P/2011 NO1 (Elenin)
Discovery
Discovered byLeonid Elenin[1]
0.45-m reflector (H15)[2][3]
Discovery date7 July 2011[2]
Orbital characteristics
Epoch15 July 2011[4]
(JD 2455757.5)
Aphelion9.8 AU (Q)
Perihelion1.24 AU (q)
Semi-major axis5.5 AU (a)
Eccentricity0.77
Orbital period13 ± 0.16 yr
Inclination15°
Last perihelion20 January 2011[4]
Next perihelionaround January 2024[5]

P/2011 NO1 (Elenin) is a periodic comet with a preliminary orbital period estimated at 13 ± 0.16 years.[4] It came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) around 20 January 2011 at 1.2 AU from the Sun.[4]

The comet was discovered on 7 July 2011[2] when the comet was 2.38 AU from the Sun and 1.4 AU from the Earth. P/2011 NO1 was the second comet discovered by Leonid Elenin. The first comet discovered by Elenin was comet C/2010 X1. Both comets were discovered with the aid of the automatic detection program CoLiTec.[6]

It came to opposition 178.6° from the Sun on 22 July 2011 in the constellation Sagittarius. The preliminary orbit shows the next perihelion passage to be around January 2024.[5]

On 29 January 2013 the Minor Planet Center awarded Leonid Elenin a 2012 Edgar Wilson Award for the discovery of comets by amateurs.[7]

Maik Meyer proposed that asteroid 2023 WM26, which was discovered by PanSTARRS on 18 November 2023, is linked with P/2011 NO1 (Elenin).[8][9]

References

  1. ↑ Sostero, Giovanni; Howes, Nick; Guido, Ernesto (19 July 2011). "New Comet: P/2011 NO1". Associazione Fruilana di Astronomia e Meteorologia. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 "MPEC 2011-O09 : 2011 NO1". IAU Minor Planet Center. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  3. ↑ "MPEC 2011-O10 : COMET P/2011 NO1". IAU Minor Planet Center. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2011 NO1)" (last observation: 29 July 2011; arc: 22 days "preliminary"). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  5. 1 2 Horizons output. "Observer Table for 2011 NO1". Retrieved 19 July 2011. (Observer Location:@sun)
  6. ↑ "CoLiTec". Automatic Detection of Asteroids and Comets CoLiTec (CLT). Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  7. ↑ "2012 Comet Awards Announced". 29 January 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  8. ↑ Meyer, Maik. "2023 WM26 = P/2011 NO1 (Elenin)". groups.io. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  9. ↑ "MPEC 2023-Y72 : 2023 WM26". Minor Planet Center. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
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