Comets

year
found		 closest distance
from Sun (AU)		 time to orbit
Sun (years)		 next or most recent
pass by Sun
Arend-Roland 1956 0.316 ? ?
Bennett 1970 0.538 ? ?
Biela 1772 0.861 6.62 ?
Borrelly 1904 1.358 6.68 2001
Brorsen-Metcalf 1847 0.479 70.6 2060
Chiron 1977 ? 51 2047
Churyumov-Gerasimenko 1969 1.29 6.57 2009
d'Arrest 1851 1.291 6.38 2001
Donati 1858 0.578 ? ?
Encke 1786 0.341 3.31 2003
Giacobini-Zinner 1900 1.028 6.59 1999
Grigg-Skjellerup 1808
1902 (rediscovered)		 .989 5.09 ?
Hale-Bopp 1995 0.9143 4000 1997
Halley ? 0.587 76.09 2062
Hyakutake 1996 0.23 ~30,000 ~31,500
Ikeya-Seki 1965 0.008 880 2845
IRAS-Araki-
Alcock		 1983 0.991 ? ?
Kohoutek 1973 0.142 ? ?
Lexell 1770 0.674 5.60 ?
Linear 1999 0.762 ? ?
Morehouse 1908 0.945 ? ?
Mrkos 1957 0.355 ? ?
Schwassmann-
Wachmann 1		 1908 5.448 15 2004
Schwassmann-
Wachmann 3		 1930 .937 5.36 2006
Shoemaker-Levy 9 1993 collided with Jupiter in 1994
Swift-Tuttle 1862 0.963 120 ?
Tempel 1 1867 1.5 5.51 2005
Tempel 2 1873 1.381 5.29 1999
West 1976 0.197 ? ?
Wild 2 1978 1.583 6.39 2003
Wirtanen 1948 1.063 5.46 2013
year
found		 closest distance
from Sun (AU)		 time to orbit
Sun (years)		 next or most recent
pass by Sun		 inclination
(degrees)
Arend-Roland 1956 0.316 ? ? 119.95
Bennett 1970 0.538 ? ? 90.04
Biela 1772 0.861 6.62 ? 12.55
Borrelly 1904 1.358 6.68 2001 30.3
Brorsen-Metcalf 1847 0.479 70.6 2060 19.33
Chiron 1977 ? 51 2047 ?
Churyumov-Gerasimenko 1969 1.29 6.57 2009 7.12
d'Arrest 1851 1.291 6.38 2001 19.43
Donati 1858 0.578 ? ? 116.96
Encke 1786 0.341 3.31 2003 11.93
Giacobini-Zinner 1900 1.028 6.59 1999 31.88
Grigg-Skjellerup 1808
1902 (rediscovered)		 .989 5.09 ? 21.1
Hale-Bopp 1995 0.9143 4000 1997 ?
Halley ? 0.587 76.09 2062 162.24
Hyakutake 1996 0.23 ~30,000 ~31,500 ?
Ikeya-Seki 1965 0.008 880 2845 141.86
IRAS-Araki-
Alcock		 1983 0.991 ? ? 73.25
Kohoutek 1973 0.142 ? ? 14.31
Lexell 1770 0.674 5.60 ? 1.56
Linear 1999 0.762 ? ? 149
Morehouse 1908 0.945 ? ? 140.18
Mrkos 1957 0.355 ? ? 93.94
Schwassmann-
Wachmann 1		 1908 5.448 15 2004 9.75
Schwassmann-
Wachmann 3		 1930 .937 5.36 2006 11.4
Shoemaker-Levy 9 1993 collided with Jupiter in 1994
Swift-Tuttle 1862 0.963 120 ? 113.56
Tempel 1 1867 1.5 5.51 2005 10.5
Tempel 2 1873 1.381 5.29 1999 12.44
West 1976 0.197 ? ? 43.07
Wild 2 1978 1.583 6.39 2003 3.2
Wirtanen 1948 1.063 5.46 2013 11.7
year
found		 closest distance
from Sun (AU)		 time to orbit
Sun (years)		 next or most recent
pass by Sun		 inclination
(degrees)		 orbital
eccentricity
Arend-Roland 1956 0.316 ? ? 119.95 1.000
Bennett 1970 0.538 ? ? 90.04 0.996
Biela 1772 0.861 6.62 ? 12.55 0.756
Borrelly 1904 1.358 6.68 2001 30.3 .624
Brorsen-Metcalf 1847 0.479 70.6 2060 19.33 0.972
Chiron 1977 ? 51 2047 ? ?
Churyumov-Gerasimenko 1969 1.29 6.57 2009 7.12 0.632
d'Arrest 1851 1.291 6.38 2001 19.43 0.625
Donati 1858 0.578 ? ? 116.96 0.996
Encke 1786 0.341 3.31 2003 11.93 0.846
Giacobini-Zinner 1900 1.028 6.59 1999 31.88 0.708
Grigg-Skjellerup 1808
1902 (rediscovered)		 .989 5.09 ? 21.1 0.644
Hale-Bopp 1995 0.9143 4000 1997 ? ?
Halley ? 0.587 76.09 2062 162.24 0.967
Hyakutake 1996 0.23 ~30,000 ~31,500 ? ?
Ikeya-Seki 1965 0.008 880 2845 141.86 1.000
IRAS-Araki-
Alcock		 1983 0.991 ? ? 73.25 0.990
Kohoutek 1973 0.142 ? ? 14.31 1.000
Lexell 1770 0.674 5.60 ? 1.56 0.786
Linear 1999 0.762 ? ? 149 .999
Morehouse 1908 0.945 ? ? 140.18 1.001
Mrkos 1957 0.355 ? ? 93.94 0.999
Schwassmann-
Wachmann 1		 1908 5.448 15 2004 9.75 0.105
Schwassmann-
Wachmann 3		 1930 .937 5.36 2006 11.4 .694
Shoemaker-Levy 9 1993 collided with Jupiter in 1994
Swift-Tuttle 1862 0.963 120 ? 113.56 0.960
Tempel 1 1867 1.5 5.51 2005 10.5 0.519
Tempel 2 1873 1.381 5.29 ? 12.44 0.545
West 1976 0.197 ? ? 43.07 1.000
Wild 2 1978 1.583 6.39 2003 3.2 0.540
Wirtanen 1948 1.063 5.46 2013 11.7 0.652


Last modified January 9, 2004 by Randy Russell.
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