333P/LINEAR

333P/LINEAR
	333P/LINEAR on 21 February 2016 by NEOWISE
Discovery
Discovered by	LINEAR
Discovery date	4 November 2007
Designations
Alternative designations	P/2007 VA85
Orbital characteristics
Epoch	2015-Jan-08
Observation arc	9.73 years
Aphelion	7.332 AU
Perihelion	1.115 AU
Semi-major axis	4.224 AU
Eccentricity	0.7359
Orbital period	8.68 years
Inclination	131.879°
Longitude of; ascending node	115.563°
Argument of; periapsis	26.143°
Last perihelion	3 April 2016
Next perihelion	29 November 2024
Earth MOID	0.176 AU
Physical characteristics
Synodic rotation period	21 hours
Comet total; magnitude (M1)	15.0

333P/LINEAR is a Jupiter family periodic comet in retrograde orbit with an orbital period of 8.7 years. Upon discovery it was the sun-orbiting natural object in retrograde orbit with the shortest known orbital period. The comet was discovered by LINEAR on 4 November 2007.^[1]

When discovered on 4 November 2007, the comet had an apparent magnitude of 18.5–19 and was asteroidal in appearance. It was given the provisional designation 2007 VA₈₅.^[1] During the next apparition, it was recovered by the iTelescope Observatory, in Siding Spring, Australia, on 18 November 2015, when it had an apparent magnitude of around 20, and on 1 January 2016 by the SONEAR observatory.^[4] A small tail was observed and thus it was recategorised as a comet.^[5] It brightened rapidly and reached a magnitude of 12.6 on 28 March 2016.^[6] During the 2024 apparition the comet approached Earth at a distance of 0.55 AU and brightened up to a magnitude of 10.7 in early December.^[7]

When discovered, the comet was the first object with retrograde orbit within Jupiter's orbit. It was categorised as an Amor asteroid and was briefly considered potentially hazardous to Earth.^[8] Simulations indicated it was a comet nucleus that was possibly put into its current orbit after an interaction with Jupiter and in the future it will collide with the Sun or migrate beyond the orbit of Jupiter.^[9] The cometary activity has been found to play a role in the orbital evolution of the comet.^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Green, Daniel (10 November 2007). "IAUC 8894: P/2007 V2; 2007 VA_85; P/2007 T6". International Astronomical Union Circular. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ "333P/LINEAR". www.aerith.net. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
^ Hicks, Michael; Thackeray, Beverly (4 April 2016). "ATel #8905: Spin Rate of Comet 333P/LINEAR (2007 VA85)". The Astronomer's Telegram. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ Linder, T.; Holmes, R.; Lister, T.; Greenstreet, S.; Gomez, E.; Sato, H.; Bryssinck, E.; Maury, A.; Soulier, J. -F.; Jacques, C.; Pimentel, E.; Barros, J.; Williams, G. V. (10 January 2016). "Comet P/2007 VA85 (linear)". Minor Planet Electronic Circulars. 2016-A101. ISSN 1523-6714.
^ Kankiewicz, Paweł; Włodarczyk, Ireneusz (February 2021). "Impact of non-gravitational effects on chaotic properties of retrograde orbits". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 646: A182. arXiv:2101.04364. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202037738.
^ Yoshida, Seiichi. "Weekly Information about Bright Comets (2016 Apr. 2: North)". www.aerith.net. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ Yoshida, Seiichi. "Weekly Information about Bright Comets (2024 Dec. 21: North)". www.aerith.net. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
^ Kankiewicz, P.; Włodarczyk, I. (1 June 2010). "The Orbital Evolution of 2007 VA85, an Amor-type Asteroid on a Retrograde Orbit" (PDF). Protecting the Earth against Collisions with Asteroids and Comet Nuclei, Proceedings of the International Conference: 268–271.
^ Greenstreet, S.; Gladman, B.; Ngo, H.; Granvik, M.; Larson, S. (20 April 2012). "PRODUCTION OF NEAR-EARTH ASTEROIDS ON RETROGRADE ORBITS". The Astrophysical Journal. 749 (2): L39. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/749/2/L39.
^ Kankiewicz, Paweł; Włodarczyk, Ireneusz (1 August 2018). "Non-gravitational effects in the motion of comet 333P/LINEAR" (PDF). Proceedings of the Polish Astronomical Society. 7: 132–134.