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C/2019 Q4 (Borisov) - First Interstellar Comet!
#1
The Minor Planet Center just released an orbit for C/2019 Q4 (Borisov) and I have added it to the current comets target list.

This comet was only recognized yesterday as being of interstellar origin (a first). It is currently brighter than 19th mag.
Clear skies,
Greg
Head Dude at Skyhound
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#2
Wow! A comet with eccentricity=3.08. They've detected 2 of these objects in 2 years. I wonder how many have passed through the solar system undetected. Do you remember the e of Oumuamua (sp?)?

Thanks for the updated comet data.

Phil S.
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#3
(2019-09-12, 10:32 PM)PMSchu Wrote: Wow! A comet with eccentricity=3.08. They've detected 2 of these objects in 2 years. I wonder how many have passed through the solar system undetected. Do you remember the e of Oumuamua (sp?)?

Thanks for the updated comet data.

Phil S.

The eccentricity was 1.2 for Oumuamua.
Clear skies,
Greg
Head Dude at Skyhound
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#4
Thanks Greg, definitely a hyperbolic orbit, but nothing like 3.08. It will be interesting to see how bright C/2019 Q4 (Borisov) becomes as it approaches the sun. A perihelion of 1.9 AU is still pretty far out.

Phil S.
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#5
Regarding the new interstellar designation for this comet, 2I/Borisov, SkyTools is not ready yet to handle those designations, so please continue to look for this comet as C/2019 Q4 in SkyTools. I am working on an update that will make it capable of the interstellar designations, but several other issues need to be addressed before I can release it.
Clear skies,
Greg
Head Dude at Skyhound
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