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A Search for the Lost Comet P/2010 H2 (Vales)

Quanzhi Ye, Tony L. Farnham, Perry Cai, Lori Feaga

Abstract

Short-period comet P/2010 H2 (Vales) underwent a significant outburst of $>7.5$~mag in 2010 and has not been detected since that apparition. Here we report our recovery attempt of P/Vales using the 4.3-m Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT) during its 2015 and 2025 apparitions, as well as the data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) taken in 2023. With the LDT data, we did not detect the comet within the $3σ$ positional uncertainty ellipse to a $3σ$ limiting magnitude of $r\sim25$, corresponding to an absolute nuclear magnitude of $20.6$, or a diameter of $0.5$~km assuming a geometric albedo of 0.04. Similarly, the TESS data reveals no comet or debris trail, providing no direct evidence for a disruption event although not precluding one. The new constraint on the nucleus size tightens the range of viable activity mechanisms for P/Vales and is most consistent with a recently implanted, weakly processed nucleus. Our non-detection of P/Vales down to $m_r=25$ shows that objects like this are difficult to detect in their inactive state with Rubin Observatory, but shift-and-stack techniques and targeted observations on 10-m-class telescopes can provide more useful constraints on these objects.

A Search for the Lost Comet P/2010 H2 (Vales)

Abstract

Short-period comet P/2010 H2 (Vales) underwent a significant outburst of ~mag in 2010 and has not been detected since that apparition. Here we report our recovery attempt of P/Vales using the 4.3-m Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT) during its 2015 and 2025 apparitions, as well as the data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) taken in 2023. With the LDT data, we did not detect the comet within the positional uncertainty ellipse to a limiting magnitude of , corresponding to an absolute nuclear magnitude of , or a diameter of ~km assuming a geometric albedo of 0.04. Similarly, the TESS data reveals no comet or debris trail, providing no direct evidence for a disruption event although not precluding one. The new constraint on the nucleus size tightens the range of viable activity mechanisms for P/Vales and is most consistent with a recently implanted, weakly processed nucleus. Our non-detection of P/Vales down to shows that objects like this are difficult to detect in their inactive state with Rubin Observatory, but shift-and-stack techniques and targeted observations on 10-m-class telescopes can provide more useful constraints on these objects.
Paper Structure (5 sections, 2 figures)

This paper contains 5 sections, 2 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Observations
  3. Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT)
  4. Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
  5. Discussion

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: Star-subtracted composite of LDT images taken on 2015 December 20, 2025 February 28 and April 22. The highly elongated 3$\sigma$ uncertainty ellipses based on JPL orbit solution #26 are plotted. Each image is $5'\times5'$ in size with celestial north at the top and the sunward direction denoted by the arrows.
  • Figure 2: Coadded TESS frames illustrating the non-detection of comet P/Vales. Left: Section of the stacked frame with all usable images registered at the comet's ephemeris position and then coadded. The nominal ephemeris position of the nucleus is indicated, as well as the North and East directions, the sunward direction and the comet's velocity vector, $v$ (which also defines the orientation of the comet's orbit. The $3\sigma$ uncertainty ellipse is 7 pixels in size and is not plotted in the interest of figure clarity. Right: A comparison frame, with images registered on asteroid 606354, showing a clear detection of the $V$=21.9 object.