88P/Howell

88P/Howell is a periodic comet with a 5.5 year orbital period. It was discovered on 29 August 1981, by Ellen Howell.[5] In 1975 the comet's perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) was 1.9 AU,[1] but a close approach to Jupiter in 1978[4] perturbed the perihelion distance closer to the Sun. During the 2009 apparition the comet became as bright as apparent magnitude 8.[2][6]

88P/Howell

Discovery
Discovered by	Ellen Howell
Discovery date	August 29, 1981
Designations
Alternative designations	1981 X; 1987 VI; 1993 II
Orbital characteristics
Epoch	March 6, 2006
Aphelion	4.865 AU
Perihelion	1.366 AU
Semi-major axis	3.116 AU
Eccentricity	0.5615
Orbital period	5.5 yr
Inclination	4.3831°
Last perihelion	2020-Sep-26[1] April 6, 2015[2][3]
Next perihelion	2026-03-18[1]
Earth MOID	0.35 AU (52 million km; 140 LD)
Jupiter MOID	0.46 AU (69 million km)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	4.4 km[4]

It last came to perihelion on 6 April 2015; the next perihelion will be on 26 September 2020.[2] On 14 September 2031 the comet will pass 0.074 AU (11.1 million km; 6.9 million mi) from Mars.[4] Between 2000–2050 the closest the comet will come to Earth is 0.76 AU (114 million km; 71 million mi) in June 2042.

In response to New Frontiers program call for Mission 4, a team from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL) submitted a mission concept proposal called Comet Rendezvous, Sample Acquisition, Investigation, and Return (CORSAIR) that would perform a sample return from comet 88P/Howell.[7][8]

During the 2020 apparition the comet has brightened to about apparent magnitude 10.7[6] and should reach magnitude 9.[2]