.95 0.03 10.6 0.6 23-Jan-15 14.08 0.03 11.3 1.2 26-Jan-15 14.04 0.05 10.9 0.7 29-Jan-15 14.16 0.02 11.3 0.6 03-Feb-15 14.30 0.05 11.8 0.3 09-Feb-15 14.48 0.01 11.6 0.4 30-Apr-15 15.49 0.06 13.5 0.2 03-Jun-15 15.92 0.04 14.4 0.2 15-Aug-15 16.08 0.02 13.4 0.3 22-Aug-15 16.18 0.09 14.3 0.2 04-Sep-15 16.22 0.02 13.8 0.4 12-Sep-15 16.28 0.02 13.8 0.4 21-Sep-15 16.31 0.02 13.1 0.3 07-Oct-15 16.72 0.02 14.2 0.2 18-Oct-15 16.93 0.04 14.8 0.2 30-Oct-15 17.07 0.03 15.0 0.2 07-Nov-15 17.25 0.01 15.4 0.2 16-Nov-15 17.18 0.10 14.2 0.2