Comet van Gent–Peltier–Daimaca, formally designated as C/1943 W1, is a non-periodic comet with a rather peculiar discovery. It was independently discovered by four astronomers, however the established system of naming comets by the International Astronomical Union only recognizes the names of the first three people who observed it.
 C/1943 W1 photographed by George van Biesbroeck on 24 December 1943 from the Yerkes Observatory | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Hendrik van Gent Leslie C. Peltier Victor Daimaca |
| Discovery date | 27 November 1943 |
| Designations | |
| 1943g 1944 I | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch | 3 December 1943 (JD 2431061.5) |
| Observation arc | 10 days |
| Number of observations | 12 |
| Aphelion | 3,589.46 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.874 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 1,795.17 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.9995 |
| Orbital period | 76,061.65 years |
| Inclination | 136.183° |
| 58.630° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 33.092° |
| Last perihelion | 12 January 1944 |
| TJupiter | –0.834 |
| Earth MOID | 0.0335 AU |
| Jupiter MOID | 0.8510 AU |
| Physical characteristics[2] | |
| 6.0 (1943 apparition) | |
Discovery
editIt was first observed by Dutch astronomer Hendrik van Gent on November 27, 1943 as a diffuse magnitude 9.0 object in the constellation Puppis.[3] However, due to the ongoing Second World War, the report of his discovery took longer than usual that various other astronomers had enough time to make independent discoveries. By the time it reached magnitude 6.0,[2] it was then rediscovered by astronomers Leslie C. Peltier, Victor Daimaca, and Geoffrey Francis Kelloway on December 16, 17, and 19 respectively, however they were not identified as the same object as van Gent's comet until its orbit was calculated in December 22.[3] As established by the IAU, only the names of the first three observers are recognized as the comet's co-discoverers.
Possible meteor shower
editThe very small MOID with Earth has led various astronomers since 1948 to think that this comet is a potential parent body of a yet to be identified meteor shower. Analysis of past observations from 1925 and 1935 initially identified this hypothetical meteor shower as the Alpha Monocerotids, where it reaches its peak on November 21 and 22 each year.[4][5] Follow-up studies from more recent observations however has concluded that the aforementioned meteor shower wasn't related to C/1943 W1 itself, but rather a still unidentified short-period comet yet to be discovered.[6]
References
edit- ^ "C/1943 W1 (van Gent-Peltier-Daimaca) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- ^ a b T. P. Cooper (2003). "A History of Comet Discovery from South Africa". Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa. 62: 170–179. Bibcode:2003MNSSA..62..170C.
- ^ a b B. G. Marsden; G. A. van Biesbroeck (1963). "The orbit of Comet 1944 I (van Gent-Peltier-Daimaca)". Astronomical Journal. 68: 235–237. Bibcode:1963AJ.....68..235M. doi:10.1086/108945.
- ^ L. Kresák (1958). "The Meteor Showers of November 21, 1925 and 1935, and their connection with Comet 1944 I". Bulletin of the Astronomical Institutes of Czechoslovakia. 9: 88–96. Bibcode:1958BAICz...9...88K.
- ^ B. A. Lindblad (1987). "Comet 1944 I and the Nov Monocerotids". WGN. 15 (5): 154. Bibcode:1987JIMO...15..154L.
- ^ J. Rendtel; P. Brown; S. Molau (1996). "The 1995 Outburst and Possible Origin of the alpha-Monocerotid meteoroid stream" (PDF). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 279 (3): 31–36. Bibcode:1996MNRAS.279L..31R. doi:10.1093/mnras/279.3.L31.