276P/Vorobjov

276P/Vorobjov
Comet Vorobjov captured in a field of stars on 16 October 2012
Discovery
Discovered byTomas Vorobjov
Discovery siteMount Lemmon SkyCenter (G84)
0.8-m Schulman Telescope
Discovery date15 October 2012
Designations
P/2012 T7
TOV7DD
Orbital characteristics
Epoch21 November 2025 (JD 2461000.5)
Observation arc25.17 years
Earliest precovery date19 January 2000
Number of
observations		1,273
Aphelion6.866 AU
Perihelion3.899 AU
Semi-major axis5.382 AU
Eccentricity0.27568
Orbital period12.487 years
Inclination14.742°
211.06°
Argument of
periapsis		199.66°
Mean anomaly27.155°
Last perihelion10 December 2024
Next perihelion26 April 2037
TJupiter2.862
Earth MOID2.912 AU
Jupiter MOID0.986 AU
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		11.0
Comet nuclear
magnitude (M2)		14.0

276P/Vorobjov, previously known as P/2012 T7 (Vorobjov), is a Jupiter-family comet discovered on 15 October 2012 by Tomáš Vorobjov on three 120-s images taken remotely using the 0.81-m f/7 Ritchey-Chretien Schulman Telescope located at the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter via the Sierra Stars Observatory Network in the course of a minor-planet search survey undertaken as part of the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) school campaigns. After posting on the Minor Planet Center's NEOCP webpage, other observers have commented on the object's cometary appearance. The discovery was announced by the Minor Planet Center on 18 October, three days after the discovery.

Observational history

Prediscovery

On 29 December 2012, Robert Matson (Newport Coast, CA, USA) has identified NEAT observations of this comet obtained with the Palomar 1.2m Schmidt telescope between 19 December 2000 and 20 January 2001, and Gareth V. Williams (MPC) has confirmed the identity; Williams then identified prediscovery observations acquired by Andrea Boattini at Mount Lemmon (G96) on 1 November 2011 in incidental astrometry sent to the Minor Planet Center, when the object's magnitude was measured as being 21.1–21.8.

Confirmation

A confirmation set of images was taken by R. Holmes the following night with a 0.61-m f/4 astrograph from Westfield, IL (H21) and showed a 6″ coma and a tail 25″ long in PA 260°. Due to its cometary appearance, the object was posted on the NEO Confirmation Page under the temporary designation TOV7DD.

Notes

  1. ↑ Observation arc from the Minor Planet Center database covering dates from 19 December 2000 until 19 February 2026.

References

  1. ↑ T. Vorobjov; A. Kostin; R. Holmes; et al. (October 2012). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet P/2012 T7 (Vorobjov)". Central Bureau Electronic Telegram. 3260: 1. Bibcode:2012CBET.3260....1H.
  2. 1 2 A. Knoefel; L. Buzzi; G. Masi; et al. (18 October 2012). G. V. Williams (ed.). "Comet P/2012 T7 (Vorobjov)". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. 2012-U40. Bibcode:2012MPEC....U...40K. ISSN 1523-6714.
  3. ↑ "276P/Vorobjov – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
  4. ↑ "276P/Vorobjov Orbit". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  5. 1 2 R. Bambery; E. F. Helin; S. Pravdo; et al. (16 November 2012). G. V. Williams (ed.). "Comet P/2012 T7 (Vorobjov)". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. 2012-Y39. Bibcode:2012MPEC....Y...39B. ISSN 1523-6714.
  6. ↑ "Horizons Batch for 276P/Vorobjov (90001031) on 2037-Apr-26" (Perihelion occurs when rdot flips from negative to positive). JPL Horizons. Retrieved 16 April 2026. (JPL#84 Soln.date: 2026-Mar-07)
  7. ↑ P. Miller; P. Roche; A. Tripp; et al. (October 2012). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet P/2012 T7 (Vorobjov)". Central Bureau Electronic Telegram. 3260: 2. Bibcode:2012CBET.3260....2M.