Tempel 1

Tempel 1 (official designation: 9P/Tempel) is a periodic Jupiter-family comet discovered by Wilhelm Tempel in 1867. It completes an orbit of the Sun every 5.6 years. Tempel 1 was the target of the Deep Impact space mission, which photographed a deliberate high-speed impact upon the comet in 2005. It was re-visited by the Stardust spacecraft on February 14, 2011, and came back to perihelion in August 2016. On 26 May 2024, it will make a modest approach of 0.55 AU to Jupiter which will lift the perihelion distance and 9P will next come to perihelion on 12 February 2028 when it will be 1.77 AU from the Sun.

9P/Tempel

Composite of images of nucleus obtained by the Deep Impact impactor
Discovery
Discovered byWilhelm Tempel
Discovery dateApril 3, 1867
Designations
  • 9P/1867 G1
  • 1867 II
  • 9P/1873 G1
  • 1873 I
  • 1873a
  • 1879 III
  • 1879b
  • 9P/1967 L1
  • 1966 VII
  • 9P/1972 A1
  • 1972 V
  • 1972a
  • 1978 II
  • 1977i
  • 1983 XI
  • 1982j
  • 1989 I
  • 1987e1
  • 1994 XIX
  • 1993c
Orbital characteristics
Epoch2023-02-25
Aphelion4.757 AU
Perihelion1.545 AU
(1.77 AU after 2024 Jupiter approach)
Semi-major axis3.151 AU
Eccentricity0.5097
Orbital period5.59 years (2,040 days)
Inclination10.474°
68.64°
Argument of
periapsis		179.54°
Last perihelionMarch 4, 2022
August 2, 2016
Next perihelion2028-Feb-12
Earth MOID0.52 AU (78 million km)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions7.6 km × 4.9 km (4.7 mi × 3.0 mi)
Mass7.2×1013 to 7.9×1013 kg
Mean density
0.62 g/cm³
40.7 hours
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