Comet Beljawsky, formally designated as C/1911 S3, is a comet discovered by the Russian astronomer Sergei Ivanovich Beljawsky on September 29, 1911 and shortly thereafter, it was seen independently by four or five other observers in the United States and probably by others throughout the world.[3] At the time it was discovered, the comet was near to the Sun which made observations difficult. However, several days after discovery it was a naked-eye object for a few days in the morning sky and later, after perihelion, as an evening object. It faded rapidly, becoming visible only in telescopes and was last seen on February 17, 1912.[1][4][5] The comet sported a tail 8 to 10 degrees in length.[3] In mid-October, the comet was visible in the evening sky together with another bright comet, C/1911 O1 (Brooks).[2]
 Comet Beljawsky photographed by Heber D. Curtis in 19 October 1911 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Sergei I. Beljawsky |
| Discovery date | 29 September 1911 |
| Designations | |
| 1911g 1911 IV | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch | 11 October 1911 (JD 2419320.5) |
| Observation arc | 140 days |
| Number of observations | 66 |
| Perihelion | 0.3034 AU |
| Semi-major axis | –2064.109 AU |
| Eccentricity | 1.000147 |
| Inclination | 96.466° |
| 89.897° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 71.711° |
| Last perihelion | 10 October 1911 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 1.0[2] (1911 apparition) | |
Comet Beljawsky is a non-periodic comet noteworthy for having a hyperbolic trajectory and so it is not expected to return to the inner Solar System.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c "C/1911 S3 (Beljawsky) – JPL Small-Body Database". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
- ^ a b J. E. Bortle (1998). "The Bright Comet Chronicles". International Comet Quarterly. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
- ^ a b H. D. Curtis (1911). "Comet Notes". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 23 (139): 267. Bibcode:1911PASP...23..267C.
- ^ L. G. Leon (1911). Popular Astronomy. Vol. 19. Goodsell Observatory of Carleton College. p. 575. ASIN B009JBJUW0.
- ^ F. C. Leonard (1911). Monthly Register. Vol. 3. Chicago: Society for Practical Astronomy. p. 56. ISBN 978-1-271-63676-1.
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