| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by: | Horace Parnell Tuttle Michel Giacobini Ľubor Kresák |
| Discovery date: | May 3, 1858 |
| Alternate designations: | 1858 III; 1907 III; 1951 IV; 1962 V; 1973 VI; 1978 XXV; 1990 II |
| Orbital characteristics A | |
| Epoch: | March 6, 2006 |
| Aphelion: | 5.122 AU |
| Perihelion: | 1.048 AU |
| Semi-major axis: | 3.085 AU |
| Eccentricity: | 0.6604 |
| Orbital period: | 5.419 a |
| Inclination: | 9.2294° |
| Last perihelion: | June 11, 2006[1][2] |
| Next perihelion: | November 12, 2011[1][2] |
41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák is a periodic comet in our solar system.
Discovered by Horace Parnell Tuttle on May 3, 1858, and re-discovered independently by Michel Giacobini and Ľubor Kresák in 1907 and 1951 respectively, it is a member of the Jupiter family of comets.
As of June 1, 2006, Comet 41P was a 10th magnitude object for telescopes, located on the Cancer-Leo border, with a predicted maximum of about 10 at perihelion on June 11. This comet is of interest as it has been noted to flare dramatically. In 1973 the flare was 10 magnitudes brighter than predicted, reaching easy naked-eye visibility at apparent magnitude 4.[3]
However, by June 22, the comet had diminished to about magnitude 11, having produced no flare of note.
The comet nucleus is estimated to be 1.4 kilometers in diameter.[4]
| Periodic comets (by number) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous 40P/Väisälä |
41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák | Next 42P/Neujmin |