New Active Jupiter Family Comet 2008 QZ44: a Discovery with Citizen Science

Abstract

Abstract We report our discovery of cometary activity in the form of a diffuse tail associated with minor planet 2008 QZ44 during two previous orbits: 2008 and 2017. This finding was prompted in part by Active Asteroids, our Zooniverse-hosted NASA Partner Citizen Science program. Participants flagged two UT 2017 July 12 Dark Energy Camera images of 2008 QZ44 as active. Independently, our team identified activity in nine Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope MegaPrime images from UT 2008 November 20. During both apparitions 2008 QZ44 was near its perihelion passage. 2008 QZ44 has a Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter of 2.821, placing it in the Jupiter-family comet (JFC) class, and our dynamical integrations confirm this classification. JFCs contain primordial material that informs us about solar system evolution, and help us map the present-day volatile distribution. We note that 2008 QZ44 has previously been classified as a quasi-Hilda comet candidate.