| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by: | Alexandre Schaumasse |
| Discovery date: | December 1, 1911 |
| Alternate designations: | 1911 X1, 1919 U1 |
| Orbital characteristics A | |
| Epoch: | May 11, 2001 |
| Aphelion: | 6.95 AU |
| Perihelion: | 1.20 AU |
| Semi-major axis: | 4.08 AU |
| Eccentricity: | 0.705 |
| Orbital period: | 8.247 yr |
| Inclination: | 11.75° |
| Last perihelion: | August 9, 2009[1] |
| Next perihelion: | November 16, 2017 |
Comet Schaumasse is a periodic comet discovered by Alexandre Schaumasse (Nice, France) on December 1, 1911 as 12th magnitude.
By the end of 1912 it was recognised as a short period comet estimated to return in 7.1 years, later recalculated as 8 years. The 1919 return was recovered by Gaston Fayet (Paris, France) as magnitude 10.5.
The 1927 approach was magnitude 12, but the comet was missed on the 1935 approach. In 1937 it passed close to Jupiter which increased its orbital period slightly.
The comet was missed in 1968 and 1976. It was speculated that the increase in brightness in 1952 indicated a problem that led to it vanishing. In 1984, Elizabeth Roemer (Steward Observatory, Arizona, USA) found an image on photographs from 1976 which indicated a change in the perihelion date. The approach later that year, observed by James B. Gibson (Palomar Observatory, California, USA) and orbital calculations by Brian G. Marsden, confirmed the 1976 image was Comet Schaumasse.
A close approach to Earth is expected in 2026 and 2034, and to Jupiter in 2044.
It will pass within 0.02 AU of the dwarf planet Ceres on March 22, 2010.[2] Then it will pass within about 0.07 AU of Mars in mid July 2200.[2]
The comet nucleus is estimated to be 2.6 kilometers in diameter.[3]
| Periodic comets (by number) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf |
24P/Schaumasse | Next 25D/Neujmin |