* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Comet P/2010 A2 (LINEAR)

Blobrana · L

P/2010 A2 is the 5th recognised Main Belt Comet (MBC). It differs from the others in having an orbit within the hot, inner regions of the asteroid belt. The morphology suggests - but does not prove - a recent collisional origin. We cannot rule out the possibility that P/2010 A2 is driven by ice sublimation, as is MBC prototype 133P/Elst-Pizarro, or by an undetermined process.
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Blobrana · L

Trail of dust may point to fresh violence in asteroid belt

A mysterious streak of dust in the asteroid belt might represent the first evidence of a collision between asteroids in modern times.
Using a telescope in New Mexico, an asteroid survey called LINEAR (Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research), spotted a long dust trail on 6 January.
The dust trail, called P/2010 A2, resembles a comet's tail, but unlike most comets, it resides in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
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Blobrana · L

Image of comet P/2010 A2 (LINEAR) by G. Muler.

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Credit G. Muler.

Blobrana · L

Something awfully curious is happening 250 million miles away in the asteroid belt.
Nothing quite like it has ever been seen before.
There's a newly discovered object that superficially looks like a comet but lives among the asteroids.
One possibility is that we are witnessing a never-before-seen collision between two asteroids that ejected a dust plume.
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Blobrana · L

Possible cometary outburst observed.

Blobrana · L

Orbital elements:
    P/2010 A2 (LINEAR)
T 2009 Nov. 17.248 TT                                   MPC
q   1.97580              (2000.0)            P               Q
n   0.287099       Peri.  125.600       +0.056024       -0.996866
a   2.27570        Node   321.073       +0.884891       +0.075482
e   0.13178        Incl.    5.099       +0.462417       -0.023668
P   3.43
From 55 observations 2010 Jan. 6-14.

MPEC 2010 - A78

Blobrana · L

Orbital elements:
    P/2010 A2 (LINEAR)
T 2009 Oct. 7.360 TT                                    MPC
q   1.86893              (2000.0)            P               Q
n   0.292986       Peri.  104.595       +0.366955       -0.929010
a   2.24511        Node   323.762       +0.819326       +0.347109
e   0.16756        Incl.    4.638       +0.440509       +0.128283
P   3.36
From 32 observations 2010 Jan. 6-10.

MPEC 2010 - A51

Blobrana · L

Orbital elements:
    P/2010 A2 (LINEAR)
T 2010 May 7.565 TT                                     MPC
q   1.35759              (2000.0)            P               Q
n   0.137499       Peri.  227.300       -0.996911       +0.017165
a   3.71766        Node   313.525       +0.020283       -0.886471
e   0.63483        Incl.    6.068       -0.075879       -0.462465
P   7.17
From 19 observations 2010 Jan. 6-7.

MPEC 2010 - A32

Comet P/2010 A2 (LINEAR) was discovered by LINEAR telescope on the 6th January, 2010.
The preliminary orbital elements of the comet indicate a perihelion passage on the 7th May, 2010, at a distance of 1.35 AU from the Sun.

Ephemeris