170P/Christensen

Jupiter-family comet other comets of the same name Comet Christensen October 2026 170P/Christensen 170P 2023-10-07 image ZTF-sso-455-zr-size-5.4arcmin.png Comet Christensen 4 imaged from the Zwicky Transient Facility on 7 October 2023 IAUC_8547 Eric J. Christensen 17 June 2005 P/2005 M1 Christensen 4nasa-pds jpldata MPC 21 November 2025 (JD 2461000.5) 19.63 yearsobs_arc 1,121 2.911 AU 5.472 AU 4.191 AU 0.30541 8.581 years 10.134° 142.64° 224.61° 109.20° 2.924 1.933 AU 0.271 AU jpldata <11.885 km miKwon_2026 9.4 14.3 19 April 2023 28 October 2031 170P/Christensen, also known as Comet Christensen 4, is a Jupiter-family comet with an 8.58-year orbit around the Sun. It is one of several comets discovered by American astronomer, Eric J. Christensen. Observational history Eric J. Christensen discovered a new comet from photographic plates taken from the 1.5-m reflector telescope that is used by the Mount Lemmon Survey (MLS) on 17 June 2005.IAUC_8547 At the time of discovery, the comet had an apparent magnitude of 19.9 and a condensed, circular coma about 15 arcseconds in length.IAUC_8547 Additional astrometry later determined that it was a short-periodic comet with an 8.64-year orbit around the Sun.IAUC_8558 It later received its official numerical designation (170P) alongside 169P/NEAT on 29 August 2005.IAUC_8591 Orbit 2025 11, Comet 170P/Christensen revolves around the Sun once every 8.58 years, with an orbital inclination of about 10.13 degrees from the ecliptic.MPC Its distance from the Sun varies from 2.911 AU e6km unit and 5.472 AU e6km unit.MPC Prior to discovery, the comet made its closest approach to Jupiter twice in 1921 and 1992, passing by the giant planet at a distance of 0.34 AU e6km unit and 0.426 AU e6km unit respectively.jpldata Physical characteristics Infrared observations from NEOWISE give a rough estimate of the size of its nucleus to be at least 23.77 km mi in diameter.Kwon_2026 However, it is likely that the comet is smaller due to the ongoing activity at the time its size was measured by the telescope. Extensive observations from the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) survey between July 2022 and March 2024 showed that the comet reached its maximum dust production rate (≤ 34 kg/sec-1) roughly more than 200 days after reaching perihelion on 19 April 2023.Gillan_2025 Notes "obs_arc" Observation arc from the Minor Planet Center database covering dates from 17 June 2005 until 3 February 2025. References A. F. Gillan A. Fitzsimmons L. Denneau R. J. Siverd K. W. Smith J. L. Tonry D. R. Young 4 Dust Production Rates in Jupiter-family Comets II. Trends and Population Insights from ATLAS Photometry of 116 JFCs The Planetary Science Journal 2025 6 7 172–191 2025PSJ.....6..172G 2506.09192 10.3847/PSJ/ade7fe free E. J. Christensen A. C. Gilmore D. W. Green Comet C/2005 M1 (Christensen) http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/08500/08547.html IAU Circular 2005-06-20 8547 1 2005IAUC.8547....1C D. W. Green Comet P/2005 M1 (Christensen) http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/08500/08558.html IAU Circular 2005-07-04 8558 5 2005IAUC.8558....5G D. W. Green Comets 169P/P/2002 EX 12 (NEAT), 170P/2005 M1 (Christensen) http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/08500/08591.html IAU Circular 2005-08-29 8591 3 2005IAUC.8591....3G 170P/Christensen – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=170P ssd.jpl.nasa.gov Jet Propulsion Laboratory 2023-11-21 Y. G. Kwon D. W. Dahlen J. R. Masiero etal COSINE (Cometary Object Study Investigating their Nature and Evolution) II: Colors and Sizes of Comet Nuclei 2026 2609.32110 astro-ph.EP 170P/Christensen Orbit http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=170P Minor Planet Center 2017-04-09 Periodic Comet Names and Designations https://pds-smallbodies.astro.umd.edu/data_sb/resources/periodic_comets.shtml Planetary Data System: Small Body Node NASA 2026-10-10 External links 1001649 170P 170P/Christensen at the Minor Planet Center database 170P/Christensen at Seiichi Yoshida's website 169P/NEAT 171P/Spahr Category:Periodic comets 0170 0170 170P * 0170 0170