64P/Swift–Gehrels

64P/Swift-Gehrels
Discovery
Discovered by Lewis A. Swift
Tom Gehrels
Discovery date 17 November 1889
8 February 1973
Alternative
designations
Swift 1
Orbital characteristics A
Aphelion 7.4998 AU
Perihelion 1.9508 AU
Semi-major axis 4.4509 AU
Eccentricity 0.688
Orbital period 9.23 a
Inclination 8.9397°
Last perihelion June 2009
Next perihelion 2018

64P/Swift-Gehrels is a periodic comet in the solar system which has a current orbital period of 9.23 years.

It was originally discovered on 17 November 1889 by Lewis A. Swift at the Warner Observatory, Rochester, New York, and was described by Swift as being pretty faint. It was rediscovered on 8 February 1973 by Tom Gehrels at the Palomar Observatory, California who estimated its brightness as a very low magnitude 19.[1]

It was also observed in 1991, 2000 and 2009.

See also

List of numbered comets

References

  1. "64P/Swift-Gehrels". Retrieved 26 November 2014.
Numbered comets
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63P/Wild
64P/Swift–Gehrels Next
65P/Gunn


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