62P/Tsuchinshan, also known as Tsuchinshan 1, is a periodic comet first discovered January 1, 1965 at the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing. It last came to perihelion on 25 December 2023 at around apparent magnitude 8, and was then 0.53 AU (79 million km) from Earth and 110 degrees from the Sun. During the 2004 perihelion passage the comet brightened to about apparent magnitude 11. The comet was not observed during the 2011 unfavorable apparition since the perihelion passage occurred when the comet was on the far side of the Sun. During the 2023 apparition it brightened to 8th magnitude. A close approach to Jupiter in 2020 made the comet a near-Earth object with perihelion less than 1.3 AU and the comet will remain a near-Earth object until a close approach to Jupiter in 2031. On 2049 April 1 the comet will pass about 0.018 AU (2,700,000 km; 1,700,000 mi) from Mars.
See also List of numbered comets
Notes
References
External links 62P/Tsuchinshan at the JPL Small-Body Database 62P/Tsuchinshan 1 – Seiichi Yoshida @ aerith.net Elements and Ephemeris for 62P/Tsuchinshan – Minor Planet Center 62P/Tsuchinshan at the Minor Planet Center's Database 62P/Tsuchinshan – Kazuo Kinoshita (2006 Oct. 10) 62P – Gary W. Kronk's Cometography