128P/Shoemaker–Holt
Periodic comet with 9 year orbit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
128P/ShoemakerâHolt, also known as Shoemaker-Holt 1, is a periodic comet in the Solar System. The comet passed close to Jupiter in 1982 and was discovered in 1987. The comet was last observed in March 2018.[3]
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Carolyn S. Shoemaker Eugene Merle Shoemaker Henry E. Holt |
| Discovery date | October 18, 1987 |
| Designations | |
| 1988 VII; 1996 S2 | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | March 6, 2006 |
| Aphelion | 5.952 AU |
| Perihelion | 3.068 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 4.51 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.3197 |
| Orbital period | 9.579 a |
| Inclination | 4.3555° |
| Last perihelion | May 6, 2017? (A)[1] January 10, 2017[2][3][4] June 13, 2007 |
| Next perihelion | 2026-Jul-17 2026-Jul-17 (B)[5] 2027-Jan-10? (A) |
| Jupiter MOID | 0.153 AU (22,900,000 km) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 4.6 km (B)[6] |
The nucleus was split into two pieces (A+B) during the 1997 apparition.[7] Fragment A was last observed in 1996 and only has a 79-day observation arc.[1] Fragment B is estimated to be 4.6 km in diameter.[6]
