51P/Harrington

Last updated
51P/Harrington
Discovery
Discovered by Robert G. Harrington at Palomar Observatory
Discovery date14 August 1953
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 2022-09-18
(JD 2459840.5)
Aphelion 5.724 AU (Q)
Perihelion 1.6925 AU (q)
Semi-major axis 3.708 AU (a)
Eccentricity 0.5436
Orbital period 7.14 yr
Inclination 5.427°
Last perihelion2022-Oct-01 [1] [2]
12 August 2015 [3]
18 June 2008
Next perihelion2029-Nov-16 (MPC) [1]

51P/Harrington is a periodic comet in the Solar System.

Contents

It was discovered by Robert George Harrington at Palomar Observatory on 14 August 1953 using the Schmidt telescope. It then had a brightness of magnitude 15. In October 1956 its orbit was affected by the planet Jupiter and on its next return in 1960 the brightness had fallen to magnitude 20. By 1980 it had slightly improved to magnitude 18. It has a period of 7.1 years.

In 1987 and 1994 brightness had significantly increased to magnitude 12. In 1994 Jim Scotti at Kitt Peak Observatory observed that the comet had broken up and that two detached pieces were accompanying the main body, which explained the improvement in the brightness. By 2001 further splitting had occurred.

51P came to opposition on 25 August 2022 when it had a solar elongation of 168 degrees and was 0.73 AU from Earth. It came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 1 October 2022. [1]

2022 Perihelion Passage
Fragment Opposition Perigee
(Earth approach)
Perihelion
(Sun approach)
51P-A [4] 2022-08-23 @ 168.2°2022-09-03 @ 0.727 au 2022-10-03 @ 1.69 au [5]
51P-D [6] 2022-08-25 @ 167.9°2022-09-04 @ 0.720 au2022-10-01 @ 1.69 au

See also

Related Research Articles

Comet 87P/Bus is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 6.5 years. It fits the definition of an Encke-type comet with. It was discovered by Schelte J. Bus in 1981 on a plate taken with the 1.2m UK Schmidt telescope at Siding Spring, Australia. The discovery was announced in IAU Circular 3578 on March 4, 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">10P/Tempel</span> Periodic comet with 5 year orbit

10P/Tempel, also known as Tempel 2, is a periodic Jupiter-family comet with a 5 year orbital period. It was discovered on July 4, 1873 by Wilhelm Tempel. The next perihelion passage is 2 August 2026 when the comet will have a solar elongation of 164 degrees at approximately apparent magnitude 8. Closest approach to Earth will be one day later on 3 August 2026 at a distance of 0.414 AU (61.9 million km).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">28P/Neujmin</span> Periodic comet with 18 year orbit

28P/Neujmin, also known as Neujmin 1, is a large periodic comet in the Solar System. With a perihelion distance of 1.5AU, this comet does not make close approaches to the Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">49P/Arend–Rigaux</span> Periodic comet with 6 year orbit

49P/Arend–Rigaux is a periodic comet in the Solar System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">52P/Harrington–Abell</span> Periodic comet with 7 year orbit

52P/Harrington–Abell is a periodic comet in the Solar System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">60P/Tsuchinshan</span> Periodic comet with 6 year orbit

60P/Tsuchinshan, also known as Tsuchinshan 2, is a periodic comet in the Solar System with an orbital period of 6.79 years. Tsuchinshan is the Wade-Giles transliteration corresponding to the pinyin Zĭjīn Shān, which is Mandarin Chinese for "Purple Mountain".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">77P/Longmore</span> Periodic comet with 6 year orbit

77P/Longmore is a periodic comet in the Solar System, with a period of 6.8 years.

91P/Russell, also known as Russell 3, is a periodic comet in the Solar System. It was discovered by Kenneth S. Russell in 1983.

152P/Helin–Lawrence is a periodic comet in the Solar System.

158P/Kowal–LINEAR is a periodic comet in the Solar System that has an orbit out by Jupiter.

165P/LINEAR is a periodic comet in the Solar System. 165P/LINEAR has a perihelion distance of 6.8 AU, and is a Chiron-type comet with.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">15P/Finlay</span> Periodic comet with 6 year orbit

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 October 2060 the comet will pass about 5 million km from Earth.

178P/Hug–Bell is a periodic comet in the Solar System. It was discovered by Northeast Kansas Amateur Astronomers' League members Gary Hug and Graham Bell and is thought to be the first periodic comet to be discovered by amateurs. It was declared a comet less than two days after its initial discovery, after having its course confirmed on previous images.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">22P/Kopff</span> Periodic comet with 6 year orbit

Comet Kopff or 22P/Kopff is a periodic comet in the Solar System. Discovered on August 23, 1906, it was named after August Kopff who discovered the comet. The comet was missed on its November 1912 return, but was recovered on its June 1919 return and has been seen at every apparition since. Close approaches to Jupiter in 1938 and 1943 decreased the perihelion distance and orbital period. 22P/Kopff’s last perihelion passage was 18 March 2022. On 13 July 2028 it will pass 0.353 AU (52.8 million km) from Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">68P/Klemola</span> Periodic comet with 11 year orbit

68P/Klemola or Klemola's Comet is a periodic comet, which belongs to Jupiter's comet family, that was discovered in 1965 by American astronomer Arnold Richard Klemola in Argentinian Yale-Columbia Southern Station. Its orbital period is 10.82 years.

255P/Levy, formerly P/2006 T1 and P/2011 Y1, is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 5.25 years. It last came to perihelion on 14 January 2012. During the 2006 passage the comet achieved an apparent magnitude of ~9.5. Levy (PK06T010) was believed to have been recovered on 3 June 2011 at magnitude 19.8, but other observatories were unable to confirm a recovery. It was most likely a false positive because of large residuals. Levy was recovered on 17 December 2011 at magnitude 19.8, and given the second designation 2011 Y1. It was then numbered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">62P/Tsuchinshan</span> Periodic comet with 6 year orbit

62P/Tsuchinshan, also known as Tsuchinshan 1, is a periodic comet discovered on 1965 January 1 at Purple Mountain Observatory, Nanking. It will next come to perihelion on 25 December 2023 at around apparent magnitude 8, and will be 0.53 AU (79 million km) from Earth and 110 degrees from the Sun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">246P/NEAT</span>

246P/NEAT is a periodic comet discovered on 2004 March 28 by Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) using the 1.2-metre (47 in) reflector at Haleakala. It was given the permanent number 246P on 2011 January 14.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">66P/du Toit</span> Periodic comet with 15 year orbit

66P/du Toit is a periodic comet in the Solar System with a current orbital period of 14.78 years. It came to perihelion on 2018 May 19 at roughly apparent magnitude 12.

79P/du Toit–Hartley or du Toit 2 is a periodic comet, now divided into two parts, in the Solar System with an orbital period of 5.06 years. It next comes to perihelion in September 2023 but is only expected to reach about apparent magnitude 18. It will be less than 90 degrees from the Sun from February 2023 until June 2024. On 26 May 2024 it will be 2.7 AU from the Sun and Earth.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "51P/Harrington Orbit". Minor Planet Center. Archived from the original on 2022-06-20.
  2. "Horizons Batch for 51P-D (90000595) on 2022-Oct-01" (Perihelion occurs when rdot flips from negative to positive). JPL Horizons. Archived from the original on 2022-06-20. Retrieved 2022-07-06. (JPL#K222/5 Soln.date: 2023-May-04)
  3. Seiichi Yoshida (2016-05-14). "51P/Harrington". Seiichi Yoshida's Comet Catalog. Retrieved 2017-02-26.
  4. "Horizons Batch for 51P-A/Harrington (90000593) for Aug-Oct 2022". JPL Horizons. Archived from the original on 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2022-06-21. (JPL#K153/2, Soln.date: 2015-Oct-07)
  5. "Horizons Batch for 51P-A/Harrington (90000593) on 2022-Oct-03" (Perihelion occurs when rdot flips from negative to positive). JPL Horizons. Archived from the original on 2022-06-20. Retrieved 2022-06-20. (JPL#K153/2, Soln.date: 2015-Oct-07)
  6. "Horizons Batch for 51P-D (90000595) for Aug-Oct 2022". JPL Horizons. Archived from the original on 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2022-07-06. (JPL#K222/5 Soln.date: 2023-May-04
Numbered comets
Previous
50P/Arend
51P/HarringtonNext
52P/Harrington–Abell