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C/2011 KP36 (Spacewatch)

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C/2011 KP36 (Spacewatch)
Discovery[1]
Discovered bySpacewatch
Terrence H. Bressi
Discovery siteKitt Peak Observatory
Discovery date21 May 2011
Designations
CK11K36P
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch22 June 2016 (JD 2457561.5)
Observation arc8.83 years
Number of
observations
3,711
Aphelion71.939 AU
Perihelion4.883 AU
Semi-major axis38.411 AU
Eccentricity0.87287
Orbital period238.07 years
Inclination18.987°
173.40°
Argument of
periapsis
180.59°
Mean anomaly0.108°
Last perihelion26 May 2016
Next perihelion5 June 2254
TJupiter2.643
Earth MOID3.879 AU
Jupiter MOID0.079 AU
Physical characteristics[2][3]
Mean diameter
55.1 km (34.2 mi)
0.101
(B–R) = 1.9±0.3
Comet total
magnitude
(M1)
7.5
Comet nuclear
magnitude (M2)
9.5

C/2011 KP36 (Spacewatch) is a distant long-period comet that completes an orbit once every 238 years around the Sun. With a nucleus diameter of 55.1 km (34.2 mi),[4] it is one of the largest comets ever discovered.[2]

Observational history

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It was initially thought to be an asteroid-like object with a very eccentric orbit at the time of its discovery on 21 May 2011.[1] A series of stacked images obtained from observations taken between April and May 2012 showed signs of diffuse cometary activity,[5] with a coma about 6 arcseconds in diameter and a faint tail about 9 arcseconds in length.[6][7]

Orbit

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Orbital calculations of the comet showed that it has a very eccentric orbit whose perihelion is around 4.88 AU (730 million km) from the Sun and an aphelion of 71.94 AU (10.762 billion km), almost twice that of Neptune.[3]

NASA / JPL considers this comet as part of the Jupiter-family of comets,[2] however this is highly unlikely as it takes roughly 238 years to complete one full orbit around the Sun. Some astronomers even consider this comet a scattered disc object,[8][9] however Dr. Yan R. Fernandez concluded that 2011 KP36 belongs to the “group of long-period comets that are nearly Halley-type” despite its Tisserand parameter being around 2.64.[3][10]

References

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  1. ^ a b A. U. Tomatic (14 June 2011). "MPEC 2011-L56 : 2011 KP36". www.minorplanetcenter.net. Minor Planet Center. ISSN 1523-6714. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d "C/2011 KP36 (Spacewatch) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b c O. Ivanova; V. Rosenbush; I. Luk’yanyk; L. Kolokolova; et al. (2021). "Observations of distant comet C/2011 KP36 (Spacewatch): photometry, spectroscopy, and polarimetry" (PDF). Astronomy & Astrophysics. 651 (29): 1–22. Bibcode:2021A&A...651A..29I. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039668.
  4. ^ J. K. Rigley; M. C. Wyatt (2022). "Comet fragmentation as a source of the zodiacal cloud" (PDF). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 510 (1): 834–857. doi:10.1093/mnras/stab3482.
  5. ^ L. Buzzi (20 May 2012). "Discovery of cometary appearance of 2011 KP36". G. V. Schiaparelli Astronomical Observatory. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  6. ^ T. H. Bressi; R. Holmes; T. Vorobjov; L. Buzzi; S. Foglia; et al. (17 May 2012). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet C/2011 KP36 (Spacewatch)". Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. 3109 (1). Bibcode:2012CBET.3109....1B.
  7. ^ G. V. Williams (17 May 2011). "MPEC 2012-K12 : C/2011 KP36 (Spacewatch)". www.minorplanetcenter.net. Minor Planet Center. Bibcode:2012MPEC....K...12B. ISSN 1523-6714. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  8. ^ J. M. Bauer; T. Grav; E. Blauvelt; A. K. Mainzer; J. R. Masiero; et al. (2013). "Centaurs and Scattered Disk Objects in the Thermal Infrared: Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE Observations". The Astrophysical Journal. 773 (1): 1–11. arXiv:1306.1862. Bibcode:2013ApJ...773...22B. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/773/1/22.
  9. ^ O. Ivanova; L. Kolokolova; I. Luk’yanyk; V. Kleshchonok; et al. (21 September – 9 October 2020). Scattering properties of dust in C/2011 KP36 (Spacewatch). 14th Europlanet Science Congress. Bibcode:2020EPSC...14..346I. doi:10.5194/epsc2020-346. EPSC2020-346.
  10. ^ Y. R. Fernandez. "Long-period comets that are nearly Halley-type". Retrieved 23 May 2025.
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