Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Pan-STARRS |
Discovery date | 28 July 2014 |
Orbital characteristics | |
Epoch | 2020-12-17 (2459200.5) |
Observation arc | 9.3 years |
Orbit type | Centaur / Chiron-type |
Aphelion | 14.463 AU |
Perihelion | 9.9697 AU (near Saturn's distance) |
Semi-major axis | 12.216 AU |
Eccentricity | 0.18389 |
Orbital period | 42.7 yr |
Inclination | 9.0333° |
Last perihelion | 29 July 1979[1] |
Next perihelion | 29 November 2021[1] |
TJupiter | 3.4 |
Earth MOID | 8.99 AU (1.345 billion km) |
Jupiter MOID | 5.08 AU (760 million km) |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 20 km (albedo=0.1)[2] Absolute magnitude: H=10.8 (MPC) H=11.3 (corrected)[2] |
C/2014 OG392 (PanSTARRS) is a comet discovered as a centaur on 28 July 2014 when it was 11.5 AU (1.72 billion km) from the Sun and had an apparent magnitude of 21.[3] The comet was relatively easier to detect at this distance because the nucleus is estimated to be 20 km in diameter.[2]
DECam images from 2017 of the comet at 10.6 AU (1.59 billion km) from the Sun showed activity likely produced by carbon dioxide (CO2) and/or ammonia (NH3) sublimation (off-gassing).[2]
Clones of the orbit of C/2014 OG392 estimate a dynamic lifetime (amount of time in the current orbit) of 13 thousand to a million years.[2]
Perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) takes place not far from Saturn's orbit with a Saturn minimum orbit intersection distance of 0.9 AU (130 million km);[4] for example on 29 September 2231 at about 0.934 AU (139.7 million km) ±1 million km from Saturn.[5]
C/2014 OG392 will come to opposition on 1 November 2021 in the constellation of Cetus when it will have a solar elongation of 170 degrees. Numerical integration shows the comet last came to perihelion in late July 1979 and will next come to perihelion on 29 November 2021.[1]
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