+ View the NASA Portal + Center for Near-Earth Object Studies JPL Small-Body Database Browser Search: [ help ]   66P/du Toit Classification: Jupiter-family Comet [NEO]          SPK-ID: 1000021 [ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Mission Design | Physical Parameters | Discovery Circumstances | Close-Approach Data ] [ show orbit diagram ] alternate orbits: [epoch=2014-Oct-31.0] K184/8 (default) [epoch=2002-Jul-08.0] K035/1 [epoch=1974-Mar-14.0] SAO/1974 [epoch=1944-May-30.0] SAO/1944 Orbital Elements at Epoch 2456961.5 (2014-Oct-31.0) TDB Reference: JPL K184/8 (heliocentric ecliptic J2000)  Element Value Uncertainty (1-sigma)   Units  e .7865681713017859 1.2927e-07   a 6.022772962563499 1.1607e-07 au q 1.285451447234088 7.8357e-07 au i 18.6689713312349 1.665e-05 deg node 21.99985095509755 3.0737e-05 deg peri 257.342734110419 4.9163e-05 deg M 273.4820324828293 4.8278e-06 deg tp 2458258.968947685299 (2018-May-20.46894769) 5.1606e-05 TDB period 5398.749353121446 14.78 0.00015606 4.273e-07 d yr n .0666821103283588 1.9276e-09 deg/d Q 10.76009447789291 2.0736e-07 au Additional Model Parameters  Parameter Value Uncertainty (1-sigma)  A1 [EST] 7.681995007508509E-10 1.67E-10 A2 [EST] -8.894690955671997E-11 6.203E-13   Orbit Determination Parameters    # obs. used (total)      547      data-arc span      16304 days (44.64 yr)      first obs. used      1974-03-22      last obs. used      2018-11-10      planetary ephem.      DE431      SB-pert. ephem.      SB431-N16      condition code      0      norm. resid. RMS      .70648      source      ORB      producer      Davide Farnocchia      solution date      2019-Jun-03 14:53:20   Additional Information  Earth MOID = .438277 au   Jupiter MOID = .864323 au   T_jup = 2.123  [ show covariance matrix ] [ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Mission Design | Physical Parameters | Discovery Circumstances | Close-Approach Data ] Physical Parameter Table Parameter Symbol Value Units Sigma Reference Notes comet total magnitude M1 15.7   0.8 K184/8 2 parameter fit from 283 observations, autocmod 2.7 comet total magnitude slope K1 7.   n/a K184/8 autocmod 2.7 66P/du Toit          Discovered 1944-May-16 by du Toit, D. at Boyden Observatory, South Africa Reference: comet.dis Last Updated: 2003-08-29 [ show close-approach data ] Alternate Designations  Perihelion  Year (est.)  New-Style  Desig Roman  Numeral  Year/  Letter   1974.0   66P/1974 F2   1974 IV     1944.5   66P/1944 K1   1944 III   1944c  [ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Mission Design | Physical Parameters | Discovery Circumstances | Close-Approach Data ] 2021-Apr-23 13:18 UT (server date/time)   Site Manager:   Ryan S. Park Webmaster:   Alan B. Chamberlin