astro.wikisort.org - Comet

P/2011 NO₁ (Elenin) is a periodic comet with a preliminary orbital period estimated at 13 ± 0.16 years.[4] It came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) around 20 January 2011 at 1.2 AU from the Sun.[4] The orbit is preliminary as it has only been observed over an observation-arc of 22 days.[4] The comet was discovered on 7 July 2011[2] when the comet was 2.38 AU from the Sun and 1.4 AU from the Earth. It came to opposition 178.6° from the Sun on 22 July 2011 in the constellation Sagittarius.

P/2011 NO₁ (Elenin)

Discovery
Discovered by	Leonid Elenin[1] 0.45-m reflector (H15)[2][3]
Discovery date	7 July 2011[2]
Orbital characteristics A
Epoch	15 July 2011[4] (JD 2455757.5)
Aphelion	9.8 AU (Q)
Perihelion	1.24 AU (q)
Semi-major axis	5.5 AU (a)
Eccentricity	0.77
Orbital period	13 ± 0.16 yr
Inclination	15°
Last perihelion	20 January 2011[4]
Next perihelion	around January 2024[5]

The preliminary orbit shows the next perihelion passage to be around January 2024.[5] An observation arc of 30 days would allow a better refinement to the orbit of this comet.

P/2011 NO1 was the second comet discovered by Leonid Elenin. The first comet discovered by Elenin was comet C/2010 X1. Both comets were discovered with the aid of the automatic detection program CoLiTec.[6]

On 29 January 2013 the Minor Planet Center awarded Leonid Elenin a 2012 Edgar Wilson Award for the discovery of comets by amateurs.[7]

References

External links

• Orbital simulation from JPL (Java) / Horizons Ephemeris
• Elements and Ephemeris for P/2011 NO1 – Minor Planet Center
• Survey anniversary gift – a new comet is discovered! (Leonid Elenin – SpaceObs – 19 July 2011)
• New comet P/2011 NO1 (Luca Buzzi – 19 July 2011)
• New Comet: P/2011 NO1 (Remanzacco Observatory – 19 July 2011)

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