C/2019 O3 (Palomar)

DEPARTED

Type: Hyperbolic Perihelion date: 8 March 2021 Perihelion distance (q): 8.8 Aphelion distance (Q) : n/a Period (years): n/a Eccentricity (e): 1.00 Inclination (i): 89.8 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve A possible comet of 19th magnitude was found in images taken with the Zwicky Transient Facility camera on the 1.2m Oschin Schmidt on 26 July 2019. It was placed on the PCCP as ZTF055N. It has a nearly perpendicular parabolic orbit. JPL classed it as a Parabolic Asteroid. No cometary activity was detected until May 2020, when it was observed by the 3.6-m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea and then confirmed by several other observers. It was redesignated as a comet in July 2020. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 05-May-21 16.0 0.4 02-Jul-21 17.14 0.03 16.3 0.4 12-May-22 17.4 0.4 20-May-22 17.4 0.4 08-Jun-22 16.8 0.4 18-Jun-22 17.3 0.4 30-Jun-22 16.9 0.4 07-Jul-22 17.4 0.4 14-Jul-22 17.5 0.4 27-Jul-22 17.3 0.4 01-Aug-22 17.6 0.4 08-Aug-22 17.5 0.4 15-Aug-22 17.5 0.4 23-Aug-22 17.4 0.4 04-Sep-22 17.7 0.4 21-Sep-22 17.4 0.4 30-Sep-22 17.1 0.4 07-Oct-22 17.4 0.4 11-Oct-22 17.3 0.4 20-Oct-22 17.6 0.4 27-Oct-22 17.7 0.4 15-Nov-22 17.3 0.4 28-Nov-22 17.6 0.4 02-Feb-23 17.4 0.4 03-Mar-23 17.8 0.4 10-Mar-23 17.7 0.4 20-Mar-23 17.7 0.4 26-Apr-23 18.1 0.4 04-May-23 18.3 0.4 27-May-23 18.3 0.4 27-Jun-23 18.3 0.4 08-Jul-23 18.2 0.4 23-Jul-23 18.3 0.4 09-Aug-23 18.3 0.4 23-Aug-23 18.4 0.4 30-Aug-23 18.9 0.4 01-Feb-24 18.8 0.4