C/2001 B2 (NEAT)

C/2001 B2 (NEAT) is another of the many comets that have been discovered over the last few years by automated search programmes, although on this occasion it was recognised immediately as a comet. It was identified as an 15th magnitude object on images taken with the 1.2-m Schmidt at Haleakala (Hawaii) on January 24th 2001, within the NEAT programme. Although there was an active coma, the comet did not show a tail. Further observations showed that this was a comet with perihelion beyond Jupiter.

The comet was discovered four months after perihelion. Perihelion had occurred just outside the orbit of Jupiter (perihelion distance 5.30AU) on September 1st 2000. The comet has a retrograde orbit with an inclination of 150º.6 and at perihelion had a rather strongly hyperbolic orbit (e=1.0030). The excentricity though is reducing with time and will probably be closed in the future.

The light curve

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The light curve shows the comet has been fading steadily since discovery, although still relatively bright.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Observations by:

 

Image: December 29th 2002

Image of C/2001B2 (NEAT) and the galaxy PGC 26473 taken with a 0.25-m f/3.7 Schmidt-Cassegrain + CCD.

Josep Lluis Salto
MPC A02, Observatorio de Cal Maciarol (Barcelona, Spain)

 

 


Última actualización 13/01/2003
Por M.R.Kidger