15P/Finlay
< 15P
Comet Finlay photographed from the US Naval Observatory on 26 September 1960 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | William Henry Finlay |
| Discovery date | 26 September 1886 |
| Designations | |
| P/1886 S1, P/1893 K1 | |
| |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | 2014-Dec-09 (JD 2457000.5) |
| Aphelion | 6.019 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.976 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 3.488 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.7202 |
| Orbital period | 6.51 a |
| Inclination | 6.799° |
| Last perihelion | July 13, 2021 December 27, 2014 June 22, 2008 |
| Next perihelion | 2028-Feb-09 2034-Sep-08 2041-Apr-03 2047-Oct-25 2054-May-02 2060-Oct-03 |
| Earth MOID | 0.009 AU (1.3 million km) |
| Jupiter MOID | 0.16 AU (24 million km) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 1.8 km (uncertain) |
Comet Finlay is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 6 years discovered by William Henry Finlay (Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa) on September 26, 1886. The next perihelion passage is July 13, 2021 when the comet will have a solar elongation of 54 degrees at approximately apparent magnitude 10. It last came to perihelion on December 27, 2014, at around magnitude 10. Of the numbered periodic comets, the orbit of 15P/Finlay has one of the smallest minimum orbit intersection distances with the orbit of Earth (E-MOID). In October 2060 the comet will pass about 5 million km from Earth.