Tempel-Tuttle Comet
CategoryComet
SystemSolar System
Diameter3.6 km
Orbital Period33 years
About Tempel-Tuttle Comet
Parent body of the Leonid meteor shower. Discovered independently by Wilhelm Tempel in 1865 and Horace Tuttle in 1866. Returns to the inner solar system every 33 years. The great Leonid storms of 1833 and 1966 produced tens of thousands of meteors per hour. Its clumpy debris trail creates storm years.
More Comets
Halley Comet
The most famous comet, visible from Earth every 75 to 79 years. Last appeared in 1986, nex...
Encke Comet
The comet with the shortest known orbital period, circling the Sun every 3.3 years. Second...
Hale-Bopp Comet
The Great Comet of 1997, visible to the naked eye for a record 18 months. Discovered indep...
Swift-Tuttle Comet
Parent body of the Perseid meteor shower, the best annual display of shooting stars. Disco...