62P/Tsuchinshan, also known as Tsuchinshan 1, is a periodic comet first discovered January 1, 1965 at the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanking.[6] It last came to perihelion on 25 December 2023 at around apparent magnitude 8,[2] and was then 0.53 AU (79 million km) from Earth and 110 degrees from the Sun.[4]
 NEOWISE image 14 January 2018 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Purple Mountain Observatory, Nanking |
| Discovery date | January 1, 1965 |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | 2024-01-11[1] (JD 2460320.5) |
| Aphelion | 5.472 AU (Q) |
| Perihelion | 1.265 AU (q) |
| Semi-major axis | 3.369 AU (a) |
| Eccentricity | 0.6245 |
| Orbital period | 6.18 yr |
| Inclination | 10.50° |
| Last perihelion | 2017-Nov-16[1] 2011-Jun-30[2][3] (unobserved) |
| Next perihelion | 2023-Dec-25[1][4] |
| Perihelion distance at different epochs[5] | |||||||
| Epoch | Perihelion (AU) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 2.45 | ||||||
| 1859 | 2.11 | ||||||
| 1882 | 2.04 | ||||||
| 1905 | 1.96 | ||||||
| 1965 | 1.49 | ||||||
| 2011 | 1.38 | ||||||
| 2023 | 1.26 | ||||||
| 2094 | 1.21 | ||||||
| 2106 | 1.15 | ||||||
During the 2004 perihelion passage the comet brightened to about apparent magnitude 11.[7] The comet was not observed during the 2011 unfavorable apparition since the perihelion passage occurred when the comet was on the far side of the Sun. During the 2023 apparition it brightened to 8th magnitude.[8]
On 2049 April 1 the comet will pass about 0.016 AU (2,400,000 km; 1,500,000 mi) from Mars.[6]
| Date & time of closest approach |
Mars distance (AU) |
Sun distance (AU) |
Velocity wrt Mars (km/s) |
Velocity wrt Sun (km/s) |
Uncertainty region (3-sigma) |
Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2049-Apr-01 16:38 ± 14 minutes | 0.0157 AU (2.35 million km; 1.46 million mi; 6.1 LD) | 1.53 AU (229 million km; 142 million mi) | 12.0 | 30.0 | ± 11 thousand km | Horizons |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "62P/Tsuchinshan Orbit". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 2014-06-16.
- ^ a b Seiichi Yoshida (2010-11-28). "62P/Tsuchinshan 1". Seiichi Yoshida's Comet Catalog. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
- ^ Syuichi Nakano (2008-05-04). "62P/Tsuchinshan 1 (NK 1604)". OAA Computing and Minor Planet Sections. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
- ^ a b "Horizons Batch for 62P/Tsuchinshan 1 (90000670) on 2023-Dec-25" (Perihelion occurs when rdot flips from negative to positive). JPL Horizons. Archived from the original on 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2023-07-06. (JPL#K174/12 Soln.date: 2023-May-04)
- ^ Kinoshita, Kazuo (2017-10-09). "62P/Tsuchinshan past, present and future orbital elements". Comet Orbit. Archived from the original on 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
- ^ a b c "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 62P/Tsuchinshan 1" (last observation: 2005-06-07; arc: 20.75 years). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 2012-12-13. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
- ^ Seiichi Yoshida (2005-06-10). "62P/Tsuchinshan 1 (2004)". Seiichi Yoshida's Comet Catalog. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
- ^ Ling, Alister; Ratcliffe, Martin (1 December 2023). "Sky This Month: December 2023". Astronomy Magazine. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
External links
edit- Orbital simulation from JPL (Java) / Horizons Ephemeris
- 62P/Tsuchinshan 1 – Seiichi Yoshida @ aerith.net
- Elements and Ephemeris for 62P/Tsuchinshan – Minor Planet Center
- 62P/Tsuchinshan at the Minor Planet Center's Database
- 62P/Tsuchinshan – Kazuo Kinoshita (2006 Oct. 10)
- 62P – Gary W. Kronk's Cometography
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