96P/Machholz 1

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Jupiter-family Comet
• Comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay (6.40 km diameter)
• Will pass within 26,802,382 km of Earth in 2139
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

96P/Machholz 1 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 classified 96P/Machholz 1 as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.

96P/Machholz 1 orbits the sun every 1,930 days (5.28 years), coming as close as 0.12 AU and reaching as far as 5.95 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. 96P/Machholz 1 is about 6.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

Close Approaches

96P/Machholz 1'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.

96P/Machholz 1 has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

96P/Machholz 1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 20, 2012. It was last officially observed on June 22, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 667 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 96P/Machholz 1:

• 331 Etheridgea (A892 GA)
• 506 Marion (A903 DB)
• 586 Thekla (A906 DK)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 96P/Machholz 1 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 96P/Machholz 1 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.