C/ (LINEAR) is a non-periodic comet discovered by the LINEAR survey on 13 November 2006.
Discovery and observations
The object was initially believed to be an asteroid due to its stellar appearance in the early images. However, observers soon detected a small coma and the telltale green cometary cast.
The comet peaked at approximately magnitude +7.5, much brighter than predicted. The comet made its closest approach to Earth on 14 July 2007 at a distance of . It reached perihelion on 10 August 2007 at a distance of .
Physical characteristics Infrared measurements from the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) in July 2007 yielded a mean grain temperature of K, which was 6 percent higher than the equivalent radiative equilibrium blackbody of the comet at its distance from the Sun, which was approximately 1.02 AU at the time. Spectroscopic observations on the following month reveal that the comet's composition is depleted of carbon compounds, comparable to what was observed from 9P/Tempel.
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External links
Comet's trail to August 3