C/2021 K1 (ATLAS)

DEPARTED

Type: Periodic Perihelion date: 4 May 2021 Perihelion distance (q): 2.5 Aphelion distance (Q) : 23.0 Period (years): 45.5 Eccentricity (e): 0.80 Inclination (i): 16.3 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve A 17th magnitude object was discovered in images taken with the 0.5m Schmidt at Haleakala on 24 May 2021 by the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) team. It was posted on the PCCP as A10xB7g with an earlier discovery date of 14 May as this had been submitted to the MPC as an isolated tracklet. There were many PanSTARRS pre-discovery observations back to April 2020. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 22-Jun-21 15.5 0.4 01-Sep-21 16.72 0.03 16.3 0.4 09-Sep-21 16.56 0.03 15.3 0.9