# Physical and dynamical properties of the anomalous comet 249P/LINEAR

## TL;DR

This study characterizes the physical and dynamical properties of comet 249P/LINEAR, revealing its asteroid-like spectrum, small size, and recent dust activity, suggesting it may originate from the asteroid belt rather than the trans-Neptunian region.

## Contribution

It provides detailed observational analysis of 249P/LINEAR, proposing it as a potential near-Earth asteroid with comet-like activity originating from the asteroid belt.

## Key findings

- Spectral similarity to B-type asteroids.
- Estimated nucleus radius of 1-1.3 km.
- Dust ejection peak occurred 1.6 days before perihelion.

## Abstract

Images and low-resolution spectra of the near-Earth Jupiter family comet (JFC) 249P/LINEAR in the visible range obtained with the instrument OSIRIS in the 10.4m Gran Telescopio Canarias on January 3, 4, 6 and February 6, 2016 are presented, together with a series of images obtained with the 0.4m telescope of the Great Shefford Observatory. The reflectance spectrum of 249P is similar to that of a B-type asteroid. The comet has an absolute (visual) nuclear magnitude $H_V=17.0\pm 0.4$, which corresponds to a radius of about 1-1.3 km for a geometric albedo $\sim 0.04-0.07$. From the analysis of GTC images using a Monte Carlo dust tail code we find that the time of maximum dust ejection rate was around 1.6 days before perihelion. We may be in front of a new class of near-Earth JFC whose source region is not the distant trans-neptunian population, but much closer in the asteroid belt. Therefore, 249P/LINEAR may be a near-Earth counterpart of the so-called main-belt comets or active asteroids.