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JPL Small-Body Database Browser

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C/2012 S1 (ISON)

Classification: Hyperbolic Comet SPK-ID: 1003203

[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]

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Orbit Diagram

Note: Make sure you have Java enabled on your browser to see the applet. This applet is provided as a 3D orbit visualization tool. The applet was implemented using 2-body methods, and hence should not be used for determining accurate long-term trajectories (over several years or decades) or planetary encounter circumstances. For accurate long-term ephemerides, please instead use our Horizons system.

Orbit Viewer

Additional Notes: the orbits shown in the applet are color coded. The planets are white lines, and the asteroid/comet is a blue line. The bright white line indicates the portion of the orbit that is above the ecliptic plane, and the darker portion is below the ecliptic plane. Likewise for the asteroid/comet orbit, the light blue indicates the portion above the ecliptic plane, and the dark blue the portion below the ecliptic plane.
Orbit Viewer applet originally written and kindly provided by Osamu Ajiki (AstroArts), and further modified by Ron Baalke (JPL).

Orbital Elements at Epoch 2456402.5 (2013-Apr-20.0) TDB
Reference: JPL 45 (heliocentric ecliptic J2000)

Element	Value	Uncertainty (1-sigma)	Units
e	1.000004837689888	1.2245e-08
a	-2578.177846922009	6.523	AU
q	.01247242489955982	6.404e-08	AU
i	62.12454327342338	0.00019079	deg
node	295.6927241313786	3.2025e-05	deg
peri	345.5370167565737	2.9086e-05	deg
M	359.9983227953393	6.3651e-06	deg
t_p	2456625.267225185975 (2013-Nov-28.76722519)	2.5178e-05	JED
period	n/a n/a	n/a n/a	d yr
n	7.528956107837035E-6	2.8573e-08	deg/d
Q	n/a	n/a	AU

Orbit Determination Parameters

# obs. used (total)	5918
data-arc span	770 days (2.11 yr)
first obs. used	2011-09-30
last obs. used	2013-11-08
planetary ephem.	DE431
SB-pert. ephem.	SB431-BIG16
fit RMS	.67239
data source	ORB
producer	Otto Matic
solution date	2013-Nov-08 20:14:07

Additional Information

Earth MOID = .0231179 AU

[ show covariance matrix ]

[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]

Physical Parameter Table

Parameter	Symbol	Value	Units	Sigma	Reference	Notes
comet total magnitude	M1	8.0	mag	1.	45	from 1135 observations, assumed slope, autocmod 2.5c
comet total magnitude slope	K1	8.		n/a	45	autocmod 2.5c

[ hide close-approach data ]

Close-Approach Data ...sorted by Date/Time (TDB)

Date/Time (TDB)	Time Uncertainty (days_HH:MM)	Body	Nominal Distance (AU)	Minimum Distance (AU)	Maximum Distance (AU)	V-relative (km/s)	V-infinity (km/s)	JD (TDB)	Time Uncertainty (minutes)	Semi-major axis (km)	Semi-minor axis (km)	range-LOV angle (deg)	N-sigma	BP	Orbit Ref.	Reference	Modified
2013-Oct-01 17:28	< 00:01	Mars	0.0724778813370546	0.07247722035216	0.0724785423223651	40.0720927577285	40.0719941844486	2456567.227730937	0.0352028578936387	36.9847614228777	28.2683459646933	46.2832722287834	340607.588192529	T	45	CATAB v2.0c-linF95 2013-Nov-08 20:14:33	2013-Nov-08 20:14
2013-Dec-26 22:42	< 00:01	Earth	0.429227017275704	0.42922486345061	0.429229171106982	47.3711452049153	47.3710141624596	2456653.445746108	0.0259919289200207	200.44155999682	93.8345805952824	75.6601288623231	649907.430017887	T	45	CATAB v2.0c-linF95 2013-Nov-08 20:14:33	2013-Nov-08 20:14