How often does comet Tempel-Tuttle orbit around the sun?
every 12,100 days
Mid-sized Halley-type Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle orbits the sun every 12,100 days (33.13 years), coming as close as 0.98 AU and reaching as far as 19.70 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical.
What makes the comet Tempel-Tuttle unique?
Comet Tempel-Tuttle is an inherently faint and typically unspectacular comet that has only been observed on a few apparitions over the past 600 years. Its most recent apparition was in 1998, when it reached perihelion on February 28. As expected, it showed little activity, and only a small tail (see image above).
Why is Tempel-Tuttle important?
Tempel-Tuttle last reached perihelion (closest approach to the sun) in 1998 and will return again in 2031. The pieces of space debris that interact with our atmosphere to create the Leonids meteor shower originate from Tempel-Tuttle.
What planet orbits near comet Tempel-Tuttle?
On 26 October 1366, the comet passed 0.0229 AU (3,430,000 km; 2,130,000 mi) from Earth….55P/Tempel–Tuttle.
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovery date | December 19, 1865 |
| Alternative designations | 1366 U1; 1699 U1; 1699 II; 1865 Y1; 1866 I; 1965 M2; 1965 IV; 1965i; 1997 E1 |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | March 8, 1998 (JD 2450880.5) |
Who discovered Tempel-Tuttle comet?
Horace Parnell Tuttle
Wilhelm Tempel
55P/Tempel–Tuttle/Discoverers
Comet Tempel-Tuttle was “discovered” independently by William Tempel in December 1865 and by Horace Tuttle in January 1866. After this apparition, calculations showed that the comet was in an elliptic orbit with a 33-year period.
What type of comet is Tempel-Tuttle?
Halley-type comet
55P/Tempel–Tuttle (commonly known as Comet Tempel–Tuttle) is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 33 years. It fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet with a period of between 20 and 200 years.
Is Tempel Tuttle a Halley comet?
55P/Tempel–Tuttle (commonly known as Comet Tempel–Tuttle) is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 33 years. It fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet with a period of between 20 and 200 years. It was independently discovered by Wilhelm Tempel on December 19, 1865, and by Horace Parnell Tuttle on January 6, 1866.
Who discovered Comet Tempel-Tuttle?
Discovery Comet Tempel-Tuttle was discovered twice independently—in 1865 and 1866 by Ernst Tempel and Horace Tuttle, respectively.
Who discovered 55p Tempel Tuttle?
55P/Tempel–Tuttle. 55P/Tempel–Tuttle (commonly known as Comet Tempel–Tuttle) is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 33 years. It fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet with (20 years < period < 200 years). It was independently discovered by Wilhelm Tempel on December 19, 1865, and by Horace Parnell Tuttle on January 6, 1866.
What did Tuttle describe the comet as looking like?
He described it as a circular object, with a central condensation and a tail 30 arc minutes long. Horace Parnell Tuttle (Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, Massachusetts) independently discovered this comet on 1866 January 6.