65P/Gunn
 Infrared image of Gunn's Comet taken from the WISE observatory on 11 June 2010 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | James E. Gunn |
| Discovery site | Palomar Observatory |
| Discovery date | 17 October 1970 |
| Designations | |
| P/1954 P1 P/1970 U2 | |
| |
| Orbital characteristics[3][4] | |
| Epoch | 17 October 2024 (JD 2460600.5) |
| Observation arc | 46.67 years |
| Earliest precovery date | 8 August 1954[1] |
| Number of observations | 7,963 |
| Aphelion | 4.737 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.597 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 3.453 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.3194 |
| Orbital period | 6.414 years |
| Inclination | 3.237° |
| 136.09° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 41.568° |
| Mean anomaly | 103.17° |
| Last perihelion | 16 October 2017[2] |
| Next perihelion | 16 June 2025 |
| TJupiter | 2.991 |
| Earth MOID | 1.903 AU |
| Jupiter MOID | 0.396 AU |
| Physical characteristics[3] | |
| Dimensions | 10.8 km (6.7 mi) |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 10.1 |
65P/Gunn is a periodic comet in the Solar System orbiting the Sun every 6.41 years inside the main asteroid belt between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter.[5]
Observational history
It was discovered on 11 October 1970 by Professor James E. Gunn of Princeton University using the 122-cm Schmidt telescope at the Palomar Observatory. It had a low brightness of magnitude 16, which improves to 12 under favourable conditions. In 1972 Elizabeth Roemer managed to observe 65P/Gunn close to aphelion.[6]
On 4 February 1970 the comet passed 0.015 AU (2.2 million km; 1.4 million mi) from Ceres.
In 1980 it was noticed that a 19th magnitude comet found in plates obtained by Palomar Observatory on 8 August 1954[1] was a previous apparition of 65/Gunn. The link was confirmed by Brian G. Marsden.[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b D. W. Green (17 November 1980). "AG Dra; COMET ON PSS; (1865); 1980h". IAU Circular. 3540.
- ^ S. Nakano (19 June 2010). "65P/Gunn (NK 1941)". OAA Computing and Minor Planet Sections. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
- ^ a b "65P/Gunn – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ "65P/Gunn Orbit". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ "WISE Catches Comet 65P/Gunn". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 14 June 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
- ^ B. G. Marsden (1973). "Comets in 1972". Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society. 14: 390–391. Bibcode:1973QJRAS..14..389M.
- ^ B. G. Marsden (31 March 1981). "P/GUNN; 1981 CW". IAU Circular. 3588.
External links
- 65P/Gunn at the JPL Small-Body Database
- 65P at Kronk's Cometography
- 65P/Gunn – Seiichi Yoshida @ aerith.net
- 65P at Las Cumbres Observatory (26 Jun 2010 11:16, 150 seconds)
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