288P/ (0288P)

TRY AGAIN 2026

Type: Periodic Perihelion date: 1 March 2022 Perihelion distance (q): 2.4 Aphelion distance (Q) : 3.7 Period (years): 5.3 Eccentricity (e): 0.20 Inclination (i): 3.2 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve This main belt asteroid, discovered by Spacewatch on 15 November 2006 and named 2006 VW139, was shown to have cometary features in PanSTARRS images taken in November 2011. It has been observed at returns in 2000, 2006 and 2011, and at six oppositions and was therefore given a periodic comet number. It appeared that activity had ceased by 2012. It was observed by the Hubble Space Telescope in August 2016 and again showed a tail, confirming that activity was driven by the sublimation of ice. No name has been given to the comet. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 30-Aug-16 19.44 0.21 19.1 0.2 06-Sep-16 19.05 0.08 18.3 0.2 22-Sep-16 18.79 0.18 18.2 0.2 30-Sep-16 18.96 0.03 18.7 0.2 08-Oct-16 19.10 0.09 18.9 0.2 28-Oct-16 18.88 0.02 19.0 0.2