C/1996 J1 (Evans–Drinkwater)
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Robert O. Evans Michael J. Drinkwater |
| Discovery site | Siding Spring Observatory (UK Schmidt Telescope) |
| Discovery date | 10 May 1996 |
| Orbital characteristics[2][3] | |
| Epoch | 27 January 1998 (JD 2450840.5) |
| Observation arc | 2.60 years (951 days) |
| Number of observations | 522 |
| Perihelion | 1.298 AU |
| Eccentricity | 1.00103 |
| Inclination | 22.516° |
| 278.17° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 14.801° |
| Mean anomaly | 0.009° |
| Last perihelion | 30 December 1996 |
| Earth MOID | 0.293 AU |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 9.8 (A) 12.9 (B) |
| Comet nuclear magnitude (M2) | 10.0 (B) |
Comet Evans–Drinkwater, also known as C/1996 J1, is a non-periodic comet that was observed between May 1996 and December 1998. It is known to have split into two large fragments about 70 days before reaching perihelion,[4] however the second fragment was only first observed by May 1997.[5]
References
- ^ R. O. Evans; M. J. Drinkwater; R. H. McNaught; et al. (12 May 1996). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet C/1996 J1". IAU Circular. 6397 (1).
- ^ "C/1996 J1-A (Evans–Drinkwater) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ^ "C/1996 J1-B (Evans–Drinkwater) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ^ Z. Sekanina (1998). "A double nucleus of comet Evans–Drinkwater (C/1996 J1)". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 339: 25–28. Bibcode:1998A&A...339L..25S. hdl:2014/20439.
- ^ S. Nakano; J. Kobayashi (10 May 1997). B. G. Marsden (ed.). "Comet C/1996 J1 (Evans–Drinkwater)". IAU Circular. 6653 (2).
External links
- C/1996 J1-A at the JPL Small-Body Database
- C/1996 J1-B at the JPL Small-Body Database
- C/1996 J1 at Seiichi Yoshida's website