What does the name Wild 2 stand for?
Comets are usually named for their discoverer(s) or for the name of the observatory/telescope used in the discovery. Since Paul Wild discovered this comet it is named for him. The letter “P” indicates that 81P/Wild (Wild 2) is a “periodic” comet. Periodic comets have an orbital period of less than 200 years.
When was Wild 2 comet last?
July 20, 2016
Comet 81P/Wild, also known as Wild 2 (pronounced “vilt two”) (/ˈvɪlt/ VILT), is a comet named after Swiss astronomer Paul Wild, who discovered it on January 6, 1978, using a 40-cm Schmidt telescope at Zimmerwald, Switzerland….81P/Wild.
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Last perihelion | July 20, 2016 February 22, 2010 |
| Next perihelion | December 15, 2022 |
What is comet size?
Comets are very small in size relative to planets. Their average diameters usually range from 750 meters (2,460 feet) or less to about 20 kilometers (12 miles).
Who discovered comet Wild 2?
Paul Wild81P/Wild / DiscovererPaul Wild was a Swiss astronomer and director of the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern, who discovered numerous comets, asteroids and supernovae. Wikipedia
What year was comet Wild 2 discovered?
January 6, 197881P/Wild / Discovered
In 1978 it was discovered by astronomer Paul Wild and this famous comet now takes his name. Since Wild 2 hasn’t passed near to the Sun many times, it is in a relatively pristine condition with little sublimation of the ices and dust having taking place at this point in the comet’s life: ideal for the Stardust mission.
What is the shortest period comet?
Comet Encke
Encke’s Comet, also called Comet Encke, faint comet having the shortest orbital period (about 3.3 years) of any known; it was also only the second comet (after Halley’s) to have its period established.
What is Wild 2 made out of?
Pristine dust from a comet that formed in the icy region beyond Neptune contains material that was once heated to a scorching 1100°C, a preliminary analysis of NASA’s Stardust mission reveals.
What is the largest size of a comet?
The comet, officially known as Comet C/2014 UN271, is the largest such object ever observed by astronomers, Jewitt said. Its nucleus — the solid center, which is typically made up of ice, rock and dust — is about 85 miles across.
How big is a 10 km comet?
6.2 miles
It was formed when a large asteroid, about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) in diameter, struck the Earth….Chicxulub crater.
| Impact crater/structure | |
|---|---|
| Confidence | Confirmed |
| Diameter | 180 km (110 mi) |
| Depth | 20 km (12 mi) |
| Impactor diameter | 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) |
Which dwarf planet is the largest?
Pluto
The best-known dwarf planet, Pluto is also the largest in size and the second largest in mass. Pluto has five moons.
How fast is Halley’s comet?
Halley’s Comet, appearing about every 76 years, is by far the brightest comet yet observed from earth. The comet’s perihelion is 88 million km at a velocity of 55 km/sec; its apihelion is 5.3 billion km at a velocity of 1 km/sec. Twice a year, at the beginning of May and the end of October, it releases a meteor shower.