 Orbit of Comet 75D/Kohoutek | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Luboš Kohoutek |
| Discovery site | Hamburg-Bergedorf Observatory |
| Discovery date | 9 February 1975 |
| Designations | |
| D/1975 C1, D/1980 P1 | |
| |
| Orbital characteristics[2][3] | |
| Epoch | 25 February 2023 (JD 2460000.5) |
| Observation arc | 13.27 years |
| Number of observations | 81 |
| Aphelion | 5.3 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.773 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 3.538 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.49889 |
| Orbital period | ~6.66 years |
| Inclination | 5.92° |
| 269.6° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 175.5° |
| Mean anomaly | 106.6° |
| Last perihelion | 7 March 2021?[1] (last seen 1988) |
| Next perihelion | 2 November 2027?[1] (assumed) |
| TJupiter | 2.894 |
| EarthMOID | 0.8 AU |
| Physical characteristics[2] | |
Mean radius | 1.7 km (1.1 mi)[4] |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 10.5 |
| Comet nuclear magnitude (M2) | 14.5 |
| 14.0 (1975 apparition) | |
75D/Kohoutek is aperiodic comet discovered in February 1975, byLuboš Kohoutek. Even on the discovery plate the comet was onlyapparent magnitude 14.[5] Assuming the comet has not disintegrated the 2020-2021 perihelion passage is only expected to peak around apparent magnitude 20.
Not to be confused with the much better-knownC/1973 E1 (Kohoutek), 75D is a repeat visitor to the inner Solar System, with a period of about seven years. It was placed on the discovery orbit when it passed 0.143 AU (21.4 million km) from Jupiter on 28 July 1972.[5][2] Apparitions have been dim, with the brightest being in 1988 at aboutapparent magnitude 13.[5] It was not seen in 1994, 2000, 2007, nor on its last predicted return in 2014. The comet has been estimated to be 4.6 km (2.9 mi) in diameter.[2]
This comet was last observed byMauna Kea on 19 May 1988.[3] TheMinor Planet Center has given the comet a "D/" designation as the comet is believed to belost.[3][6] The comet is calculated to come toopposition in October 2020 in the constellation ofPisces.[needs update]
| Numbered comets | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous 74P/Smirnova–Chernykh | 75D/Kohoutek | Next 76P/West–Kohoutek–Ikemura |
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