| Parameter |
Value |
| Designation |
C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) |
| Type |
C |
| Perihelion (tp_cal, UTC) |
2015-01-30T01:39:43.165440Z |
| Orbit solution date (soln_date, UTC) |
2026-03-07T14:42:53Z |
| Obs used |
7892 |
| NEO |
- |
| M1 |
9.800 |
| K1 |
4.750 |
| PC |
- |
Osculating Elements
| Parameter |
Value |
| Epoch (epoch_cal, TDB) |
2015-03-30.0000000 |
| e |
0.99777385 |
| q (au) |
1.290358 |
| a (au) |
579.637230 |
| i (deg) |
80.301302 |
| Ω (om, deg) |
94.975059 |
| ω (w, deg) |
12.395262 |
| M (ma, deg) |
0.004162 |
Magnitude
Scatter + Global Linear
$$
M_a = (9.166 + 2.000\cdot 2.5\log_{10} r) + \epsilon - 2.5\log_{10}\Phi(\theta) + 5\log_{10}\Delta
$$
$$
\theta = 180^\circ - \alpha
$$
$$
\Phi(\theta) = \frac{\delta_{90} D(\theta) + 1}{\delta_{90} + 1},\quad D(\theta) = k\cdot \Phi_{HG}(\theta; g_f) + (1-k)\cdot \Phi_{HG}(\theta; g_b)
$$
$$
\Phi_{HG}(\theta; g) = \left(\frac{1+g^2}{1+g^2-2g\cos\theta}\right)^{3/2},\quad \Phi_{HG}(90^\circ)=1
$$
Model Parameters
| Parameter |
Value |
| H0 |
9.166 |
| n |
2.000 |
| gf |
0.800 |
| gb |
-0.500 |
| k |
0.870 |
| δ90 |
1.000 |
| Parameter |
Symbol |
Range |
Description |
| Absolute magnitude at 1 AU from Sun and Earth |
H0 |
-5 to 20 |
Intrinsic brightness of the comet |
| Photometric slope parameter |
n |
2 to 6 |
Rate of brightness change with heliocentric distance |
| Forward scattering asymmetry factor |
gf |
0.8 to 1 |
Degree of forward scattering |
| Backward scattering asymmetry factor |
gb |
-1 to -0.5 |
Degree of backward scattering |
| Partitioning coefficient |
k |
0.8 to 1 |
Ratio between forward/backward scattering contributions |
| Dust-to-gas brightness ratio |
δ90 |
1 to 10 |
Relative contribution of dust scattering to gas emission |
Reference: EPSC-DPS2025-160
Residuals (Piecewise)
$$\epsilon = a \log_{10} r_{\mathrm{au}} + b$$
| Start (UTC) |
End (UTC) |
a |
b |
| 2014-07-01 |
2015-01-30 |
+10.9131 |
-2.182 |
| 2015-01-30 |
2016-09-10 |
+4.9291 |
-3.119 |
log10 r = log10(heliocentric distance / AU), Δ = geocentric distance (AU)
Ephemeris
| Date/Time (UTC) |
RA (J2000) |
Dec (J2000) |
Nearest HIP |
Dist from HIP (arcmin) |
| 2026-03-26 00:00 |
18:19:54.02 |
-10:50:15.4 |
HIP 89800 |
7.08 |
| 2026-03-26 12:00 |
18:19:54.05 |
-10:50:04.8 |
HIP 89800 |
7.23 |
| 2026-03-27 00:00 |
18:19:54.04 |
-10:49:54.3 |
HIP 89800 |
7.37 |
| 2026-03-27 12:00 |
18:19:53.99 |
-10:49:43.8 |
HIP 89800 |
7.51 |
| 2026-03-28 00:00 |
18:19:53.90 |
-10:49:33.3 |
HIP 89800 |
7.65 |
| 2026-03-28 12:00 |
18:19:53.77 |
-10:49:22.9 |
HIP 89800 |
7.78 |
| 2026-03-29 00:00 |
18:19:53.60 |
-10:49:12.4 |
HIP 89800 |
7.91 |
| 2026-03-29 12:00 |
18:19:53.40 |
-10:49:02.0 |
HIP 89800 |
8.03 |
| 2026-03-30 00:00 |
18:19:53.15 |
-10:48:51.6 |
HIP 89800 |
8.15 |
| 2026-03-30 12:00 |
18:19:52.87 |
-10:48:41.3 |
HIP 89800 |
8.27 |
| 2026-03-31 00:00 |
18:19:52.55 |
-10:48:30.9 |
HIP 89800 |
8.39 |
| 2026-03-31 12:00 |
18:19:52.18 |
-10:48:20.6 |
HIP 89800 |
8.50 |
| 2026-04-01 00:00 |
18:19:51.78 |
-10:48:10.3 |
HIP 89800 |
8.62 |
| 2026-04-01 12:00 |
18:19:51.34 |
-10:48:00.1 |
HIP 89800 |
8.73 |
| 2026-04-02 00:00 |
18:19:50.87 |
-10:47:49.8 |
HIP 89800 |
8.84 |
| 2026-04-02 12:00 |
18:19:50.35 |
-10:47:39.6 |
HIP 89800 |
8.95 |
| 2026-04-03 00:00 |
18:19:49.79 |
-10:47:29.5 |
HIP 89800 |
9.06 |
| 2026-04-03 12:00 |
18:19:49.20 |
-10:47:19.3 |
HIP 89800 |
9.17 |
| 2026-04-04 00:00 |
18:19:48.57 |
-10:47:09.2 |
HIP 89800 |
9.29 |
| 2026-04-04 12:00 |
18:19:47.90 |
-10:46:59.2 |
HIP 89800 |
9.40 |
| 2026-04-05 00:00 |
18:19:47.19 |
-10:46:49.1 |
HIP 89800 |
9.51 |
| 2026-04-05 12:00 |
18:19:46.44 |
-10:46:39.1 |
HIP 89800 |
9.63 |
| 2026-04-06 00:00 |
18:19:45.65 |
-10:46:29.2 |
HIP 89800 |
9.75 |
| 2026-04-06 12:00 |
18:19:44.82 |
-10:46:19.3 |
HIP 89800 |
9.87 |
| 2026-04-07 00:00 |
18:19:43.96 |
-10:46:09.4 |
HIP 89800 |
9.99 |
| 2026-04-07 12:00 |
18:19:43.06 |
-10:45:59.5 |
HIP 89800 |
10.12 |
| 2026-04-08 00:00 |
18:19:42.12 |
-10:45:49.7 |
HIP 89800 |
10.25 |
| 2026-04-08 12:00 |
18:19:41.14 |
-10:45:40.0 |
HIP 89800 |
10.39 |
| 2026-04-09 00:00 |
18:19:40.12 |
-10:45:30.2 |
HIP 89800 |
10.53 |
| 2026-04-09 12:00 |
18:19:39.06 |
-10:45:20.6 |
HIP 89800 |
10.67 |
| 2026-04-10 00:00 |
18:19:37.97 |
-10:45:10.9 |
HIP 89800 |
10.83 |
| 2026-04-10 12:00 |
18:19:36.84 |
-10:45:01.4 |
HIP 89800 |
10.98 |
| 2026-04-11 00:00 |
18:19:35.67 |
-10:44:51.8 |
HIP 89800 |
11.15 |
| 2026-04-11 12:00 |
18:19:34.46 |
-10:44:42.3 |
HIP 89800 |
11.32 |
| 2026-04-12 00:00 |
18:19:33.21 |
-10:44:32.9 |
HIP 89800 |
11.50 |
| 2026-04-12 12:00 |
18:19:31.93 |
-10:44:23.5 |
HIP 89800 |
11.69 |
| 2026-04-13 00:00 |
18:19:30.60 |
-10:44:14.2 |
HIP 89800 |
11.88 |
| 2026-04-13 12:00 |
18:19:29.24 |
-10:44:04.9 |
HIP 89800 |
12.08 |
| 2026-04-14 00:00 |
18:19:27.85 |
-10:43:55.7 |
HIP 89800 |
12.29 |
| 2026-04-14 12:00 |
18:19:26.41 |
-10:43:46.5 |
HIP 89800 |
12.51 |
| 2026-04-15 00:00 |
18:19:24.94 |
-10:43:37.4 |
HIP 89800 |
12.74 |
| 2026-04-15 12:00 |
18:19:23.43 |
-10:43:28.3 |
HIP 89800 |
12.98 |
| 2026-04-16 00:00 |
18:19:21.88 |
-10:43:19.3 |
HIP 89800 |
13.23 |