| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | J. G. Westphal |
| Discovery date | July 24, 1852 |
| Designations | |
| 21P/1852 O1; 1852 IV; 21P/1913 S1; 1913 VI; 1913d | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | 1913-11-09 ( JD 2420080.5) |
| Aphelion | 30.030 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.2540 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 15.642 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.9198 |
| Orbital period | 61.87 yr |
| Inclination | 40.890° |
| Last perihelion | January 3, 1976? [1] (unobserved) |
| Next perihelion | May 4, 2038?
[2]
[1] ( lost since 1913) |
20D/Westphal was a periodic comet with an orbital period of 61 years. It fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet (20 years < period < 200 years). [3] The comet appeared to disintergrate during the 1913 apparition and hasn't been observed since then. [4]
The comet was originally discovered by the German astronomer J. G. Westphal ( Göttingen, Germany) on July 24, 1852. It was independently discovered by the American astronomer Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters ( Constantinople) on August 9. The comet exhibited many flunctuations in intristic brightness and reached an apparent magnitude of around 4 while a dust tail was also observed. [4] It was last observed about 120 days after perihelion. [4]
The comet was recovered on September 27, 1913, by Pablo T. Delavan ( La Plata Astronomical Observatory), about 60 days before perihelion, however the comet faded as it approached the Sun, losing its central condesation and the nucleus became elongated. [4] The plates of the comet indicate that the disintergration began on October 1, when the comet was reported to be visible with naked eye using averted vision. [4] It was last observed on November 26, 1913. It was predicted to return in 1976 [1] but was never observed, and is now considered a lost comet.
References
- ^ a b c Seiichi Yoshida (2004-02-21). "20D/Westphal". Seiichi Yoshida's Comet Catalog. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
- ^ "Horizons Batch for 20D/Westphal (90000306) on 2038-May-04" (Perihelion occurs when rdot flips from negative to positive). JPL Horizons. Retrieved 2023-02-11. (JPL#19 Soln.date: 2003-Apr-11)
- ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 20D/Westphal" (1913-10-13 last obs). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
- ^ a b c d e Sekanina, Z. (April 1984). "Disappearance and disintegration of comets". Icarus. 58 (1): 81–100. Bibcode: 1984Icar...58...81S. doi: 10.1016/0019-1035(84)90099-X.
External links
- Orbital simulation from JPL (Java) / Horizons Ephemeris
- 20D/Westphal, Comet Orbit Home Page
- 20D at Kronk's Cometography
- Orbital elements, Infrared Processing and Analysis Center
- 20D/Westphal – Minor Planet Center
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 | This comet-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | J. G. Westphal |
| Discovery date | July 24, 1852 |
| Designations | |
| 21P/1852 O1; 1852 IV; 21P/1913 S1; 1913 VI; 1913d | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | 1913-11-09 ( JD 2420080.5) |
| Aphelion | 30.030 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.2540 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 15.642 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.9198 |
| Orbital period | 61.87 yr |
| Inclination | 40.890° |
| Last perihelion | January 3, 1976? [1] (unobserved) |
| Next perihelion | May 4, 2038?
[2]
[1] ( lost since 1913) |
20D/Westphal was a periodic comet with an orbital period of 61 years. It fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet (20 years < period < 200 years). [3] The comet appeared to disintergrate during the 1913 apparition and hasn't been observed since then. [4]
The comet was originally discovered by the German astronomer J. G. Westphal ( Göttingen, Germany) on July 24, 1852. It was independently discovered by the American astronomer Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters ( Constantinople) on August 9. The comet exhibited many flunctuations in intristic brightness and reached an apparent magnitude of around 4 while a dust tail was also observed. [4] It was last observed about 120 days after perihelion. [4]
The comet was recovered on September 27, 1913, by Pablo T. Delavan ( La Plata Astronomical Observatory), about 60 days before perihelion, however the comet faded as it approached the Sun, losing its central condesation and the nucleus became elongated. [4] The plates of the comet indicate that the disintergration began on October 1, when the comet was reported to be visible with naked eye using averted vision. [4] It was last observed on November 26, 1913. It was predicted to return in 1976 [1] but was never observed, and is now considered a lost comet.
References
- ^ a b c Seiichi Yoshida (2004-02-21). "20D/Westphal". Seiichi Yoshida's Comet Catalog. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
- ^ "Horizons Batch for 20D/Westphal (90000306) on 2038-May-04" (Perihelion occurs when rdot flips from negative to positive). JPL Horizons. Retrieved 2023-02-11. (JPL#19 Soln.date: 2003-Apr-11)
- ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 20D/Westphal" (1913-10-13 last obs). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
- ^ a b c d e Sekanina, Z. (April 1984). "Disappearance and disintegration of comets". Icarus. 58 (1): 81–100. Bibcode: 1984Icar...58...81S. doi: 10.1016/0019-1035(84)90099-X.
External links
- Orbital simulation from JPL (Java) / Horizons Ephemeris
- 20D/Westphal, Comet Orbit Home Page
- 20D at Kronk's Cometography
- Orbital elements, Infrared Processing and Analysis Center
- 20D/Westphal – Minor Planet Center
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| This comet-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |