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