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Comet West
Icy small Solar System body; passed closest to Earth in 1976 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Comet West, formally designated C/1975 V1, 1976 VI, and 1975n, was a comet described as one of the brightest objects to pass through the inner Solar System in 1976. It is often described as a "great comet."[3]
Quick Facts Discovery, Discovered by ...
![]() Comet West on March 9, 1976 | |
Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Richard M. West |
Discovery date | August 10, 1975 |
Designations | |
C/1975 V1, 1976 VI, 1975n | |
Orbital characteristics | |
Epoch | 1976-Mar-03 (JD 2442840.5)[1] |
Aphelion | 1,500 AU (inbound) |
Perihelion | 0.197 AU[1][2] |
Eccentricity | 0.99997[1] (near parabolic) |
Orbital period | chaotic (estimates up to 558,000 years) |
Inclination | 43.0664°[1] |
Last perihelion | February 25, 1976[1][2] |
Next perihelion | unknown |
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![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Animation_of_C%EF%BC%8F1975_V1_orbit_around_Sun.gif/320px-Animation_of_C%EF%BC%8F1975_V1_orbit_around_Sun.gif)
C/1975 V1 · Sun · Mercury · Venus · Earth · Mars