Covertly Active Comet (139359) 2001 ME1

TL;DR

This study reports the detection and analysis of a faint, recurrent dust activity in comet 2001 ME1, revealing its near-Earth orbit history and the importance of forward scattering in observing such activity.

Contribution

It is the first detailed observation of dust activity in comet 2001 ME1, demonstrating the role of forward scattering and uncovering its long-term orbital evolution.

Findings

Recurrent dust activity observed near perihelion.

Forward scattering significantly amplifies comet brightness.

Comet has likely been on a near-Earth orbit for over 10,000 years.

Abstract

On 2018 November 18, coronagraphs onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) captured an unrecognized comet crossing its fields of view. We identified this comet to be the minor planet (139359) 2001 ME1 whose previously unnoticed dust activity near perihelion became optically amplified by efficient forward scattering of sunlight as the comet crossed between the Sun and SOHO/Earth at up to 175.6 deg phase angle. Simultaneous backscattering observations by the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) precisely constrain the comet's ~7 mag forward scattering brightening, enabling a direct comparison with the ~3 mag brightening of the more active but optically dust-poor comet 2P/Encke seen by SOHO and STEREO under similar geometry in 2017. Earlier STEREO observations from 2014 additionally show the newly recognized activity to be recurrent -- consistent with a reanalysis of the comet's associated meteor activity -- and has likely only been previously overlooked due to the comet's faintness and proximity to the Sun while active. Orbital integrations show the comet has likely followed a near-Earth orbit for at least the past 10 kyr, suggesting that the weakness of its observed activity evolved through its continued depletion of accessible volatiles.