 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Henry L. Giclas |
| Discovery date | September 8, 1978 |
| Designations | |
| 1931 R1; 1978 R2; 1978 XXII; 1978k; 1985 M1; 1985 XV; 1985g; 1992 XXV | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | March 6, 2006 |
| Aphelion | 5.443 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.852 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 3.647 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.4923 |
| Orbital period | 6.965 a |
| Inclination | 7.2810° |
| Last perihelion | June 3, 2020 [1] July 23, 2013 [2] August 7, 2006 |
| Next perihelion | 2027-Feb-12 [3] |
84P/Giclas is a periodic comet in the Solar System. The comet nucleus is estimated to be 1.8 kilometers in diameter. [4] In 1995 precovery images from three nights in September 1931 by Clyde W. Tombaugh were located. [5]
During the 2020 apparition it was not more than 60 degrees from the Sun until September 2020.
On 11 June 2033 the comet will pass 0.0387 AU (5,790,000 km ; 3,600,000 mi ) from the asteroid 4 Vesta. [6]
The nucleus of the comet has a radius of 0.90 ± 0.05 kilometers, assuming a geometric albedo of 0.04. [7]
