C/2020 X3 (SOHO)
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | SOHO Worachate Boonplod |
| Discovery date | 13 December 2020 |
| Designations | |
| SOHO-4108, CK20X030 | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch | 14 December 2020 (JD 2459198.44587) |
| Observation arc | 22.9 hours |
| Number of observations | 104 |
| Orbit type | Kreutz sungrazer |
| Perihelion | 0.005 AU |
| Eccentricity | ~1.000 |
| Max. orbital speed | 200 km/s[2] |
| Inclination | 143.94° |
| 357.16° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 77.358° |
| Last perihelion | 14 December 2020 |
| Physical characteristics[3] | |
Mean diameter | 0.015 km (0.0093 mi) |
| 5.1 (2020 apparition) | |
C/2020 X3 (SOHO), also known as SOHO-4108, is the 3,534th Kreutz sungrazer comet discovered by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).[2] It is notable for appearing during the total solar eclipse of 14 December 2020. Due to its small size, only about a few meters across, it completely disintegrated upon perihelion only 22 hours after being discovered.[4]
See also
- X/1882 K1 (Tewfik) – the Eclipse Comet of 1882, also a member of the Kreutz sungrazers.
- C/1948 V1 – the Eclipse Comet of 1948.
References
- ^ a b W. Boonplod; K. Battams; et al. (17 December 2020). "Comet C/2020 X3 (SOHO)". Minor Planet Electronic Circulars. 2020-Y19.
- ^ a b K. Brabaw (21 January 2021). "This tiny comet photobombed the total solar eclipse of 2020". Space.com. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ "SOHO Observatory Spots Newly-Discovered Sungrazer Comet". SciNews. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ M. Hatfield (19 December 2020). "Recently Discovered Comet Seen During 2020 Total Solar Eclipse". nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
External links
- C/2020 X3 at Gideon van Buitenen's website
- The Sungrazer Project for the overview of SOHO comets discovered in 2020.