67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko
67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (abbreviated as 67P or 67P/C–G) is a Jupiter-family comet. It is originally from the Kuiper belt and has an orbital period of 6.45 years as of 2012, a rotation period of approximately 12.4 hours, and a maximum velocity of 135,000 km/h (38 km/s; 84,000 mph). Churyumov–Gerasimenko is approximately 4.3 by 4.1 km (2.7 by 2.5 mi) at its longest and widest dimensions. It was first observed on photographic plates in 1969 by Soviet astronomers Klim Ivanovych Churyumov and Svetlana Ivanovna Gerasimenko, after whom it is named. It most recently came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 2 November 2021, and will next come to perihelion on 9 April 2028.
Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in true colour, as seen by ESA's Rosetta Spacecraft on December 2014. | |||||||||||||||||
| Discovery | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovered by | Klim Ivanovich Churyumov Svetlana Ivanovna Gerasimenko | ||||||||||||||||
| Discovery site | Almaty, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union | ||||||||||||||||
| Discovery date | 20 September 1969 | ||||||||||||||||
| Designations | |||||||||||||||||
Alternative names | 1969 R1, 1969 IV, 1969h, 1975 P1, 1976 VII, 1975i, 1982 VIII, 1982f, 1989 VI, 1988i | ||||||||||||||||
| Orbital characteristics | |||||||||||||||||
| Epoch 25 February 2023 (JD 2460000.5) | |||||||||||||||||
| Aphelion | 5.704 AU (853,300,000 km; 530,200,000 mi) | ||||||||||||||||
| Perihelion | 1.210 AU (181,000,000 km; 112,500,000 mi) | ||||||||||||||||
Semi-major axis | 3.457 AU (517,200,000 km; 321,300,000 mi) | ||||||||||||||||
| Eccentricity | 0.64989 | ||||||||||||||||
Orbital period (sidereal) | 6.43 yr | ||||||||||||||||
Mean anomaly | 73.57° | ||||||||||||||||
| Inclination | 3.8719° | ||||||||||||||||
Longitude of ascending node | 36.33° | ||||||||||||||||
| 9 April 2028 2 November 2021 (previous) | |||||||||||||||||
| 22.15° | |||||||||||||||||
| Physical characteristics | |||||||||||||||||
| Dimensions |
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| Volume | 18.7 km3 (4.5 cu mi) | ||||||||||||||||
| Mass | (9.982±0.003)×1012 kg | ||||||||||||||||
Mean density | 0.533 ± 0.006 g/cm3 (0.01926 ± 0.00022 lb/cu in) | ||||||||||||||||
| est. 1 m/s | |||||||||||||||||
Synodic rotation period | 12.4043±0.0007 h | ||||||||||||||||
| 52° | |||||||||||||||||
North pole right ascension | 69.3° | ||||||||||||||||
North pole declination | 64.1° | ||||||||||||||||
| Albedo | 0.06 | ||||||||||||||||
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Churyumov–Gerasimenko was the destination of the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission, launched on 2 March 2004. Rosetta rendezvoused with Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 6 August 2014 and entered orbit on 10 September 2014. Rosetta's lander, Philae, landed on the comet's surface on 12 November 2014, becoming the first spacecraft to land on a comet nucleus. On 30 September 2016, the Rosetta spacecraft ended its mission by landing on the comet in its Ma'at region.