128P/Shoemaker–Holt Explained

128P/Shoemaker-Holt
Discoverer:Carolyn S. Shoemaker
Eugene Merle Shoemaker
Henry E. Holt
Discovery Date:October 18, 1987
Designations:1988 VII; 1996 S2
Epoch:March 6, 2006
Jupiter Moid:0.153AU
Semimajor:4.51 AU
Perihelion:3.068 AU
Aphelion:5.952 AU
Eccentricity:0.3197
Period:9.579 a
Inclination:4.3555°
Dimensions:4.6 km (B)
Last P:May 6, 2017? (A)
January 10, 2017
June 13, 2007
Next P:2026-Jul-17
2026-Jul-17 (B)
2027-Jan-10? (A)

128P/Shoemaker–Holt, also known as Shoemaker-Holt 1, is a periodic comet in the Solar System. The comet passed close to Jupiter in 1982 and was discovered in 1987. The comet was last observed in March 2018.

The nucleus was split into two pieces (A+B) during the 1997 apparition. Fragment A was last observed in 1996 and only has a 79-day observation arc. Fragment B is estimated to be 4.6 km in diameter.

External links