31P/Schwassmann–Wachmann
31P/Schwassmann–Wachmann, also known as Schwassmann–Wachmann 2, is a periodic comet in the Solar System. It was discovered on January 17, 1929, at an apparent magnitude of 11. The comet has been seen at every apparition.
Comet 31P/Schwassmann-Wachmann observed on February 14, 2011 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Arnold Schwassmann Arno Arthur Wachmann |
| Discovery date | January 17, 1929 |
| Designations | |
Alternative designations | 1929 I; 1935 III; 1942 I; 1948 VII; 1955 I; 1961 VII; 1968 II; 1974 XIII; 1981 VI; 1987 XIX; 1994 II |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | March 6, 2006 |
| Aphelion | 5.048 AU |
| Perihelion | 3.416 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 4.232 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.1928 |
| Orbital period | 8.705 a |
| Inclination | 4.5487° |
| Last perihelion | July 6, 2019 September 29, 2010 January 18, 2002 |
| Next perihelion | 2028-03-19 |
The comet nucleus is estimated to be 6.2 kilometers in diameter. In 1929, the astronomer Anne Sewell Young identified the comet with an object that had been misidentified as the minor planet "Adelaide" (A904 EB).
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