C/2018 V1 (Machholz–Fujikawa–Iwamoto)

Not to be confused with C/2018 Y1 (Iwamoto).
For other comets discovered by Donald E. Machholz, see Comet Machholz.
C/2018 V1 (Machholz–Fujikawa–Iwamoto)
Path of the comet C/2018 V1 across the sky, with a 7-day motion shown
Discovery
Discovered byDonald Machholz
Shigehisa Fujikawa
Masayuki Iwamoto
Discovery siteColfax, California
Japan
Discovery date7 November 2018
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch16 November 2018 (JD 2458438.5)
Observation arc37 days
Number of
observations		750
Perihelion0.387 AU
Eccentricity1.00039
Inclination143.988°
128.722°
Argument of
periapsis		88.775°
Last perihelion3 December 2018
TJupiter–0.624
Earth MOID0.115 AU
Jupiter MOID2.567 AU
Physical characteristics[2]
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		12.8
Comet nuclear
magnitude (M2)		17.1
7.5
(2018 apparition)

C/2018 V1 (Machholz–Fujikawa–Iwamoto) is a comet that follows a slightly hyperbolic trajectory. It was visually discovered on 7 November 2018 by Donald Machholz using an 18.5-inch reflecting telescope,[3][4] and was independently co-discovered by Shigehisa Fujikawa and Masayuki Iwamoto respectively. It reached perihelion on 3 December 2018.

Overview

It was estimated to be between 8 and 10th magnitude from mid-November to mid-December 2018, visible in a small telescope. It was discovered by three amateur astronomers: by an observer in Colfax, California, USA and by two observers in Japan.[5] The observations by three astronomers result in the name for the comet, Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto.[3][6] The current orbit determination of this comet is based on 750 observations with a 37-day observation arc.[1]

Comet C/2018 V1 has a significant probability (72.6%) of having an extrasolar provenance although an origin in the Oort Cloud cannot be excluded.[7] As the present-day value of its barycentric orbital eccentricity is greater than 1, this comet is currently escaping from the Solar System, aiming for interstellar space.[7]

  • Perihelion in early December 2018, above the orbit of Mercury
    Perihelion in early December 2018, above the orbit of Mercury
  • Animation of C/2018 V1's orbit   Sun ·   Mercury  ·   Venus ·   Earth ·   Mars ·   C/2018 V1
    Animation of C/2018 V1's orbit
      Sun ·   Mercury  ·   Venus ·   Earth ·   Mars ·   C/2018 V1

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "C/2018 V1 (Machholz–Fujikawa–Iwamoto) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Observation list for C/2018 V1". COBS – Comet OBServation database. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  3. ^ a b D. Dickinson (16 November 2018). "New Comet V1 Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto Takes Observers by Surprise". Universe Today. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  4. ^ B. King (9 November 2018). "Amateur Don Machholz Discovers His 12th Comet!". Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  5. ^ T. Phillips (14 November 2018). "Amateur Astronomers Discover a Bright New Comet". Spaceweather.com. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  6. ^ J. Chambó (14 November 2018). "New comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto)". Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  7. ^ a b C. de la Fuente Marcos; R. de la Fuente Marcos (2019). "Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto): dislodged from the Oort Cloud or coming from interstellar space?" (PDF). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 489 (1): 951–961. arXiv:1908.02666. Bibcode:2019MNRAS.489..951D. doi:10.1093/mnras/stz2229.
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