C/2019 C1 (ATLAS)
DEPARTED
Type: Periodic
Perihelion date: 5 May 2020
Perihelion distance (q): 6.6
Aphelion distance (Q) : 1,688
Period (years): 24,660
Eccentricity (e): 0.99
Inclination (i): 36.0
JPL orbit diagram
COBS lightcurve
An 18th magnitude object was discovered in images taken with the 0.5m Schmidt at
Mauna Loa on 5 February 2019 by the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert
System) team. There were pre-discovery images made in mid January from the
Heleakala ATLAS. It had been posted on the PCCP as A10c3KV. No cometary
activity was detected, but the object is in a long period orbit and was therefore given
a cometary style asteroidal designation.
Reports of cometary features were made as early as March 2019, however it wasn't
until astrometry was reported at the end of January 2020 that an MPEC was issued
to report this.
Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude)
Date
10x10 mag
Error
VEmag
Coma '
03-Mar-20
17.35
0.07
16.4
0.4
14-Dec-20
17.6
0.4
23-Jan-21
17.3
0.4
07-Feb-21
17.9
0.4
15-Feb-21
17.4
0.4
09-Mar-21
16.8
0.4
12-Mar-21
17.4
0.4
17-Mar-21
17.3
0.4
06-Apr-21
17.7
0.4
13-Apr-21
17.4
0.4
04-May-21
16.9
0.4
14-May-21
17.2
0.4
13-Jun-21
18.3
0.4
28-Jun-21
18.1
0.4