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P/2003 T12 (SOHO)

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P/2003 T12 (SOHO)
Discovery
Discovered bySOHO
Discovery date10 October 2003
Designations
P/2003 T12
P/2012 A3
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch25 May 2012 (JD 2456072.5)
Observation arc4,592 days (12.57 years)
Number of
observations
491
Aphelion4.5612 AU
Perihelion0.5748 AU
Semi-major axis2.568 AU
Eccentricity0.77617
Orbital period4.1153 years
Inclination11.4752°
176.466°
Argument of
periapsis
217.669°
Last perihelion3 July 2024[1]
Next perihelion2028
TJupiter2.894
Earth MOID0.1547 AU
Jupiter MOID1.0191 AU
Physical characteristics
Comet total
magnitude
(M1)
19.6
8.5
(2012 apparition)

P/2003 T12 is a periodic comet that revolves around the Sun once every 4.11 years.[2] On January 13, 2012, it was observed by the satellite STEREO-B, and the most documented phase of P/2003 T12 was observed on that date. It is theorized to be a possible fragment of comet 169P/NEAT.[3]

January 12, 2012 event

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During its apparition on January 12, 2012, it ventured into the highest phase angle ever observed for a comet, and the forward-scattering enhancement in brightness was marked, as large as ~8.5 mag. This has given insight into Henyey-Greenstein (HG) space-dust.[4]

References

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  1. ^ S. Yoshida. "P/2003 T12 = P/2012 A3 (SOHO)". aerith.net. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b "P/2003 T12 (SOHO) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  3. ^ S. R. Alvarez; A. S. Oyarzabal (2024). "Comet P/2003 T12 (SOHO): A possible fragment of comet 169P/NEAT?". Planetary and Space Science. 246. Bibcode:2024P&SS..24605902A. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2024.105902.
  4. ^ M. T. Hui (2013). "Observations of Comet P/2003 T12 = 2012 A3 (SOHO) at large phase angle in STEREO-B". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 436 (2): 1564–1575. Bibcode:2013MNRAS.436.1564H. doi:10.1093/mnras/stt1683. ISSN 0035-8711.
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