87P/Bus
Periodic comet with 6 year orbit / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Comet 87P/Bus is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 6.5 years. It fits the definition of an Encke-type comet with (TJupiter > 3; a < aJupiter). It was discovered by Schelte J. Bus in 1981 on a plate taken with the 1.2m UK Schmidt telescope at Siding Spring, Australia. The discovery was announced in IAU Circular 3578 on March 4, 1981.
Quick Facts Discovery, Discovered by ...
Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Schelte J. Bus |
Discovery date | 1981 |
Designations | |
Bus/1981b; Bus/1981 XI; | |
Orbital characteristics | |
Epoch | March 6, 2006 |
Aphelion | 4.798 AU |
Perihelion | 2.174 AU |
Semi-major axis | 3.486 AU |
Eccentricity | 0.3764 |
Orbital period | 6.509 a |
Inclination | 2.5768° |
Last perihelion | May 9, 2020[1] December 19, 2013[2][3] July 7, 2007 |
Next perihelion | 2029-Jun-07[4] |
Close
It has been observed on each of its subsequent apparitions, most recently in 2020.[5]