120P/Mueller

{{Short description|Periodic comet with 8 year orbit}}

{{Infobox comet

| name=120P/Mueller

| image=

| discoverer=Jean Mueller

| discovery_date=October 18, 1987

| designations=1987 XXXI; 1995 O2

| epoch=2022-01-21

| semimajor=3.963 AU

| perihelion=2.478 AU

| aphelion=5.448 AU

| eccentricity=0.3746

| period=7.88 yr

| inclination= 8.4899°

| last_p=May 7, 2021
February 22, 2013{{cite web

|date=2010-04-23

|title=120P/Mueller 1 (NK 1918)

|publisher=OAA Computing and Minor Planet Sections

|author=Syuichi Nakano

|author-link=Syuichi Nakano

|url=http://www.oaa.gr.jp/~oaacs/nk/nk1918.htm

|accessdate=2012-02-25}}
September 30, 2004

| next_p=2029-Apr-05

}}

120P/Mueller, also known as Mueller 1, is a periodic comet in the Solar System. It last came to perihelion in May 2021 and underwent a 1.4 magnitude outburst in August 2021,[https://www.astro.umd.edu/~msk/science/comae/ztf-outburst-survey/ Zwicky Transient Facility Survey of Cometary Outbursts] ({{time interval|2021-05-07|2021-08-08|abbr=on}} after perihelion).

References

{{reflist|refs=

{{cite web

|title=120P/Mueller Orbit

|url=http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=120P

|publisher=Minor Planet Center

|accessdate=2014-06-17}}

{{cite web

|title=Horizons Batch for 120P/Mueller 1 on 2029-Apr-05

|publisher=JPL Horizons

|type=Perihelion occurs when rdot flips from negative to positive

|url=https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons_batch.cgi?batch=1&COMMAND=%27120P%27&START_TIME=%272029-03-27%27&STOP_TIME=%272029-04-15%27&STEP_SIZE=%273%20hours%27&QUANTITIES=%2719%27

|accessdate=2021-09-13}} (JPL#20/Soln.date: 2021-Apr-15)

}}