A Tail of Two Classifications: Citizen Science Reveals Activity from Jupiter-family Comet 2021 RK 133

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Abstract We report tail-like activity from 2021 RK 133 identified by volunteers from our Active Asteroids citizen science project. The activity is visible in archival Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope MegaPrime and Dark Energy Camera images obtained on UT 2021 October 13 to November 14, when the object was shortly post-perihelion at r H = 3.104–3.121 au and true anomaly angles f = 2 . ° 41 – 9 . ° 74 . W. Romanishin & S. C. Tegler previously reported subtle, nearly circular and symmetric extended emission from 2021 RK 133 in UT 2022 January 4 Lowell Discovery Telescope images; our images show an asymmetric morphology consistent with a short, diffuse tail. Although 2021 RK 133 is cataloged as a Centaur by JPL Horizons, its perihelion distance q ∼ 3.1 au and Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter T J ∼ 2.5 are consistent with a Jupiter-family comet orbit.

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