C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS)

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C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS)
File:C-2017 T2 Panstarrs.jpg
Discovery
Discovered byPan-STARRS
Discovery date2 October 2017
Orbital characteristics[1][2]
Epoch2458756.5 (30 Sept 2019)
Observation arc3.93 years
Number of
observations		6896
Orbit typeOort cloud
Aphelion~74000 AU (inbound)
~3000 AU (outbound)
Perihelion1.6150 AU
Eccentricity0.99971
Orbital period~7 million years (inbound)
~55000 years (outbound)
Inclination57.232°
Last perihelion4 May 2020
Earth MOID1.2 AU (180 million km; 470 LD)
Jupiter MOID0.99 AU (148 million km; 390 LD)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions1.0–1.8 km (0.62–1.12 mi)[3]
Mean diameter
1.4 km (0.87 mi)[3]
26.96±0.04 days[4]
(V–R) = 0.0042±0.0021[4]
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		10.2

C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS) is an Oort cloud comet discovered on 2 October 2017[5] when it was 9.2 AU (1.38 billion km) from the Sun. The closest approach to Earth was on 28 December 2019 at a distance of 1.52 AU (227 million km). It came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 4 May 2020[2] when it was safe from disintegration at 1.6 AU from the Sun. (Mars is also roughly 1.6 AU from the Sun.)

Observational history

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Comet C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS) brightened to apparent magnitude 8 and was visible with 50mm binoculars.[6][7] On 22-24 May 2020, the comet passed near the galaxy pair of Messier 81 and Messier 82, passing less than one degree from the latter.[8] In early June 2020 the comet was near the magnitude 1.8 star Dubhe in Ursa Major.[9]

Based on the light curve of the comet nucleus, it has been estimated that the nucleus has a rotational period of 5.6759 ± 0.0046 h.[10] The comet at perihelion had a water production of 6×1028 molecules/s. Also when observed in CN featured two side jets in June 2020, but they weren't observed one month later.[11] Concentric structures were observed in the inner coma in May 2020, probably created by a jet with rotation axis towards the Earth.[12]

JPL Horizons using an epoch 1950 orbit solution models that C/2017 T2 took millions of years to come from the Oort cloud at a distance of roughly 74,000 AU (1.2 ly).[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). Solution using the Solar System Barycenter. Ephemeris Type:Elements and Center:@0 (To be outside planetary region, inbound epoch 1950 and outbound epoch 2050. For epoch 1950-Jan-01 orbit period is "PR= 2.6E+09 / 365.25 days" = ~7.1 million years)
  2. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  5. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). "C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) plot" Archived 2021-11-20 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  12. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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