4015 Wilson–Harrington
orange) B−V=0.666 U−B=0.279 | |
| ~11 (1979) 16 (2009)[3] | |
| 15.99 | |
4015 Wilson–Harrington is an
This
The comet was discovered on 19 November 1949, by Albert G. Wilson and Robert G. Harrington at Palomar Observatory. Only three photographic observations were obtained and the comet was lost (insufficient observations to determine a precise enough orbit to know where to look for future appearances of the comet.)
On 15 November 1979, an apparent
On 13 August 1992, it was reported that asteroid (4015) 1979 VA and comet 107P/Wilson–Harrington were the same object. By then, enough observations of the asteroid had accumulated to obtain a fairly precise orbit, and the search of old photographic plates for prediscovery images turned up the 1949 plates with the images of the lost comet.
Although the 1949 images show cometary features, all subsequent images show only a stellar image, suggesting it might be an inactive comet that undergoes only infrequent outbursts.
The
There are only eight other objects that are cross-listed as both comets and asteroids:
A flyby of 4015 Wilson–Harrington was formerly planned by Deep Space 1.[8] It was also considered for the NEAR mission.[9]
See also
- Marco Polo (spacecraft)
- List of asteroids visited by spacecraft
References
- ^ a b "4015 Wilson-Harrington (1979 VA) // 107P". JPL Small-Body Database. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
- ^ a b "Horizons Batch for 4015 Wilson-Harrington (1979 VA) on 2026-Nov-25" (Perihelion occurs when rdot flips from negative to positive). JPL Horizons. Retrieved 29 April 2023. (JPL#321/Soln.date: 2023-Apr-19
- ^ a b "107P/(4015) Wilson-Harrington". Seiichi Yoshida. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- S2CID 119209764. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- ISBN 9783642297182
- ^ a b "Dual-Status Objects". Minor Planet Center. 6 March 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
- ^ M.P.C. 133823
- ^ Comet Space Missions
- Bibcode:1993STIA...9581370F. Retrieved 24 May 2020 – via Harvard University.
External links
- Cometography.com: Wilson–Harrington
- 107P/(4015) Wilson-Harrington – Seiichi Yoshida @ aerith.net
- 4015 Wilson–Harrington at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 4015 Wilson–Harrington at the JPL Small-Body Database
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