P/2015 PD229 (Cameron–ISON)

P/2015 PD₂₂₉ (Cameron–ISON)

Discovery
Discovered by	David A. Cameron ISON
Discovery site	Cerro Tololo, Chile Siding Spring, Australia
Discovery date	27 May 2015 15 August 2015
Designations
Alternative designations	K15PM9D
Orbital characteristics
Epoch	21 October 2015 (JD 2457316.5)
Observation arc	540 days (1.5 years)
Number of observations	110
Aphelion	9.522 AU
Perihelion	4.832 AU
Semi-major axis	7.177 AU
Eccentricity	0.32674
Orbital period	19.23 years
Inclination	2.027°
Longitude of ascending node	342.77°
Argument of periapsis	352.37°
Last perihelion	14 August 2015
Next perihelion	11 November 2034
TJupiter	2.944
Earth MOID	3.821 AU
Jupiter MOID	0.106 AU
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	13 mi (21 km)
Comet total magnitude (M1)	7.1
Comet nuclear magnitude (M2)	12.6

P/2015 PD₂₂₉ (Cameron–ISON) is a periodic comet that was initially thought to be an active centaur upon discovery. It orbits the Sun between Jupiter and Saturn once every 19.2 years, and has appeared to have made several close encounters with the giant planets from 1889 to 1949. The orbital period and low inclination mean this comet is classed as a Jupiter family comet. The comet appears to be about 13 miles across, which is bigger than most Jupiter family comets.

External links

• P/2015 PD₂₂₉ at the JPL Small-Body Database