26P/Grigg–Skjellerup
Comet Grigg–Skjellerup (formally designated 26P/Grigg–Skjellerup) is a periodic comet. It was visited by the Giotto probe in July 1992. The spacecraft came as close as 200 km, but could not take pictures because some instruments were damaged from its encounter with Halley's Comet. The comet next came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 25 December 2023, but was 1.8 AU from Earth and only 31 degrees from the Sun.
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | John Grigg and John Francis Skjellerup |
| Discovery date | 1902 and 1922 |
| Designations | |
Alternative designations | 1808 C1; 1808 III; 1902 O1; 1902 II; 1902c; 1922 K1; 1922 I; 1922b; 1927 F1; 1927 V; 1927e; 1932 II; 1932d; 1937 III; 1937e; 1942 V; 1942d; 1947 II; 1947a; 1952 IV; 1952b; 1957 I; 1956i; 1961 IX; 1961g; 1967 I; 1966f; 1972 II; 1972b; 1977 VI; 1977b; 1982 IV; 1982a; 1987 X; 1986m; 1992 XVIII |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | 2023-02-25 (JD 2460000.5) |
| Aphelion | 4.947 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.0840 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 3.015 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.6405 |
| Orbital period | 5.23 yr |
| Max. orbital speed | 36.6 km/s @ perihelion |
| Inclination | 22.43° |
| Last perihelion | October 1, 2018 July 6, 2013 March 23, 2008 |
| Next perihelion | 2023-Dec-25 |
| Earth MOID | 0.1 AU (15 million km) |
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