104P/Kowal
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Charles T. Kowal |
| Discovery date | 13 January 1979 |
| Alternative designations | Kowal 2 1979 B1, 1991 X1 |
| Orbital characteristics A | |
| Epoch | 31 July 2016 |
| Observation arc | 4,685 days (12.83 yr) |
| Number of observations | 133 |
| Aphelion | 5.347 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.179 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 3.263 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.6387 |
| Orbital period | 5.90 yr |
| Inclination | 10.252° |
| Node | 235.421° |
| Argument of periapsis | 200.674° |
| TJupiter | 2.794 |
| Earth MOID | 0.2004 AU |
| Jupiter MOID | 0.1687 AU |
| Dimensions | 2 km |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 10.5 mag |
| Last perihelion | 28 March 2016 4 May 2010 |
| Next perihelion | 11 Jan 2022[1][2] |
104P/Kowal, also known as Kowal 2, is a periodic Jupiter-family comet discovered by Charles T. Kowal in 1979. The orbit was confirmed after new sightings in 1991 and 1998.[2]
In 2003, Gary Kronk and Brian Marsden noticed that an object observed by Leo Boethin in 1973 was actually 104P/Kowal. From Boethin's report, it was apparent that comet Kowal 2 had been in a short, major outburst to apparent magnitude 9.5 in 1973.[3]
References[]
- ^ "104P/Kowal Orbit". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
- ^ a b Yoshida, Seiichi (2016-01-24). "104P/Kowal 2". Aerith Comet Catalog. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ^ Marsden, Brian G. (11 December 2003). "IAUC 8255: 104P". Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
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