104P/Kowal
Comet Kowal 2 photographed from the Zwicky Transient Facility on 12 February 2022 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Charles T. Kowal |
| Discovery date | 13 January 1979 |
| Designations | |
| P/1979 B1, P/1991 X1 | |
| |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | July 31, 2016 |
| Observation arc | 4,685 days (12.83 yr) |
| Earliest precovery date | 11 January 1973 |
| Number of observations | 133 |
| Aphelion | 5.347 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.179 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 3.263 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.6387 |
| Orbital period | 5.90 yr |
| Inclination | 10.252° |
| 235.421° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 200.674° |
| Last perihelion | 11 January 2022 |
| Next perihelion | 12 October 2027 |
| TJupiter | 2.794 |
| Earth MOID | 0.2004 AU |
| Jupiter MOID | 0.1687 AU |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 2.0±1.0 km |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 10.5 |
104P/Kowal, also known as Kowal 2, is a periodic Jupiter-family comet discovered by Charles T. Kowal in 1979. The orbit was confirmed after new sightings in 1991 and 1998.