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

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

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.

Quick facts

Hyperbolic (Solar-System origin)

Designation: C/1980 E1 (Bowell)
Discovered: 1980-02-11
Discovered by: Edward Bowell
Eccentricity: 1.057 (hyperbolic)
Perihelion distance: 3.36 AU
Inclination: 1.66°
Perihelion date: 1982-03-12
Trajectory class: Hyperbolic Orbit (Solar-System Origin)

In the sky

Interstellar objects pass through the Solar System once and do not return; this encyclopedia computes no live positions or visibility. For what is genuinely observable tonight, use the Live Sky tools.

Quality & authority

38%

Unreviewed

Completeness: Complete
Source coverage: Complete
Citation coverage: None
Relationship coverage: Complete
Review coverage: None
Image coverage: None

Orbits and designations from the IAU Minor Planet Center and the NASA/JPL Small-Body Database. Unknown values are left blank. See source quality.

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C/1980 E1 (Bowell)

Hyperbolic (Solar-System origin)Weakly hyperbolic (e ≈ 1.06) after a Jupiter encounter

Sources

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

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.