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 | 1.534 AU | Perihelion in 59 days |
| 2P/Encke | Encke | 3.3 years | 0.338 | 11.41° | 2023-10-22 | 2027-02-07 | 3.053 AU | Perihelion in 241 days |
| 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova | Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova | 5.3 years | 0.533 | 4.25° | 2016-12-31 | 2027-04-03 | 4.138 AU | Perihelion in 296 days |
| 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 | Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 | 5.4 years | 0.972 | 11.23° | 2022-08-25 | 2027-08-06 | 4.620 AU | Periodic |
| 9P/Tempel 1 | Tempel 1 | 5.6 years | 1.543 | 10.47° | 2016-08-02 | 2027-09-16 | 3.727 AU | Periodic |
| 7P/Pons-Winnecke | Pons-Winnecke | 6.3 years | 1.239 | 22.33° | 2015-01-30 | 2027-09-27 | 4.086 AU | Periodic |
| 15P/Finlay | Finlay | 6.5 years | 0.977 | 6.80° | 2014-12-27 | 2027-12-05 | 4.835 AU | Periodic |
| 17P/Holmes | Holmes | 6.9 years | 2.066 | 19.07° | 2014-03-26 | 2028-02-19 | 4.080 AU | Periodic |
| 6P/d'Arrest | d'Arrest | 6.5 years | 1.355 | 19.51° | 2021-09-17 | 2028-03-07 | 4.799 AU | Periodic |
| 103P/Hartley 2 | Hartley 2 | 6.5 years | 1.065 | 13.60° | 2017-04-20 | 2028-04-03 | 5.754 AU | Periodic |
| 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko | Churyumov-Gerasimenko | 6.4 years | 1.243 | 7.04° | 2015-08-13 | 2028-04-17 | 5.134 AU | Periodic |
| 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak | Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak | 5.4 years | 1.045 | 9.23° | 2017-04-12 | 2028-08-12 | 4.578 AU | Periodic |
| 22P/Kopff | Kopff | 6.4 years | 1.555 | 4.74° | 2022-03-17 | 2028-08-24 | 4.917 AU | Periodic |
| 53P/Van Biesbroeck | Van Biesbroeck | 12.6 years | 2.426 | 6.61° | 2016-04-30 | 2028-09-16 | 5.983 AU | Periodic |
| 19P/Borrelly | Borrelly | 6.9 years | 1.306 | 29.32° | 2022-02-01 | 2028-12-09 | 5.591 AU | Periodic |
| 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup | Grigg-Skjellerup | 5.3 years | 1.090 | 22.46° | 2013-07-06 | 2028-12-26 | 4.935 AU | Periodic |
| 4P/Faye | Faye | 7.4 years | 1.578 | 8.16° | 2021-09-05 | 2029-04-18 | 5.652 AU | Periodic |
| 81P/Wild 2 | Wild 2 | 6.4 years | 1.596 | 3.24° | 2022-12-15 | 2029-05-04 | 5.273 AU | Periodic |
| 55P/Tempel-Tuttle | Tempel-Tuttle | 33.2 years | 0.976 | 162.49° | 1998-02-28 | 2031-05-20 | 12.606 AU | Periodic |
| 144P/Kushida | Kushida | 7.5 years | 1.397 | 3.93° | 2024-01-25 | 2031-09-19 | 5.647 AU | Periodic |
| 27P/Crommelin | Crommelin | 27.4 years | 0.734 | 29.22° | 2011-08-02 | 2039-06-23 | 17.374 AU | Periodic |
| 1P/Halley | Halley | 75.9 years | 0.575 | 162.19° | 1986-02-08 | 2061-07-28 | 35.195 AU | Periodic |
| 13P/Olbers | Olbers | 68.1 years | 1.173 | 44.62° | 2024-06-30 | 2094-01-19 | 7.265 AU | Periodic |
| 12P/Pons-Brooks | Pons-Brooks | 71.2 years | 0.781 | 74.19° | 2024-04-21 | 2095-04-04 | 8.093 AU | Periodic |
| 109P/Swift-Tuttle | Swift-Tuttle | 133.3 years | 0.960 | 113.45° | 1992-12-11 | 2126-08-05 | 42.808 AU | Periodic |
| 153P/Ikeya-Zhang | Ikeya-Zhang | 365.5 years | 0.507 | 28.12° | 2002-03-18 | 2362-10-11 | 42.051 AU | Periodic |
| 24P/Schaumasse | Schaumasse | 8.2 years | 1.185 | 11.50° | 2026-01-08 | 2026-01-08 | 2.188 AU | Post-perihelion |
| 21P/Giacobini-Zinner | Giacobini-Zinner | 6.5 years | 1.013 | 32.00° | 2018-09-10 | 2025-03-25 | 4.161 AU | Post-perihelion |
| 46P/Wirtanen | Wirtanen | 5.4 years | 1.055 | 11.75° | 2018-12-12 | 2024-12-12 | 4.911 AU | Post-perihelion |
| 8P/Tuttle | Tuttle | 13.6 years | 1.027 | 54.98° | 2008-01-27 | 2021-08-27 | 9.735 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 | 7,378.251 AU | Periodic |
| C/1975 V1 | West | 558,000.0 years | 0.197 | 43.07° | 1976-02-25 | +558000 anos | 3,258.528 AU | Periodic |
| C/1983 H1 | IRAS-Araki-Alcock | 970.0 years | 0.991 | 73.25° | 1983-05-21 | +970 anos | 19.340 AU | Periodic |
| C/1995 O1 | Hale-Bopp | 2,533.0 years | 0.914 | 89.43° | 1997-04-01 | ~4530 | 50.895 AU | Periodic |
| C/1996 B2 | Hyakutake | 113,782.0 years | 0.230 | 124.92° | 1996-05-01 | +115000 anos | 54.088 AU | Periodic |
| C/2002 V1 | NEAT | 37,000.0 years | 0.099 | 81.71° | 2003-02-18 | +37000 anos | 52.883 AU | Periodic |
| C/2006 P1 | McNaught | 92,600.0 years | 0.171 | 77.83° | 2007-01-12 | +92600 anos | 81.053 AU | Periodic |
| C/2011 W3 | Lovejoy (sungrazer) | 622.0 years | 0.006 | 134.40° | 2011-12-16 | +622 anos | 43.759 AU | Periodic |
| C/2014 Q2 | Lovejoy | 11,500.0 years | 1.290 | 80.30° | 2015-01-30 | +11500 anos | 33.079 AU | Periodic |
| C/2020 F3 | NEOWISE | 6,760.0 years | 0.295 | 128.94° | 2020-07-03 | +6760 anos | 336.358 AU | Periodic |
| C/2023 A3 | Tsuchinshan-ATLAS | 18,500.0 years | 0.391 | 139.11° | 2024-09-27 | +18500 anos | 14.124 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.