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A/2019 Q1
ephemeris date magn radius delta ra dec elong phase PA
Today27 Jan 202020.35.172 AU5.673 AU23h43m+11°40'55.0°9.0°57°
Perihelion19 Jul 202019.84.997 AU4.482 AU23h22m+20°23'115.0°10.6°234°
Nearest approach2 Sep 202019.45.009 AU4.086 AU22h18m+17°52'153.5°5.2°163°
A/2019 Q1- 2020-01-27
astro.vanbuitenen.nl


 
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The interactive orbit chart above shows the comet's path through the solar system and its position at the given date. Green and blue lines are shown perpendicular to the ecliptic plane: Green if the path is above the ecliptic plane, blue if it is below. (Left-click and drag to rotate the view; Right-click and drag to move the view; Use scroll wheel to zoom in our out.)

The orbital elements of A/2019 Q1, as provided by the minor planet center, are: 

            e (eccentricity)                : 1.0005530
            q (perihelion distance)         : 4.9967680
            i (inclination)                 : 155.72050
            Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 42.33750
            ω (Argument of perihelion)      : 55.92300
            L (Longitude of perihelion)     : -11.08323
            B (Latitude of perihelion)      : 19.91229
            T (Time of perihelion passage)  : 2459050.20880
            P (Orbital period in years)     : > 9999.99 
            Epoch                           : 2020 Jan 26

            Family/Group:                   : Nearly isotropic

The light curve chart below shows the estimated development of the comet's magnitude. Blue and black dots are visual and photometric CCD observations respectively from COBS or the MPC. Two light curves are shown: The gray curve indicates the expected brightness if this object is a comet (12.50 + 5 log[∆] + 5.00 log[r]), whereas the red curve indicates the expected lightcurve for an asteroid (H=12.40; G=.15).


The all-sky chart below shows the path of the comet over the same period as the light curve. The comet's current position is marked yellow.





The following chart shows the short-term path of the comet in a field of view that is optimized for (~10x50) binoculars and finderscopes.
A more printer-friendly version of the same chart can be found further down this page as well.


The following chart shows the current location of the comet in a smaller, upside-down telescopic field of view.