Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Eric J. Christensen |
Discovery date | October 27, 2006 |
Designations | |
2006 U5 | |
Orbital characteristics | |
Epoch | 2020-04-21.0 |
Aphelion | 4.736 AU |
Perihelion | 2.335 AU |
Semi-major axis | 3.535 AU |
Eccentricity | 0.339 |
Orbital period | 6.65 a |
Inclination | 3.426° |
Last perihelion | 2020-04-19 [1] [2] 2013-08-31 |
Next perihelion | 2026-Dec-07 (JPL Horizons last obs 2020-04-16) |
266P/Christensen is a periodic comet in the Solar System. It will next come to perihelion in December 2026. It has been suggested as the source of the 1977 "Wow! Signal". [3]
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Eric James Christensen is an American astronomer and a discoverer of comets. He works as a staff scientist with Catalina Sky Survey and is responsible for the survey's near-Earth object operation.