| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by: | Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh |
| Discovery date: | August 19, 1977 |
| Alternate designations: | 1978 IV; 1992 II |
| Orbital characteristics A | |
| Epoch: | March 6, 2006 |
| Aphelion: | 9.224 AU |
| Perihelion: | 2.351 AU |
| Semi-major axis: | 5.787 AU |
| Eccentricity: | 0.5938 |
| Orbital period: | 13.92 a |
| Inclination: | 5.0792° |
| Last perihelion: | December 25, 2005 |
| Next perihelion: | January 13, 2020 |
101P/Chernykh[1] is a periodic comet which was first discovered on August 19, 1977, by Nikolaj Stepanovich Chernykh.[2]
In 1992, 101P/Chernykh was observed to split. JPL concluded that the comet split in April 1991, when 3.3 AU from the Sun.[3]
The primary nucleus is 5.6 km in diameter.[4]
| Periodic comets (by number) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous 100P/Hartley |
101P/Chernykh | Next 102P/Shoemaker |