80P/Peters–Hartley

80P/Peters–Hartley
Discovery[1][2]
Discovered byChristian H. F. Peters
Malcolm Hartley
Discovery siteCapodimonte Observatory, Italy
Discovery date26 June 1846
11 July 1982
Designations
P/1846 M1
P/1982 N1
  • 1846 VI, 1982 III, 1990 IX
  • 1982h, 1990d
Orbital characteristics[4][5]
Epoch21 November 2025 (JD 2461000.5)
Observation arc177.15 years
Number of
observations
186
Aphelion6.424 AU
Perihelion1.618 AU
Semi-major axis4.021 AU
Eccentricity0.59769
Orbital period8.063 years
Inclination29.928°
259.77°
Argument of
periapsis
339.26°
Mean anomaly131.89°
Last perihelion8 December 2022
Next perihelion28 December 2030[3]
TJupiter2.513
Earth MOID0.619 AU
Jupiter MOID0.454 AU
Comet total
magnitude
(M1)
11.8

80P/Peters–Hartley is a Jupiter-family comet with an orbital period of 8.06 years around the Sun. It is the first of two comets discovered by German–American astronomer, Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters,[a] later becoming lost and subsequently recovered by Australian astronomer, Malcolm Hartley.

Observational history

It was originally discovered by Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters of Capodimonte Observatory, Naples, Italy.[1] There was insufficient data to accurately compute the orbit, and the comet was lost for well over 136 years.[6]

It was accidentally rediscovered by Malcolm Hartley at the UK Schmidt Telescope Unit, Siding Spring, Australia on a photographic plate exposed on 11 July 1982.[7] He estimated its brightness at a magnitude of 15. The sighting was confirmed from the Perth Observatory, where Michael P. Candy calculated the orbit and concluded that Hartley had indeed relocated the lost Peters' Comet.[2] Ichiro Hasegawa and Syuichi Nakano had simultaneously reached the same conclusion.

It was observed at its next apparition in 1990 by Robert H. McNaught of the Siding Spring observatory, who described as diffuse with a brightness of magnitude 14, indicating that the comet had faded over the last 150 years.[8] It was subsequently observed on every apparition since its recovery.

Notes

  1. ^ The second comet discovered by C. H. F. Peters was C/1857 O1 (Peters)

References

  1. ^ a b M. Peters (1846). "Announcement of Discovery of a Comet, June 26, 1846" (PDF). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 7 (9): 159–160. Bibcode:1846MNRAS...7R.159P. doi:10.1093/mnras/7.9.159.
  2. ^ a b M. Hartley; M. P. Candy; V. Flynn; et al. (22 July 1982). B. G. Marsden (ed.). "Periodic Comet Peters-Hartley (1846 VI = 1982h)". IAU Circular. 3715 (1). Bibcode:1982IAUC.3715....1H.
  3. ^ "Horizons Batch for 80P/Peters-Hartley (90000849) on 2030-Dec-28" (Perihelion occurs when rdot flips from negative to positive). JPL Horizons. Retrieved 6 July 2023. (JPL#28/Soln.date: 2023-Jun-26)
  4. ^ "80P/Peters–Hartley – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  5. ^ "80P/Peters–Hartley Orbit". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  6. ^ Z. Sekanina (1984). "Disappearance and Disintegration of Comets". Icarus. 58 (1): 81–100. Bibcode:1984Icar...58...81S. doi:10.1016/0019-1035(84)90099-X.
  7. ^ B. A. Skiff; E. Bowell; A. C. Gilmore; et al. (19 July 1982). B. G. Marsden (ed.). "Comet Hartley (1982h)". IAU Circular. 3713 (1). Bibcode:1982IAUC.3713....1S.
  8. ^ J. D. Shanklin (1996). "The Comets of 1990". Journal of the British Astronomical Association. 106 (2): 86–91. Bibcode:1996JBAA..106...86S.