.jpg) 54P/V–S–N photographed from theUS Naval Observatory on 4 August 1965 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Francesco de Vico Edward D. Swift NEAT |
| Discovery site | Rome, Italy |
| Discovery date | 23 August 1844 |
| Designations | |
| |
| |
| Orbital characteristics[2][3] | |
| Epoch | 17 October 2024 (JD 2460600.5) |
| Observation arc | 130.01 years |
| Number of observations | 406 |
| Aphelion | 5.40 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.171 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 3.786 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.42635 |
| Orbital period | 7.37 years |
| Inclination | 6.064° |
| 358.8° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 1.986° |
| Mean anomaly | 5.760° |
| Last perihelion | 3 September 2024 |
| Next perihelion | 2031-Dec-01[1] |
| TJupiter | 2.908 |
| EarthMOID | 1.172 AU |
| JupiterMOID | 0.097 AU |
| Physical characteristics[4][5] | |
Mean diameter | ≤ 4.2 km (2.6 mi) |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 14.2 |
| Comet nuclear magnitude (M2) | 17.2 |
54P/de Vico–Swift–NEAT is aperiodic comet in theSolar System first discovered by FatherFrancesco de Vico (Rome, Italy) on 23 August 1844. It has become alost comet several times after its discovery.[6] The comet makes numerous close approaches to Jupiter.[2] The comet was last observed on 3 December 2024.[7]
Independent discoveries were made byMelhop (Hamburg, Germany) on 6 September and byHamilton Lanphere Smith (Cleveland,Ohio, USA) on 10 September.
Paul Laugier andFelix Victor Mauvais calculated an orbit on 9 September 1844, and noted that a similarity existed with comets seen in previous years, by including289P/Blanpain of 1819, into their calculations, they came up with anorbital period of between 4.6 and 4.9 years.
Hervé Faye (Paris, France) computed the first elliptical orbit on 16 September 1844, and the orbital period as 5.46 years.
The comet was considered lost as subsequent predicted returns after 1844 were never observed.[8]
Edward D. Swift (Echo Mountain,California, USA) rediscovered the comet on 21 November 1894.[9]Adolf Berberich suggested the comet might be the same as de Vico's comet on the basis of the comet's location and direction of motion.
After 1894, the comet was considered lost again after the 1901 and 1907 returns remained unseen, mainly due to perturbations caused by another close approach of Jupiter in 1897.[6]
In 1963,Brian G. Marsden used a computer to link the 1844 and 1894 sightings and calculated a favourable return in 1965.[10] The comet was subsequently recovered byArnold Klemola (Yale-Columbia Southern Observatory,Argentina) on 30June 1965, atmagnitude 17.[6]
The comet made another close approach toJupiter in 1968, which increased its perihelion distance and orbital period. As a result, its most favorable apparitions is expected to be no brighter than 18. The comet was not observed for subsequent predictions, by 1995 it was again considered lost.[8]
TheNear-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) program rediscovered the comet on 11 October 2002. TheLINEAR program (New Mexico) found several prediscovery images from 4 October.[11] It was confirmed as a return of comet 54P/de Vico–Swift byKenji Muraoka (Kochi, Japan).[12]
On 17 August 2009, comet 54P/de Vico–Swift–NEAT was recovered,[13] while it was 2.3 AU (340 million km) from the Sun.
| Numbered comets | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous 53P/Van Biesbroeck | 54P/de Vico–Swift–NEAT | Next 55P/Tempel–Tuttle |
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