C/2001 OG108 (LONEOS)

C/2001 OG108 (LONEOS)
Discovery
Discovered byM. E. Van Ness[1]
LONEOS telescope at Lowell Observatory
Discovery date28 July 2001[2]
Orbital characteristics
Epoch15 December 2001[3]
(JD 2452258.5)
Observation arc340 days
Aphelion25.606 AU (Q)
Perihelion0.99404 AU (q)
Semi-major axis13.300 AU (a)
Eccentricity0.92526
Orbital period48.51 yr
Inclination80.245°
Last perihelion2002-Mar-15[3]
Next perihelion2050-Jun-07[4]
Earth MOID0.3 AU (45 million km)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions13.6 ± 1.0 km[3]

C/2001 OG108 (LONEOS) is a Halley-type comet with an orbital period of 48.51 years.[3] It was discovered on 28 July 2001 by the LONEOS telescope at Lowell Observatory.[2] Of the short-period comets with known diameters and perihelion inside the orbit of Earth, C/2001 OG108 is the second largest after Comet Swift–Tuttle.[5]

Observations taken in January and February 2002 showed that the "asteroid" had developed a small amount of cometary activity as it approached perihelion.[1] It was subsequently reclassified as a comet.[1] The comet came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 15 March 2002.[3] It will come to aphelion in 2026 and the next perihelion passage is calculated to be on 7 June 2050.[4] On 23 March 2147 the comet will pass about 0.42 AU (63 million km; 160 LD) from Earth[3] with an uncertainty region of about ±2 million km.[6]

C/2001 OG108 (LONEOS) Closest Earth Approach on 2147-Mar-23 11:20 UT[3]
Date & time of
closest approach 		Earth distance
(AU) 		Sun distance
(AU) 		Velocity
wrt Earth
(km/s) 		Velocity
wrt Sun
(km/s) 		Uncertainty
region
(3-sigma) 		Reference
2147-03-23 11:20 ± 13:38 0.42 AU (63 million km; 39 million mi; 160 LD) 1.35 AU (202 million km; 125 million mi; 530 LD) 40.3 35.3 ± 2 million km Horizons

The comet has a rotational period of 2.38 ± 0.02 days (57.12 hr).[1][3]

In 2003, the comet was estimated to have a mean absolute V magnitude (H) of 13.05 ± 0.10, with an albedo of 0.03, giving an effective radius of 8.9 ± 0.7 km.[1] Using data from Fernandez (2004–2005) JPL lists the comet with an albedo of 0.05 and a diameter of 13.6 ± 1.0 km.[3]

This comet probably represents the transition between typical Halley-family/long-period comets and extinct comets.[1] Damocloids have been studied as possible extinct cometary candidates due to the similarity of their orbital parameters with those of Halley-family comets.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Cite error: The named reference Abell2003 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference French2002 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Cite error: The named reference jpldata was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Horizons2050 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference SBDB was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Horizons2147 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).