External links
- Minor Planet Center Periodic Comet Numbers
- Cometography.com Periodic Comets
- Seiichi Yoshida's Comet Catalog (includes a listing of unnumbered periodic comets)
- Periodic comets on the Planetary Data System Small Bodies Node
The following is a list of comets discovered, co-discovered and re-discovered by the Lincoln Laboratory Near-Earth Asteroid Research project (LINEAR), an Earth-based automated sky survey.
In comet nomenclature, the letter before the "/" is either "C" (a non-periodic comet), "P" (a periodic comet), "D" (a comet which has been lost or has disintegrated), "X" (a comet for which no reliable orbit could be calculated — usually historical comets), or "A" for an object that was mistakenly identified as a comet, but is a minor planet.
| Comet | Semimajor axis (AU) | Eccentricity | Period (a) | Discoverer(s) or Namesake |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11P/Tempel-Swift-LINEAR | 3.4374 | 0.539 | 6.37 | Tempel, Swift & LINEAR |
| 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR | 4.0267 | 0.648 | 8.08 | C. Shoemaker, E. Shoemaker & LINEAR |
| 148P/Anderson-LINEAR | 3.684 | 0.538 | 7.07 | Anderson & LINEAR |
| 156P/Russell-LINEAR | 3.595 | 0.559 | 6.82 | Russell & LINEAR |
| 158P/Kowal-LINEAR | 4.7207 | 0.029 | 10.26 | Kowal & LINEAR |
| 160P/LINEAR | 3.9734 | 0.479 | 7.92 | LINEAR |
| 165P/LINEAR | 18.0499 | 0.622 | 76.69 | LINEAR |
| 176P/LINEAR = minor planet 118401 LINEAR | 3.1928 | 0.193 | 5.71 | LINEAR |
| 187P/LINEAR | 4.5433 | 0.164 | 9.68 | LINEAR |
| 188P/LINEAR-Mueller | 4.3679 | 0.416 | 9.13 | LINEAR & Mueller |
| 193P/LINEAR-NEAT | 3.5051 | 0.417 | 6.56 | LINEAR & NEAT |
| 194P/LINEAR | 4.0111 | 0.574 | 8.03 | LINEAR |
| 197P/LINEAR | 2.8666 | 0.63 | 4.85 | LINEAR |
| 204P/LINEAR-NEAT | 3.6607 | 0.47 | 7 | LINEAR & NEAT |
| 209P/LINEAR | 2.9378 | 0.689 | 5.04 | LINEAR |
| 214P/LINEAR | 3.6044 | 0.49 | 6.84 | LINEAR |
| 216P/LINEAR | 3.8813 | 0.445 | 7.65 | LINEAR |
| 217P/LINEAR | 3.9422 | 0.69 | 7.83 | LINEAR |
| 218P/LINEAR | 3.304 | 0.49 | 6.11 | LINEAR |
| 219P/LINEAR | 3.6509 | 0.353 | 6.98 | LINEAR |
| 221P/LINEAR | 3.484 | 0.486 | 6.5 | LINEAR |
| 222P/LINEAR | 2.8576 | 0.727 | 4.83 | LINEAR |
| 225P/LINEAR | 3.5453 | 0.664 | 6.68 | LINEAR |
| 226P/Pigott-LINEAR-Kowalski | 3.6895 | 0.48 | 7.09 | Pigott & LINEAR & Kowalski |
| 227P/Catalina-LINEAR | 3.5874 | 0.499 | 6.79 | Catalina Sky Survey & LINEAR |
| 228P/LINEAR | 4.1618 | 0.176 | 8.49 | LINEAR |
| 230P/LINEAR | 3.399 | 0.563 | 6.27 | LINEAR |
| 231P/LINEAR-NEAT | 4.0255 | 0.247 | 8.08 | LINEAR & NEAT |
| 234P/LINEAR | 3.8181 | 0.252 | 7.46 | LINEAR |
| 235P/LINEAR | 4.0004 | 0.315 | 8 | LINEAR |
| 236P/LINEAR | 3.7275 | 0.509 | 7.2 | LINEAR |
| 237P/LINEAR | 3.7368 | 0.353 | 7.22 | LINEAR |
| 239P/LINEAR | 4.4645 | 0.632 | 9.43 | LINEAR |
| 241P/LINEAR | 4.8835 | 0.619 | 10.79 | LINEAR |
| 247P/LINEAR | 3.9918 | 0.625 | 7.98 | LINEAR |
| 249P/LINEAR | 2.7771 | 0.816 | 4.63 | LINEAR |
| 251P/LINEAR | 3.4897 | 0.51 | 6.52 | LINEAR |
| 252P/LINEAR | 3.0568 | 0.672 | 5.34 | LINEAR |
| 256P/LINEAR | 4.6211 | 0.418 | 9.93 | LINEAR |
| 265P/LINEAR | 4.253 | 0.646 | 8.77 | LINEAR |
| 277P/LINEAR | 3.8656 | 0.504 | 7.6 | LINEAR |
| 285P/LINEAR | 4.5127 | 0.621 | 9.59 | LINEAR |
| 294P/LINEAR | 3.194 | 0.591 | 5.71 | LINEAR |
| Comet | Semimajor axis (AU) | Eccentricity | Period (a) | Discoverer(s) or Namesake |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P/1998 G1 (LINEAR) | 12.098 | 0.824 | 42.08 | LINEAR |
| P/1998 VS24 (LINEAR) | 4.5041 | 0.244 | 9.56 | LINEAR |
| P/1998 Y1 (LINEAR) | 22.956 | 0.923 | 109.99 | LINEAR |
| P/1999 G1 (LINEAR) | 28.139 | 0.856 | 149.27 | LINEAR |
| P/1999 S3 (LINEAR) | 18.940 | 0.9 | 82.43 | LINEAR |
| P/1999 XS87 (LINEAR) | 17.386 | 0.841 | 72.5 | LINEAR |
| P/2000 G2 (LINEAR) | 13.959 | 0.805 | 52.15 | LINEAR |
| P/2000 D2 (LINEAR) | 17.233 | 0.867 | 71.54 | LINEAR |
| P/2000 R2 (LINEAR) | 3.3385 | 0.584 | 6.1 | LINEAR |
| P/2002 A1 (LINEAR) | 16.992 | 0.723 | 70.04 | LINEAR |
| P/2002 A2 (LINEAR) | 17.103 | 0.725 | 70.74 | LINEAR |
| P/2002 B1 (LINEAR) | 9.918 | 0.771 | 31.24 | LINEAR |
| P/2002 AR2 (LINEAR) | 5.3501 | 0.615 | 12.38 | LINEAR |
| P/2002 EJ57 (LINEAR) | 6.4901 | 0.594 | 16.53 | LINEAR |
| P/2002 T5 (LINEAR) | 6.9897 | 0.437 | 18.48 | LINEAR |
| P/2003 F1 (LINEAR) | 20.664 | 0.806 | 93.93 | LINEAR |
| P/2003 HT15 (LINEAR) | 4.6211 | 0.418 | 9.93 | LINEAR |
| P/2003 O3 (LINEAR) | 3.1047 | 0.599 | 5.47 | LINEAR |
| P/2002 CE10 (LINEAR) | 9.816 | 0.791 | 30.75 | LINEAR |
| P/2003 R1 (LINEAR) | 19.7 | 0.893 | 87.44 | LINEAR |
| P/2003 U1 (LINEAR) | 22.897 | 0.922 | 109.56 | LINEAR |
| P/2003 W1 (LINEAR) | 25.148 | 0.934 | 126.12 | LINEAR |
| P/2004 WR9 (LINEAR) | 6.0617 | 0.684 | 14.92 | LINEAR |
| P/2005 Q4 (LINEAR) | 4.4594 | 0.607 | 9.42 | LINEAR |
| P/2004 FY140 (LINEAR) | 4.9523 | 0.171 | 11.02 | LINEAR |
| P/2000 QJ46 (LINEAR) | 5.9099 | 0.673 | 14.37 | LINEAR |
| P/2008 R3 (LINEAR) | 18.425 | 0.896 | 79.09 | LINEAR |
| P/2008 WZ96 (LINEAR) | 3.3567 | 0.51 | 6.15 | LINEAR |
| P/2003 WC7 (LINEAR-Catalina) | 5.1859 | 0.681 | 11.81 | LINEAR & Catalina Sky Survey |
| P/2004 V5-A (LINEAR-Hill) | 7.9506 | 0.445 | 22.42 | LINEAR & Hill |
| P/2004 V5-B (LINEAR-Hill) | 7.9509 | 0.445 | 22.42 | LINEAR & Hill |
| P/2001 BB50 (LINEAR-NEAT) | 5.6819 | 0.587 | 13.54 | LINEAR & NEAT |
| P/2003 XD10 (LINEAR-NEAT) | 3.3423 | 0.437 | 6.11 | LINEAR & NEAT |
| P/2004 R3 (LINEAR-NEAT) | 3.8367 | 0.442 | 7.52 | LINEAR & NEAT |
| P/2004 T1 (LINEAR-NEAT) | 3.4722 | 0.508 | 6.47 | LINEAR & NEAT |
| P/2001 R6 (LINEAR-Skiff) | 4.1146 | 0.486 | 8.35 | LINEAR & Skiff |
| P/2000 S4 (LINEAR-Spacewatch) | 7.1187 | 0.682 | 18.99 | LINEAR & Spacewatch |
| P/2002 T6 (NEAT-LINEAR) | 7.6519 | 0.557 | 21.17 | NEAT & LINEAR |
| P/2004 DO29 (Spacewatch-LINEAR) | 7.4655 | 0.452 | 20.40 | Spacewatch & LINEAR |
| P/2010 A2 (LINEAR) | 2.2904 | 0.125 | 3.47 | LINEAR |
| P/2010 A5 (LINEAR) | 5.1001 | 0.664 | 11.52 | LINEAR |
| P/2010 WK (LINEAR) | 5.7309 | 0.692 | 13.72 | LINEAR |
| P/2011 J3 (LINEAR) | 19.602 | 0.926 | 86.79 | LINEAR |
| Comet | Semimajor axis (AU) | Axis deviation | Period (Years) | Period deviation | Discoverer(s) or Namesake |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/1998 K2 (LINEAR) | 3240 | 52.318 | 184,455.18 | 4467 | LINEAR |
| C/1998 K3 (LINEAR) | 1758 | 935.89 | 73,714.11 | 5886 | LINEAR |
| C/1998 K5 (LINEAR) | 72.39 | 0.047674 | 615.98 | 0.6085 | LINEAR |
| C/1998 M1 (LINEAR) | 432.5 | 2.5341 | 8,996.15 | 79.06 | LINEAR |
| C/1998 M2 (LINEAR) | 1219 | 6.1291 | 42,590.53 | 321.1 | LINEAR |
| C/1998 M4 (LINEAR) | 1290 | 945.99 | 46,320.12 | 5096 | LINEAR |
| C/1998 M5 (LINEAR) | 438.5 | 0.15405 | 9,183.52 | 4.839 | LINEAR |
| C/1998 Q1 (LINEAR) | 357.2 | 4.9832 | 6,750.69 | 141.3 | LINEAR |
| C/1998 T1 (LINEAR) | 1618 | 8.9444 | 65,099.99 | 539.7 | LINEAR |
| C/1998 U1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/1998 U5 (LINEAR) | 102.9 | 0.050505 | 1,043.5 | 0.7684 | LINEAR |
| C/1998 W3 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/1999 H3 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/1999 J3 (LINEAR) | 1619 | 62.789 | 65,157.78 | 3790 | LINEAR |
| C/1999 J4 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/1999 K3 (LINEAR) | 234 | 10.838 | 3,578.59 | 248.7 | LINEAR |
| C/1999 K4 (LINEAR) | 16.99 | 16.019 | 70.04 | 99.05 | LINEAR |
| C/1999 K5 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/1999 K6 (LINEAR) | 346.6 | 0.40589 | 6,452.54 | 11.33 | LINEAR |
| C/1999 K7 (LINEAR) | 696.9 | 268.92 | 18,396.74 | 1065 | LINEAR |
| C/1999 K8 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/1999 L2 (LINEAR) | 392.8 | 24.671 | 7,784.77 | 733.4 | LINEAR |
| C/1999 L3 (LINEAR) | 77.59 | 0.071417 | 683.46 | 0.9436 | LINEAR |
| C/1999 N4 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/1999 S4 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/1999 T2 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/1999 T3 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/1999 Y1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2000 B2 (LINEAR) | 4670 | 4462.8 | 319,184.79 | 4575 | LINEAR |
| C/2000 CT54 (LINEAR) | 1924 | 5.9824 | 84,452.9 | 11.955 | LINEAR |
| C/2000 H1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2000 K1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2000 K2 (LINEAR) | 500.2 | 0.45053 | 11,185.94 | 15.11 | LINEAR |
| C/2000 SV74 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2000 U5 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2000 WM1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2001 A1 (LINEAR) | 266.6 | 3.8162 | 4,354.02 | 93.48 | LINEAR |
| C/2001 A2 (LINEAR) | Broke up into 2 pieces | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2001 A2-A (LINEAR) | 2531 | 389.86 | 127,299.13 | 2942 | LINEAR |
| C/2001 A2-B (LINEAR) | 1119 | 3.497 | 37,412.96 | 175.4 | LINEAR |
| C/2001 B1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2001 C1 (LINEAR) | 50,450 | 10277 | 11,330,295.09 | 346300 | LINEAR |
| C/2001 HT50 (LINEAR-NEAT) | 1193 | 0.34415 | 41,231.67 | 17.83 | LINEAR & NEAT |
| C/2001 K5 (LINEAR) | 11,450 | 79.677 | 1,225,514 | 1279 | LINEAR |
| C/2001 N2 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2001 RX14 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2001 U6 (LINEAR) | 1155 | 5.6789 | 39,247.77 | 289.5 | LINEAR |
| C/2001 W1 (LINEAR) | 1832 | 485.46 | 78,408.39 | 3117 | LINEAR |
| C/2001 X1 (LINEAR) | 587.9 | 18.611 | 14,254.47 | 676.9 | LINEAR |
| C/2002 A3 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2002 B2 (LINEAR) | 1431 | 275.95 | 54,126.68 | 1566 | LINEAR |
| C/2002 B3 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2002 C2 (LINEAR) | 8703 | 288.29 | 811,933.34 | 4034 | LINEAR |
| C/2002 H2 (LINEAR) | 281.3 | 3.676 | 4,719.05 | 92.49 | LINEAR |
| C/2002 J5 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2002 K2 (LINEAR) | 775.7 | 9.4479 | 21,603.34 | 394.7 | LINEAR |
| C/2002 O7 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2002 Q2 (LINEAR) | 56.01 | 7.6034 | 419.18 | 85.36 | LINEAR |
| C/2002 Q3 (LINEAR) | broke up into C/2002 Q3-A(?) | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2002 Q3-A (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2002 Q5 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2002 U2 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2002 V2 (LINEAR) | 5342 | 67.337 | 390,450.67 | 7383 | LINEAR |
| C/2002 VQ94 (LINEAR) | 202.2 | 0.015608 | 2,874.52 | 0.3329 | LINEAR |
| C/2002 X1 (LINEAR) | 1386 | 1.3899 | 51,595.58 | 77.62 | LINEAR |
| C/2003 G1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2003 G2 (LINEAR) | 446.6 | 87.536 | 9,437.87 | 2775 | LINEAR |
| C/2003 H1 (LINEAR) | 2664 | 5.3848 | 137,483.59 | 416.9 | LINEAR |
| C/2003 H2 (LINEAR) | 38.18 | 0.055072 | 235.88 | 0.5104 | LINEAR |
| C/2003 K4 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2003 L2 (LINEAR) | 154.5 | 0.045287 | 1,919.66 | 0.8443 | LINEAR |
| C/2003 O1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2003 S3 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2003 S4 (LINEAR) | Broke up into 2 pieces | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2003 S4-A (LINEAR) | 36.87 | 0.47048 | 223.87 | 4.285 | LINEAR |
| C/2003 S4-B (LINEAR) | 40.05 | 0.58193 | 253.44 | 5.524 | LINEAR |
| C/2003 T2 (LINEAR) | 6455 | 758.84 | 518,660.88 | 9146 | LINEAR |
| C/2003 T4 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2003 V1 (LINEAR) | 604.7 | 3.2609 | 14,869.96 | 120.3 | LINEAR |
| C/2003 WT42 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2004 B1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2004 DZ61 (Catalina-LINEAR) | 45.79 | 0.0058809 | 309.81 | 0.05969 | Catalina Sky Survey & LINEAR |
| C/2004 F2 (LINEAR) | 151.7 | 0.44695 | 1,867.59 | 8.256 | LINEAR |
| C/2004 G1 (LINEAR) | 1632 | 7854.7 | 65,917.03 | 47590 | LINEAR |
| C/2004 H1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2004 K3 (LINEAR) | 57.69 | 0.68721 | 438.14 | 7.829 | LINEAR |
| C/2004 L1 (LINEAR) | 864.1 | 1.8829 | 25,401.29 | 83.02 | LINEAR |
| C/2004 L2 (LINEAR) | 788.3 | 0.83336 | 22,135.17 | 35.1 | LINEAR |
| C/2004 RG113 (LINEAR) | 700.5 | 1.4528 | 18,538.55 | 57.68 | LINEAR |
| C/2004 U1 (LINEAR) | 3613 | 33.915 | 217,208.65 | 3058 | LINEAR |
| C/2004 X2 (LINEAR) | 1458 | 38.72 | 55,647.67 | 2217 | LINEAR |
| C/2004 X3 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2004 YJ35 (LINEAR) | 12,900 | 1294.2 | 1,466,036 | 22050 | LINEAR |
| C/2005 A1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2005 G1 (LINEAR) | 19,580 | 835.79 | 2,739,676.1 | 17540 | LINEAR |
| C/2005 H1 (LINEAR) | 46.24 | 0.02928 | 314.43 | 0.2986 | LINEAR |
| C/2005 K2 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2005 Q1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2005 R4 (LINEAR) | 2067 | 8.7033 | 93,985.77 | 593.6 | LINEAR |
| C/2005 YW (LINEAR) | 190.4 | 0.11001 | 2,627.7 | 2.277 | LINEAR |
| C/2006 M1 (LINEAR) | 153.8 | 0.039307 | 1,907.67 | 0.7313 | LINEAR |
| C/2006 S2 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2006 VZ13 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2006 X1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2006 XA1 (LINEAR) | 251.9 | 0.26311 | 3,997.71 | 6.264 | LINEAR |
| C/2007 D1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2007 D3 (LINEAR) | 650.3 | 1.7638 | 16,585.49 | 67.47 | LINEAR |
| C/2007 G1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2007 JA21 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2007 M3 (LINEAR) | 170.8 | 0.071448 | 2,231.54 | 1.401 | LINEAR |
| C/2007 O1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2007 U1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2007 W3 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2007 Y1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2008 H1 (LINEAR) | 51.65 | 0.089237 | 371.25 | 0.9621 | LINEAR |
| C/2008 R3 (LINEAR) | 18.42 | 0.0043322 | 79.09 | 0.02789 | LINEAR |
| C/2008 X3 (LINEAR) | 43.79 | 0.031971 | 289.74 | 0.3173 | LINEAR |
| C/2009 B2 (LINEAR) | 41.84 | 0.093958 | 270.64 | 0.09116 | LINEAR |
| C/2009 T3 (LINEAR) | 4330 | 63.411 | 284,950.6 | 6259 | LINEAR |
| C/2010 R1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2010 S1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2011 F1 (LINEAR) | 3974 | 161.92 | 250,547.03 | 1531 | LINEAR |
| C/2011 J2 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2011 J3 (LINEAR) | 19.60 | 0.05808 | 86.79 | 0.3857 | LINEAR |
| C/2011 M1 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2011 O1 (LINEAR) | 1243 | 2.9855 | 43,838.65 | 157.9 | LINEAR |
| C/2011 UF305 (LINEAR) | Hyperbolic trajectory | N/A | N/A | N/A | LINEAR |
| C/2012 A2 (LINEAR) | 971.7 | 0.62181 | 30,291.58 | 29.08 | LINEAR |
| C/2012 K5 (LINEAR) | 774.2 | 0.33548 | 21,541.62 | 14 | LINEAR |
| C/2012 L1 (LINEAR) | 766.9 | 0.81674 | 21,236.37 | 33.93 | LINEAR |
| C/2012 L2 (LINEAR) | 564.5 | 0.51295 | 13,411.27 | 18.28 | LINEAR |
| C/2012 L3 (LINEAR) | 330.8 | 1.7457 | 6,016.5 | 47.63 | LINEAR |
| C/2012 V2 (LINEAR) | 605.3 | 0.40643 | 14,892.73 | 15 | LINEAR |
| C/2012 X1 (LINEAR) | 152.9 | 0.064 | 1,891.12 | 1.187 | LINEAR |
| C/2012 Y1 (LINEAR) | 37.95 | 0.043821 | 233.82 | 0.405 | LINEAR |
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In ancient times, only the Sun and Moon, a few stars, and the most easily visible planets had names. Over the last few hundred years, the number of identified astronomical objects has risen from hundreds to over a billion, and more are discovered every year. Astronomers need to be able to assign systematic designations to unambiguously identify all of these objects, and at the same time give names to the most interesting objects, and where relevant, features of those objects.
Provisional designation in astronomy is the naming convention applied to astronomical objects immediately following their discovery. The provisional designation is usually superseded by a permanent designation once a reliable orbit has been calculated. Approximately 47 % of the more than 1,100,000 known minor planets remain provisionally designated, as hundreds of thousands have been discovered in the last two decades.
Eleanor Francis "Glo" Helin was an American astronomer. She was principal investigator of the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) program of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Friedrich Karl Arnold Schwassmann was a German astronomer and a discoverer of 22 minor planets and 4 comets, who worked at AOP in Potsdam and at Bergedorf Observatory in Hamburg.
The Purple Mountain Observatory, also known as Zijinshan Astronomical Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on the Purple Mountain in the east of Nanjing.
Edward L. G. "Ted" Bowell, is an American astronomer. Bowell was educated at Emanuel School London, University College, London, and the University of Paris.
Jean Mueller is an American astronomer and discoverer of comets, minor planets, and a large number of supernovas at the U.S. Palomar Observatory in California.
James Vernon Scotti is an American astronomer. He was born in Bandon, Oregon and graduated from Woodway Senior High in Edmonds, Washington in 1978. He received his B.Sc. in Astronomy from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1983. Ever since that time, he has worked on the Spacewatch project, which is one of a number of projects that look for near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). He wrote the first automatic asteroid detection software for the project in 1984.
Henry E. Holt is an American astronomer and prolific discoverer of minor planets and comets, who has worked as a planetary geologist at the United States Geological Survey and Northern Arizona University.
Carl William Hergenrother is an American astronomer and discoverer of minor planets and comets.
Comet Finlay is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 6 years discovered by William Henry Finlay on September 26, 1886. The next perihelion passage is July 13, 2021 when the comet will have a solar elongation of 54 degrees at approximately apparent magnitude 10. It last came to perihelion on December 27, 2014, at around magnitude 10. Of the numbered periodic comets, the orbit of 15P/Finlay has one of the smallest minimum orbit intersection distances with the orbit of Earth (E-MOID). In 2060 the comet will pass about 6 million km from Earth.
A minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is neither a planet nor exclusively classified as a comet. Before 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially used the term minor planet, but during that year's meeting it reclassified minor planets and comets into dwarf planets and small Solar System bodies (SSSBs).
A lost comet is one which was not detected during its most recent perihelion passage. This generally happens when data is insufficient to reliably calculate the comet's location or if the solar elongation is unfavorable near perihelion passage. The D/ designation is used for a periodic comet that no longer exists or is deemed to have disappeared.
Sebastian Florian Hönig is a German astronomer, discoverer of minor planets and comets, and Professor in the astronomy group of the University of Southampton School of Physics & Astronomy from Eislingen/Fils, Germany.
P/2011 NO1 (Elenin) is a periodic comet with a preliminary orbital period estimated at 13 ± 0.16 years. It came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) around 20 January 2011 at 1.2 AU from the Sun. The orbit is preliminary as it has only been observed over an observation-arc of 22 days. The comet was discovered on 7 July 2011 when the comet was 2.38 AU from the Sun and 1.4 AU from the Earth. It came to opposition 178.6° from the Sun on 22 July 2011 in the constellation Sagittarius.
Comet Swift–Tuttle is a large periodic comet with a 1995 (osculating) orbital period of 133 years that is in a 1:11 orbital resonance with Jupiter. It fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet with an orbital period between 20 and 200 years. The comet was independently discovered by Lewis Swift on July 16, 1862 and by Horace Parnell Tuttle on July 19, 1862.
Comets have been observed for over 2,000 years. During that time, several different systems have been used to assign names to each comet, and as a result many comets have more than one name.
