C/2014 OG392 (PANSTARRS)

C/2014 OG392 is a comet discovered as a centaur on 28 July 2014 when it was 11.5 AU (1.72 billion km) from the Sun and had an apparent magnitude of 21.[3] The comet was relatively easier to detect at this distance because the nucleus is estimated to be 20 km in diameter.[1]

C/2014 OG392 (PANSTARRS)
Discovery
Discovered byPan-STARRS
Discovery date28 July 2014
Orbital characteristics A
Epoch2020-12-17 (2459200.5)
Observation arc9.3 years
Orbit typeCentaur / Chiron-type
Aphelion14.463 AU
Perihelion9.9697 AU (near Saturn's distance)
Semi-major axis12.216 AU
Eccentricity0.18389
Orbital period42.7 yr
Inclination9.0333°
TJupiter3.4
Earth MOID8.99 AU (1.345 billion km)
Jupiter MOID5.08 AU (760 million km)
Dimensions20 km (albedo=0.1)[1]
Absolute magnitude:
H=10.8 (MPC)
H=11.3 (corrected)[1]
Last perihelion29 July 1979[2]
Next perihelion29 November 2021[2]

DECam archival images from 2017 when the comet was 10.6 AU (1.59 billion km) from the Sun showed cometary activity likely produced by carbon dioxide (CO2) and/or ammonia (NH3) sublimation.[1]

Clones of the orbit of C/2014 OG392 estimate a dynamic lifetime of 13 thousand to a million years.[1] Perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) is located at roughly the same distance as Saturn's orbit with a Saturn minimum orbit intersection distance of 0.9 AU (130 million km).[4] For example on 29 September 2231 the comet will pass about 0.934 AU (139.7 million km) ±1 million km from Saturn.[5]

C/2014 OG392 will come to opposition on 1 November 2021 in the constellation of Cetus when it will have a solar elongation of 170 degrees. Numerical integration shows the comet last came to perihelion in late July 1979 and will next come to perihelion on 29 November 2021.[2]

References
  1. Chandler, Colin; Kueny, Jay; Trujillo, Chad; Trilling, David; Oldroyd, William (2020). "Cometary Activity Discovered on a Distant Centaur: A Nonaqueous Sublimation Mechanism". The Astrophysical Journal. 892 (2).
  2. JPL Horizons Observer Location: @sun (Perihelion occurs when deldot changes from negative to positive.)
  3. "MPEC 2020-U241 : COMET C/2014 OG392 (PANSTARRS)". IAU Minor Planet Center. 2020-10-27. Retrieved 2021-01-15. (CK14Od2G)
  4. "2014 OG392 (PANSTARRS)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  5. JPL Horizons Observer Location: @699 Table Settings: 20,39 (Uncertainty is 3-sigma.)
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