C/2016 T3 (PANSTARRS)

Metadata

Parameter Value
Designation C/2016 T3 (PANSTARRS)
Type C
Perihelion (tp_cal, UTC) 2017-09-06T23:30:05.921280Z
Orbit solution date (soln_date, UTC) 2021-04-15T23:33:27Z
Obs used 436
NEO -
M1 13.700
K1 4.750
PC -
Osculating Elements
Parameter Value
Epoch (epoch_cal, TDB) 2017-06-25.0000000
e 0.98138749
q (au) 2.649481
a (au) 142.349476
i (deg) 22.675960
Ω (om, deg) 271.748362
ω (w, deg) 194.677924
M (ma, deg) 359.957068

Magnitude

C/2016 T3 (PANSTARRS) · Magnitude (Full range)

Scatter + Global Linear

$$ M_a = (12.344 + 2.067\cdot 2.5\log_{10} r) + \epsilon - 2.5\log_{10}\Phi(\theta) + 5\log_{10}\Delta $$ $$ \theta = 180^\circ - \alpha $$ $$ \Phi(\theta) = \frac{\delta_{90} D(\theta) + 1}{\delta_{90} + 1},\quad D(\theta) = k\cdot \Phi_{HG}(\theta; g_f) + (1-k)\cdot \Phi_{HG}(\theta; g_b) $$ $$ \Phi_{HG}(\theta; g) = \left(\frac{1+g^2}{1+g^2-2g\cos\theta}\right)^{3/2},\quad \Phi_{HG}(90^\circ)=1 $$

Model Parameters

Parameter Value
H0 12.344
n 2.067
gf 1.000
gb -0.500
k 1.000
δ90 10.000
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
2016-10-10 2017-09-06 +7.4124 -4.382
2017-09-17 2018-04-18 +5.6541 -2.485

log10 r = log10(heliocentric distance / AU), Δ = geocentric distance (AU)

Ephemeris

Date/Time (UTC) RA (J2000) Dec (J2000) Nearest HIP Dist from HIP (arcmin)
2026-07-29 00:00 16:08:39.99 -30:46:30.1 HIP 79029 14.71
2026-07-29 12:00 16:08:37.76 -30:46:08.9 HIP 79029 14.12
2026-07-30 00:00 16:08:35.58 -30:45:47.7 HIP 79029 13.54
2026-07-30 12:00 16:08:33.45 -30:45:26.6 HIP 79029 12.96
2026-07-31 00:00 16:08:31.38 -30:45:05.5 HIP 79029 12.40
2026-07-31 12:00 16:08:29.35 -30:44:44.6 HIP 79029 11.84
2026-08-01 00:00 16:08:27.37 -30:44:23.7 HIP 79029 11.29
2026-08-01 12:00 16:08:25.44 -30:44:02.9 HIP 79029 10.75
2026-08-02 00:00 16:08:23.56 -30:43:42.2 HIP 79029 10.22
2026-08-02 12:00 16:08:21.74 -30:43:21.6 HIP 79029 9.70
2026-08-03 00:00 16:08:19.96 -30:43:01.1 HIP 79029 9.19
2026-08-03 12:00 16:08:18.24 -30:42:40.6 HIP 79029 8.69
2026-08-04 00:00 16:08:16.56 -30:42:20.3 HIP 79029 8.19
2026-08-04 12:00 16:08:14.94 -30:42:00.0 HIP 79029 7.71
2026-08-05 00:00 16:08:13.37 -30:41:39.8 HIP 79029 7.23
2026-08-05 12:00 16:08:11.85 -30:41:19.8 HIP 79029 6.76
2026-08-06 00:00 16:08:10.38 -30:40:59.8 HIP 79029 6.30
2026-08-06 12:00 16:08:08.97 -30:40:39.9 HIP 79029 5.86
2026-08-07 00:00 16:08:07.60 -30:40:20.1 HIP 79029 5.42
2026-08-07 12:00 16:08:06.29 -30:40:00.4 HIP 79029 4.99
2026-08-08 00:00 16:08:05.03 -30:39:40.8 HIP 79029 4.56
2026-08-08 12:00 16:08:03.83 -30:39:21.3 HIP 79029 4.15
2026-08-09 00:00 16:08:02.67 -30:39:02.0 HIP 79029 3.76
2026-08-09 12:00 16:08:01.57 -30:38:42.7 HIP 79029 3.37
2026-08-10 00:00 16:08:00.52 -30:38:23.5 HIP 79029 2.99
2026-08-10 12:00 16:07:59.52 -30:38:04.5 HIP 79029 2.63
2026-08-11 00:00 16:07:58.58 -30:37:45.5 HIP 79029 2.29
2026-08-11 12:00 16:07:57.68 -30:37:26.7 HIP 79029 1.98
2026-08-12 00:00 16:07:56.85 -30:37:07.9 HIP 79029 1.69
2026-08-12 12:00 16:07:56.06 -30:36:49.3 HIP 79029 1.46
2026-08-13 00:00 16:07:55.33 -30:36:30.8 HIP 79029 1.28
2026-08-13 12:00 16:07:54.65 -30:36:12.4 HIP 79029 1.20
2026-08-14 00:00 16:07:54.02 -30:35:54.1 HIP 79029 1.22
2026-08-14 12:00 16:07:53.45 -30:35:36.0 HIP 79029 1.33
2026-08-15 00:00 16:07:52.93 -30:35:18.0 HIP 79029 1.51
2026-08-15 12:00 16:07:52.46 -30:35:00.0 HIP 79029 1.73
2026-08-16 00:00 16:07:52.05 -30:34:42.2 HIP 79029 1.98
2026-08-16 12:00 16:07:51.69 -30:34:24.6 HIP 79029 2.25
2026-08-17 00:00 16:07:51.38 -30:34:07.0 HIP 79029 2.52
2026-08-17 12:00 16:07:51.12 -30:33:49.6 HIP 79012 2.61
2026-08-18 00:00 16:07:50.92 -30:33:32.3 HIP 79012 2.58
2026-08-18 12:00 16:07:50.77 -30:33:15.1 HIP 79012 2.59
2026-08-19 00:00 16:07:50.68 -30:32:58.1 HIP 79012 2.64