155P/Shoemaker

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

Comet Shoemaker 3, also known as 155P/Shoemaker, is a periodic comet with a 17 year-long orbit around the Sun. It is one of 32 comets discovered by American astronomers, Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker.

155P/Shoemaker

Comet Shoemaker 3 photographed from the Zwicky Transient Facility on 25 November 2019
Discovery[1]
Discovered by	Carolyn S. Shoemaker Eugene M. Shoemaker
Discovery site	Palomar Observatory
Discovery date	10 January 1986
Designations
MPC designation	P/1986 A1; P/2002 R2
Alternative designations	1986a; 1985 XVIII[2] Shoemaker 3
Orbital characteristics[3][4]
Epoch	21 May 2011 (JD 2455702.5)
Observation arc	12,550 days (34.36 years)
Number of observations	1,966
Aphelion	11.38 AU
Perihelion	1.806 AU
Semi-major axis	6.594 AU
Eccentricity	0.72611
Orbital period	16.93 years
Inclination	6.398°
Longitude of ascending node	97.276°
Argument of periapsis	14.602°
Last perihelion	15 November 2019
Next perihelion	22 September 2036
TJupiter	2.328
Earth MOID	0.825 AU
Jupiter MOID	0.302 AU
Physical characteristics
Comet total magnitude (M1)	10.0
Apparent magnitude	14.89 (2019 apparition)

Observational history

The comet was discovered from the Palomar Observatory on the night of 10 January 1986.^[5] The Shoemakers' discovery was confirmed by Brian A. Skiff from the Lowell Observatory two days later.^[1]

A series of possible outbursts occurred from the comet on October 2019, which has raised its maximum brightness to 14.89 during its most recent perihelion.^[6]