C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS)

C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS) is an Oort cloud comet discovered on 2 October 2017[3] when it was 9.2 AU (1.38 billion km) from the Sun. The closest approach to Earth was on 28 December 2019 at a distance of 1.52 AU (227 million km). It came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 4 May 2020[2] when it was safe from disintegration at 1.6 AU from the Sun. (Mars is also roughly 1.6 AU from the Sun.)

C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS)
Discovery
Discovered byPan-STARRS
Discovery date2 October 2017
Orbital characteristics
Epoch2458756.5 (30 Sept 2019)
Observation arc3.93 years
Number of
observations		6896
Orbit typeOort cloud
Aphelion~74000 AU (inbound)[1]
~3000 AU (outbound)
Perihelion1.6150 AU
Eccentricity0.99971
Orbital period~7 million years (inbound)[1]
~55000 years (outbound)
Inclination57.232°
Last perihelion4 May 2020[2]
Earth MOID1.2 AU (180 million km; 470 LD)
Jupiter MOID0.99 AU (148 million km; 390 LD)

Comet C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS) brightened to apparent magnitude 8 and was visible with 50mm binoculars.[4][5] On 22-24 May 2020, the comet passed near the galaxy pair of Messier 81 and Messier 82, passing less than one degree from the latter.[6] In early June 2020 the comet was near the magnitude 1.8 star Dubhe in Ursa Major.[7]

Based on the light curve of the comet nucleus, it has been estimated that the nucleus has a rotational period of 5.6759 ± 0.0046 h.[8] The comet at perihelion had a water production of 6×1028 molecules/s. Also when observed in CN featured two side jets in June 2020, but they weren't observed one month later.[9] Concentric structures were observed in the inner coma in May 2020, probably created by a jet with rotation axis towards the Earth.[10]

JPL Horizons using an epoch 1950 orbit solution models that C/2017 T2 took millions of years to come from the Oort cloud at a distance of roughly 74,000 AU (1.2 ly).[1]

References
  1. Horizons output. "Barycentric Osculating Orbital Elements for Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS)". Solution using the Solar System Barycenter. Ephemeris Type:Elements and Center:@0 (To be outside planetary region, inbound epoch 1950 and outbound epoch 2050. For epoch 1950-Jan-01 orbit period is "PR= 2.6E+09 / 365.25 days" = ~7.1 million years)
  2. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  3. Weryk, R.; Sato, H.; Wainscoat, R. J.; Woodworth, D.; Micheli, M.; Soulier, J. -F. (1 October 2017). "Comet C/2017 T2 (Panstarrs)". Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams. 4445: 1. Bibcode:2017CBET.4445....1W.
  4. "Comet Observation database (COBS)". Retrieved 27 May 2020. "C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) plot"
  5. Seiichi Yoshida. "C/2017 T2 ( PanSTARRS )". Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  6. Lawrence, Pete (1 May 2020). "How to see and photograph comet C/2017 T2 PanSTARRS". BBC Sky at Night Magazine. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  7. Dickinson, David (13 February 2020). "Catch Comet T2 PanSTARRS This Spring". Universe Today. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  8. Bahyl, Vladimír; Balážová, Emília (1 January 2022). "Comet C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS): Nucleus Lightcurve and Period". Minor Planet Bulletin. 49 (1): 59–60. Bibcode:2022MPBu...49...59B. ISSN 1052-8091.
  9. Schleicher, D. G.; Knight, M. M.; Skiff, B. A. (1 October 2020). "A Smorgasbord of Recent Comet Narrowband Imaging and Photometry: Results from NEOWISE (C/2020 F3), ATLAS (C/2019 Y4), PanSTARRS (C/2017 T2), and 88P/Howell". Aas/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts. Vol 52. 52 (6): 111.05. Bibcode:2020DPS....5211105S.
  10. Manzini, Federico; Ochner, Paolo; Oldani, Virginio; Bedin, Luigi R. (2 May 2020). "ATel #13698: Concentric structures in the inner coma of comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS)". The Astronomer's Telegram.


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