P/2002 Q1 (Van Ness)
Orbital Elements
The following orbital elements are taken from MPC 56803:P/2002 Q1 (Van Ness) Epoch 2009 Mar. 30.0 TT = JDT 2454920.5 T 2009 Mar. 20.9521 TT MPC q 1.551187 (2000.0) P Q n 0.1469114 Peri. 185.0196 +0.9980782 -0.0030215 a 3.557124 Node 173.9961 -0.0106437 +0.9756074 e 0.563921 Incl. 36.2801 -0.0610460 -0.2195020 P 6.71 From 53 observations 2002 Aug. 17-Oct. 14, mean residual 0".7.Elements are also available for the current standard epoch:
P/2002 Q1 (Van Ness) Epoch 2009 June 18.0 TT = JDT 2455000.5 T 2009 Mar. 20.9533 TT MPC q 1.551197 (2000.0) P Q n 0.1469222 Peri. 185.0208 +0.9980781 -0.0030395 a 3.556950 Node 173.9959 -0.0106264 +0.9756075 e 0.563897 Incl. 36.2801 -0.0610514 -0.2195011 P 6.71An explanation of the orbital elements is available.
These orbital elements are also available in forms suitable for loading into a number of popular planetarium-type software programs.
Ephemeris
The following ephemeris is at intervals of five days. A daily ephemeris covering the same time interval is also available.Personalized ephemerides for this (and other) objects may be generated using the Minor Planet & Comet Ephemeris Service.
Recent magnitude estimates for this comet (as reported to the ICQ) may be available.
Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase m1 m2WARNING! 2009 06 08 03 45.15 +00 56.6 2.562 1.747 29.2 16.4 17.5 2009 06 13 03 58.43 +00 48.3 2.565 1.770 30.7 17.0 17.5 2009 06 18 04 11.50 +00 36.8 2.569 1.794 32.3 17.6 17.6 2009 06 23 04 24.35 +00 22.2 2.572 1.819 33.9 18.2 17.6 2009 06 28 04 36.95 +00 04.4 2.575 1.844 35.5 18.7 17.7 2009 07 03 04 49.30 -00 16.5 2.578 1.870 37.1 19.1 17.8 2009 07 08 05 01.37 -00 40.4 2.581 1.897 38.7 19.6 17.8 2009 07 13 05 13.16 -01 07.3 2.583 1.925 40.4 20.0 17.9 2009 07 18 05 24.66 -01 37.1 2.585 1.952 42.0 20.4 18.0 2009 07 23 05 35.85 -02 09.7 2.586 1.981 43.7 20.8 18.0 2009 07 28 05 46.72 -02 45.2 2.587 2.010 45.5 21.1 18.1 2009 08 02 05 57.26 -03 23.2 2.586 2.039 47.3 21.4 18.2 2009 08 07 06 07.45 -04 03.7 2.585 2.068 49.1 21.7 18.2 2009 08 12 06 17.29 -04 46.6 2.583 2.098 51.0 22.0 18.3 2009 08 17 06 26.77 -05 31.8 2.580 2.128 52.9 22.3 18.3 2009 08 22 06 35.88 -06 19.1 2.575 2.158 54.9 22.5 18.4 2009 08 27 06 44.60 -07 08.4 2.569 2.189 56.9 22.8 18.5 2009 09 01 06 52.92 -07 59.4 2.562 2.219 59.1 23.0 18.5 2009 09 06 07 00.83 -08 52.1 2.554 2.250 61.3 23.1 18.6 2009 09 11 07 08.32 -09 46.3 2.544 2.281 63.5 23.3 18.6 2009 09 16 07 15.38 -10 41.8 2.533 2.312 65.9 23.4 18.7 2009 09 21 07 21.98 -11 38.5 2.520 2.343 68.3 23.5 18.7 2009 09 26 07 28.11 -12 36.0 2.506 2.374 70.9 23.5 18.7 2009 10 01 07 33.75 -13 34.2 2.490 2.405 73.5 23.5 18.8 2009 10 06 07 38.89 -14 32.9 2.474 2.437 76.2 23.5 18.8 2009 10 11 07 43.50 -15 31.7 2.456 2.468 79.0 23.4 18.9 2009 10 16 07 47.56 -16 30.4 2.437 2.499 81.8 23.3 18.9 2009 10 21 07 51.04 -17 28.6 2.417 2.530 84.8 23.1 18.9 2009 10 26 07 53.92 -18 25.9 2.397 2.561 87.9 22.8 19.0 2009 10 31 07 56.18 -19 21.9 2.376 2.592 91.0 22.5 19.0 2009 11 05 07 57.81 -20 16.0 2.356 2.623 94.2 22.1 19.0 2009 11 10 07 58.77 -21 07.9 2.335 2.654 97.5 21.7 19.1 2009 11 15 07 59.06 -21 56.7 2.315 2.684 100.9 21.2 19.1 2009 11 20 07 58.66 -22 41.9 2.296 2.715 104.3 20.6 19.1 2009 11 25 07 57.58 -23 22.7 2.278 2.745 107.8 20.0 19.2 2009 11 30 07 55.84 -23 58.3 2.262 2.776 111.2 19.3 19.2 2009 12 05 07 53.45 -24 28.1 2.248 2.806 114.7 18.6 19.2 2009 12 10 07 50.47 -24 51.3 2.237 2.836 118.0 17.9 19.3 2009 12 15 07 46.95 -25 07.1 2.229 2.866 121.3 17.1 19.3 2009 12 20 07 42.95 -25 15.0 2.225 2.896 124.4 16.3 19.4 2009 12 25 07 38.59 -25 14.3 2.224 2.926 127.2 15.5 19.4 2009 12 30 07 33.97 -25 05.0 2.229 2.956 129.7 14.8 19.4 2010 01 04 07 29.20 -24 46.9 2.238 2.985 131.9 14.2 19.5 2010 01 09 07 24.41 -24 20.2 2.252 3.014 133.5 13.7 19.6 2010 01 14 07 19.71 -23 45.2 2.272 3.043 134.5 13.3 19.6 2010 01 19 07 15.22 -23 02.6 2.297 3.072 135.0 13.1 19.7 2010 01 24 07 11.04 -22 13.1 2.328 3.101 134.8 13.0 19.8 2010 01 29 07 07.26 -21 17.8 2.365 3.130 133.9 13.1 19.8 2010 02 03 07 03.95 -20 17.7 2.408 3.158 132.5 13.3 19.9 2010 02 08 07 01.15 -19 13.9 2.456 3.187 130.6 13.6 20.0 2010 02 13 06 58.90 -18 07.4 2.509 3.215 128.2 14.0 20.1 2010 02 18 06 57.22 -16 59.3 2.568 3.243 125.4 14.4 20.2 2010 02 23 06 56.12 -15 50.6 2.632 3.271 122.4 14.8 20.2 2010 02 28 06 55.59 -14 42.2 2.700 3.298 119.2 15.2 20.3 2010 03 05 06 55.60 -13 34.7 2.772 3.326 115.8 15.6 20.4 2010 03 10 06 56.14 -12 28.8 2.847 3.353 112.3 15.9 20.5 2010 03 15 06 57.17 -11 25.0 2.926 3.380 108.8 16.2 20.6 2010 03 20 06 58.68 -10 23.6 3.008 3.407 105.1 16.4 20.7 2010 03 25 07 00.62 -09 25.2 3.092 3.433 101.5 16.5 20.8 2010 03 30 07 02.97 -08 29.7 3.179 3.460 97.9 16.6 20.9 2010 04 04 07 05.69 -07 37.5 3.267 3.486 94.2 16.6 21.0 2010 04 09 07 08.74 -06 48.7 3.356 3.512 90.6 16.6 21.1 2010 04 14 07 12.11 -06 03.1 3.445 3.538 87.0 16.4 21.2 2010 04 19 07 15.76 -05 21.0 3.536 3.564 83.5 16.3 21.3 2010 04 24 07 19.66 -04 42.3 3.626 3.590 79.9 16.0 21.3 2010 04 29 07 23.79 -04 07.0 3.716 3.615 76.4 15.7 21.4 2010 05 04 07 28.11 -03 34.9 3.805 3.640 73.0 15.4 21.5 2010 05 09 07 32.62 -03 06.0 3.894 3.665 69.6 15.0 21.6 2010 05 14 07 37.29 -02 40.3 3.981 3.690 66.2 14.5 21.7 2010 05 19 07 42.10 -02 17.6 4.066 3.715 62.8 14.0 21.7 2010 05 24 07 47.03 -01 57.9 4.150 3.739 59.5 13.5 21.8 2010 05 29 07 52.06 -01 41.0 4.232 3.763 56.2 12.9 21.9 2010 06 03 07 57.18 -01 26.9 4.311 3.788 53.0 12.3 22.0 2010 06 08 08 02.37 -01 15.3 4.388 3.811 49.8 11.7 22.0 2010 06 13 08 07.62 -01 06.4 4.462 3.835 46.6 11.1 22.1 2010 06 18 08 12.92 -00 59.8 4.532 3.859 43.5 10.4 22.1 2010 06 23 08 18.25 -00 55.6 4.600 3.882 40.4 9.8 22.2 2010 06 28 08 23.60 -00 53.6 4.664 3.905 37.4 9.1 22.3 2010 07 03 08 28.97 -00 53.7 4.725 3.928 34.4 8.4 22.3 2010 07 08 08 34.34 -00 55.7 4.781 3.951 31.5 7.7 22.4 2010 07 13 08 39.70 -00 59.8 4.834 3.974 28.8 7.1 22.4This comet gets close to the sun during the period covered in the ephemeris below. Observers are warned to be wary of observing comets near the sun. NEVER point any kind of optical instrument at the sun--instant blindness will be the probable result.
