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C/1993 Y1 (McNaught–Russell)

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C/1993 Y1 (McNaught–Russell)
Discovery[1]
Discovered byRobert H. McNaught
Kenneth S. Russell
Discovery siteSiding Spring Observatory
Discovery date17 December 1993
Designations
1994 XI, 1993v
Orbital characteristics[2][3]
Epoch28 April 1994 (JD 2449470.5)
Observation arc265 days
Number of
observations		377
Aphelion270 AU (inbound)
240 AU (outbound)
Perihelion0.8676 AU
Eccentricity0.9932[4]
Orbital period1,600 years (inbound)
Inclination51.586°
166.359°
Argument of
periapsis		353.468°
Last perihelion31 March 1994
Next perihelion~3300
TJupiter0.755
Earth MOID0.1212 AU
Jupiter MOID2.6212 AU
Physical characteristics[5]
Mean radius
0.75±0.02 km[6]
Mass7.1×1011 kg
Mean density
480±60 kg/m3
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		12.3
Comet nuclear
magnitude (M2)		16.9
6.5
(1994 apparition)

Comet McNaught–Russell, formally designated as C/1993 Y1, is a long-period comet that reached a maximum magnitude of 6.5 (just below naked eye level) in early 1994. It was discovered by Robert H. McNaught and Kenneth S. Russell using the UK Schmidt Telescope in Australia. McNaught and Russell worked at Siding Spring Observatory and together discovered five comets between 1991 and 1995.

Observational history

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The comet was first spotted by Robert McNaught from a photographic plate exposed by Kenneth Russell on the night of 17 December 1993.[1] At the time of discovery, the comet was a diffuse trail about 17.5 in apparent magnitude within the constellation Horologium.[a]

Orbit

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Its orbital period was found to be very high – initially estimated at over 1400 years.[8]

Historical records

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It was noted by Francois Colas (Paris observatory)[9] and Ichiro Hasegawa[4] that the path of McNaught–Russell coincided with that of comet C/574 G1, which was recorded in AD 574 over a period from April 4 to May 23 by observers in China. This would give the comet a period of 1430±30 years and so making it the longest period comet to be seen on two separate returns.[8] Since the comet was not observed to approach any planets, its orbit should remain largely unchanged on its next return. This would place its next approach to the inner Solar System around 3300. However, a 2024 study concluded that while the paths of the 574 AD comet and Comet McNaught–Russell may have run parallel southward, the expected length of tail and brightness did not match the historical records of the ancient comet, therefore ruling out the possibility that this was an earlier apparition of McNaught–Russell.[10]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ Reported initial position upon discovery was: α = 3h 06.6m , δ = –56° 33′[7]

References

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  1. 1 2 R. H. McNaught; K. S. Russell (18 December 1993). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet McNaught–Russell (1993v)". IAU Circular. 5910 (1). Bibcode:1993IAUC.5910....1M.
  2. ↑ "C/1993 Y1 (McNaught–Russell) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  3. ↑ Horizons output. "Barycentric Osculating Orbital Elements for Comet McNaught–Russell (C/1993 Y1)". Retrieved 25 August 2023. (Solution using the Solar System's barycenter (Sun+Jupiter). Select Ephemeris Type:Elements and Center:@0)
  4. 1 2 S. Nakano; I. Hasegawa (2 March 1994). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet McNaught–Russell (1993v)". IAU Circular. 5943 (3). Bibcode:1994IAUC.5943....3N.
  5. ↑ A. Sosa; J. A. Fernández (2011). "Masses of long-period comets derived from non-gravitational effects" (PDF). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 416 (1): 767–782. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19111.x.
  6. ↑ M. L. Paradowski (2022). "A New Indirect Method of Determining Density of Cometary Nuclei" (PDF). Acta Astronomica. 72 (2): 141–159. Bibcode:2022AcA....72..141P. doi:10.32023/0001-5237/72.2.4. ISSN 0001-5237.
  7. ↑ G. W. Kronk; M. Meyer; D. A. J. Seargent (2017). Cometography: A Catalog of Comets. Vol. 6: 1983–1994. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 818–823. ISBN 978-0-521-87216-4.
  8. 1 2 D. W. Green (27 January 1994). "Comet McNaught–Russell (1993v)". IAU Circular. 5926 (2). Bibcode:1994IAUC.5926....2G.
  9. ↑ Guinness Book of Astronomy. London: Guinness Publishing. 1995.
  10. ↑ P. Sicoli; R. Gorelli; M. J. Martínez; F. J. Marco (2024). "New and improved orbits of some historical comets: 6TH and 7TH centuries" (PDF). Icarus. 420 116165. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116165.
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