C/2023 RN3 (ATLAS)

C/2023 RN₃ (ATLAS) is a Jupiter-family comet with a centaur-like orbit around the Sun lasting once every 32 years. It is one of many comets discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).

For other comets discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, see Comet ATLAS.

C/2023 RN₃ (ATLAS)

Discovery[1]
Discovery site	ATLAS–HKO (T05)
Discovery date	4 September 2023
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch	2 November 2023 (JD 2460250.5)
Observation arc	734 days (2.01 years)
Earliest precovery date	26 August 2023
Number of observations	637
Aphelion	15.128 AU
Perihelion	5.172 AU
Semi-major axis	10.149 AU
Eccentricity	0.49041
Orbital period	32.337 years
Inclination	10.358°
Longitude of ascending node	207.07°
Argument of periapsis	130.30°
Mean anomaly	8.778°
Last perihelion	18 January 2023
Next perihelion	2055
TJupiter	2.907
Earth MOID	4.175 AU
Jupiter MOID	0.627 AU
Physical characteristics[3]
Spectral type	(g′−r') = 0.61±0.03 (r′−i′) = 0.30±0.03 (i′−z′) = 0.04±0.08
Comet total magnitude (M1)	6.5[2]
Apparent magnitude	17.8 (2023 apparition)[4]