Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Walter Frederick Gale |
Discovery date | June 7, 1927 |
Designations | |
1927 L1, 1938 L1 | |
Orbital characteristics | |
Epoch | July 1, 1938 |
Aphelion | 8.7 AU[1] |
Perihelion | 1.18 AU[2] |
Semi-major axis | 4.94 AU |
Eccentricity | 0.76[1] |
Orbital period | 10.99 a |
Inclination | 11.72 ° |
Next perihelion | August 2026? (Lost) |
Comet Gale is a periodic comet in the Solar System discovered by Walter Frederick Gale (Sydney, Australia) on June 7, 1927.
The second apparition was calculated for 1938, but Gale failed to find it; however, it was recalculated by Leland E. Cunningham who later recovered it for that year.
The 1949 apparition was never detected, and due to unfavourable conditions ever since it has never been recovered and it remains a lost comet.