C/2011 J2 (LINEAR)

For other comets of the same name, see List of comets discovered by the LINEAR project.
C/2011 J2 (LINEAR)
Discovery[1][2]
Discovery siteLINEAR (704)
Discovery date4 May 2011
Designations
CK11J020
Orbital characteristics[3][4]
Epoch22 January 2014 (JD 2456679.5)
Observation arc6.52 years
Earliest precovery date10 March 2011
Number of
observations		6,434
Orbit typeOort cloud
Aphelion~49,940 AU (inbound)
Perihelion3.443 AU
Semi-major axis~25,000 AU (inbound)
Eccentricity0.99986 (inbound)
1.00004 (outbound)
Orbital period3.95 million years (inbound)
Inclination122.80°
163.95°
Argument of
periapsis		85.296°
Last perihelion25 December 2013
TJupiter-1.258
Earth MOID3.004 AU
Jupiter MOID0.551 AU
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		7.7
Comet nuclear
magnitude (M2)		10.3

C/2011 J2 (LINEAR) is an Oort cloud comet discovered on 4 May 2011 by LINEAR at an apparent magnitude of 19.7 using a 1 m (39 in) reflecting telescope.[1][2] The comet reached an apparent magnitude 17.0 on September 2014.[5]

Observational history

C/2011 J2 came to perihelion on 25 December 2013 at a distance of 3.4 AU (510 million km) from the Sun.[5] On 27 August 2014 an 18th magnitude fragment CK11J02b was detected.[5] Preliminary estimates are that a fragmentation event occurred around 14 July 2014 plus/minus ten days.[6] In mid-July 2014 the comet was 3.9 AU (580 million km) from the Sun.

Fragment C was detected in October 2014 by Ernesto Guido, Nick Howes, and Martino Nicolini.[7]

C/2011 J2 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 1800), C/2011 J2 had an orbital period of several million years.[3] After leaving the planetary region (epoch 2200), it will be on an ejection trajectory.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b G. V. Williams (7 May 2011). "MPEC 2011-J31: Comet C/2011 J2 (LINEAR)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  2. ^ a b G. Sostero; E. Guido (12 July 2011). "New Comet: C/2011 J2 (LINEAR)". remanzacco.blogspot.com. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Horizons output. "Barycentric Osculating Orbital Elements for Comet C/2011 J2 (LINEAR)". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  4. ^ "C/2011 J2 (LINEAR) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  5. ^ a b c G. V. Williams (7 May 2011). "MPEC 2014-R69: Observations and Orbits of Comets". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  6. ^ "Re: {MPML} C/2011 J2 LINEAR Nucleus splitting". 17 September 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  7. ^ E. Guido; N. Howes; M. Nicolini (13 October 2011). "New fragmentation event in C/2011 J2 (LINEAR)". remanzacco.blogspot.com. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
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