Lists of comets

Lists of comets refer to compilations or catalogs that document known comets, usually categorized by their characteristics such as their orbital parameters, the names of their discoverers, and other relevant information. Comets are typically named after their discoverers or based on the year of their discovery. There are a few key aspects typically included in lists of comets: 1. **Periodic Comets**: These are comets that have regular orbits around the Sun, returning at predictable intervals.

Halley-type comets are a class of comets that have orbital characteristics similar to those of Halley's Comet, typically featuring periods of about 75 to 200 years. These comets are thought to originate from the Kuiper Belt or from a region beyond it, and their orbits often have relatively low eccentricities and inclinations.

The List of Kreutz Sungrazers refers to a catalog of comets that belong to the Kreutz family, which are known for their extremely close approaches to the Sun, often resulting in their disintegration. These comets are characterized by their high velocities and their characteristic orbits that take them very close to the Sun, typically within a few thousand kilometers of the solar surface.

A list of astronomical objects named after people includes a variety of celestial bodies such as asteroids, planets, moons, stars, and constellations that are named in honor of individuals who have made significant contributions to science, exploration, or culture. Here are some notable examples: ### Asteroids - **(1) Ceres** – Named after the Roman goddess of agriculture, it is often considered a dwarf planet.

Comets are classified into several types based on their orbits and characteristics. Here’s a list of different types of comets: 1. **Short-period comets**: - **Definition**: Comets that have an orbital period of less than 200 years.

The LINEAR (Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research) project was a program designed to detect and track near-Earth objects, including asteroids and comets. Established in 1998, LINEAR made significant contributions to the discovery of various celestial objects.

Comets with no meaningful orbit are those which have been observed but do not have a well-defined or predictable trajectory due to factors such as insufficient observation time, perturbations by celestial bodies, or a lack of data to accurately calculate their orbits. While there may not be an official "list" specifically categorized as "comets with no meaningful orbit," astronomers often refer to comets that are poorly defined or have uncertain orbits.

A hyperbolic comet is a type of comet that follows a hyperbolic trajectory around the Sun. Unlike parabolic and elliptical comets, which have orbits that bring them back to the Sun multiple times (elliptical) or at least once (parabolic), hyperbolic comets are on a path that will take them out of the solar system after their closest approach to the Sun.

Long-period comets are comets that take more than 200 years to complete an orbit around the Sun. Unlike short-period comets, which generally originate from the Kuiper Belt, long-period comets are believed to originate from the Oort Cloud, a distant and spherical shell of icy bodies that surrounds the solar system.

The exploration of minor planets (asteroids) and comets by spacecraft has greatly advanced our understanding of these celestial bodies. Here’s a list of some notable minor planets and comets that have been visited by spacecraft: ### Comets 1. **Comet Halley (1P/Halley)** - Explored by the European Space Agency's Giotto mission in 1986.

Near-parabolic comets are comets whose orbits are close to parabolic, indicating that they are on the verge of escaping the Sun's gravitational influence. These comets typically have orbital eccentricities close to 1, which means their paths are elongated but not quite sufficient to be classified as hyperbolic (eccentricity greater than 1).

The "List of numbered comets" refers to a catalog of comets that have been assigned unique numbers by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) once their orbits have been well established through multiple observations. This numbering system is similar to the one used for asteroids. Typically, the list includes the comet's name (often reflecting its discoverer), its designated number, and sometimes additional information such as its orbital characteristics, historical significance, or notable appearances.

A list of periodic comets consists of comets that have predictable orbits and return to the inner solar system at regular intervals. Unlike non-periodic comets, which may only be seen once or can take thousands or even millions of years to return, periodic comets have well-documented periods of return.