Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Fred Lawrence Whipple |
Discovery date | October 15, 1933 |
Designations | |
1926 VIII; 1933 IV; 1941 III; 1948 VI; 1955 VIII; 1963 II; 1970 XIV; 1978 VIII; 1986 XII; 1994 XXXII | |
Orbital characteristics | |
Epoch | March 6, 2006 |
Aphelion | 5.241 AU |
Perihelion | 3.089 AU |
Semi-major axis | 4.165 AU |
Eccentricity | 0.2583 |
Orbital period | 8.501 a |
Inclination | 9.9345° |
Last perihelion | May 31, 2020[1] December 30, 2011[2] July 6, 2003 |
Next perihelion | 2028-Nov-04[3] |
36P/Whipple is a periodic comet in the Solar System. It is the lowest numbered Quasi-Hilda comet.[4] It passed 0.25 AU (37 million km) from Jupiter in June 1922.[2]
The comet nucleus is estimated to be 4.5 kilometers in diameter[2] or 5.1 kilometers. The rotational period was estimated to be about 40 hours.[5]
Horizons2028
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).