20D/Westphal

20D/Westphal
Discovery
Discovered by J. G. Westphal
Discovery date July 24, 1852
Alternative
designations		 21P/1852 O1; 1852 IV;
21P/1913 S1; 1913 VI;
1913d
Orbital characteristics A
Epoch 1913-11-09 (JD 2420080.5)
Aphelion 30.030 AU
Perihelion 1.2540 AU
Semi-major axis 15.642 AU
Eccentricity 0.9198
Orbital period 61.87 yr
Inclination 40.890°
Last perihelion January 3, 1976[1] (unobserved)
Next perihelion May 4, 2038[1]
(lost)

20D/Westphal was a periodic comet with an orbital period of 61 years. It fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet with (20 years < period < 200 years).[2] It was originally discovered by the German astronomer J. G. Westphal (Göttingen, Germany) on July 24, 1852.

It was independently discovered by the American astronomer Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters (Constantinople) on August 9.

The comet was last seen between September 27 and November 26, 1913, first by Pablo T. Delavan (La Plata Astronomical Observatory) and then others. It was predicted to return in 1976[1] but was never observed, and is now considered a lost comet.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Seiichi Yoshida (2004-02-21). "20D/Westphal". Seiichi Yoshida's Comet Catalog. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
  2. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 20D/Westphal" (1913-10-13 last obs). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
Numbered comets
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19P/Borrelly 		20D/Westphal Next
21P/Giacobini–Zinner
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