19P/Borrelly

Mid-sized Jupiter-family Comet

Space Reference » Jupiter-family Comets » 19P/Borrelly

Key Facts

Overview

19P/Borrelly is a mid-sized comet whose orbit features a relatively short period, low inclination, and is controlled by Jupiter's gravitational effects. NASA JPL has not classified 19P/Borrelly as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

19P/Borrelly orbits the sun every 2,500 days (6.84 years), coming as close as 1.31 AU and reaching as far as 5.91 AU from the sun. 19P/Borrelly is about 4.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

19P/Borrelly's orbit is 0.33 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

19P/Borrelly's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 29, 2014. It was last officially observed on May 22, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,442 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This comet is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 19P/Borrelly:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2459275.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.607 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6379
  • Inclination: 29.32°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 74.3°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 351.86°
  • Mean Anomaly: 311.55°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 4.80000 km
  • Magnitude: 9.8
  • Albedo: 0.022

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,500 days (6.84 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 15.70 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 5.91 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.31 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 19P/Borrelly is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 19P/Borrelly to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.