118P/Shoemaker–Levy

For other comets discovered by Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker, and David H. Levy, see Comet Shoemaker and Comet Levy.

118P/Shoemaker–Levy (also known as periodic comet Shoemaker–Levy 4) is a comet discovered by astronomers Carolyn and Eugene M. Shoemaker and David Levy.^[1]

118P/Shoemaker-Levy

118P when 2AU from the Sun
Discovery
Discovered by	Carolyn S. Shoemaker Eugene Merle Shoemaker David H. Levy
Discovery date	February 9, 1991[1]
Designations
Alternative designations	118P/1991 C2; 1990 XII; 1991f; 118P/1995 M1
Orbital characteristics
Epoch	May 1, 2009 (JD 2454952.5)
Aphelion	4.943 AU
Perihelion	1.984 AU
Semi-major axis	3.463 AU
Eccentricity	0.4272
Orbital period	6.45 yr
Inclination	8.509°
Last perihelion	2022-Nov-24[2] June 16, 2016[3] January 2, 2010[4][3]
Next perihelion	2029-01-11[2]

During the 2010 apparition the comet became as bright as apparent magnitude 11.5.^[5]

The comet nucleus is estimated to be 4.8 kilometers in diameter.^[1]

On December 3, 2015, comet Shoemaker–Levy 4 will pass 0.0442 AU (6,610,000 km; 4,110,000 mi) from asteroid 4 Vesta.^[6]

This comet should not be confused with Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 (D/1993 F2) which spectacularly crashed into Jupiter in 1994.