122P/de Vico
Discovery
Discovered byFrancesco de Vico
Discovery date20 February 1846
Designations
1846 IV, P/1846 D1, P/1995 S1
Orbital characteristics
Aphelion34.70 AU
Perihelion0.659337 AU
Semi-major axis17.6808 AU
Eccentricity0.962709
Orbital period74.35 yr
Inclination85.3828°
Last perihelionOctober 6, 1995
Next perihelion14 October 2069[1][2][3]
21 October 2069[4]

122P/de Vico (provisional designation: 1846 D1) is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 74 years. It fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet with (20 years < period < 200 years).[5] It was discovered by Francesco de Vico in Rome on February 20, 1846.

During the 1846 apparition the comet reached a magnitude of 5 in mid March and was last observed in May. Its orbit was found to be elliptical and orbital calculations indicated that it would return between 1919 and 1925, however the comet wasn't detected.[6] It was recovered on 17 September 1995 by the Japanese astronomers Yuji Nakamura, Masaaki Tanaka, and Shougo Utsunomiya, when it had an apparent magnitude of 7,[7] while it was discovered independly within 24 hours by Tsutomu Seki and Don Machholz.[6] By the end of September the comet had a magnitude of 5.5 and was visible by naked eye.[8] It continued to brighten in the start of October, reaching a magnitude of 5.1 before starting to fade gradually.[9] Its tail was reported to be up to seven degrees long.[10] The comet was also observed by Ulysses spacecraft.[11] It was last detected on 25 June 1996.[6]

Daniel Kirkwood in 1884 noticed that the comet shares elements with comet 12P/Pons-Brooks. He suggested that 122P had calved off Pons-Brooks some centuries prior. Later he identified the two comets' capture into their elliptical orbits (or their parent body's capture) with their shared aphelion close to Neptune 991 CE.[12] In 1979, Ichiro Hasegawa tentatively identified a comet observed in May 1391 as a previous apparition of 122P.[13]

On 3 December 2153 the comet will pass about 0.694 AU (103,800,000 km; 64,500,000 mi) from Uranus.[5]

References

  1. ^ Syuichi Nakano (19 November 1999). "122P/de Vico (NK 724)". OAA Computing and Minor Planet Sections. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  2. ^ "Horizons Batch for 122P/de Vico (90001014) on 2069-Oct-14" (Perihelion occurs when rdot flips from negative to positive). JPL Horizons. Retrieved 21 June 2022. (JPL#27 Soln.date: 2001-Jul-02)
  3. ^ "122P/de Vico Orbit". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  4. ^ Seiichi Yoshida (9 November 2005). "122P/de Vico". Seiichi Yoshida's Comet Catalog. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  5. ^ a b "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 122P/de Vico" (25 June 1996 (last obs) // Soln.date: 2001-Jul-02). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  6. ^ a b c Kronk, Gary. "122P/de Vico". cometography.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  7. ^ Green, Daniel (15 September 1995). "IAUC 6228: 1995 S1; 6P". www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  8. ^ Green, Daniel (29 September 1995). "IAUC 6239: 1995ad; GRO J2058+42; P/1995 S1". www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu.
  9. ^ Green, Daniel (2 November 1995). "IAUC 6255: 1995al; N Aql 1995; 122P". www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu.
  10. ^ Shanklin, J. D. (1 December 2000). "The comets of 1995". Journal of the British Astronomical Association. 110: 311. ISSN 0007-0297.
  11. ^ Brandt, J.C.; Yi, Y.; Petersen, C.C.; Snow, M. (July 1997). "Comet de Vico (122P) and latitude variations of plasma phenomena". Planetary and Space Science. 45 (7): 813–819. doi:10.1016/S0032-0633(97)00049-4.
  12. ^ Daniel Kirkwood (1886). "The Comets 1812 I, and 1846 IV". The Sidereal Messenger. 5: 13–14. Bibcode:1886SidM....5...13K.
  13. ^ Hasegawa, I. (1 January 1979). "Orbits of Ancient and Medieval Comets". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 31: 257–270. ISSN 0004-6264.

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