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C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS)

C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS)
Comet PanSTARRS photographed from the Mount Lemmon Observatory on 16 January 2018
Discovery[1]
Discovered byPan-STARRS
Discovery siteHaleakalā Observatory
Discovery date30 August 2016
Designations
CK16R020
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch29 May 2018 (JD 2458267.5)
Observation arc1,762 days (4.82 years)
Number of
observations		4,319
Aphelion~1,410 AU
Perihelion2.602 AU
Semi-major axis~705 AU
Eccentricity0.99631
Orbital period~18,700 years
Inclination58.224°
80.569°
Argument of
periapsis		33.192°
Mean anomaly0.001°
Last perihelion9 May 2018
TJupiter1.060
Earth MOID1.720 AU
Jupiter MOID2.117 AU
Physical characteristics[2][3]
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		7.3
Comet nuclear
magnitude (M2)		11.2
9.8
(2018 apparition)

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.[4] 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.[5] It was found to differ from typical comets, and was found to be rich in carbon monoxide (CO) but depleted in hydrogen cyanide (HCN), resulting in a blue coma.[5][6] The blue color is thought to come from the rich amounts of carbon monoxide being ionized.[7] The comet was also noted to be rich in nitrogen.[8]

The comet was observed by a submillimeter wavelength telescope in the late 2010s.[5]

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.[7] Blue comets are a less common type of comet.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ G. V. Williams (9 September 2016). "MPEC 2016-R107: Comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS)". www.minorplanetcenter.net. Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  2. 1 2 "C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  3. ↑ "Observation list for C/2016 R2". COBS – Comet OBServation database. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  4. ↑ Nemiroff, R.; Bonnell, J., eds. (12 January 2018). "Blue Comet PanSTARRS". Astronomy Picture of the Day. NASA.
  5. 1 2 3 T. Nowakowski (30 May 2018). "Comet C/2016 R2 (Pan-STARRS) is rich in carbon monoxide and depleted in hydrogen cyanide, study finds". Phys.org. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  6. ↑ K. Wierzchoś; M. Womack. "C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS): A comet rich in CO and depleted in HCN". Astronomical Journal. 156 (1): 1–14. arXiv:1805.06918. Bibcode:2018AJ....156...34W. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aac6bc.
  7. 1 2 H. Weitering (6 February 2018). "Rare Carbon-Monoxide Comet Turns Blue in Stunning Deep-Space Photos". Space.com. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  8. 1 2 S. Prostak (16 October 2018). "Astronomers Spot Rare Blue Comet: C/2016 R2". www.sci.news. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  9. ↑ "Once in a Blue Comet". www.eso.org. European Southern Observatory. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
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