C/2004 Q1 (Tucker)

C/2004 Q1 (Tucker)
Discovery[1]
Discovered byRoy A. Tucker
Discovery siteTucson, Arizona
Discovery date23 August 2004
Designations
CK04Q010[2]
Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch11 December 2004 (JD 2453350.5)
Observation arc615 days (1.68 years)
Earliest precovery date22 August 2004
Number of
observations		1,972
Aphelion~370 AU
Perihelion2.047 AU
Semi-major axis~190 AU
Eccentricity0.98904
Orbital period~2,550 years
Inclination56.088°
22.130°
Argument of
periapsis		32.968°
Mean anomaly0.0015°
Last perihelion6 December 2004
TJupiter1.015
Earth MOID1.146 AU
Jupiter MOID2.582 AU
Physical characteristics
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		9.6
Comet nuclear
magnitude (M2)		11.8
10.5
(2004 apparition)

Comet Tucker, formally designated as C/2004 Q1, is a faint non-periodic comet that had a very distant perihelion on 11 December 2004. It was the second of two comets discovered by famed amateur astronomer, Roy A. Tucker.[a]

Discovery and observations

Roy A. Tucker discovered the comet as a diffuse magnitude 14.6 object in the constellation Cetus on 23 August 2004,[b] using a 0.35 m (14 in) reflector telescope.[4] Images on 25 August show a 30" coma and a tail measuring 70" in length.[1] Observations from Spain in the next day reported that it was 12.9 in apparent magnitude.[5] It steadily brightened in the following months until it reached perihelion on December 2004,[6] although it did not get any closer to the inner Solar System, resulting in a peak magnitude of 10.5.[7]

Orbital calculations by Brian G. Marsden revealed that C/2004 Q1 might not be a "new" comet from the Oort cloud, noting its trajectory as dynamically old.[8] It was last observed on 4 May 2005.[7][9]

Notes

  1. ^ Roy A. Tucker's first comet discovery was 328P/LONEOS–Tucker in 1998
  2. ^ Reported initial position upon discovery was: α = 2h 42m 20.76s, δ = 2° 08′ 54.4″[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c R. A. Tucker; J. Foster; J. E. McGaha (25 August 2004). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet C/2004 Q1 (Tucker)". IAU Circular. 8393 (1). Bibcode:2004IAUC.8393....1T. ISSN 0081-0304.
  2. ^ R. H. McNaught; R. A. Tucker; J. E. McGaha; et al. (25 August 2004). B. G. Marsden (ed.). "Comet C/2004 Q1 (Tucker)". Minor Planet Electronic Circulars. 2004-Q43. Bibcode:2004MPEC....Q...43M.
  3. ^ "C/2004 Q1 (Tucker) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  4. ^ S. Yoshida (11 August 2020). "C/2004 Q1 (Tucker)". www.aerith.net. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  5. ^ J. J. Gonzalez (6 September 2004). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet C/2004 Q1 (Tucker)". IAU Circular. 8403 (3). Bibcode:2004IAUC.8403....3G. ISSN 0081-0304.
  6. ^ A. Pearce; A. Kammerer; C. S. Morris; et al. (1 November 2004). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet C/2004 Q1 (Tucker)". IAU Circular. 8425 (4). Bibcode:2004IAUC.8425....4P. ISSN 0081-0304.
  7. ^ a b J. Shanklin (20 November 2019). "BAA Comet Section: New Comets Discovered in 2004". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  8. ^ S. Gajdos; A. Galad; R. Naves; et al. (23 October 2004). B. G. Marsden (ed.). "Comet C/2004 Q1 (Tucker)". Minor Planet Electronic Circulars. 2004-U30. Bibcode:2004MPEC....U...30G.
  9. ^ A. Kammerer. "Analysis of Past Comet Apparitions: C/2004 Q1 (Tucker)". Fachgruppe Kometen in der VdS. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
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