55P/Tempel–Tuttle
< 55P
Sketch of the comet by Wilhem Tempel, 19 December 1865 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Wilhelm Tempel and Horace Parnell Tuttle |
| Discovery date | 19 December 1865 |
| Designations | |
| P/1366 U1, P/1699 U1 P/1865 Y1, P/1965 M2 P/1997 E1 | |
| 1699 II; 1866 I; 1965 IV; 1965i | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | 2031-05-14 (JD 2463000.5) |
| Aphelion | 19.96 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.9644 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 10.46 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.9078 |
| Orbital period | 33.83 yr |
| Inclination | 162.57° |
| Last perihelion | 28 February 1998 |
| Next perihelion | 20 May 2031 |
| Earth MOID | 0.008 AU (1,200,000 km) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 3.6 km (2.2 mi) |
| 14.79–15.31 hours | |
| (V–R) = 0.51±0.05 | |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 10.0 |
55P/Tempel–Tuttle (commonly known as Comet Tempel–Tuttle) is a retrograde 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 19 December 1865, and by Horace Parnell Tuttle on 6 January 1866. It is the parent body of the Leonid meteor shower.