478P/ATLAS
| Parameter |
Value |
| Designation |
478P/ATLAS |
| Type |
P |
| Perihelion (tp_cal, UTC) |
2024-05-01T18:15:32.791680Z |
| Orbit solution date (soln_date, UTC) |
2024-10-10T17:58:36Z |
| Obs used |
494 |
| NEO |
- |
| M1 |
10.000 |
| K1 |
19.500 |
| PC |
- |
| Discovery observation (MPC, UTC) |
2017-01-28T11:47:24Z |
| Discovery magnitude (MPC) |
20.80 w |
| Discovery observatory (MPC) |
F51 · Pan-STARRS 1, Haleakala |
Osculating Elements
| Parameter |
Value |
| Epoch (epoch_cal, TDB) |
2023-08-06.0000000 |
| e |
0.34362489 |
| q (au) |
2.394062 |
| a (au) |
3.647398 |
| i (deg) |
12.523311 |
| Ω (om, deg) |
127.279868 |
| ω (w, deg) |
13.107152 |
| M (ma, deg) |
321.831235 |
Magnitude
Scatter + Global Linear
$$
M_a = (14.334 + 5.191\cdot 2.5\log_{10} r) + \epsilon - 2.5\log_{10}\Phi(\theta) + 5\log_{10}\Delta
$$
$$
\theta = 180^\circ - \alpha
$$
$$
\Phi(\theta) = \frac{\delta_{90} D(\theta) + 1}{\delta_{90} + 1},\quad D(\theta) = k\cdot \Phi_{HG}(\theta; g_f) + (1-k)\cdot \Phi_{HG}(\theta; g_b)
$$
$$
\Phi_{HG}(\theta; g) = \left(\frac{1+g^2}{1+g^2-2g\cos\theta}\right)^{3/2},\quad \Phi_{HG}(90^\circ)=1
$$
Model Parameters
| Parameter |
Value |
| H0 |
14.334 |
| n |
5.191 |
| gf |
0.938 |
| gb |
-0.669 |
| k |
0.800 |
| δ90 |
1.335 |
| 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
Ephemeris
| Date/Time (UTC) |
RA (J2000) |
Dec (J2000) |
Nearest HIP |
Dist from HIP (arcmin) |
| 2026-02-03 00:00 |
18:28:48.07 |
-16:34:21.2 |
HIP 90484 |
16.85 |
| 2026-02-03 12:00 |
18:29:19.42 |
-16:34:01.4 |
HIP 90484 |
23.49 |
| 2026-02-04 00:00 |
18:29:50.68 |
-16:33:41.1 |
HIP 90749 |
16.35 |
| 2026-02-04 12:00 |
18:30:21.85 |
-16:33:20.4 |
HIP 90749 |
8.93 |
| 2026-02-05 00:00 |
18:30:52.91 |
-16:32:59.1 |
HIP 90749 |
2.01 |
| 2026-02-05 12:00 |
18:31:23.89 |
-16:32:37.2 |
HIP 90749 |
6.26 |
| 2026-02-06 00:00 |
18:31:54.76 |
-16:32:14.9 |
HIP 90749 |
13.58 |
| 2026-02-06 12:00 |
18:32:25.54 |
-16:31:52.1 |
HIP 90939 |
8.92 |
| 2026-02-07 00:00 |
18:32:56.21 |
-16:31:28.8 |
HIP 90939 |
2.54 |
| 2026-02-07 12:00 |
18:33:26.79 |
-16:31:05.1 |
HIP 90939 |
6.45 |
| 2026-02-08 00:00 |
18:33:57.27 |
-16:30:40.8 |
HIP 90939 |
13.56 |
| 2026-02-08 12:00 |
18:34:27.64 |
-16:30:16.1 |
HIP 90939 |
20.79 |
| 2026-02-09 00:00 |
18:34:57.91 |
-16:29:50.8 |
HIP 91131 |
22.09 |
| 2026-02-09 12:00 |
18:35:28.08 |
-16:29:25.2 |
HIP 91131 |
21.06 |
| 2026-02-10 00:00 |
18:35:58.14 |
-16:28:59.0 |
HIP 91131 |
22.43 |
| 2026-02-10 12:00 |
18:36:28.10 |
-16:28:32.4 |
HIP 91131 |
25.82 |
| 2026-02-11 00:00 |
18:36:57.95 |
-16:28:05.4 |
HIP 91414 |
25.53 |
| 2026-02-11 12:00 |
18:37:27.70 |
-16:27:37.9 |
HIP 91414 |
18.87 |
| 2026-02-12 00:00 |
18:37:57.33 |
-16:27:10.0 |
HIP 91414 |
12.76 |
| 2026-02-12 12:00 |
18:38:26.86 |
-16:26:41.6 |
HIP 91414 |
8.43 |
| 2026-02-13 00:00 |
18:38:56.27 |
-16:26:12.8 |
HIP 91414 |
8.93 |
| 2026-02-13 12:00 |
18:39:25.57 |
-16:25:43.6 |
HIP 91414 |
13.70 |
| 2026-02-14 00:00 |
18:39:54.76 |
-16:25:13.9 |
HIP 91414 |
19.85 |
| 2026-02-14 12:00 |
18:40:23.84 |
-16:24:43.9 |
HIP 91414 |
26.40 |
| 2026-02-15 00:00 |
18:40:52.80 |
-16:24:13.4 |
HIP 91414 |
33.11 |
| 2026-02-15 12:00 |
18:41:21.65 |
-16:23:42.6 |
HIP 91725 |
34.95 |
| 2026-02-16 00:00 |
18:41:50.38 |
-16:23:11.3 |
HIP 91725 |
32.46 |
| 2026-02-16 12:00 |
18:42:18.99 |
-16:22:39.7 |
HIP 91839 |
29.30 |
| 2026-02-17 00:00 |
18:42:47.49 |
-16:22:07.6 |
HIP 91839 |
26.66 |
| 2026-02-17 12:00 |
18:43:15.86 |
-16:21:35.2 |
HIP 91839 |
25.63 |
| 2026-02-18 00:00 |
18:43:44.12 |
-16:21:02.5 |
HIP 91976 |
22.60 |
| 2026-02-18 12:00 |
18:44:12.25 |
-16:20:29.3 |
HIP 91976 |
18.03 |
| 2026-02-19 00:00 |
18:44:40.26 |
-16:19:55.8 |
HIP 91976 |
15.21 |
| 2026-02-19 12:00 |
18:45:08.14 |
-16:19:22.0 |
HIP 91976 |
15.10 |
| 2026-02-20 00:00 |
18:45:35.90 |
-16:18:47.8 |
HIP 91976 |
17.72 |
| 2026-02-20 12:00 |
18:46:03.54 |
-16:18:13.3 |
HIP 92105 |
15.21 |
| 2026-02-21 00:00 |
18:46:31.05 |
-16:17:38.4 |
HIP 92105 |
14.70 |
| 2026-02-21 12:00 |
18:46:58.43 |
-16:17:03.2 |
HIP 92105 |
16.96 |
| 2026-02-22 00:00 |
18:47:25.68 |
-16:16:27.7 |
HIP 92205 |
17.50 |
| 2026-02-22 12:00 |
18:47:52.81 |
-16:15:51.9 |
HIP 92205 |
17.66 |
| 2026-02-23 00:00 |
18:48:19.80 |
-16:15:15.8 |
HIP 92205 |
20.06 |
| 2026-02-23 12:00 |
18:48:46.66 |
-16:14:39.4 |
HIP 92205 |
24.01 |
| 2026-02-24 00:00 |
18:49:13.39 |
-16:14:02.7 |
HIP 92205 |
28.86 |