63P/Wild is a periodic comet roughly 3 km in diameter with a 13.5-year orbit around the Sun. The comet reached perihelion on 6 July 2026.
Observational history
It was first detected by Paul Wild at the Zimmerwald Observatory of the Astronomical Institute of Bern, Switzerland on a photographic plate exposed on 26 March 1960, who estimated its brightness at a magnitude of 14.3. Its elliptical orbit was then calculated to have an orbital period of 13.17 years. Its predicted reappearance in 1973 was observed by Elizabeth Roemer of the U.S. Naval Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona at a magnitude of 17.5. Although not found in 1986 it was rediscovered in 1999 with a magnitude of around 12. The 2013 return was moderately favourable with magnitude again around 12. The nucleus of the comet has a radius of 2.9 km (1.8 mi), assuming a geometric albedo of 0.04.
See also List of numbered comets
References
External links 63P/Wild at the JPL Small-Body Database 63P/Wild 1 at Seiichi Yoshida's website 63P/Wild at Gideon van Buitenen's website