C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy)

For other comets discovered by Terry Lovejoy, see Comet Lovejoy.

C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy)
C/2014 Q2 as imaged 19 January 2015[1]
Discovery
Discovered byTerry Lovejoy
0.2-m Schmidt (Q80)[2]
Discovery date17 August 2014
Orbital characteristics
Epoch18 January 2015[3]
Perihelion1.29077 AU (q)[3]
Eccentricity0.99811[3]
Orbital period~11000 years inbound (Barycentric solution for epoch 1950)[4]
~8000 years outbound
(Barycentric solution for epoch 2050)[4]
Inclination80.301°[3]
Last perihelion30 January 2015[3]

C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) is a long-period comet discovered on 17 August 2014 by Terry Lovejoy using a 0.2-meter (8 in) Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope.[2] It was discovered at apparent magnitude 15 in the southern constellation of Puppis.[2] It is the fifth comet discovered by Terry Lovejoy. Its blue-green glow is the result of organic molecules (mostly Diatomic carbon) and water released by the comet fluorescing under the intense UV and optical light of the Sun as it passes through space.[5][6]

  1. ^ "Comet Lovejoy". Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference MPEC2014-Q10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference MPEC2014-R69 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference barycenter was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Biver2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Plait, Phil (3 January 2015). "Comet Lovejoy, Because Holy Wow". Slate.com. Bad Astronomy. Retrieved 24 October 2015.