26P/Grigg–Skjellerup

Comet Grigg–Skjellerup (formally designated 26P/Grigg–Skjellerup) is a periodic comet. It was visited by the Giotto probe in July 1992.[5] The
26P/Grigg–Skjellerup
spacecraft came as close as 200 km, but could not take pictures because some instruments were damaged from its encounter with Halley's Comet.[6]

The comet was discovered in 1902 by John Grigg of New Zealand, and rediscovered in its next appearance in 1922 by John Francis Skjellerup, an Australian
then living and working for about two decades in South Africa where he was a founder member of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa.

In 1987, it was belatedly discovered by Ľubor Kresák that the comet had been observed in 1808 as well, by Jean-Louis Pons.

The comet has often suffered the gravitational influence of Jupiter, which has altered its orbit considerably. For instance, its perihelion distance has changed
from 0.77 AU in 1725 to 0.89 AU in 1922 to 0.99 AU in 1977 and to 1.12 AU in 1999.

In 1972 the comet was discovered to produce a meteor shower, the Pi Puppids, and its current orbit makes them peak around April 23, for observers in the
southern hemisphere, best seen when the comet is near perihelion. Discovery
Discovered by John Grigg and John
During the comet's 1982 it was detected using radar by the Arecibo Observatory.[7]
Francis Skjellerup
Having its recent perihelion so close to Earth's orbit made it an easy target to reach for the Giotto mission (spacecraft) in 1992, whose primary mission was Discovery date 1902 and 1922
to Comet Halley. Giotto had a closest approach to Grigg–Skjellerup of 200 km, much closer than its approach to Comet Halley, but was unable to obtain Alternative
1808 C1; 1808 III;

images as its camera was destroyed during the Halley rendezvous in 1986. designations 1902 O1; 1902 II;

The 2002 return (expected perihelion around October 8, 2002) was very unfavorable and no observations were reported. 1902c; 1922 K1;

1922 I; 1922b;

The comet nucleus is estimated to be 2.6 kilometers in diameter.[4] 1927 F1; 1927 V;

1927e; 1932 II;

The comet is a type locality for the mineral brownleeite.[8][9]

1932d; 1937 III;

1937e; 1942 V;

Popular culture 1942d; 1947 II;

1947a; 1952 IV;

In Neal Stephenson's science fiction novel Seveneves, 26P/Grigg–Skjellerup serves as a potential source of water and rocket propellant for the "Cloud
1952b; 1957 I;

Ark" survivors, and is frequently referred to by the nickname "Greg's Skeleton" by way of homophonic transformation.
1956i; 1961 IX;

1961g; 1967 I;

References 1966f; 1972 II;

1972b; 1977 VI;

1. "26P/Grigg-Skjellerup Orbit" (http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=26P). Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 2014-06-16.

1977b; 1982 IV;

2. Syuichi Nakano (2010-04-08). "26P/Grigg-Skjellerup (NK 1908)" (http://www.oaa.gr.jp/~oaacs/nk/nk1908.htm). OAA Computing and Minor Planet
1982a; 1987 X;

Sections. Retrieved 2012-02-18.

1986m; 1992 XVIII
3. "26P past, present and future orbital elements" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110520032039/http://jcometobs.web.fc2.com/pcmtn/0026p.htm). May 3,
2010. Archived from the original (http://jcometobs.web.fc2.com/pcmtn/0026p.htm) on May 20, 2011. Orbital characteristics A (http://www.min
orplanetcenter.net/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/)
4. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 26P/Grigg–Skjellerup" (http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=26P) (2019-09-30 last obs). Jet Propulsion
Laboratory. Retrieved 2020-09-29. Epoch April 10, 2007
5. "Giotto, ESA's first deep-space mission: 25 years ago" (https://web.archive.org/web/20111017185048/http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Space_Year_2007/ (JD 2454200.5)
SEMIZWXTVKG_0.html). European Space Agency. March 11, 2011. Archived from the original (http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Space_Year_2007/SEMIZWXT Aphelion 4.9332 AU
VKG_0.html) on October 17, 2011.
Perihelion 1.1168 AU
6. "Giotto's second comet encounter" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120119115447/http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEML31NVGJE_index_0.html). European
Space Agency. March 10, 2006. Archived from the original (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEML31NVGJE_index_0.html) on January 19, 2012. Semi-major axis 3.0437 AU
7. Harmon, J.K; Campbell, D.B; Ostro, S.J; Nolan, M.C (1999). "Radar observations of comets" (https://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroids/harmon+comets_1999_ Eccentricity 0.6631
pss.pdf) (PDF). Planetary and Space Science. 47 (12): 1409–1422. Bibcode:1999P&SS...47.1409H (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1999P&SS...47.1
Orbital period 5.31 a
409H). doi:10.1016/S0032-0633(99)00068-9 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2FS0032-0633%2899%2900068-9). Retrieved 22 November 2020.
Inclination
 8. "Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup, Outer Space" (https://web.archive.org/web/20170520181936/https://www.mindat.org/locdetailed-188570.html). 22.36°
www.mindat.org. Archived from the original (https://www.mindat.org/locdetailed-188570.html) on May 20, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2017. Earth MOID 0.079 AU
9. "NASA Finds New Type of Comet Dust Mineral" (https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/jun/HQ_08143_comet_dust.html). www.nasa.gov. June 12, (11,800,000 km)[4]
2008. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
Last perihelion October 1, 2018[1]

26P/Grigg–Skjellerup Cometography (http://cometography.com/pcomets/026p.html) July 6, 2013[2][3]

March 23, 2008

External links Next perihelion 2023-Dec-25 (JPL
Horizons last obs
Orbital simulation (http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=26P;orb=1) from JPL (Java) / Horizons Ephemeris (http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi?find_bod 2019-09-30)
y=1&body_group=sb&sstr=26P)
26P/Grigg-Skjellerup (http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/0026P/index.html) – Seiichi Yoshida @ aerith.net
ESA website about 26P/Grigg–Skjellerup (http://smart.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31877)
Recovery of comet 26P/Grigg–Skjellerup (http://remanzacco.blogspot.com/2012/12/recovery-of-comet-26pgriggskjellerup.html) (Remanzacco Observatory : December 26, 2012)

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