C/2016 A8 (LINEAR)

DEPARTED

Type: Periodic Perihelion date: 30 August 2016 Perihelion distance (q): 1.9 Aphelion distance (Q) : 68.2 Period (years): 208 Eccentricity (e): 0.95 Inclination (i): 148.2 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve A 20th magnitude object discovered by LINEAR (The 3.5m reflector Space Surveillance Telescope at the Atom site) on 14 January 2016 was shown to have cometary features by astrometrists after posting on the PCCP. Although the discovery magnitude suggests that it will get to 15th magnitude, the comet was observed visually from late July and reached 11th magnitude at the end of August. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 21-Jun-16 16.42 0.12 14.9 0.2 24-Aug-16 14.35 0.02 12.8 0.9 31-Aug-16 14.11 0.02 12.2 0.9 05-Sep-16 14.28 0.02 13.0 0.4 18-Sep-16 14.75 0.01 12.9 0.6 01-Oct-16 15.39 0.00 14.5 0.4