C/2020 Y3 (ATLAS)

DEPARTED

Type: Periodic Perihelion date: 3 December 2020 Perihelion distance (q): 2.0 Aphelion distance (Q) : 300 Period (years): 1,859 Eccentricity (e): 0.99 Inclination (i): 83.1 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve The ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) team discovered an 18th magnitude comet in images taken with the 0.5m Schmidt at Mauna Loa on 28 December 2020. It was posted on the NEOCP as A10u1Pq and subsequently confirmed as cometary by other astrometrists. It was subsequently re-reported by Catalina as C23H0W1 in April 2021. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 14-Feb-21 18.0 0.4 17-Mar-21 17.5 0.4 05-Apr-21 18.06 0.05 17.6 0.4 13-Apr-21 17.8 0.4 17-Apr-21 17.7 0.4 04-May-21 18.7 0.4 30-May-21 19.3 0.4