C/2021 O3 (PANSTARRS)

DISINTEGRATED

Type: Hyperbolic Perihelion date: 21 April 2022 Perihelion distance (q): 0.3 Aphelion distance (Q) : n/a Period (years): n/a Eccentricity (e): 1.00 Inclination (i): 56.8 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve PanSTARRS 1 discovered a 20th magnitude comet in images taken with the 1.8m Ritchey-Chretien on 26 July 2021. It was placed on the PCCP as P11ibiE. The comet was reported on comets-ml as being 7th-8th magnitude in SWAN images on 7 and 9 April, which put it on track to reach apparent magnitude 5 by late April 2022, while being only 15 degrees from the Sun. While near perihelion the comet was dimmer than expectations. Observations by Lowell Discovery Telescope on 29 April in the twilight detected a diffuse glow with a magnitude of 9 where the comet was expected to be, indicating that the comet nucleus disintergrated during perihelion. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 14-Sep-21 17.7 0.4