48P/Johnson

DiscoveredbyErnest Leonard Johnson

Discoverydate25 August 1949

MPCdesignation

P/1949 Q1, P/1956 P1

Alternative designations

• 1949 II, 1956 V, 1963 IV
• 1970 IV, 1977 I
• 1983 XVIII, 1990 XXIII

48P/Johnson

Infrared image of Comet Johnson taken by the Spitzer Space Telescope on 18 July 2005
Discovery[1]
Discovered by	Ernest Leonard Johnson
Discovery date	25 August 1949
Designations
MPC designation	P/1949 Q1, P/1956 P1
Alternative designations	1949 II, 1956 V, 1963 IV 1970 IV, 1977 I 1983 XVIII, 1990 XXIII
Orbital characteristics[2][3]
Epoch	28 April 2016 (JD 2457506.5)
Observation arc	5,220 days (14.29 years)
Number of observations	1,612
Aphelion	5.021 AU
Perihelion	2.006 AU
Semi-major axis	3.514 AU
Eccentricity	0.42897
Orbital period	6.587 years
Inclination	12.283°
Longitude of ascending node	111.46°
Argument of periapsis	214.69°
Mean anomaly	235.39°
Last perihelion	2 March 2025
Next perihelion	2031-Sep-29[4]
TJupiter	2.931
Earth MOID	1.007 AU
Jupiter MOID	0.513 AU
Physical characteristics[5][6]
Dimensions	6.0 × 4.4 km (3.7 × 2.7 mi)
Mean diameter	5.74 km (3.57 mi)
Synodic rotation period	29 hours
Comet total magnitude (M1)	8.9
Comet nuclear magnitude (M2)	13.4

48P/Johnson is a periodic comet in the Solar System.

The comet's nucleus is estimated to be approximately 5.74 km (3.57 mi) in diameter, according to Lamy, Fernandez, and Weaver.^[7] David C. Jewitt and Scott S. Sheppard, however, estimate the nucleus to have dimensions of 6.0 × 4.4 km (3.7 × 2.7 mi).^[5]