Comets
Catalogue of 44 comets: numbered periodic from 1P/Halley to 153P/Ikeya-Zhang, great non-periodic comets (Hale-Bopp, NEOWISE, Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) and interstellar visitors (1I/Oumuamua, 2I/Borisov). Current position and next perihelion computed via Kepler with JPL SBDB elements.
Full catalogue
Sorted by next perihelion: comets with the closest perihelion appear at the top. For accurate prediction, especially close to passage, consult JPL Horizons.
| Designation | Name | Period | Perihelion (AU) | Inclination | Last perihelion | Next perihelion | Helio distance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10P/Tempel 2 | Tempel 2 | 5.4 years | 1.419 | 12.03° | 2015-11-14 | 2026-08-09 | 1.517 AU | Perihelion in 54 days |
| 2P/Encke | Encke | 3.3 years | 0.338 | 11.41° | 2023-10-22 | 2027-02-07 | 3.024 AU | Perihelion in 236 days |
| 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova | Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova | 5.3 years | 0.533 | 4.25° | 2016-12-31 | 2027-04-03 | 4.113 AU | Perihelion in 291 days |
| 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 | Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 | 5.4 years | 0.972 | 11.23° | 2022-08-25 | 2027-08-06 | 4.606 AU | Periodic |
| 9P/Tempel 1 | Tempel 1 | 5.6 years | 1.543 | 10.47° | 2016-08-02 | 2027-09-16 | 3.710 AU | Periodic |
| 7P/Pons-Winnecke | Pons-Winnecke | 6.3 years | 1.239 | 22.33° | 2015-01-30 | 2027-09-27 | 4.064 AU | Periodic |
| 15P/Finlay | Finlay | 6.5 years | 0.977 | 6.80° | 2014-12-27 | 2027-12-05 | 4.816 AU | Periodic |
| 17P/Holmes | Holmes | 6.9 years | 2.066 | 19.07° | 2014-03-26 | 2028-02-19 | 4.065 AU | Periodic |
| 6P/d'Arrest | d'Arrest | 6.5 years | 1.355 | 19.51° | 2021-09-17 | 2028-03-07 | 4.784 AU | Periodic |
| 103P/Hartley 2 | Hartley 2 | 6.5 years | 1.065 | 13.60° | 2017-04-20 | 2028-04-03 | 5.760 AU | Periodic |
| 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko | Churyumov-Gerasimenko | 6.4 years | 1.243 | 7.04° | 2015-08-13 | 2028-04-17 | 5.122 AU | Periodic |
| 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak | Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak | 5.4 years | 1.045 | 9.23° | 2017-04-12 | 2028-08-12 | 4.564 AU | Periodic |
| 22P/Kopff | Kopff | 6.4 years | 1.555 | 4.74° | 2022-03-17 | 2028-08-24 | 4.907 AU | Periodic |
| 53P/Van Biesbroeck | Van Biesbroeck | 12.6 years | 2.426 | 6.61° | 2016-04-30 | 2028-09-16 | 5.966 AU | Periodic |
| 19P/Borrelly | Borrelly | 6.9 years | 1.306 | 29.32° | 2022-02-01 | 2028-12-09 | 5.582 AU | Periodic |
| 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup | Grigg-Skjellerup | 5.3 years | 1.090 | 22.46° | 2013-07-06 | 2028-12-26 | 4.938 AU | Periodic |
| 4P/Faye | Faye | 7.4 years | 1.578 | 8.16° | 2021-09-05 | 2029-04-18 | 5.643 AU | Periodic |
| 81P/Wild 2 | Wild 2 | 6.4 years | 1.596 | 3.24° | 2022-12-15 | 2029-05-04 | 5.270 AU | Periodic |
| 55P/Tempel-Tuttle | Tempel-Tuttle | 33.2 years | 0.976 | 162.49° | 1998-02-28 | 2031-05-20 | 12.589 AU | Periodic |
| 144P/Kushida | Kushida | 7.5 years | 1.397 | 3.93° | 2024-01-25 | 2031-09-19 | 5.658 AU | Periodic |
| 27P/Crommelin | Crommelin | 27.4 years | 0.734 | 29.22° | 2011-08-02 | 2039-06-23 | 17.372 AU | Periodic |
| 1P/Halley | Halley | 75.9 years | 0.575 | 162.19° | 1986-02-08 | 2061-07-28 | 35.194 AU | Periodic |
| 13P/Olbers | Olbers | 68.1 years | 1.173 | 44.62° | 2024-06-30 | 2094-01-19 | 7.297 AU | Periodic |
| 12P/Pons-Brooks | Pons-Brooks | 71.2 years | 0.781 | 74.19° | 2024-04-21 | 2095-04-04 | 8.124 AU | Periodic |
| 109P/Swift-Tuttle | Swift-Tuttle | 133.3 years | 0.960 | 113.45° | 1992-12-11 | 2126-08-05 | 42.815 AU | Periodic |
| 153P/Ikeya-Zhang | Ikeya-Zhang | 365.5 years | 0.507 | 28.12° | 2002-03-18 | 2362-10-11 | 42.064 AU | Periodic |
| 24P/Schaumasse | Schaumasse | 8.2 years | 1.185 | 11.50° | 2026-01-08 | 2026-01-08 | 2.227 AU | Post-perihelion |
| 21P/Giacobini-Zinner | Giacobini-Zinner | 6.5 years | 1.013 | 32.00° | 2018-09-10 | 2025-03-25 | 4.185 AU | Post-perihelion |
| 46P/Wirtanen | Wirtanen | 5.4 years | 1.055 | 11.75° | 2018-12-12 | 2024-12-12 | 4.919 AU | Post-perihelion |
| 8P/Tuttle | Tuttle | 13.6 years | 1.027 | 54.98° | 2008-01-27 | 2021-08-27 | 9.743 AU | Post-perihelion |
| 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 | Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 | 14.9 years | 5.775 | 9.36° | 2019-04-16 | 2019-04-16 | 6.315 AU | Post-perihelion |
| 1I/Oumuamua | Oumuamua | hyperbolic | 0.256 | 122.74° | 2017-09-09 | nunca (orbita hiperbolica) | nan AU | Interstellar/Hyperbolic |
| 2I/Borisov | Borisov | hyperbolic | 2.007 | 44.05° | 2019-12-08 | nunca (orbita hiperbolica) | nan AU | Interstellar/Hyperbolic |
| C/1973 E1 | Kohoutek | 75,000.0 years | 0.142 | 14.30° | 1973-12-28 | +75000 anos | 290.335 AU | Periodic |
| C/1975 V1 | West | 558,000.0 years | 0.197 | 43.07° | 1976-02-25 | +558000 anos | 4,812.514 AU | Periodic |
| C/1983 H1 | IRAS-Araki-Alcock | 970.0 years | 0.991 | 73.25° | 1983-05-21 | +970 anos | 19.344 AU | Periodic |
| C/1995 O1 | Hale-Bopp | 2,533.0 years | 0.914 | 89.43° | 1997-04-01 | ~4530 | 50.909 AU | Periodic |
| C/1996 B2 | Hyakutake | 113,782.0 years | 0.230 | 124.92° | 1996-05-01 | +115000 anos | 54.103 AU | Periodic |
| C/2002 V1 | NEAT | 37,000.0 years | 0.099 | 81.71° | 2003-02-18 | +37000 anos | 52.902 AU | Periodic |
| C/2006 P1 | McNaught | 92,600.0 years | 0.171 | 77.83° | 2007-01-12 | +92600 anos | 81.088 AU | Periodic |
| C/2011 W3 | Lovejoy (sungrazer) | 622.0 years | 0.006 | 134.40° | 2011-12-16 | +622 anos | 43.783 AU | Periodic |
| C/2014 Q2 | Lovejoy | 11,500.0 years | 1.290 | 80.30° | 2015-01-30 | +11500 anos | 33.103 AU | Periodic |
| C/2020 F3 | NEOWISE | 6,760.0 years | 0.295 | 128.94° | 2020-07-03 | +6760 anos | 18.106 AU | Periodic |
| C/2023 A3 | Tsuchinshan-ATLAS | 18,500.0 years | 0.391 | 139.11° | 2024-09-27 | +18500 anos | 14.153 AU | Periodic |
About comet types
Periodic (P/): elliptical orbits with period < 200 years. Halley (1P), Encke (2P), 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko visited by Rosetta. They are "Jupiter-family comets" (P < 20 years) or "Halley-type comets" (P between 20 and 200 years).
Long period (C/): elliptical orbits with period > 200 years. Hale-Bopp (2533 years), Hyakutake (113,000 years), NEOWISE (6760 years). They come from the Oort cloud.
Hyperbolic (eccentricity ≥ 1): one-time visitors that will not return. The interstellar 1I/Oumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019) are the first confirmed as originating from outside the Solar System.
Sungrazers: pass extremely close to the Sun (perihelion < 0.01 AU). C/2011 W3 Lovejoy survived a passage at 140,000 km from the Sun.
Limitation
Comets have orbits very sensitive to perturbations (Jupiter, Saturn) and non-gravitational forces (gas escaping from the heated nucleus). Keplerian propagation accumulates error rapidly for short-period comets and near perihelion.
For accurate prediction of apparition, sky position, or close approach with Earth, always use JPL Horizons which numerically integrates orbits with full perturbations.
See also asteroids, methodology, precision.