332P/Ikeya–Murakami (P/2010 V1) is a short-period comet with period of approximately 5.4 years[2] first identified independently by the two Japanese amateur astronomers Kaoru Ikeya and Shigeki Murakami on November 3, 2010.[7][8] Ikeya identified the comet using a 25-centimeter (10-inch) reflector at 39×, while Murakami used a 46 cm (18-inch) reflector at 78×.[7] Photographic confirmation of the comet was obtained by Ernesto Guido and Giovanni Sostero using a Global-Rent-a-Scope (GRAS) telescope in New Mexico. Both Ikeya and Murakami discovered the comet using manual observation through optical telescopes. Such visual discoveries have become rare in recent years.[7]
At the start of November 2010, a few weeks past perihelion passage, it was discovered the comet had undergone a major outburst between October 31 and November 3.[9] After the 2010 perihelion passage, the comet only had about an 80-day observation arc.[9]
The recovery of P/2010 V1 on December 31, 2015, at magnitude 20 was announced on January 2, 2016, and designated as P/2015 Y2.[2] A secondary fragment (B) was confirmed and announced on January 5, 2016.[5] The comet is now composed of component A and B with two different comas, envelopes and tails.[5] Around January 11, 2016, two fainter potential fragments, designated P/2010 V1-C and P/2010 V1-D have been located, both likely having been fragmented from P/2010 V1-B. As of January 29, fragments B and D had nearly entirely disintegrated, and fragment C had undergone an outburst, making it as bright as P/2010 V1-A.
Even fragment A has not been observed since May 2016 and only has a 124 day observation arc.[3]
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