6P/d'Arrest

6P/d'Arrest
Discovery
Discovered by Heinrich Louis d'Arrest
Discovery date June 28, 1851
Alternative
designations
1678 R1, 1851 M1, 1857 X1,
1923b, 1950a, 1963f,
1970d, 1976e, 1982e,
1987k
Orbital characteristics A
Epoch 2009-Jan-10
(JD 2454841.5)
Aphelion 5.637 AU
Perihelion 1.353 AU
Semi-major axis 3.495 AU
Eccentricity 0.6127
Orbital period 6.54 a
Inclination 19.51°
TJupiter 2.71
Dimensions 3.2 km[1]
Last perihelion August 14, 2008
Next perihelion March 2, 2015[2]

6P/d'Arrest (also known as d'Arrest's Comet or Comet d'Arrest) is a periodic Jupiter-family comet in the Solar System, orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. It passed 0.15124 AU (22,625,000 km; 14,059,000 mi) from the Earth on August 12, 1976.[3]

The comet last came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on March 2, 2015,[4] but it was in an unfavorable apparition as it had a solar elongation of less than 30 degrees from October 2014 until May 2015.[5]

In 1991, Andrea Carusi and Giovanni B. Valsecchi (Istituto Astrofisica Spaziale, Rome), and Ľubor Kresák and Margita Kresáková (Slovak Astronomical Institute, Bratislava) independently suggested this comet was the same as a comet observed by Philippe de La Hire in 1678.[6][7]

It was first observed by Heinrich Ludwig d'Arrest, in Leipzig, Germany, on 28th and 30th of June 1851.[6]

The comet nucleus is estimated at about 3.2 km in diameter.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 6P/d'Arrest" (last observation: 2014-03-10). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
  2. Syuichi Nakano (May 28, 2008). "6P/d'Arrest (NK 1625)". OAA Computing and Minor Planet Sections. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  3. "JPL Close-Approach Data: 6P/d'Arrest" (last observation: 2014-03-10). Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  4. Seiichi Yoshida (2014-03-16). "6P/d'Arrest". Seiichi Yoshida's Comet Catalog. Retrieved 2014-10-29.
  5. "Elements and Ephemeris for 6P/d'Arrest". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 2014-10-29. (0006P)
  6. 1 2 Kronk, Gary W. (2001–2005). "6P/d'Arrest". Archived from the original on June 22, 2006. Retrieved June 7, 2006. (Cometography Home Page)
  7. Carusi, A.; Valsecchi, G. B.; Kresák, Ľ.; Kresáková, M.; and Sitarski, G., Periodic Comet d'Arrest = Comet la Hire (1678), IAU Circular 5283, 1 (1990)

External links

Numbered comets
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5D/Brorsen
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7P/Pons–Winnecke
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