C/2011 J2 (LINEAR)
Oort cloud comet that fragmented in mid-2014.
C/2011 J2 (LINEAR) was first spotted on 4 May 2011 by the LINEAR survey, which used a 1-meter (39-inch) reflecting telescope. At the time, its apparent magnitude was 19.7. This comet came from the Oort cloud and is considered dynamically new, meaning it followed a loosely bound, chaotic orbit easily altered by galactic tides or passing stars. It reached perihelion on 25 December 2013, passing 3.4 AU (510 million km) from the Sun. By September 2014, its apparent magnitude had brightened to 17.0.
In mid-2014, the comet underwent a fragmentation event. A fragment, designated CK11J02b, was detected on 27 August 2014 at magnitude 18. Preliminary analysis suggests the breakup occurred around 14 July 2014, give or take ten days. At that time, the comet was about 3.9 AU (580 million km) from the Sun. A third fragment, Fragment C, was observed in October 2014 by Ernesto Guido, Nick Howes, and Martino Nicolini. Before entering the inner solar system (epoch 1800), C/2011 J2 had an orbital period of several million years. After leaving the planetary region (epoch 2200), it will be on an ejection trajectory.
Quick Facts
- Discovery Ref
- MPEC_2011-J31 · Sostero_2011
- Discovery Site
- LINEAR (704)
- Discovery Date
- 4 May 2011
- Designations
- CK11J020
- Orbit Ref
- barycenter · jpldata
- Orbit
- Oort cloud
- Epoch
- 22 January 2014 (JD 2456679.5)
- Observation Arc
- 6.52 years
- Earliest Precovery Date
- 10 March 2011
- Obs
- 6,434
- Perihelion
- 3.443 AU
- Aphelion
- ~49,940 AU (inbound)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
C/2011 J2 came to perihelion on 25 December 2013 at a distance of 3.4 AU from the Sun. On 27 August 2014, an 18th magnitude fragment designated CK11J02b was detected. Preliminary estimates indicate that a fragmentation event occurred around 14 July 2014, plus or minus ten days, when the comet was 3.9 AU from the Sun. Fragment C was detected in October 2014 by Ernesto Guido, Nick Howes, and Martino Nicolini.
The comet is dynamically new, having come from the Oort cloud with a loosely bound chaotic orbit easily perturbed by galactic tides and passing stars. Before entering the planetary region (epoch 1800), it had an orbital period of several million years. After leaving the planetary region (epoch 2200), it will be on an ejection trajectory.
Reader's Guide
C/2011 J2 (LINEAR) is significant as a dynamically new Oort cloud comet that experienced a well-observed fragmentation event. The detection of fragment CK11J02b on 27 August 2014 and fragment C in October 2014, along with preliminary estimates placing the fragmentation around 14 July 2014, provide a rare opportunity to study the breakup of a pristine comet. Its origin from the Oort cloud and its eventual ejection from the solar system highlight the comet's role as a transient visitor, with its orbit easily perturbed by galactic tides and passing stars. The observations by LINEAR and subsequent follow-up by astronomers such as Ernesto Guido, Nick Howes, and Martino Nicolini contribute to understanding the physical processes of cometary fragmentation. The comet's legacy lies in its documentation of a splitting event in a dynamically new object, offering insights into the evolution of comets from the Oort cloud.
Did You Know?
- C/2011 J2 was discovered on 4 May 2011 by LINEAR at an apparent magnitude of 19.7.
- A fragmentation event is estimated to have occurred around 14 July 2014, plus or minus ten days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who discovered C/2011 J2 (LINEAR) and how was it found?
The LINEAR automated survey team first recorded the comet on 4 May 2011 with a 1-meter (39-inch) reflecting telescope, when it was a faint 19.7-magnitude smudge. The 'LINEAR' tag in its designation simply credits that survey as the discoverer.
What does 'dynamically new' mean for C/2011 J2 (LINEAR)?
The comet originated in the Oort cloud and had never completed a full revolution around the Sun before 2011, so astronomers classify it as dynamically new. Its loosely bound, chaotic orbit meant that galactic tides or a nearby passing star could have perturbed it into the inner solar system.
When did C/2011 J2 (LINEAR) reach perihelion, and how close did it get?
It swung past the Sun on 25 December 2013 at a distance of 3.4 AU, roughly 510 million kilometres. Even at closest approach the comet stayed well beyond the orbit of Mars, so it never threatened to become a bright naked-eye object.
What happened to C/2011 J2 (LINEAR) in mid-2014?
The nucleus suffered a fragmentation event, shedding a piece that observers labelled CK11J02b. By September 2014 the main body had brightened to about magnitude 17.0, still far too dim for unaided viewing.
Why do comet fans consider C/2011 J2 (LINEAR) noteworthy?
As a dynamically new Oort-cloud visitor that visibly broke apart only two years after detection, it gave observers a rare window into how fragile these ancient ice bodies really are. Its short, well-documented arc from a 19.7-magnitude spot to a fragmented tail makes it a popular case study in amateur comet circles.
More in Named Comets, Part 2 1-24
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