 Image of the comet | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Alexander F. I. Forbes |
| Discovery date | August 1, 1929 |
| Designations | |
| 1929 II; 1942 III; 1948 VIII; 1961 VI; 1974 IX; 1980 VI; 1987 I; 1993 IV | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | March 6, 2006 |
| Aphelion | 5.285 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.572 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 3.429 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.5414 |
| Orbital period | 6.349 a |
| Inclination | 8.9578° |
| Last perihelion | 2018-May-04 December 11, 2011 [1] [2] August 1, 2005 |
| Next perihelion | 2024-Oct-11 [3] |
37P/Forbes is a periodic comet in the Solar System. The orbit of this comet passes close to the planet Jupiter however it orbit changes frequently. It was discovered on August 1, 1929, by Alexander F. I. Forbes in South Africa. [4] The comet nucleus is estimated to be 1.9 kilometers in diameter. [5]
A close approach to Jupiter in the year 2001 has changes its perihelion to 1.57 AU. Despite the small change, the comet brightness went down by a magnitude of 2. [6]
