Solar System
Dynamics &
Planetology
Group
C/2006 HW51 Siding Spring


SSDP Cometary Note C2006HWA6-001

Comet C/2006 HW51 Siding Spring

number of observations 187
number of residuals 356
data interval 2006 Apr. 23 — 2007 Aug. 7
rms [arcsec] 0.29
orbit quality class 1a

Osculating orbital elements (heliocentric; ecliptic J2000.0)

Epoch (TT) 20060922.0 = JD 2454000.5
time of perihelion passage [TT] 20060929.310348 ± 0.000161
perihelion distance [au] 2.26564503 ± 0.00000071
eccentricity 1.00224866 ± 0.00000774
argument of perihelion [deg] 359.959683 ± 0.000044
longitude of the ascending node [deg] 228.127986 ± 0.000038
inclination [deg] 45.809385 ± 0.000024
inverse semimajor axis [10-6 au-1] -992.50 ± 3.42

Notes: Epoch is given in a format: yyyymmdd.d, time of perihelion passage in a format of yyyymmdd.dddddd.
Non-gravitational (NG) solution gives a negative normal component of NG acceleration (negative parameter A1) what makes NG solution rather uncertain. More details in Królikowska and Dybczyński, 2013.

Original orbital elements (barycentric; at 250 au from the Sun)

Epoch (TT) 17051119.0
time of perihelion passage [TT] 20060929.574079 ± 0.000189
perihelion distance [au] 2.25933969 ± 0.00000071
eccentricity 0.99989312 ± 0.00000762
argument of perihelion [deg] 0.105489 ± 0.000043
longitude of the ascending node [deg] 228.163370 ± 0.000041
inclination [deg] 45.856715 ± 0.000023
inverse semimajor axis [10-6 au-1] 47.31 ± 3.37

Note: Values of uncertainties of original/future orbital elements were derived using a swarm of 5001 osculating orbits of VCs (including the nominal osculating orbit given above) for original/future orbital evolution calclulations and then by fitting the distribution of a given orbital element of original/future swarm of VCs to Gaussian distribution.

Original barycentric positions and velocities of 5001 VCs at 250 au from the Sun are given here   (data format), i.e. before entering the planetary zone.

Future orbital elements (barycentric; at 250 au from the Sun)

Epoch (TT) 23080212.0
time of perihelion passage [TT] 20060929.188535 ± 0.000129
perihelion distance [au] 2.25852845 ± 0.00000071
eccentricity 0.99979646 ± 0.00000762
argument of perihelion [deg] 359.781513 ± 0.000042
longitude of the ascending node [deg] 228.103038 ± 0.000043
inclination [deg] 45.851873 ± 0.000024
inverse semimajor axis [10-6 au-1] 90.12 ± 3.37


Future barycentric positions and velocities of 5001 VCs at 250 au from the Sun are given here   (data format), i.e. after leaving the planetary zone.





Solar System Dynamics & Planetology Group, 2013. All rights reserved

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