2021-12-14, 04:47 PM
(This post was last modified: 2021-12-14, 04:48 PM by theskyhound.)
Comet Designations:
C/ P/ D/ /I - these are called the comet (orbit) "type" and refer to a "long period" comet with a parabolic or near-parabolic orbit ©, a short period comet (P), deleted (D), and interstellar comet (I)
Only periodic comets are numbered, so you won't see a "C" comet with a number. Numbered comets look like this: "108P/Ciffreo" The number is 108. You can search by typing "108P" or by entering 108 in a search box dedicated just to comet numbers.
The discovery designation for a comet is a code assigned that signifies the date of discovery. This is the "2021 A1" part. In this case 2021 is the year, not the number. "A1" tells us about the week and order of the discovery.
Lastly, comets can have a name, such as Leonard or NEOWISE. This is the name of the discoverer or survey project. Names are not unique, which is why I cringe a little every time I see the media talk about "Comet NEOWISE" or "Comet Leonard" because technically, someone might ask, "which one?" A historian will have to go back and look at which "Leaonard" was bright in late 2021 to figure that out.
BTW this is explained in the help. The quickest way to find answers about how to format designation searches, is to click the "Designation Help" button on the Designation Search dialog.
C/ P/ D/ /I - these are called the comet (orbit) "type" and refer to a "long period" comet with a parabolic or near-parabolic orbit ©, a short period comet (P), deleted (D), and interstellar comet (I)
Only periodic comets are numbered, so you won't see a "C" comet with a number. Numbered comets look like this: "108P/Ciffreo" The number is 108. You can search by typing "108P" or by entering 108 in a search box dedicated just to comet numbers.
The discovery designation for a comet is a code assigned that signifies the date of discovery. This is the "2021 A1" part. In this case 2021 is the year, not the number. "A1" tells us about the week and order of the discovery.
Lastly, comets can have a name, such as Leonard or NEOWISE. This is the name of the discoverer or survey project. Names are not unique, which is why I cringe a little every time I see the media talk about "Comet NEOWISE" or "Comet Leonard" because technically, someone might ask, "which one?" A historian will have to go back and look at which "Leaonard" was bright in late 2021 to figure that out.
BTW this is explained in the help. The quickest way to find answers about how to format designation searches, is to click the "Designation Help" button on the Designation Search dialog.
Clear skies,
Greg
Head Dude at Skyhound
Greg
Head Dude at Skyhound