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12P/Pons–Brooks

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12P/Pons–Brooks is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 71 years.[9] Comets with an orbital period of 20–200 years are referred to as Halley-type comets. It is one of the brightest known periodic comets, reaching an absolute visual magnitude of about 5 in its approach to perihelion.[2] Comet Pons-Brooks was conclusively discovered at Marseilles Observatory in July 1812 by Jean-Louis Pons, and on its next appearance in 1883 by William Robert Brooks.[10] There are ancient records of comets that are suspected of having been apparitions of 12P/Pons–Brooks.

12P/Pons-Brooks
12P/Pons-Brooks photographed on 7 March 2024
Discovery
Discovered byJean-Louis Pons
William Robert Brooks
Discovery date12 July 1812
Designations
1812; 1884 I; 1954 VII;[1] C/1457 A1 ; C/1385 U1 [2][3]
Orbital characteristics
Epoch2024-05-10[4]
Aphelion33.616 AU
Perihelion0.78078 AU
Semi-major axis17.199 AU
Eccentricity0.95460
Orbital period71.32 jyr
69y 10m 30d (perihelion to perihelion)
Inclination74.191°
255.86°
Argument of
periapsis		198.99°
Last perihelion21 April 2024[5][a]
22 May 1954[6][4]
25 January 1884
15 September 1812
Next perihelion15 August 2095
Earth MOID0.176 AU (26.3 million km)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions34±12 km[7]
57±1 hr[8]
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		5[1]

The last perihelion passage was 21 April 2024,[5][a] with closest approach to Earth being 1.55 AU (232 million km) on 2 June 2024.[11] During the 2024 apparition the comet brightened to a magnitude of 3.8.[12] The comet nucleus is estimated to be around 30 km in diameter, assuming it was not producing too much dust and gas during the 2020 photometric measurements.[7]

12P/Pons–Brooks is hypothesized to be the parent body of the weak December κ Draconids meteor shower that is active from about 29 November to 13 December.[13]

Observational history

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Before 1812

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Comet 12P/Pons–Brooks has been identified as a comet observed in 1385 and in 1457. The 1385 apparition was very favourable and the comet was recorded by the Chinese in Ming Shilu and was also mentioned in some European sources. A comet observed by Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli in January 1457 and mentioned in Chinese sources is also identified as comet 12P/Pons-Brooks. In both apparitions the comet had magnitude 3 or brighter, not accounting for possible outbursts. It is possible that it was also a comet recorded in Chinese sources in September 245 CE.[2]

So-Yeon Park & Jong-Chul Chae (2007)[14] suggested that comet 12P/Pons–Brooks was also the comets recorded in Asian sources in 1313 and 1668.[14] However, Meyer et al.[2] argue that in the 1313 apparition, the comet would have been difficult to observe, being dim and close to the Sun, while the suggested position in Gemini contradicts the calculated location of comet Pons-Brooks in Aries. The March 1668 comet described by Koreans is probably the bright sungrazing comet observed by Europeans, whose orbit is no way compatible with that of comet 12P/Pons–Brooks.[2]

1812 discovery

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Sketches of comet 12P/Pons–Brooks from 21–22 January 1884

Comet 12P/Pons–Brooks was discovered on 12 July 1812, by Jean-Louis Pons. Independently, this comet was later found by Vincent Wisniewski on 1 August, and Alexis Bouvard on 2 August the same year. The comet was spotted with the naked eye on 13 August and by the end of the month a tail measuring 2 degrees in length was reported.[15] Shortly after its initial discovery it was found to have an orbital period of about 70 years with an error of about 5 years. Johann Franz Encke determined a definitive orbit with a period of 70.68 years. This orbit was used to generate an ephemeris for the 1883–1884 return.[15]

1884

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On 2 September 1883 a (faint) comet was accidentally discovered by William Robert Brooks and later identified with the comet of 1812.[15] An outburst was observed on 21–23 September 1883, as the comet brightened from magnitude 10–11 to 8–8.5, and its appearance changed from diffuse to star-like.[16] The comet became visible with naked eye in 20 November and brightened up to magnitude 3. The comet was reported to experience outbursts on 1 January and 19 January.[15] This year it traveled from Scheat and Markab in western Pegasus, 13 January 1884; southward (through Pisces) to reach perihelion below Iota and Beta Ceti (~RA 0h, dec. -10°) around 24 January.[17] It was last seen in June 1884.[15]

1954

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The comet was recovered on 20 June 1953 when it was 4.5 AU from the Sun.[15] The comet outburst from magnitude 18 to magnitude 13 on 1 July 1953. Another outburst occurred in March 1954, the fourth observed in that apparition.[18] On 23 April the comet was estimated magnitude 6.4, and its tail was half a degree long.[18] Pons–Brooks came to perihelion on 22 May 1954[6] when it was 1.7 AU from Earth. After perihelion it became better visible from the south hemisphere. It was last observed on 4 September 1954 when it was 1.9 AU from the Sun.[18] On 10 December 1954, the meteor stream of comet Pons–Brooks passed about 0.12 AU (18 million km) from Earth, resulting in potential meteors impacting Earth's atmosphere at relative velocity 45 km/s.[19]

2024 passage

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The comet on 27 July 2023, a week after its first outburst.

On 10 June 2020 Pons–Brooks was recovered at apparent magnitude 23 by the Lowell Discovery Telescope when the comet was beyond the orbit of Saturn at 11.9 AU (1.78 billion km) from the Sun,[20][7] with the uncertainty in the comet's heliocentric distance being roughly ± 10 000 km at the time. The comet underwent an outburst from magnitude 16–17 to magnitude 11–12 (brightening by ~100×) on 20 July 2023 when it was 3.9 AU from the Sun.[21][22] The outburst resulted in the comet having a horseshoe shaped coma. It was probably created by the release of about 10 billion kilograms of dust and ice into space.[23] The coma had expanded to a diameter of 600,000 kilometers by 5 August, having an expansion rate of 220 m/s. Although initially spherical, the coma became asymmetrical due to the effects of radiation pressure on the dust.[24] The comet outburst again on 5 October 2023 from magnitude 15 to magnitude 11 (brightening by ~40×).[25] Two more outbursts were recorded on 1 November and 14 November, with the comet brightening to apparent magnitude 9.3 after the later.[26] Outbursts were also observed on 14 December[27] and 18 January 2024.[28]

Outbursts[b] during 2023
Date Start
mag 		Outburst
mag 		Brightening Sun distance
(AU) 		Solar
elongation
2023-07-20[21] 16 11 100× 3.9 101°
2023-10-05[25] 15 11 40× 3.1 80°

By mid February the comet had brightened to magnitude 7.5 and had developed an ion tail about two degrees long that featured jets and filaments.[29] A minor outburst took place on 29 February, with the comet brightening by 0.9 magnitudes.[30][31] By 7 March the comet had brightened to magnitude 5.5 and was located about 10 degrees from the Andromeda Galaxy.[32] In the following days the comet was reported to be visible by naked eye and featured a tail about 5 degrees long.[30] Another outburst occurred on April 3, with the comet brightening to a magnitude of about 3.8.[33] There was a solar eclipse on 8 April 2024 with the comet 25 degrees from the Sun.[34] The perihelion passage was on 21 April 2024 at 0.781 AU (116.8 million km) from the Sun with a velocity with respect to the Sun of 47.1 km/s.[5] The closest approach to Earth was 42 days later on 2 June 2024 when it was 1.55 AU (232 million km) from Earth.[11] Near perihelion passage the comet was expected to brighten to about magnitude 4.5 (around 400× brighter than the July 2023 outburst).[6] In early June Earth crossed the comet's orbital plane, resulting to an anti-tail becoming visible.[35]

Orbit

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Earth close approach
Date Distance (AU) Solar
elongation
1812-Sep-21[36] 1.22 AU (183 million km) 40°
1884-Jan-09[15] 0.63 AU (94 million km) 58°
1954-Jun-29[37] 1.63 AU (244 million km) 38°
2024-Jun-02[11] 1.55 AU (232 million km) 45°
2095-Aug-31[38] 1.50 AU (224 million km) 32°

Libration is locked at a 6:1 resonance with Jupiter.[39] The Tisserand invariant with respect to Jupiter (J) is 0.60.[40][1] Aphelion (furthest point from the Sun) is just beyond the orbit of Neptune at 33.6 AU (5.03 billion km).

With a steep orbital inclination of 74.2° this comet does not spend a lot of time near the ecliptic. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) website shows that between the years 1900 and 2200, that the comet was and will be most significantly perturbed by Saturn on July 29, 1957. At that point it passed within 1.6AU of the giant planet's influence; even this approach had negligible effect.[1] The comet's orbit appears to be stable between 1740 and 2167, with no strong perturbations by any of the planets.[15][41]

Before the 2020 recovery, while the last observation was in 1954, Kinoshita calculated that the comet would come to a future perihelion passage (closest approach to the Sun) on 10 August 2095.[42] Accounting for observations in 2020–2023, the nominal time of perihelion passage is now calculated to be 15 August 2095.[43]

Kirkwood in 1884 noticed that Pons-Brooks shares elements with De Vico's comet of 1846. He suggested that the latter had calved off Pons-Brooks some centuries prior.[44] Later he identified the two comets' capture into their elliptical orbits (or their parent body's capture) with their shared aphelion close to Neptune 991 CE.[45]

Other comets with a similar orbital period include 13P/Olbers, 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf, and 1P/Halley.

Meteor showers

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12P/Pons-Brooks is hypothesized to be the parent body of the weak December κ Draconids meteor shower (#336) that is active from about 29 November to 13 December and generates less than 2 meteors/hour. This is the most abundant of the meteor showers predicted to be related to the comet. One more nighttime meteor shower has been tentatively associated with 12P/Pons-Brooks, the northern June Aquilids, although most probably isn't the parent body.[13] Comet Pons-Brooks could also be the source of a meteor shower on Venus, along with periodic comets 122P/de Vico and 27P/Crommelin.[46]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b JPL Horizons ephemeris generated by JPL K242/30 (soln.date: 2023-Jul-29) has 12P/Pons-Brooks coming to perihelion at 2024-Apr-21 03:16 which is about 2 hours later than "Kinoshita's 2003 solution". of 00:55.
    The Minor Planet Center's unperturbed two-body solution (epoch 2024-05-10) gives a less accurate date of 2024-04-20.47.
    JPL SBDB (using epoch "2010".) gives an even less accurate unperturbed date of 2024-Apr-19.89.
    See table.
     
  2. ^ When a comet increases its apparent magnitude with a difference between 2 and 5 magnitudes (equivalent to a brightening of 6 to 100 times) the event is called an "outburst". Bibcode:1975QJRAS..16..410H.
    One of the more extreme example of a cometary outburst is comet 17 P / Holmes' November 2007 brightening by about 15 magnitudes (nearly a millionfold), described in:
    Dyer, A. (15 November 2007). "Hubble zooms in on [the] heart of [a] mystery comet". hubblesite.org (Press release). Baltimore, MD: Space Telescope Science Institute. Release 2007-40. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
     

References

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  1. ^ a b c d " 12 P / Pons-Brooks ". JPL Small-Body Database Browser (ssd.jpl.nasa.gov). Pasadena, CA: Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2023. last observation: 2023-07-19
  2. ^ a b c d e Meyer, Maik; Kobayashi, Takao; Nakano, Syuichi; Green, Daniel E. (2020). "Comet 12 P / Pons-Brooks : Identification with comets C / 1385 U1 and C / 1457 A1 ". International Comet Quarterly. arXiv:2012.15583.
  3. ^ Meyer, Maik. Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks – identical to comets C/1457 A1 and C/1385 U1 (PDF). comethunter.de (Report).
  4. ^ a b " 12 P / Pons-Brooks' orbit". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Horizons batch for 12 P / Pons-Brooks ". JPL Horizons. Pasadena, CA: Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 90000223 at 2024-Apr-21 03:16 // 2024-Apr-21.136 // JPL#K242/30 Soln.date: 2023-Jul-29. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2023. (Perihelion occurs when rdot flips from negative to positive.)
  6. ^ a b c Yoshida, Seiichi. " 12 P / Pons-Brooks ". aerith.net. Comet catalog.
  7. ^ a b c Quanzhi, Ye; Farnham, Tony L.; Knight, Matthew M.; Holt, Carrie E.; Feaga, Lori M. (2020). "Recovery of returning Halley-type comet 12 P / Pons-Brooks with the Lowell Discovery telescope". American Astronomical Society. 4 (7): 101. arXiv:2007.01368. Bibcode:2020RNAAS...4..101Y. doi:10.3847/2515-5172/aba2d1. S2CID 220347511.
  8. ^ Knight, M.M.; Skiff, B.A.; Schleicher, D.G.; Spiro, L.G.; Fernald, I.C.; Guan, B.Y.; et al. (6 March 2024). "ATel #16508: Rotation period of comet 12P/Pons-Brooks from CN coma morphology". The Astronomer's Telegram. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  9. ^ Miller, Katrina (16 April 2024). "Comet Pons-Brooks Is Having Its Last Hurrah - Soon, this devil-horned comet won't be visible for another seven decades". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  10. ^ Yeomans, D.K. (April 1986). "The intermediate comets and nongravitational effects". Astronomical Journal. 91 (4): 971–973. Bibcode:1986AJ.....91..971Y. doi:10.1086/114073. ISSN 0004-6256.
  11. ^ a b c " 12 P / Pons-Brooks closest approach to Earth on 2 June 2024 (1 hour interval)". JPL Horizons. Pasadena, CA: Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 0000223 JPL#K242/29 Soln.date: 2023-Jul-20. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2022. (Closest Earth approach occurs when deldot flips from negative to positive.)
  12. ^ "Brightest comets seen since 1935". www.icq.eps.harvard.edu. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  13. ^ a b Tomko, D.; Neslusan, L. (2016). "Meteoroid stream of 12 P / Pons-Brooks , December κ Draconids, and northern June Aquilids". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 592: A107. Bibcode:2016A&A...592A.107T. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201628404.
  14. ^ a b Park & Chae (2007)
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h Kronk, Gary W. (2001–2005). " 12 P / Pons-Brooks ". Cometography.com. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2009. Cometography (home page)
  16. ^ Chandler, S.C. Jr. (1 November 1883). "On the outburst in the light of the comet Pons-Brooks Sept. 21-23". Astronomische Nachrichten. 107 (9): 131–133. Bibcode:1883AN....107..131C. doi:10.1002/asna.18841070902. ISSN 0004-6337.
  17. ^ Dawson, William (1884). "The Pons-Brooks Comet". The Friend. 57: 194.
  18. ^ a b c Porter, J.G. (1 April 1955). "Comets (1954)". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 115 (2): 190–198. doi:10.1093/mnras/115.2.190.
  19. ^ Chebotarev, G.A.; Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, E.I.; Marsden, B.G. (1972). The Motion, Evolution of Orbits, and Origin of Comets. D. Reidel Publishing Company. p. 473. ISBN 978-94-010-2875-2. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  20. ^ "Observations and orbits of comets and A/ objects". IAU Minor Planet Center. 26 June 2020. MPEC 2020-M114. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  21. ^ a b Green, Daniel (21 July 2023). Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks (Report). Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. Electronic Telegram 5280. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  22. ^ "12P/Pons-Brooks in outburst!". groups.io/g/comets-ml. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  23. ^ Vergano, Daniel (26 July 2023). "Millennium Falcon comet sprouts icy wings as it loops around the Sun". Scientific American. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  24. ^ Manzini, Federico; Oldani, Virginio; Ochner, Paolo; Bedin, Luigi R.; Reguitti, Andrea (17 August 2023). "Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks outburst and coma expansion rate". The Astronomer's Telegram (ATel #16194).
  25. ^ a b King, Bob (6 October 2023). "Comet 12 P / Pons-Brooks flares again!". Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  26. ^ "Thursday 16 November 2023". spaceweather.com. Spaceweather.com Time Machine. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  27. ^ "Cometas visibles en Enero de 2024". CometoGrafía (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  28. ^ "Friday 19 January 2024". spaceweather.com. Spaceweather.com Time Machine. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  29. ^ Chambo, Pepe (15 February 2024). The iconic tail of comet 12P/Pons-Brooks. online gallery. Sky and Telescope (astrophoto). Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  30. ^ a b Green, Daniel (15 March 2024). 12P/Pons-Brooks (Report). Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. telegram 5369.
  31. ^ James, Nick (1 March 2024). "12P/Pons-Brooks small outburst 2024 Feb 29". britastro.org. British Astronomical Association. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  32. ^ "Thursday 7 March 2024". spaceweather.com. Spaceweather.com Time Machine. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  33. ^ Kizer Whitt, Kelly (4 April 2024). "Comet Pons-Brooks, the eclipse-day comet, appears to be in outburst". earthsky.org. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  34. ^ "Horizons batch for 12 P / Pons-Brooks ". JPL Horizons. Pasadena, CA: Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 90000223 at Solar Eclipse on 2024-Apr-08. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  35. ^ "Astro Bob: Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks grows an imaginary tail". Duluth News Tribune. 8 June 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  36. ^ " 12 P / Pons-Brooks closest approach to Earth around 21 September 1812". JPL Horizons. Pasadena, CA: Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Using 1812 orbit solution (90000220). Retrieved 22 July 2023. (Closest Earth approach occurs when deldot flips from negative to positive.)
  37. ^ " 12 P / Pons-Brooks closest approach to Earth on 29 June 1954 (1 hour interval)". JPL Horizons. Pasadena, CA: Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 22 July 2023. (Closest Earth approach occurs when deldot flips from negative to positive.)
  38. ^ " 12 P / Pons-Brooks closest approach to Earth around 31 August 2095". JPL Horizons. Pasadena, CA: Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 22 July 2023. (Closest Earth approach occurs when deldot flips from negative to positive.)
  39. ^ Carusi et al. (1987), p. 900.
  40. ^ Carusi et al. (1987), p. 899.
  41. ^ Carusi et al. (1987), p. 905.
  42. ^ Kinoshita, Kazuo (22 February 2003). "12P/Pons-Brooks past, present and future orbital elements". jcometobs.web.fc2.com. Comet Orbit. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  43. ^ "Horizons batch for 12 P / Pons-Brooks ". JPL Horizons. Pasadena, CA: Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 90000223 for August 2095. Retrieved 24 July 2023. (Perihelion occurs when rdot flips from negative to positive.)
  44. ^ Kirkwood, Daniel (February 1884). "The Comet of 1812 and 1883". Popular Science Monthly. Vol. 24. pp. 488–491.
  45. ^ Kirkwood, Daniel (January 1886). "The Comets 1812 I, and 1846 IV". The Sidereal Messenger. 5: 13–14. Bibcode:1886SidM....5...13K.
  46. ^ Christou, A.A. (March 2010). "Annual meteor showers at Venus and Mars: Lessons from the Earth". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 402 (4): 2759–2770. Bibcode:2010MNRAS.402.2759C. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.16097.x.

Sources

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Numbered comets
Previous
11P/Tempel–Swift–LINEAR 		12P/Pons–Brooks Next
13P/Olbers
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