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Comet 2P/Encke

Comet Encke was first discovered in 1786 by French astronomer Pierre François André Méchain (1744-1804), then in 1795 by Caroline Lucretia Herschel (1750-1848), and again in 1805 and 1818, both by Jean L. Pons (1761-1831). It was Johann Franz Encke (1791-1865) who, in 1819, was able to demonstrate that these four comets were identical; this was the second comet (after 1P/Halley) which was established as periodic, therefore designated "2P".

Comet 2P/Encke is the comet with the shortest known period of only 3.3 years (thus also the smallest orbit).

As of 2023, 65 apparitions of comet Encke have been observerd, more than for any other comet. For the future, the next apparitions/perihelion transits are expected for 2027, 2030, and 2033.

Links:

Observed and Future Apparitions of Comet 2P/Encke 
  Year  No  Comet Designations


  1786   1  2P/1786 B1  1786 I
  1789   -
  1792   -
  1795   2  2P/1795 V1  1795
  1799   -
  1802   -
  1805   3  2P/1805 U1  1805
  1809   -
  1812   -
  1815   -
  1819   4  2P/1818 W1  1819 I
  1822   5  2P/1822 L1  1822 II  
  1825   6  2P/  
  1829   7  2P/  
  1832   8  2P/  
  1835   9  2P/  
  1839  10  2P/  
  1842  11  2P/  
  1845  12  2P/  
  1849  13  2P/  
  1852  14  2P/  
  1855  15  2P/  
  1859  16  2P/  
  1862  17  2P/  
  1865  18  2P/  
  1868  19  2P/  
  1871  20  2P/  1871 V     1871c
  1875  21  2P/  1875 II    1875a
  1878  22  2P/  1878 II    1878c
  1881  23  2P/  1881 VII   1881d
  1885  24  2P/  1885 I     1884d
  1888  25  2P/  1888 II    1888b
  1892  26  2P/  1891 III   1891c
  1895  27  2P/  1895 I     1894d
  1898  28  2P/  1898 III   1898d
  1901  29  2P/  1901 II    1901b
  1905  30  2P/  1905 I     1904b
  1908  31  2P/  1908 I     1908b
  1911  32  2P/  1911 III   1911d
  1914  33  2P/  1914 VI    1914d
  1918  34  2P/  1918 I     1917c
  1921  35  2P/  1921 IV    1921d
  1924  36  2P/  1924 III   1924b
  1928  37  2P/  1928 II    1927h
  1931  38  2P/  1931 II    1931a
  1934  39  2P/  1934 III   1934a
  1937  40  2P/  1937 VI    1937h
  1941  41  2P/  1941 V     1941b
  1944   -
  1947  42  2P/  1947 XI    1947i
  1951  43  2P/  1951 III   1950e
  1954  44  2P/  1954 IX    1953f
  1957  45  2P/  1957 VIII  1957c
  1961  46  2P/  1961 I     1960i
  1964  47  2P/  1964 IV    1963h
  1967  48  2P/  1967 XIII  1967h
  1971  49  2P/  1971 II    1970l
  1974  50  2P/  1974 V
  1977  51  2P/  1977 XI
  1980  52  2P/  1980 XI
  1984  53  2P/  1984 VI
  1987  54  2P/  1987 XIII
  1990  55  2P/  1990 XXI
  1994  56  2P/  1994 V
  1997  57  2P/  
  2000  58  2P/  
  2004  59  2P/  
  2007  60  2P/  
  2010  61  2P/  
  2013  62  2P/  
  2017  63  2P/
  2020  64  2P/
  2023  65  2P/  
  2027  66  2P/
  2030  67  2P/
  2033  68  2P/

Johann Franz Encke (Sep 23, 1791 - Aug 26, 1865) came from Hamburg, Germany, and studied mathematics and astronomy under Gauss at Goettingen. From 1816 to 1825, he worked at Seeberg observatory, and in 1825, succeeded Johann Elert Bode as the director of the Berlin observatory and astronomer of the Berlin Academy of Sciences. After suffering a stroke in 1859, Encke retired to Spandau where he died in 1865.

Encke found the periodicity of "his" comet during his time at Seeberg; also at that time, he calculated the Sun's distance from observations of the Venus transits of 1761 and 1769. In 1837, he discovered a gap in Saturn's A ring, whch is since called Encke Division.

Hartmut Frommert [contact]

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