C/2013 V5 (Oukaimeden)

C/2013 V5 (Oukaimeden) is a retrograde Oort cloud comet discovered on 12 November 2013 by Oukaimeden Observatory at an apparent magnitude of 19.4 using a 0.5-meter (20 in) reflecting telescope.[1]

C/2013 V5 (Oukaimeden)
Discovery
Discovered byOukaimeden Observatory
0.5-m reflector (J43)[1]
Discovery date12 November 2013
Orbital characteristics A
Epoch20 September 2014[2]
Orbit typeOort cloud
Aphelion~370000 AU (inbound)[lower-alpha 1]
~680 AU (outbound)
Perihelion0.62539 AU (q)[2]
Eccentricity0.99868[2]
Orbital periodseveral million years inbound (Barycentric solution for epoch 1950)[3]
~6000 years outbound
(Barycentric solution for epoch 2050)[3]
Inclination154.88°[2]
Last perihelion28 September 2014[2]

From 5 May 2014 until 18 July 2014 it had an elongation less than 30 degrees from the Sun.[4] By late August 2014 it had brighten to apparent magnitude 8[5] making it a small telescope and high-end binoculars target for experienced observers. It crossed the celestial equator on 30 August 2014 becoming a southern hemisphere object.[4] On 16 September 2014 the comet passed 0.480 AU (71,800,000 km; 44,600,000 mi) from Earth.[6] The comet peaked around magnitude 6.2 in mid-September 2014[7][8] but only had an elongation of about 35 degrees from the Sun.[4] On 20 September 2014 the comet was visible in STEREO HI-1B.[9] The comet came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 28 September 2014 at a distance of 0.625 AU (93,500,000 km; 58,100,000 mi) from the Sun.[2]

C/2013 V5 is dynamically new. It came from the Oort cloud with a loosely bound chaotic orbit that was easily perturbed by galactic tides and passing stars. Before entering the planetary region (epoch 1950), C/2013 V5 had an orbital period of several million years.[3] After leaving the planetary region (epoch 2050), it will have an orbital period of about 6000 years.[3]

Notes
  1. The listed distance for the inbound AU is very close to a "no solution" Hyperbolic trajectory. The JPL Horizons answer of 370,000 AU (6 ly) is not realistic because it is just a generic fit to a curve assuming that the Sun+Comet are the only two objects in the universe.

References
  1. "MPEC 2013-V95 : COMET C/2013 V5 (OUKAIMEDEN)". IAU Minor Planet Center. 15 November 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2013. (CK13V050)
  2. "MPEC 2014-J58: Observations and Orbits of Comets". IAU Minor Planet Center. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  3. Horizons output. "Barycentric Osculating Orbital Elements for Comet C/2013 V5 (Oukaimeden)". Retrieved 15 June 2014. (Solution using the Solar System Barycenter and barycentric coordinates. Select Ephemeris Type:Elements and Center:@0)
  4. "Elements and Ephemeris for C/2013 V5 (Oukaimeden)". IAU Minor Planet Center. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  5. Yoshida, Seiichi (31 August 2014). "Weekly Information about Bright Comets (2014 Aug. 23: South)". aerith.net. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  6. "JPL Close-Approach Data: C/2013 V5 (Oukaimeden)" (last observation: 2014-04-13; arc: 152 days). Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  7. Yoshida, Seiichi (20 September 2014). "Weekly Information about Bright Comets (2014 Sept. 20: South)". aerith.net. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  8. Seiichi Yoshida (11 May 2014). "C/2013 V5 ( Oukaimeden )". Seiichi Yoshida's Comet Catalog. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  9. Karl Battams (22 September 2014). "Comet C/2013 V5 Oukaimeden is in the @NASA STEREO HI-1B images". Retrieved 23 September 2014.


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