C/1957 P1 (Mrkos)

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C/1957 P1 (Mrkos)
Comet Mrkos photographed from the Palomar Observatory on 25 August 1957
Discovery
Discovered byAntonín Mrkos
Discovery siteLomnický štít, Czechoslovakia
Discovery date29 July 1957
Designations
1957 V, 1957e
Orbital characteristics
Epoch10 March 1958 (JD 2436272.5)
Observation arc312 days
Number of
observations
16
Aphelion~980 AU (inbound)
~640 AU (outbound)
Perihelion0.355 AU
Semi-major axis~540 AU
Eccentricity0.99934
Orbital period~10,900 years (inbound)
~5,750 years (outbound)
Inclination93.957°
68.324°
Argument of
periapsis
40.319°
Mean anomaly0.018°
Last perihelion1 August 1957
TJupiter–0.041
Earth MOID0.521 AU
Jupiter MOID0.979 AU
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
~24.0 km (14.9 mi)
Comet total
magnitude
(M1)
4.0
Comet nuclear
magnitude (M2)
12.2
1.0
(1957 apparition)

Comet Mrkos, formally known as C/1957 P1 (old style 1957d), was a non-periodic comet discovered in 1957 by Antonín Mrkos. It was one of two bright comets that had their perihelion in 1957, the other being Comet Arend–Roland. Its peak magnitude was estimated to be around 1.0 and it has been characterised as a great comet.