C/2023 RN3 (ATLAS)

C/2023 RN3 (ATLAS)
Discovery
Discovery siteATLAS–HKO (T05)
Discovery date4 September 2023
Orbital characteristics
Epoch2 November 2023 (JD 2460250.5)
Observation arc2.01 years
Earliest precovery date26 August 2023
Number of
observations		639
Aphelion15.128 AU
Perihelion5.172 AU
Semi-major axis10.149 AU
Eccentricity0.49041
Orbital period32.337 years
Inclination10.358°
207.07°
Argument of
periapsis		130.30°
Mean anomaly8.778°
Last perihelion18 January 2023
Next perihelion2055
TJupiter2.907
Earth MOID4.175 AU
Jupiter MOID0.627 AU
Physical characteristics
  • (g′−r') = 0.61±0.03
  • (r′−i′) = 0.30±0.03
  • (i′−z′) = 0.04±0.08
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		6.5
17.8
(2023 apparition)

C/2023 RN3 (ATLAS) is a Halley-type comet with a centaur-like orbit around the Sun lasting once every 32 years. It is one of many comets discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).

Notes

  1. ↑ Observation arc from the Minor Planet Center database covering dates from 26 August 2023 until 29 August 2025.
  2. ↑ JPL-SBDB considers C/2023 RN3 as a Jupiter-family comet.

References

  1. ↑ H. H. Hsieh; K. Ly; P. Van Wylen; et al. (6 December 2023). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet C/2023 RN3 (ATLAS)". Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams (5321): 1. Bibcode:2023CBET.5321....1H.
  2. 1 2 "C/2023 RN3 (ATLAS) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  3. ↑ "C/2023 RN3 (PanSTARRS) Orbit". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 21 October 2026.
  4. ↑ H. H. Hsieh; M. S. P. Kelley; T. A. Lister; et al. (2023). "Activity in Centaur-like Jupiter-family Comet 2023 RN3". Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society. 7 (12): 263. Bibcode:2023RNAAS...7..263H. doi:10.3847/2515-5172/ad12ce.
  5. ↑ "Observation list for C/2023 RN3". COBS – Comet OBServation database. Retrieved 3 December 2025.