Comet Machholz
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| Comet (List of comets) |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Discovery | |
| Discoverer | Donald Machholz |
| Discovery date | 2004 |
| Alternate designations |
Comet Macholz, 2004 Q2 |
| Orbital elements A | |
|
|
|
| Eccentricity (e) | 0.9995 |
| Semi-major axis (a) | 2344 AU |
| Perihelion (q) | 1.205 AU |
| Aphelion (Q) | 4686 AU |
| Orbital period (P) | 113,465 a |
| Inclination (i) | 38.6° |
| Last perihelion date | January 24, 2005 |
| Next est. perihelion date | 115470 |
Comet Machholz, formally designated C/2004 Q2, was a comet discovered by Donald Machholz on August 27, 2004.
It reached naked eye brightness in January 2005. Unusually for such a relatively bright comet, its perihelion was farther from the Sun than the Earth's orbit.
[edit] Return
While this comet will almost certainly return, its extremely large orbit will not bring it back to the inner solar system until the year 111,348.
