67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko

67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (abbreviated as 67P or 67P/C–G) is a Jupiter-family comet,[10] originally from the Kuiper belt,[11] with a current orbital period of 6.45 years,[1] a rotation period of approximately 12.4 hours[9] and a maximum velocity of 135,000 km/h (38 km/s; 84,000 mph).[12] Churyumov–Gerasimenko is approximately 4.3 by 4.1 km (2.7 by 2.5 mi) at its longest and widest dimensions.[13] It was first observed on photographic plates in 1969 by Soviet astronomers Klim Ivanovych Churyumov and Svetlana Ivanovna Gerasimenko, after whom it is named.[14] It most recently came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 2 November 2021,[3][4][15] and will next come to perihelion on 9 April 2028.[2]

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67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko

Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in true colour, as seen by ESA's Rosetta Spacecraft on December 2014.
Discovery
Discovered by	Klim Ivanovich Churyumov Svetlana Ivanovna Gerasimenko
Discovery site	Almaty, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Discovery date	20 September 1969
Designations
Alternative names	1969 R1, 1969 IV, 1969h, 1975 P1, 1976 VII, 1975i, 1982 VIII, 1982f, 1989 VI, 1988i[1]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 10 August 2014 (JD 2456879.5)
Aphelion	5.6829 AU      (850,150,000 km; 528,260,000 mi)
Perihelion	1.2432 AU      (185,980,000 km; 115,560,000 mi)
Semi-major axis	3.4630 AU      (518,060,000 km; 321,910,000 mi)
Eccentricity	0.64102
Orbital period (sidereal)	6.44 yr
Mean anomaly	303.71°
Inclination	7.0405°
Longitude of ascending node	50.147°
Time of perihelion	9 April 2028[2] 2 November 2021 (previous)[3][4]
Argument of perihelion	12.780°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	Large lobe: 4.1 km × 3.3 km × 1.8 km (2.5 mi × 2.1 mi × 1.1 mi)[5] Small lobe: 2.6 km × 2.3 km × 1.8 km (1.6 mi × 1.4 mi × 1.1 mi)[5]
Volume	18.7 km3 (4.5 cu mi)[6]
Mass	(9.982±0.003)×1012 kg[6]
Mean density	0.533 ± 0.006 g/cm3 [6][7]      (0.01926 ± 0.00022 lb/cu in)
Escape velocity	est. 1 m/s[8]
Synodic rotation period	12.4043±0.0007 h[9]
Axial tilt	52°[5]
North pole right ascension	69.3°[5]
North pole declination	64.1°[5]
Albedo	0.06[5]
Surface temp. min mean max Kelvin −180 −230 Celsius 0−93 0−43 Fahrenheit −135 0−45

Churyumov–Gerasimenko was the destination of the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission, launched on 2 March 2004.[16][17][18] Rosetta rendezvoused with Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 6 August 2014[19][20] and entered orbit on 10 September 2014.[21] Rosetta's lander, Philae, landed on the comet's surface on 12 November 2014, becoming the first spacecraft to land on a comet nucleus.[22][23][24] On 30 September 2016, the Rosetta spacecraft ended its mission by landing on the comet in its Ma'at region.[25][26]