P/2020 MK4 (PanSTARRS) is a Chiron-type comet or active centaur orbiting in the outer Solar System between Jupiter and Saturn.[3] It was discovered on 24 June 2020, by the Pan-STARRS survey at Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii, United States.[4]
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Pan-STARRS 1 |
| Discovery site | Haleakala Obs. |
| Discovery date | 24 June 2020 |
| Designations | |
| 2020 MK4 | |
| Chiron-type comet[1] centaur[2] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 17 December 2020 (JD 2459200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 4 | |
| Observation arc | 857 days (2.348 yr) |
| Aphelion | 6.25417 AU (0.935611 Tm) |
| Perihelion | 6.0253 AU (901.37 Gm) |
| 6.14521 AU (0.919310 Tm) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.01952 |
| 15.23 yr (5564.22 d) | |
| 138.7° | |
| 0° 3m 52.917s / day | |
| Inclination | 6.72263° |
| 1.446° | |
| 164.5° | |
| Earth MOID | 5.03147 AU (752.697 Gm) |
| Jupiter MOID | 0.578149 AU (86.4899 Gm) |
| TJupiter | 3.005 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 11.3[1] | |
Size
A lower limit for the absolute magnitude of the nucleus is Hg = 11.30±0.03 that, for an albedo in the range 0.1—0.04, gives an upper limit for its size in the interval 23–37 km.[3]
Colors
The comet's color indices, (g′–r′) = 0.42±0.04 and (r′–i′) = 0.17±0.04, indicates the comet's nucleus has a neutral or gray color.[3]
Activity
P/2020 MK4 was discovered in outburst state and by late 2020, it had returned to its regular brightness.[5][3] It was recovered by the Lowell Discovery Telescope at an extremely faint apparent magnitude of 24.5 in September 2022.[6] It was officially recognized as a comet by the Minor Planet Center on 20 November 2022, in which it was given the periodic comet designation P/2020 MK4.[7][8]
Orbital evolution
Centaurs have short dynamical lives due to strong interactions with the giant planets.[9] P/2020 MK4 follows a very chaotic orbital evolution that may lead it to be ejected from the Solar System during the next 200,000 yr.[3] Extensive numerical simulations indicate that P/2020 MK4 may have experienced relatively close flybys with comet 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann, in some cases with one of both objects were transient Jovian satellites; during these events, P/2020 MK4 may have crossed the coma of comet 29P when in outburst.[3]
See also
References
External links
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