![]() Composite of images of nucleus obtained by the Deep Impact impactor | |
Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Wilhelm Tempel |
Discovery date | April 3, 1867 |
Designations | |
| |
Orbital characteristics | |
Epoch | 2023-02-25[1] |
Aphelion | 4.757 AU |
Perihelion | 1.545 AU[1] (1.77 AU after 2024 Jupiter approach)[2][3] |
Semi-major axis | 3.151 AU |
Eccentricity | 0.5097 |
Orbital period | 5.59 years (2,040 days) |
Inclination | 10.474° |
68.64° | |
Argument of periapsis | 179.54° |
Last perihelion | March 4, 2022[1] August 2, 2016[1] |
Next perihelion | 2028-Feb-12[3] |
Earth MOID | 0.52 AU (78 million km) |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 7.6 km × 4.9 km (4.7 mi × 3.0 mi)[4][5] |
Mass | 7.2×1013 to 7.9×1013 kg[5][6] |
Mean density | 0.62 g/cm3[7] |
40.7 hours[4] |
Tempel 1 (official designation: 9P/Tempel) is a periodic Jupiter-family comet discovered by Wilhelm Tempel in 1867. It completes an orbit of the Sun every 5.6 years. Tempel 1 was the target of the Deep Impact space mission, which photographed a deliberate high-speed impact upon the comet in 2005. It was re-visited by the Stardust spacecraft on February 14, 2011, and came back to perihelion in August 2016. On 26 May 2024, it will make a modest approach of 0.55 AU to Jupiter[4][2] which will lift the perihelion distance and 9P will next come to perihelion on 12 February 2028 when it will be 1.77 AU from the Sun.[3]
cometography
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