322P / SOHO
| 322P / SOHO [i] | |
|---|---|
| Properties of the orbit ( animation ) | |
| Orbit type | short-term |
| Numerical eccentricity | 0.97741 |
| Perihelion | 0.057 AU |
| Aphelion | 4,991 AU |
| Major semi-axis | 2.524 AU |
| Sidereal period | 4.01 a |
| Inclination of the orbit plane | 13.676 ° |
| Perihelion | September 11, 2007 |
| Orbital velocity in the perihelion | 175.430 km / s |
| Physical properties of the core | |
| Medium diameter | 100-200 m |
| history | |
| Explorer | Terry Lovejoy |
| Date of discovery | September 4, 1999 |
| Older name | P / 1999 R1, P / 2003 R5, P / 2007 R5, P / 2011 R4 |
| Source: Unless otherwise stated, the data comes from JPL Small-Body Database Browser . Please also note the note on comet articles . | |
322P / SOHO is the first officially discovered periodic comet from the SOHO solar observatory .
The comet was discovered in September 1999. It was observed again in September 2003, but it was assumed that it was a different comet. Sebastian Hönig speculated in 2005 that due to the similarity of the two comet orbits, it would be the same comet. He correctly predicted the comet's return on September 11, 2007.
During its perihelion passage in 2007, neither a comet-like tail nor a coma could be observed, which is why 322P / SOHO was initially mistaken for an asteroid . However, when it approached the sun , its brightness increased by a factor of about a million, which in turn is a behavior typical of comets. Based on these properties, it is assumed that 322P / SOHO is an extinct cometary nucleus.
On September 6, 2011, another passage of perihelion was observed by B. Zhou.
See also
Web links
- Homepage of Seiichi Yoshida (English)