C/2013 US10
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Catalina Sky Survey (703)[1][2] |
| Discovery date | 31 October 2013 |
| Orbital characteristics A | |
| Epoch | 4 December 2015[3] |
| Perihelion | 0.8229 AU (q)[3] |
| Eccentricity | 1.0003[3] |
| Orbital period |
several million years inbound (Barycentric solution for epoch 1950)[4] Ejection trajectory outbound (Barycentric solution for epoch 2050)[4] |
| Inclination | 148.87°[3] |
| Next perihelion | 15 November 2015[3] |
C/2013 US10 (Catalina) is an Oort cloud comet discovered on 31 October 2013 by the Catalina Sky Survey at an apparent magnitude of 19 using a 0.68-meter (27 in) Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope.[1] As of September 2014 the comet is around apparent magnitude 15.[3]
When discovered on 31 October 2013 observations from another object from 12 September 2013 were used in the preliminary orbit determination giving an incorrect solution that suggested an orbital period of only 6 years.[1] But by 6 November 2014 a longer observation arc from 14 August until 4 November made it apparent that the first solution had the wrong object from 12 September.[2]
By early May 2015 the comet could be around apparent magnitude 12 and will have an elongation of 60 degrees from the Sun as it moves further into the southern hemisphere.[5] The comet will come to solar conjunction on 6 November 2015 when the comet might be around magnitude 5.[6] The comet will come to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 15 November 2015 at a distance of 0.82 AU from the Sun.[3] It crosses the celestial equator on 17 December 2015 becoming a northern hemisphere object. On 17 January 2016 the comet will pass 0.72 AU (108,000,000 km; 67,000,000 mi) from Earth and could still be around magnitude 5[6] while located in the constellation of Ursa Major.
C/2013 US10 is dynamically new. It came from the Oort cloud with a loosely bound chaotic orbit that was easily perturbed by galactic tides and passing stars. Before entering the planetary region (epoch 1950), C/2013 US10 had an orbital period of several million years.[4] After leaving the planetary region (epoch 2050), it will be on an ejection trajectory.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "CometWatch.co.uk". Comet Watch. 2015-04-15. Retrieved 2014-09-15.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "MPEC 2013-V31 : COMET C/2013 US10 (CATALINA)". IAU Minor Planet Center. 2013-11-06. Retrieved 2014-09-15. (CK13U10S)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "MPEC 2014-R69 : Observations and Orbits of Comets". IAU Minor Planet Center. 2014-09-07. Retrieved 2014-09-15.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Horizons output. "Barycentric Osculating Orbital Elements for Comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina)". Retrieved 2014-09-15. (Solution using the Solar System Barycenter and barycentric coordinates. Select Ephemeris Type:Elements and Center:@0)
- ↑ "Elements and Ephemeris for C/2013 US10 (Catalina)". IAU Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 2014-09-15.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Seiichi Yoshida (2014-09-13). "C/2013 US10 ( Catalina )". Seiichi Yoshida's Comet Catalog. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
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