 The comet on 27 July 2023 byZTF | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Infrared Astronomical Satellite |
| Discovery date | 28 July 1983 |
| Designations | |
| 126P/1996 P1, 126P/1983 M1, 1983 XIV, 1983j | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch | 17 December 2010 |
| Aphelion | 9.573 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.714 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 5.643 AU |
| Orbital period | 13.406 years |
| Inclination | 45.832° |
| 357.761° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 356.727° |
| Last perihelion | 5 July 2023 |
| TJupiter | 1.964 |
| EarthMOID | 0.710 AU |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 3.14 ± 0.28 km[3] |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 12.4[2] |
126P/IRAS is aperiodic comet with anorbital period of 13.4 years. It was discovered in images taken by theInfrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) on 28 July 1983 by J. Davies. The discovery was confirmed with images taken with the1.2-m Schmidt telescope atPalomar Observatory.[1][4]
Upon discovery the comet had anapparent magnitude of 15 and appeared stellar in appearance.[4] The comet brightened and in mid September 1983 reached an apparent magnitude of 11 while a tail 3.5 arcminutes long was observed.Brian G. Marsden computed its orbit and found it is a short period comet with an orbital period of 13.32 years.[1] The comet was observed again during its next apparition in 1996, when it brightened up to magnitude of about 11 in September 1996 and faded to about 12 in October.[5][6] The comet was observed during its 2010 and 2023 apparitions.[7]
During the 1996 apparition the comet was observed by theInfrared Space Observatory when it was near perihelion. The comet had a 15 arcminute long tail inmid infrared. The surface was covered with dust grains smaller than 5 microns, a grain size similar toHalley's Comet. The dust mass loss rate was between 150–600 kg/s, while the comet shed 3.3 times more dust mass than gas mass. Thealbedo of the dust grain in the tail was estimated to be 0.15 ± 0.03.[8] The nucleus is estimated to have a radius of 1.57 ± 0.14 km based on infrared observations.[3]
It has been proposed thatmeteoroids expelled from the comet about 13.000 years ago could reach Earth, producing a diffusemeteor shower.[9]
| Numbered comets | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous 125P/Spacewatch | 126P/IRAS | Next 127P/Holt–Olmstead |
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