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137P/Shoemaker-Levy 2
Classification: Jupiter-family Comet          SPK-ID: 1000126
[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Discovery Circumstances ]

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Orbit Diagram
Note: Make sure you have Java enabled on your browser to see the applet. This applet is provided as a 3D orbit visualization tool. The applet was implemented using 2-body methods, and hence should not be used for determining accurate long-term trajectories (over several years or decades) or planetary encounter circumstances. For accurate long-term ephemerides, please instead use our Horizons system.
Orbit Viewer

Additional Notes: the orbits shown in the applet are color coded. The planets are white lines, and the asteroid/comet is a blue line. The bright white line indicates the portion of the orbit that is above the ecliptic plane, and the darker portion is below the ecliptic plane. Likewise for the asteroid/comet orbit, the light blue indicates the portion above the ecliptic plane, and the dark blue the portion below the ecliptic plane.

Orbit Viewer applet originally written and kindly provided by Osamu Ajiki (AstroArts), and further modified by Ron Baalke (JPL).


Orbital Elements at Epoch 2452000.5 (2001-Apr-01.0) TDB
Reference: JPL 11 (heliocentric ecliptic J2000)
 Element Value Uncertainty (1-sigma)   Units 
e 0.579516400421786 2.7233e-07  
a 4.44102065545412 3.2868e-07 AU
q 1.86737635100655 1.3115e-06 AU
i 4.65784975641412 2.6114e-05 deg
node 234.7527550297233 0.00037187 deg
peri 141.9161520025915 0.0003853 deg
M 44.27342058907264 5.3719e-05 deg
tp 2451580.099530016316
(2000-Feb-05.59953002)		 0.00046544 JED
period 3418.397927705642
9.36		 0.00037949
1.039e-06		 d
yr
n .1053124907086591 1.1691e-08 deg/d
Q 7.014664959901692 5.1915e-07 AU
   Orbit Determination Parameters
   # obs. used (total)      89  
   data-arc span      3809 days (10.43 yr)  
   first obs. used      1990-09-17  
   last obs. used      2001-02-20  
   planetary ephem.      DE405  
   SB-pert. ephem.      SB405-CPV-2  
   quality code      0  
   fit RMS      .68507  
   data source      ORB  
   producer      M.S.W. Keesey  
   solution date      2003-May-20 17:52:33  

Additional Information
 Earth MOID = .871205 AU 
 T_jup = 2.672 
[ show covariance matrix ]

[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Discovery Circumstances ]

Physical Parameter Table
Parameter Symbol Value Units Sigma Reference Notes
comet total magnitude M1 14. mag n/a ICQ 2001 Handbook  
comet total magnitude slope K1 6.0   n/a ICQ 2001 Handbook  
comet nuclear magnitude M2 15. mag n/a ICQ 2001 Handbook  
comet nuclear magnitude slope K2 5.0   n/a ICQ 2001 Handbook  
comet nuclear phase coefficient PC 0.03   n/a ICQ 2001 Handbook  
diameter diameter 5.8 km n/a DASTCOM value unverified

137P/Shoemaker-Levy 2           Discovered 1990-Oct-25 by Shoemaker, Carolyn S. at Palomar Mountain Observatory, California (675)
Reference: comet.disLast Updated: 2006--1-0-

Alternate Designations
 Perihelion 
Year (est.)		  New-Style 
Desig		 Roman
 Numeral 		 Year/
 Letter 
 2000.1   137P/1998 K6       
 1990.7   137P/1990 UL3   1990 XVI   1990p 
[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Discovery Circumstances ]
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