121P/Shoemaker–Holt Explained
| 121P/Shoemaker-Holt |
| Discoverer: | Carolyn S. Shoemaker
Eugene Merle Shoemaker
Henry E. Holt |
| Discovery Date: | March 9, 1989 |
| Designations: | 1989j; 1988 XI; 1995 Q3 |
| Epoch: | March 6, 2006 |
| Semimajor: | 4.013 AU |
| Perihelion: | 2.65 AU |
| Aphelion: | 5.376 AU |
| Eccentricity: | 0.3396 |
| Period: | 8.039 a |
| Inclination: | 17.7218° |
| Last P: | September 8, 2013[1]
September 1, 2004 |
| Next P: | 2023-Jun-28[2] |
121P/Shoemaker–Holt, also known as Shoemaker-Holt 2, is a periodic comet in the Solar System with an orbital period of about 8 years. The comet was discovered by Carolyn S. Shoemaker, Eugene M. Shoemaker, and Henry E. Holt on 9 March 1989. The comet then had an apparent magnitude of 13, was diffuse and had a tail about 2 arcminutes long.[3] It was recovered by James V. Scotti on 29 August 1995 in images obtained as part of the Spacewatch survey.[4]
The nucleus of the comet is estimated to have a radius of 3.87 km based on infrared imaging by the Spitzer Space Telescope, when the comet displayed dust emission.[5] Observations of the comet from the Isaac Newton Telescope indicate an effective radius of 3.61 kilometers. The rotational period was calculated to be 10 hours, but with high uncertainty.[6]
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: 2010-04-28 . 121P/Shoemaker-Holt 2 (NK 1925) . OAA Computing and Minor Planet Sections . Syuichi Nakano . Syuichi Nakano . 2012-02-25.
- Web site: 121P/Shoemaker-Holt Orbit . . 2014-06-17.
- Green . Daniel . IAUC 4755: 1989j; U Gem; 1989B; N Vul 1987 . www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu . 10 March 1989 .
- Scotti . J. V. . Green . D. W. E. . Marsden . B. G. . Comet P/1995 Q3 (Shoemaker-Holt 2) . International Astronomical Union Circular . 1 September 1995 . 6219 . 2 . 0081-0304.
- Fernández . Y.R. . Kelley . M.S. . Lamy . P.L. . Toth . I. . Groussin . O. . Lisse . C.M. . A’Hearn . M.F. . Bauer . J.M. . Campins . H. . Fitzsimmons . A. . Licandro . J. . Lowry . S.C. . Meech . K.J. . Pittichová . J. . Reach . W.T. . Snodgrass . C. . Weaver . H.A. . Thermal properties, sizes, and size distribution of Jupiter-family cometary nuclei . Icarus . September 2013 . 226 . 1 . 1138–1170 . 10.1016/j.icarus.2013.07.021. 1307.6191 . 2013Icar..226.1138F .
- Snodgrass . C. . Lowry . S. C. . Fitzsimmons . A. . Optical observations of 23 distant Jupiter Family Comets, including 36P/Whipple at multiple phase angles . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . April 2008 . 385 . 2 . 737–756 . 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.12900.x. free . 2008MNRAS.385..737S . 0712.4204 .
