41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák

41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák is a periodic comet in the Solar System. The comet nucleus is estimated to be 1.4 km (0.87 mi) in diameter.^[1]

41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák

Comet 41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák on March 3, 2017 near Messier 108 and the Owl Nebula.
Discovery
Discovered by	Horace Parnell Tuttle Michel Giacobini Ľubor Kresák
Discovery date	May 3, 1858
Designations
MPC designation	P/1858 J1, P/1907 O1 P/1951 H1, P/1989b1
Alternative designations	1858 III, 1907 III, 1951 IV 1962 V, 1973 VI 1978 XXV, 1990 II
Orbital characteristics[1][2]
Epoch	September 13, 2023 (JD 2460200.5)
Observation arc	72.38 years
Earliest precovery date	April 26, 1951
Number of observations	5,250
Aphelion	5.126 AU
Perihelion	1.051 AU
Semi-major axis	3.088 AU
Eccentricity	0.65981
Orbital period	5.428 years
Inclination	9.219°
Longitude of ascending node	140.99°
Argument of periapsis	62.227°
Mean anomaly	66.147°
Last perihelion	12 September 2022
Next perihelion	15 February 2028[3]
TJupiter	2.827
Earth MOID	0.134 AU
Jupiter MOID	0.488 AU
Physical characteristics[1]
Dimensions	1.4 km (0.87 mi)
Comet total magnitude (M1)	16.9

Observational history

Discovery

Discovered by Horace Parnell Tuttle on May 3, 1858, and re-discovered independently by Michel Giacobini and Ľubor Kresák in 1907 and 1951 respectively, it is a member of the Jupiter family of comets.

2006 apparition

As of June 1, 2006, Comet 41P was a 10th magnitude object for telescopes, located on the Cancer-Leo border, with a predicted maximum of about 10 at perihelion on June 11. This comet is of interest as it has been noted to flare dramatically. In 1973 the flare was 10 magnitudes brighter than predicted, reaching easy naked-eye visibility at apparent magnitude 4.^[4] However, by June 22, the comet had diminished to about magnitude 11, having produced no flare of note.

2011 apparition

The comet was not observed during the 2011 unfavorable apparition^[5] since the perihelion passage occurred when the comet was on the far side of the Sun.

2017 apparition

41P was recovered on November 10, 2016, at apparent magnitude 21 by Pan-STARRS.^[2] On April 1, 2017, the comet passed 0.142 AU (21.2 million km; 13.2 million mi) from the Earth.^[6] The comet was expected to brighten to around magnitude 7 and be visible in binoculars.^[7][8]

Proposed exploration

In the 1960s, the European Space Research Organisation investigated sending a probe to the comet.^[9]