Hyperbolic comet
C/1980 E1 (Bowell)
A long-period comet that a close encounter with Jupiter in 1980 flung onto a clearly hyperbolic orbit (eccentricity about 1.06). It is now leaving the Solar System, but — unlike a true interstellar object — it formed here; the hyperbolic orbit is the result of a planetary slingshot, not an origin around another star.
Hyperbolic (Solar-System origin)Weakly hyperbolic (e ≈ 1.06) after a Jupiter encounter
Physical & orbital character
Origin:A Solar-System comet perturbed onto an escape trajectory — not interstellar
How it was identified
Trajectory class:Hyperbolic Orbit (Solar-System Origin)
Catalogued by:Minor Planet Center
Related comet class:Long-Period Comets
Knowledge connections
- Trajectory classHyperbolic Orbit (Solar-System Origin)
- Catalogued inMinor Planet Center
- Associated withLong-Period Comets
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- Minor Planet CenterIAU Minor Planet Center
Designations and orbits of asteroids, comets, and minor bodies.
- NASA JPLJet Propulsion Laboratory / Solar System Dynamics
Orbital data, ephemerides, and small-body parameters for planets, asteroids, and comets.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.