158P/Kowal–LINEAR

Observational history

1979 discovery and loss

In August 1979, Charles T. Kowal reported to the IAU that he had discovered a comet from photographic plates taken from the Palomar Observatory on 24 July 1979. He described it as a diffuse 19th-magnitude object with no condensation nor tail within the constellation Sagitta. Orbital calculations by Eleanor F. Helin indicated that Kowal's comet is periodic. Brian G. Marsden confirmed Helin's computations, however he also noted that it was not observed since 27 July, essentially classifying Kowal's comet as lost.

2003 rediscovery

In November 2003, A. E. Gleason reported cometary activity on an asteroid-like object found by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) program called ****, first detected in 12 September 2001. Further orbital calculations by Marsden and later Shuichi Nakano found that its orbit is identical to Kowal's previously lost comet in 1979. After both comets were confirmed to be the same object, the IAU Committee on Small-Body Nomenclature agreed to rename the comet as 158P/Kowal–LINEAR on 8 December 2003.

Physical characteristics

Observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) in 2012 indicated that the nucleus of 158P/Kowal–LINEAR is approximately 5.42 km in radius.

Orbit

The Minor Planet Center had the comet coming to perihelion on 9 May 2021, and JPL had the comet coming to perihelion on 12 May 2021. A close approach to Jupiter on 24 July 2022 will notably lift the orbit and increase the orbital period. The next perihelion passage will be in 2036 at a distance of 5.2 AU from the Sun.

Notes

References

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