113P/Spitaler

113P/Spitaler
Discovery
Discovered by Rudolf Ferdinand Spitaler
Discovery date November 17, 1890
Alternative
designations
1890 W1, 1993 U2
Orbital characteristics A
Epoch February 20, 2001
Perihelion 2.127 AU
Semi-major axis 3.69 AU
Eccentricity 0.423
Orbital period 7.09 a
Inclination 5.775°
Last perihelion March 23, 2008
Next perihelion April 23, 2015[1]

Comet Spitaler is a periodic comet in the solar system discovered by Rudolf Ferdinand Spitaler (Vienna, Austria) on November 17, 1890 while attempting to observe Comet Zona (C/1890 V1).

Spitaler, together with G. M. Searle, J. F. Tennant, and J. R. Hind, calculated orbits based on the observations, but despite predictions of a return in 1897, it was lost and remained so for the next few decades.

On October 24, 1993, the comet was rediscovered by J. V. Scotti (Spacewatch, Kitt Peak Observatory, Arizona, USA), it was confirmed as Spitaler's comet when Brian G. Marsden connected the 1890 and 1994 apparitions.

References

External links

Periodic comets (by number)
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