C/1996 Q1 (Tabur) is a non-periodic comet that became visible to the naked eye in October 1996.[3] It is the first of three comets discovered by Australian astronomer, Vello Tabur.
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Vello Tabur |
| Discovery site | Wanniassa, Australia |
| Discovery date | 19 August 1996 |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch | 15 September 1996 (JD 2450341.5) |
| Observation arc | 58 days |
| Number of observations | 214 |
| Semi-major axis | 605.019 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.99861 |
| Orbital period | ~14,900 years |
| Inclination | 73.356° |
| 31.400° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 57.413° |
| Last perihelion | 3 November 1996 |
| TJupiter | 0.334 |
| Earth MOID | 0.0838 AU |
| Jupiter MOID | 1.0053 AU |
| Physical characteristics[3] | |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 11.0 |
| Comet nuclear magnitude (M2) | 16.4 |
| 4.8 (1996 apparition) | |
Discovery and observations
editThe comet was first spotted by Vello Tabur from his 0.2 m (7.9 in) reflector as a 10th-magnitude object within the constellation Eridanus on the evening of 19 August 1996.[1] At the time, astronomers had difficulty confirming the new comet's existence until Herman Mikuž and Alan Hale independently spotted it on 21 August.[3]
The comet steadily brightened as it approached the Earth throughout the entire month of September,[4] and was "widely noted as a naked eye object in the first half of October.[3] It faded rapidly from mid-October despite the fact that it was still approaching perihelion.[5] It was theorized that the comet's sudden decline in brightness were likely caused by the depletion of volatiles within its nucleus.[6]
The comet was last seen as a 9th-magnitude object on 23 November 1996.[3]
Orbit
editShortly after discovery, Brian G. Marsden computed the first parabolic orbit of the comet on 23 August 1996, which was roughly 73 degrees inclined to the ecliptic and an orbital period of approximately 18,500 years.[1] A revised orbit was published about a week later, and Jost Jahn noted it has a strong resemblance to the orbit of C/1988 A1 (Liller),[7] suggesting they might have fragmented from each other in a previous perihelion, despite the latter's shorter orbital period of 2,900 years.[8] In the following years, more fragments of the same comet family were found. These were C/2015 F3 (SWAN), C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) and C/2023 V5 (Leonard).[9][10]
References
edit- ^ a b c B. G. Marsden (23 August 1996). "Comet C/1996 Q1 (Tabur)". Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. 6460.
- ^ "C/1996 Q1 (Tabur) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e G. W. Kronk. "C/1996 Q1 (Tabur)". Cometography.com. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
- ^ L. Kolokolava; L. M. Lara; R. Schulz; J. A. Stüwe; G. P. Tozzi (2001). "Properties and Evolution of Dust in Comet Tabur (C/1996 Q1) from the Color Maps". Icarus. 153 (1): 197–207. Bibcode:2001Icar..153..197K. doi:10.1006/icar.2001.6665. ISSN 0019-1035.
- ^ "C/1996 Q1". cometography.com. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
- ^ M. Fulle; H. Mikuž; M. Nonino; S. Bosio (1998). "The Death of Comet Tabur 1996 Q1: The Tail without the Comet". Icarus. 134 (2): 235–248. Bibcode:1998Icar..134..235F. doi:10.1006/icar.1998.5943. ISSN 0019-1035.
- ^ L. M. Lara; R. Schulz; J. A. Stüwe; G. P. Tozzi (2001). "Activity of Comet Tabur (C/1996 Q1) during September 12–17, 1996". Icarus. 150 (1): 124–139. Bibcode:2001Icar..150..124L. doi:10.1006/icar.2000.6547. ISSN 0019-1035.
- ^ B. G. Marsden (23 August 1996). "Comet C/1996 Q1 (Tabur)". Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. 6464.
- ^ Z. Sekanina; R. Kracht (2016). "Pairs and Groups of Genetically Related Long-period Comets and Proposed Identity of the Mysterious Lick Object of 1921". The Astrophysical Journal. 823 (1): 2–28. arXiv:1510.06445. Bibcode:2016ApJ...823....2S. doi:10.3847/0004-637X/823/1/2.
- ^ C. dela Fuente Marcos; R. dela Fuente Marcos (2023). "Second-generation Fragments of a Comet Split in the Making: The Liller Family Comets". Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society. 7 (11): 249–251. Bibcode:2023RNAAS...7..249D. doi:10.3847/2515-5172/ad0f27.
External links
edit- C/1996 Q1 at the JPL Small-Body Database