116P/Wild 4

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Updated on June 1, 2024

Profile Kazuo Kinoshita's calculation revealed that it approached to Jupiter down to 0.15 A.U. in 1987, and the perihelion distance was reduced from 3.4 A.U. down to 2.0 A.U. Then the comet comes to be bright, and it was discovered. The light curves are very different among every apparition, maybe because it has just come to the inner Solar System. The brightness at the perihelion passage differs by about 4 mag between 1996 and 2003. Returns and Appearances Discovered Appeared Not observed Appeared before discovery Not observed before discovery Returns in the future 2029 Jan. 16 116P 2022 July 16 116P 2016 Jan. 11 116P 2009 July 18 116P 2003 Jan. 21 116P/1994 V1 1996 Aug. 31 116P/1990 B1 1990 July 2

The perihelion dates in the past appearances are printed on Catalog of Cometary Orbits 1996. Information on the discovery and historical highlights are available at General Comet Info (Gary W. Kronk). Orbital elements in the past and future are calculated by Kazuo Kinoshita (http://www9.ocn.ne.jp/~comet/pcmtn/0116p.htm).