7P/Pons–Winnecke(also known asComet Pons–Winnecke) is aperiodicJupiter-familycometwith a six-year orbit. Early calculations for the 1921 apparition suggested that the orbit of the comet might collide with Earth in June, but observations on 10 April ruled out an impact.[6]It made a very close approach to Earth in June 1927.[7]The outward migration of perihelion created impressive meteor showers in 1916, 1921 and 1927.[8]
 Comet Pons–Winnecke as seen in 2021 byZTF | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Jean Louis Pons& Friedrich Winnecke |
| Discovery date | June 12, 1819 & March 9, 1858 |
| Designations | |
| 1858 E1, 1858 II, 1819 III, 1927c, 1933b, 1939c, 1945a, 1951c, 1964b, 1970b, 1976f, 1983b, 1989g | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | 2023-02-25[1] |
| Aphelion | 5.59AU |
| Perihelion | 1.233 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 3.41 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.6385 |
| Orbital period | 6.30yrs |
| Inclination | 22.373° |
| Last perihelion | May 27, 2021[1] January 30, 2015[2] September 26, 2008 |
| Next perihelion | 2027-Aug-25[3][4] |
| EarthMOID | 0.24 AU (36 million km) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 5.2 km[5] |
| Perihelion distance at different epochs[4] | |||||||
| Epoch | Perihelion (AU) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1819 | 0.77 | ||||||
| 1875 | 0.83 | ||||||
| 1886 | 0.89 | ||||||
| 1898 | 0.92 | ||||||
| 1909 | 0.97 | ||||||
| 1921 | 1.04 | ||||||
| 1933 | 1.10 | ||||||
| 1989 | 1.26 | ||||||
| 2027 | 1.13 | ||||||
| 2039 | 0.982 | ||||||
| 2062 | 0.847 | ||||||
The nextperihelionpassage is 25 August 2027[3]when the comet will have asolar elongationof 63 degrees. The last perihelion passage was 27 May 2021 when the comet had a solar elongation of 107 degrees at approximatelyapparent magnitude11.[2]It passed 0.44AU(66 millionkm) from Earth on 12 June 2021. Before that it came to perihelion on 30 January 2015[2]with a solarelongationof 24 degrees.[9]
Jean Louis Pons(Marseille) originally discovered the comet on 12 June 1819, it was later rediscovered byFriedrich August Theodor Winnecke(Bonn) on 9 March 1858. It is the parent body of theJune Bootidsof late June.
7P has an orbital period of 6.3 years. It currently has aperihelionof 1.2 AU (outside the orbit of Earth) and anaphelionof 5.6 AU (past the orbit of Jupiter). It passed within 0.04AU(6.0 millionkm;16LD) of Earth in June 1927, and 0.1 AU (15 million km) in 1939;[5]but it will not come as close in the 21st century. A close approach to Jupiter in July 2037[5]will drop perihelion to 0.982 AU, and by 2062 perihelion will be further reduced to 0.85 AU.[4]
| Date & time of closest approach |
Earth distance (AU) |
Sun distance (AU) |
Velocity wrt Earth (km/s) |
Velocity wrt Sun (km/s) |
Uncertainty region (3-sigma) |
Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2062-Jun-12 18:25 ± 10 min | 0.1676AU(25.07 millionkm;15.58 millionmi;65.2LD) | 0.8499 AU (127.14 million km; 79.00 million mi; 330.8 LD) | 16.3 | 42.5 | ± 312 km | Horizons |
Thecomet nucleusis estimated at 5.2 km in diameter.[5]
Proposed exploration
editTheJet Propulsion Laboratoryproposed a flyby of the comet with a flight spare ofMariner 4with the closest approach taking place in 1969.[10]The probe was instead used for a Venus flyby asMariner 5.[10]
References
edit- ^ab"7P/Pons-Winnecke".Minor Planet Center.Retrieved2019-03-05.
- ^abcSeiichi Yoshida (2013-12-14)."7P/Pons-Winnecke".Seiichi Yoshida's Comet Catalog.Retrieved2014-10-29.
- ^ab"Horizons Batch for 7P/Pons-Winnecke (90000167) on 2027-Aug-25"(Perihelion occurs when rdot flips from negative to positive).JPL Horizons.Retrieved2022-06-15.(JPL#24/Soln.date: 2021-Dec-20)
- ^abcKinoshita, Kazuo (2016-07-31)."7P/Pons-Winnecke past, present and future orbital elements".Comet Orbit.Archivedfrom the original on 2011-05-20.Retrieved2023-07-27.
- ^abcde"JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 7P/Pons-Winnecke"(last observation:2014-03-28).Jet Propulsion Laboratory.Archivedfrom the original on 2012-12-13.Retrieved2010-02-25.
- ^abPopular Science July 1921
- ^"Record Close Comet Distances from Earth".
- ^Kronk, Gary W."7P/Pons-Winnecker".Retrieved2019-03-05.(Cometography Home Page)
- ^"Elements and Ephemeris for 7P/Pons-Winnecke".Minor Planet Center.Archived fromthe originalon 2014-10-29.Retrieved2014-10-29.(0007P)
- ^abUlivi, Paolo; Harland, David M (2007).Robotic Exploration of the Solar System Part I: The Golden Age 1957-1982.Springer. pp. 57–58.ISBN9780387493268.
External links
edit- Orbital simulationfrom JPL (Java) /Horizons Ephemeris
- Elements and Ephemeris for 7P/Pons-Winnecke–Minor Planet Center
- 7P/Pons-Winnecke– Seiichi Yoshida @ aerith.net
- 7P–Gary W. Kronk's Cometography
- article on the nuclei of 7P, 14P, and 92P