47P/Ashbrook–Jackson

47P/Ashbrook–Jackson is a periodic comet in the Solar System.

47P/Ashbrook–Jackson

Comet Ashbrook–Jackson photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope on 26 July 2000
Discovery
Discovered by	Joseph Ashbrook Cyril V. Jackson
Discovery site	Lowell Observatory, USA South Africa
Discovery date	August 26, 1948
Designations
MPC designation	P/1948 Q1, P/1955 H1[1]
Alternative designations	1948 IX, 1956 II, 1963 VI 1971 III, 1978 XIV 1986 II, 1993 XIII
Orbital characteristics[2][3]
Epoch	5 May 2025 (JD 2460800.5)
Observation arc	76.93 years
Number of observations	3,274
Aphelion	5.428 AU
Perihelion	2.807 AU
Semi-major axis	4.118 AU
Eccentricity	0.31822
Orbital period	8.356 years
Inclination	13.038°
Longitude of ascending node	356.88°
Argument of periapsis	357.91°
Mean anomaly	339.25°
Last perihelion	10 June 2017
Next perihelion	28 October 2025
TJupiter	2.907
Earth MOID	1.811 AU
Jupiter MOID	0.016 AU
Physical characteristics[4][5]
Mean diameter	5.6 km (3.5 mi)
Synodic rotation period	15.6 hours[a]
Comet total magnitude (M1)	13.5

The comet nucleus is estimated to be 5.6 kilometers in diameter.^[2]

History

Comet 47P/Ashbrook–Jackson was discovered by Joseph Ashbrook and Cyril Jackson in 1948.

Name

47p is in the name because it was the 47th periodic comet discovered. Ashbrook–Jackson is the names of its two discoverers.

Apparitions

• October 28, 2025
• June 10, 2017
• January 31, 2009
• January 6, 2001
• July 14, 1993
• January 24, 1986
• August 19, 1978
• March 13, 1971
• October 2, 1963
• April 6, 1956
• October 4, 1948