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C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS)

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C/2016 R2
The comet on 16 January 2018
Discovery [1]
Discovered byPan-STARRS
Discovery siteHaleakala Obs.
Discovery date30 August 2016
Designations
C/2016 R2
comet 
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch 13 October 2018
Observation arc774 days
Perihelion2.60235 AU
Eccentricity0.99646
359.9932°
Inclination58.222°
80.5685°
33.1930°
Earth MOID1.72 AU
Physical characteristics
8[2]

C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) is a comet, discovered using the Pan-STARRS telescopes on September 7, 2016. The comet attracted attention from many astronomers as it approached its closest point to the Sun in May 2018.[3] It has been observed to have a very complex tail, which has been suggested to be due to a fast rotation period of the nucleus.

The comet orbits the Sun on a 20,000 year orbit, which takes it out about 740 AU (Sun-Earth distances).[4] It was found to differ from typical comets, and was found to be rich in Carbon monoxide (CO) with a blue coma.[4] The blue color is thought to come from the rich amounts of carbon monoxide being ionized.[5] The comet was also noted to be rich in nitrogen.[6]

The comet was observed by a submillimeter wavelength telescope in the late 2010s.[4]

The comet made its closest approach to the Sun in May 2018, and its blue, teal, and dust tail were noted as an astronomical target.[5] Blue comets are a less common type of comet.[6]

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  • Comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) taken by SPECULOOS project.[7]
    Comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) taken by SPECULOOS project.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "MPEC 2016-R107: COMET C/2016 R2 (PANSTARRS)". IAU Minor Planet Center. 2016-09-09. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  2. ^ a b "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: C/2016 R2 (PANSTARRS)" (2018-04-13 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  3. ^ "APOD: 2018 January 12 - Blue Comet PanSTARRS". apod.nasa.gov. 2018-01-12.
  4. ^ a b c "Comet C/2016 R2 (Pan-STARRS) is rich in carbon monoxide and depleted in hydrogen cyanide, study finds". Retrieved 2018-11-17.
  5. ^ a b "Rare Carbon-Monoxide Comet Turns Blue in Stunning Deep-Space Photos". Space.com. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
  6. ^ a b "Astronomers Spot Rare Blue Comet: C/2016 R2 | Astronomy | Sci-News.com". Breaking Science News | Sci-News.com. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
  7. ^ "Once in a blue comet". www.eso.org. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
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