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C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS)

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Comet
C/2016 R2
The comet on 16 January 2018
Discovery 
Discovered byPan-STARRS
Discovery siteHaleakala Obs.
Discovery date30 August 2016
Designations
MPC designationC/2016 R2
Minor planet categorycomet 
Orbital characteristics 
Epoch 13 October 2018
Observation arc774 days
Perihelion2.60235 AU
Eccentricity0.99646
Mean anomaly359.9932°
Inclination58.222°
Longitude of ascending node80.5685°
Argument of perihelion33.1930°
Earth MOID1.72 AU
Physical characteristics
Absolute magnitude (H)8

C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) is a comet, discovered using the Pan-STARRS telescopes on September 7, 2016. The comet attracted attention from many astronomers as it approached its closest point to the Sun in May 2018. It has been observed to have a very complex tail, which has been suggested to be due to a fast rotation period of the nucleus.

The comet orbits the Sun on a 20,000 year orbit, which takes it out about 740 AU (Sun-Earth distances). It was found to differ from typical comets, and was found to be rich in Carbon monoxide (CO) with a blue coma. The blue color is thought to come from the rich amounts of carbon monoxide being ionized. The comet was also noted to be rich in nitrogen.

The comet was observed by a submillimeter wavelength telescope in the late 2010s.

The comet made its closest approach to the Sun in May 2018, and its blue, teal, and dust tail were noted as an astronomical target. Blue comets are a less common type of comet.

Gallery

  • Comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) taken by SPECULOOS project. Comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) taken by SPECULOOS project.

See also

References

  1. "MPEC 2016-R107: COMET C/2016 R2 (PANSTARRS)". IAU Minor Planet Center. 2016-09-09. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  2. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: C/2016 R2 (PANSTARRS)" (2018-04-13 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  3. "APOD: 2018 January 12 - Blue Comet PanSTARRS". apod.nasa.gov. 2018-01-12.
  4. ^ "Comet C/2016 R2 (Pan-STARRS) is rich in carbon monoxide and depleted in hydrogen cyanide, study finds". Retrieved 2018-11-17.
  5. ^ "Rare Carbon-Monoxide Comet Turns Blue in Stunning Deep-Space Photos". Space.com. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
  6. ^ "Astronomers Spot Rare Blue Comet: C/2016 R2 | Astronomy | Sci-News.com". Breaking Science News | Sci-News.com. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
  7. "Once in a blue comet". www.eso.org. Retrieved 8 October 2019.

External links

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