C/2020 M5 (ATLAS)
DEPARTED
Type: Periodic
Perihelion date: 19 August 2021
Perihelion distance (q): 3.0
Aphelion distance (Q) : 14,032
Period (years): 587,869
Eccentricity (e): 1.00
Inclination (i): 93.2
JPL orbit diagram
COBS lightcurve
The ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) team discovered a 19th
magnitude object in images taken with the 0.5m Schmidt at Mauna Loa on 30 June
2020. It was posted on the PCCP as A10nMaI and subsequently noted as cometary
by several astrometrists. Pre-discovery PanSTARRS images were reported from
August, October and November 2019 but was not at that time determinable as a
comet due to its faintness.
Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude)
Date
10x10 mag
Error
VEmag
Coma '
24-Sep-20
18.79
0.36
18.5
0.4
08-Oct-20
17.8
0.4
11-Oct-20
17.5
0.4
17-Nov-20
17.8
0.4
16-Feb-21
17.6
0.4
10-Apr-21
16.59
0.04
16.0
0.4
18-Apr-21
15.4
0.4
05-May-21
16.75
0.04
15.8
0.4
12-May-21
15.1
0.4
30-May-21
16.68
0.05
16.3
0.4
31-May-21
15.9
0.4
16-Jun-21
16.66
0.02
15.8
0.4
02-Jul-21
16.58
0.02
16.1
0.4
10-Mar-22
15.57
0.01
14.6
1.1
25-Mar-22
14.9
0.9
31-Mar-22
15.87
0.03
14.2
0.9
08-Apr-22
16.10
0.01
15.2
0.8
25-Apr-22
16.0
0.6
05-May-22
16.5
0.4
22-May-22
17.0
0.4
30-Nov-22
18.1
0.4
02-Feb-23
19.1
0.4