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 | 1.744 AU | Perihelion in 102 days |
| 2P/Encke | Encke | 3.3 years | 0.338 | 11.41° | 2023-10-22 | 2027-02-07 | 3.309 AU | Perihelion in 284 days |
| 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova | Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova | 5.3 years | 0.533 | 4.25° | 2016-12-31 | 2027-04-03 | 4.358 AU | Perihelion in 339 days |
| 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 | Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 | 5.4 years | 0.972 | 11.23° | 2022-08-25 | 2027-08-06 | 4.748 AU | Periodic |
| 9P/Tempel 1 | Tempel 1 | 5.6 years | 1.543 | 10.47° | 2016-08-02 | 2027-09-16 | 3.890 AU | Periodic |
| 7P/Pons-Winnecke | Pons-Winnecke | 6.3 years | 1.239 | 22.33° | 2015-01-30 | 2027-09-27 | 4.284 AU | Periodic |
| 15P/Finlay | Finlay | 6.5 years | 0.977 | 6.80° | 2014-12-27 | 2027-12-05 | 5.004 AU | Periodic |
| 17P/Holmes | Holmes | 6.9 years | 2.066 | 19.07° | 2014-03-26 | 2028-02-19 | 4.220 AU | Periodic |
| 6P/d'Arrest | d'Arrest | 6.5 years | 1.355 | 19.51° | 2021-09-17 | 2028-03-07 | 4.935 AU | Periodic |
| 103P/Hartley 2 | Hartley 2 | 6.5 years | 1.065 | 13.60° | 2017-04-20 | 2028-04-03 | 5.693 AU | Periodic |
| 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko | Churyumov-Gerasimenko | 6.4 years | 1.243 | 7.04° | 2015-08-13 | 2028-04-17 | 5.243 AU | Periodic |
| 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak | Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak | 5.4 years | 1.045 | 9.23° | 2017-04-12 | 2028-08-12 | 4.700 AU | Periodic |
| 22P/Kopff | Kopff | 6.4 years | 1.555 | 4.74° | 2022-03-17 | 2028-08-24 | 5.009 AU | Periodic |
| 53P/Van Biesbroeck | Van Biesbroeck | 12.6 years | 2.426 | 6.61° | 2016-04-30 | 2028-09-16 | 6.138 AU | Periodic |
| 19P/Borrelly | Borrelly | 6.9 years | 1.306 | 29.32° | 2022-02-01 | 2028-12-09 | 5.668 AU | Periodic |
| 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup | Grigg-Skjellerup | 5.3 years | 1.090 | 22.46° | 2013-07-06 | 2028-12-26 | 4.901 AU | Periodic |
| 4P/Faye | Faye | 7.4 years | 1.578 | 8.16° | 2021-09-05 | 2029-04-18 | 5.730 AU | Periodic |
| 81P/Wild 2 | Wild 2 | 6.4 years | 1.596 | 3.24° | 2022-12-15 | 2029-05-04 | 5.293 AU | Periodic |
| 55P/Tempel-Tuttle | Tempel-Tuttle | 33.2 years | 0.976 | 162.49° | 1998-02-28 | 2031-05-20 | 12.773 AU | Periodic |
| 144P/Kushida | Kushida | 7.5 years | 1.397 | 3.93° | 2024-01-25 | 2031-09-19 | 5.532 AU | Periodic |
| 27P/Crommelin | Crommelin | 27.4 years | 0.734 | 29.22° | 2011-08-02 | 2039-06-23 | 17.390 AU | Periodic |
| 1P/Halley | Halley | 75.9 years | 0.575 | 162.19° | 1986-02-08 | 2061-07-28 | 35.204 AU | Periodic |
| 13P/Olbers | Olbers | 68.1 years | 1.173 | 44.62° | 2024-06-30 | 2094-01-19 | 6.949 AU | Periodic |
| 12P/Pons-Brooks | Pons-Brooks | 71.2 years | 0.781 | 74.19° | 2024-04-21 | 2095-04-04 | 7.783 AU | Periodic |
| 109P/Swift-Tuttle | Swift-Tuttle | 133.3 years | 0.960 | 113.45° | 1992-12-11 | 2126-08-05 | 42.744 AU | Periodic |
| 153P/Ikeya-Zhang | Ikeya-Zhang | 365.5 years | 0.507 | 28.12° | 2002-03-18 | 2362-10-11 | 41.926 AU | Periodic |
| 24P/Schaumasse | Schaumasse | 8.2 years | 1.185 | 11.50° | 2026-01-08 | 2026-01-08 | 1.815 AU | Post-perihelion |
| 21P/Giacobini-Zinner | Giacobini-Zinner | 6.5 years | 1.013 | 32.00° | 2018-09-10 | 2025-03-25 | 3.920 AU | Post-perihelion |
| 46P/Wirtanen | Wirtanen | 5.4 years | 1.055 | 11.75° | 2018-12-12 | 2024-12-12 | 4.824 AU | Post-perihelion |
| 8P/Tuttle | Tuttle | 13.6 years | 1.027 | 54.98° | 2008-01-27 | 2021-08-27 | 9.656 AU | Post-perihelion |
| 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 | Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 | 14.9 years | 5.775 | 9.36° | 2019-04-16 | 2019-04-16 | 6.313 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 | 575.882 AU | Periodic |
| C/1975 V1 | West | 558,000.0 years | 0.197 | 43.07° | 1976-02-25 | +558000 anos | 76.416 AU | Periodic |
| C/1983 H1 | IRAS-Araki-Alcock | 970.0 years | 0.991 | 73.25° | 1983-05-21 | +970 anos | 19.307 AU | Periodic |
| C/1995 O1 | Hale-Bopp | 2,533.0 years | 0.914 | 89.43° | 1997-04-01 | ~4530 | 50.758 AU | Periodic |
| C/1996 B2 | Hyakutake | 113,782.0 years | 0.230 | 124.92° | 1996-05-01 | +115000 anos | 53.944 AU | Periodic |
| C/2002 V1 | NEAT | 37,000.0 years | 0.099 | 81.71° | 2003-02-18 | +37000 anos | 52.701 AU | Periodic |
| C/2006 P1 | McNaught | 92,600.0 years | 0.171 | 77.83° | 2007-01-12 | +92600 anos | 80.720 AU | Periodic |
| C/2011 W3 | Lovejoy (sungrazer) | 622.0 years | 0.006 | 134.40° | 2011-12-16 | +622 anos | 43.530 AU | Periodic |
| C/2014 Q2 | Lovejoy | 11,500.0 years | 1.290 | 80.30° | 2015-01-30 | +11500 anos | 32.841 AU | Periodic |
| C/2020 F3 | NEOWISE | 6,760.0 years | 0.295 | 128.94° | 2020-07-03 | +6760 anos | 17.834 AU | Periodic |
| C/2023 A3 | Tsuchinshan-ATLAS | 18,500.0 years | 0.391 | 139.11° | 2024-09-27 | +18500 anos | 13.848 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.