C/2001 B2 NEAT

Solar System
Dynamics &
Planetology
Group

C/2001 B2 NEAT

General description

Comet C/2001 B2 was discovered almost five months after perihelion passage and next observed 3.1 yr during its four oppositions in a range of heliocentric distances: 5.42 au – 5.306 au (perihelion) – 10.23 au.

Comet had its closest approaches to Earth on 26 April 2000 (4.526 au) and on 11 March 2001 (4.550 au, less than two months after discovery).

Figure caption: Time distribution of positional observations with corresponding heliocentric (red curve) and geocentric (green curve) distance at which they were taken. The horizontal dotted line shows the perihelion distance for a given comet whereas vertical dotted line — the moment of perihelion passage.

SSDP Cometary Note C2001B2A5-001

Comet C/2001 B2 NEAT

number of observations	587
number of residuals	1153
data interval	2001 Jan. 24 — 2004 Feb. 21
rms [arcsec]	0.59
orbit quality class	1a

Osculating orbital elements (heliocentric; ecliptic J2000.0)

Epoch (TT)	20000912.0	= JD 2451799.5
time of perihelion passage (TT)	20000901.877987	± 0.001172
perihelion distance	5.30643309	± 0.00000768
eccentricity	1.00294235	± 0.00000579
argument of perihelion [deg]	304.751371	± 0.000140
longitude of the ascending node [deg]	145.084646	± 0.000014
inclination [deg]	150.608868	± 0.000016
inverse semimajor axis [10^-6 au^-1]	-554.49	± 1.09

Note: Epoch is given in a format: yyyymmdd.d, time of perihelion passage in a format of yyyymmdd.dddddd.

Figure caption: Six 2D-projections of the 6D space of original swarm (5001 VCs) of C/2001 B2. Each density map is given in logarithmic scale presented on the right in the individual panel.
The same figure in the new window

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

Epoch (TT)	16920817
time of perihelion passage (TT)	20000902.447236	± 0.001173
perihelion distance	5.31118408	± 0.00000768
eccentricity	0.99894149	± 0.00000585
argument of perihelion [deg]	304.818452	± 0.000140
longitude of the ascending node [deg]	145.086621	± 0.000014
inclination [deg]	150.633002	± 0.000016
inverse semimajor axis [10^-6 au^-1]	199.30	± 1.10

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.

Figure caption: Six 2D-projections of the 6D space of future swarm (5001 VCs) of C/2001 B2. Each density map is given in logarithmic scale presented on the right in the individual panel.
The same figure in the new window

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

Epoch (TT)	23100312
time of perihelion passage (TT)	20000902.334963	± 0.001184
perihelion distance	5.31326984	± 0.00000770
eccentricity	0.99830948	± 0.00000585
argument of perihelion [deg]	304.930487	± 0.000140
longitude of the ascending node [deg]	145.191174	± 0.000014
inclination [deg]	150.680434	± 0.000016
inverse semimajor axis [10^-6 au^-1]	318.17	± 1.10