75D/Kohoutek

{{Short description|Lost comet}}

{{For|other comets of the same name|Comet Kohoutek (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox comet

| name = 75D/Kohoutek

| image =75D-Kohoutek orbit.PNG

| discoverer = Luboš Kohoutek

| discovery_site = Hamburg-Bergedorf Observatory

| discovery_date = 9 February 1975

| mpc_name = D/1975 C1
D/1980 P1

| designations = {{unbulleted|1975 III, 1981 IX, 1987 XXVII|1975c, 1980j, 1986k}}

| orbit_ref = {{r|jpldata|MPC1}}

| epoch = 25 February 2023 (JD 2460000.5)

| observation_arc = 13.27 years

| obs = 81

| perihelion = 1.773 AU

| aphelion = 5.3 AU

| semimajor = 3.538 AU

| eccentricity = 0.49889

| period = ~6.66 years

| inclination = 5.92°

| asc_node = 269.6°

| arg_peri = 175.5°

| mean = 106.6°

| tjup = 2.894

| Earth_moid = 0.8 AU

| Jupiter_moid =

| physical_ref = {{r|jpldata}}

| mean_diameter = {{cvt|4.6|km|mi}}

| M1 = 10.5

| M2 = 14.5

| magnitude = 14.0
{{small|(1975 apparition)}}

| last_p = 7 March 2021?{{r|Yoshida_2021}}
{{small|(last seen 1988)}}

| next_p = 2 November 2027?{{r|Yoshida_2021}}
{{small|(Predicted)}}

|caption=Image of the orbit of the 75D/Kohoutek comet}}

75D/Kohoutek is a short-period comet discovered in February 1975, by Luboš Kohoutek. Even on the discovery plate the comet was only apparent magnitude 14.{{r|Kronk}} Assuming the comet has not disintegrated the 2020-2021 perihelion passage is only expected to peak around apparent magnitude 20.

Not to be confused with the much better-known C/1973 E1 (Kohoutek), 75D is a repeat visitor to the inner Solar System, with a period of about seven years. It was placed on the discovery orbit when it passed {{convert|0.143|AU|e6km|abbr=unit}} from Jupiter on 28 July 1972.{{r|Kronk|jpldata}} Apparitions have been dim, with the brightest being in 1988 at about apparent magnitude 13.{{r|Kronk}} It was not seen in 1994, 2000, 2007, nor on its last predicted return in 2014. The comet has been estimated to be {{cvt|4.6|km|mi}} in diameter.{{r|jpldata}}

This comet was last observed by Mauna Kea on 19 May 1988.{{r|MPC1}} The Minor Planet Center has given the comet a "D/" designation as the comet is believed to be lost.{{r|MPC1|MPC2}} The comet is calculated to come to opposition in October 2020 in the constellation of Pisces.{{update inline|date=June 2021}}

See also

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite web

| title= 75D/Kohoutek – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup

| url= https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=75D

| publisher= Jet Propulsion Laboratory

| access-date= 16 March 2025 }}

{{cite web

| author1= G. W. Kronk

| title= 75P/Kohoutek

| url= http://cometography.com/pcomets/075p.html

| website= Cometography.com

| access-date= 30 October 2014

| archive-date= 25 August 2009

| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090825084722/http://www.cometography.com/pcomets/075p.html

| url-status= dead }}

{{cite web

| title= 75D/Kohoutek Orbit

| url= http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=75D

| publisher= Minor Planet Center

| access-date= 30 October 2014 }}

{{cite web

| title= Cometary Designation System

| url= http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/CometResolution.html

| publisher= Minor Planet Center

| access-date= 17 June 2015 }}

{{cite web

| author1= S. Yoshida

| title= 75D/Kohoutek

| url= http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/0075D/index.html

| website= www.aerith.net

| date= 31 October 2021

| access-date= 16 March 2025 }}

}}