P/2016 G1 (PanSTARRS)
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Robert Weryk Richard Wainscoat |
| Discovery site | Pan-STARRS 1 Haleakala Observatory |
| Discovery date | 1 April 2016 |
| Designations | |
| 2016 G1 | |
| PK16G010[1] | |
| Asteroid belt | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 30 April 2016 (JD 2457508.5) | |
| Observation arc | 198 days |
| Aphelion | 3.126 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.040 AU |
| 2.583 AU | |
| 4.152 years | |
| 295.62° | |
| Inclination | 10.968° |
| 204.07° | |
| 111.28° | |
| Earth MOID | 1.057 AU |
| Physical characteristics[3] | |
| Dimensions | 200–400 m (660–1,310 ft) |
| 16.1 | |
P/2016 G1 (PanSTARRS) was a main-belt asteroid that was destroyed by an impact event on 6 March 2016.[4]
Observational history
[edit]It was discovered by Robert Weryk and Richard Wainscoat of the Pan-STARRS 1 survey at Haleakala Observatory. The object was initially thought to be an Encke-type comet because of its diffuse appearance,[5][6] so it received the periodic comet designation P/2016 G1.[2] After further analysis, what had initially appeared to be a comet's halo turned out to be rubble from a collision. By November 2019, analysis suggested the collision had occurred on 6 March 2016, and the asteroid was struck by a smaller object that may have massed only 1.0 kg (2.2 lb), and was traveling at 11,000 mph (18,000 km/h).[7] P/2016 G1's diameter was between 200 m (660 ft) and 400 m (1,300 ft).[3] The asteroid had completely disintegrated by 2017.[3]
Astronomers were able to use the asteroid's rubble to determine the date of the collision, since the dispersion of dust was inversely proportional to its size.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b G. V. Williams (4 April 2016). "MPEC 2016-G72: Comet P/2016 G1 (PanSTARRS)". www.minorplanetcenter.net. Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ a b "P/2016 G1 (PANSTARRS) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- ^ a b c d N. T. Redd (20 November 2019). "Deadly Collision Blows an Asteroid Apart". Eos. Archived from the original on 1 December 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
- ^ O. R. Hainaut; J. T. Kleyna; K. J. Meech; M. Boslough; M. Micheli; et al. (2019). "Disintegration of Active Asteroid P/2016 G1 (PANSTARRS)" (PDF). Astronomy & Astrophysics. 628. arXiv:1907.00751. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201935868.
- ^ F. Moreno; J. Licandro; A. Cabrera-Lavers; F. J. Pozuelos (2016). "Early evolution of disrupted asteroid P/2016 G1 (PANSTARRS)". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 826 (2): L22. arXiv:1607.03375. Bibcode:2016ApJ...826L..22M. doi:10.3847/2041-8205/826/2/L22. S2CID 118413776.
- ^ C. dela Fuente Marcos; R. dela Fuente Marcos (2022). "Recent arrivals to the main asteroid belt". Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy. 134 (5): 38. arXiv:2207.07013. Bibcode:2022CeMDA.134...38D. doi:10.1007/s10569-022-10094-4. ISSN 0923-2958. S2CID 251638931.
- ^ R. G. Andrews (26 November 2019). "This Is What It Looks Like When an Asteroid Gets Destroyed". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
External links
[edit]- P/2016 G1 at the JPL Small-Body Database
- P/2016 G1 (PANSTARRS), Minor Planet Center
- Images of P/2016 G1 Archived 30 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Luc Arnold
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