7P/Pons–Winnecke (also known as Comet Pons–Winnecke) is a periodic Jupiter-family comet with a six-year orbit. Early calculations for the 1921 apparition suggested that the orbit of the comet might collide with Earth in June, but observations on 10 April ruled out an impact.[1] It made a very close approach to Earth in June 1927.[7] The outward migration of perihelion created impressive meteor showers in 1916, 1921 and 1927.[8]

7P/Pons–Winnecke

Contemporary 1921 illustration of Pons–Winnecke comet[1]
Discovery
Discovered by	Jean Louis Pons & Friedrich Winnecke
Discovery date	June 12, 1819 & March 9, 1858
Alternative designations	1858 E1, 1858 II, 1819 III, 1927c, 1933b, 1939c, 1945a, 1951c, 1964b, 1970b, 1976f, 1983b, 1989g
Orbital characteristics A
Epoch	2021-07-05
Aphelion	5.594 AU
Perihelion	1.234 AU
Semi-major axis	3.414 AU
Eccentricity	0.6385
Orbital period	6.31 yrs[2]
Inclination	22.363°
Earth MOID	0.24 AU (36 million km)
Dimensions	5.2 km[3]
Last perihelion	May 27, 2021[2] January 30, 2015[4][5] September 26, 2008
Next perihelion	2027-Aug-25[6]

The next perihelion passage is 25 August 2027[6] when the comet will have a solar elongation of 63 degrees. The last perihelion passage was 27 May 2021 when the comet had a solar elongation of 107 degrees at approximately apparent magnitude 11.[4] It passed 0.44 AU (66 million km) from Earth on 12 June 2021. Before that it came to perihelion on 30 January 2015[4] with a solar elongation of 24 degrees.[9]

Jean Louis Pons (Marseille) originally discovered the comet on 12 June 1819, it was later rediscovered by Friedrich August Theodor Winnecke (Bonn) on 9 March 1858. It is the parent body of the June Bootids of late June.

7P has an orbital period of 6.37 years. It has a perihelion of 1.3 AU and an aphelion of 5.6 AU (past the orbit of Jupiter). It passed within 0.04 AU (6.0 million km; 16 LD) of Earth in June 1927, and 0.1 AU (15 million km) in 1939;[10] but it will not come as close in the 21st century. A close approach to Jupiter in July 2037[10] will drop perihelion back to 0.982 AU.

The comet nucleus is estimated at about 5.2 km in diameter.[3]

Proposed exploration

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory proposed a flyby of the comet with a flight spare of Mariner 4 with the closest approach taking place in 1969.[11] The probe was instead used for a Venus flyby as Mariner 5.[11]

References

External links

• Orbital simulation from JPL (Java) / Horizons Ephemeris
• Elements and Ephemeris for 7P/Pons-Winnecke – Minor Planet Center
• 7P/Pons-Winnecke – Seiichi Yoshida @ aerith.net
• 7P – Gary W. Kronk's Cometography
• article on the nuclei of 7P, 14P, and 92P

На других языках

[de] 7P/Pons-Winnecke

[ru] 7P/Понса — Виннеке