273P/Pons–Gambart

273P/Pons-Gambart
Comet Pons–Gambart by the Palomar Transient Factory on 18 March 2013
Discovery
Discovered byJean-Louis Pons
Jean-Félix Adolphe Gambart
Discovery date21 June 1827
Designations
C/1827 M1, P/2012 V4
Orbital characteristics
Epoch25 February 2023 (JD 2460000.5)
Observation arc187–904 years
Earliest precovery dateMay 1110?
Number of
observations
1,185
Aphelion63.147 AU
Perihelion0.826 AU
Semi-major axis31.986 AU
Eccentricity0.97419
Orbital period185.6 years
Inclination136.75°
320.42°
Argument of
periapsis
20.287°
Mean anomaly20.259°
Last perihelion19 December 2012
Next perihelion9 August 2191
TJupiter-0.645
Earth MOID0.172 AU
Jupiter MOID1.389 AU
Comet total
magnitude
(M1)
11.3
Comet nuclear
magnitude (M2)
14.9

273P/Pons–Gambart, also called Comet Pons-Gambart, is a periodic comet in a retrograde orbit first discovered on 21 June 1827 by Jean-Louis Pons and Jean-Félix Adolphe Gambart. It has a 186 year orbit and it fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet (20 years < period < 200 years). Its last perihelion was in December 2012 and will next come to perihelion around August 2191.