31P/Schwassmann–Wachmann
Comet 31P/Schwassmann-Wachmann observed on February 14, 2011 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Arnold Schwassmann Arno Arthur Wachmann |
| Discovery date | 17 January 1929 |
| Designations | |
| P/1929 B1, P/1934 X1 | |
| |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | March 6, 2006 |
| Aphelion | 5.048 AU |
| Perihelion | 3.416 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 4.232 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.1928 |
| Orbital period | 8.705 a |
| Inclination | 4.5487° |
| Last perihelion | July 6, 2019 September 29, 2010 January 18, 2002 |
| Next perihelion | 19 March 2028 |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 6.2 km (3.9 mi) |
| 5.58±0.03 hours | |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 7.2 |
| Comet nuclear magnitude (M2) | 14.0 |
31P/Schwassmann–Wachmann, also known as Schwassmann–Wachmann 2, is a periodic comet in the Solar System. It was discovered on 17 January 1929, at an apparent magnitude of 11. The comet has been seen at every apparition.
The comet nucleus is estimated to be 6.2 km (3.9 mi) in diameter. In 1929, the astronomer Anne Sewell Young identified the comet with an object that had been misidentified as the minor planet "Adelaide" (A904 EB).