Periodic Comets: The Complete List

From backyard stargazers to professional observatories, tracking recurring visitors helps both planning and curiosity. A compact, sortable list makes it simple to see which comets return on human timescales and when they might be visible again.

There are 99 Periodic Comets, ranging from Arend to van Biesbroeck. The table is organized with Designation,Period (yr),Next perihelion (YYYY-MM-DD) so you can quickly compare orbital period and upcoming approaches; you’ll find below.

How should I interpret the “Next perihelion” dates?

“Next perihelion” is the predicted date when the comet reaches its closest point to the Sun; dates are given in YYYY-MM-DD and come from orbital solutions that can be refined with new observations, so treat them as good estimates but check ephemerides before planning.

Can I use this list to plan observations?

Yes—use the Designation and Period (yr) to identify short- versus long-period returners and the Next perihelion date to narrow observing windows, then consult current ephemerides and visibility charts (magnitude, altitude, local time) for exact observing opportunities.

Periodic Comets

Images and Descriptions

Halley

The most famous periodic comet, visible from Earth every 75-76 years. Its appearances have been recorded since ancient times. It is the only short-period comet regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and will return to the inner solar system in 2061.

Encke

This comet has the shortest orbital period of all known comets in our solar system, returning every 3.3 years. Discovered by Johann Franz Encke, it is the parent body of the Taurid meteor showers but rarely becomes bright enough to be seen without a telescope.

Biela

A famous “lost” comet that was observed splitting into two pieces in 1846 and has not been seen since 1852. It is believed to have completely disintegrated, creating the Andromedid meteor shower. The “D” signifies it is a defunct or lost comet.

Faye

Discovered in 1843 by Hervé Faye at the Paris Observatory, this is a member of the Jupiter family of comets. While it is a regular visitor to the inner solar system, it typically remains faint and requires a telescope to be observed from Earth.

Brorsen

Another “lost” comet, discovered in 1846 by Theodor Brorsen. It was observed for several returns but has not been seen since 1879 despite multiple search attempts. Its orbit was likely perturbed by Jupiter, causing it to disappear from its expected path.

d’Arrest

Discovered by Heinrich Louis d’Arrest in 1851, this Jupiter-family comet passes Earth’s orbit but is generally a faint object. Its 2021 apparition was one of its closest approaches to Earth in over a century, though it still required a telescope to view.

Pons-Winnecke

Discovered by Jean-Louis Pons and later recovered by Friedrich Winnecke, this comet’s orbit has been significantly altered by Jupiter. It was once the parent body of the June Bootid meteor shower, but the stream has largely shifted away from Earth’s path.

Tuttle

Discovered by Horace Parnell Tuttle, this comet is the parent body of the Ursid meteor shower, which occurs around the December solstice. It has a relatively stable orbit and returns to the inner solar system about every 13.6 years.

Tempel 1

Famously visited by two NASA spacecraft: Deep Impact in 2005, which sent an impactor into its surface, and Stardust in 2011. These missions provided incredible insights into the composition and structure of a cometary nucleus. It is a Jupiter-family comet.

Tempel 2

A short-period comet discovered by Ernst Tempel in 1873. It is a member of the Jupiter family and has been observed on numerous returns. It typically remains a faint telescopic object and is not known for dramatic outbursts or high brightness.

Tempel-Swift-LINEAR

Originally discovered in 1869, this comet was lost for over a century before being rediscovered in 2001 by the LINEAR survey. Its long absence was due to orbital perturbations by Jupiter. It’s a prime example of a “recovered” lost comet.

Pons-Brooks

A large Halley-type comet known for its spectacular outbursts of gas and dust, sometimes causing it to resemble a “horned” object. Its 2024 apparition made it a popular target for astronomers, becoming faintly visible to the naked eye under dark skies.

Olbers

A Halley-type comet discovered by Heinrich Olbers in 1815. It follows a long, elliptical path that takes it out past the orbit of Jupiter. Its apparitions are infrequent, with the next favorable one for Northern Hemisphere observers occurring in mid-2024.

Wolf

Discovered by Max Wolf in 1884, this Jupiter-family comet has had its orbit significantly altered by close passes with the gas giant. It’s a relatively faint object that has been observed consistently since its discovery.

Finlay

A Jupiter-family comet discovered by William Henry Finlay in 1886. It is known for occasional outbursts in brightness as it nears the Sun. In 2015, it was the target of a proposed flyby mission that was ultimately not selected by NASA.

Brooks 2

Discovered by the prolific comet hunter William R. Brooks in 1889. Shortly after its discovery, it was observed to have broken into several fragments, likely due to a close encounter with Jupiter in 1886 that also drastically shortened its orbital period.

Holmes

Famous for a colossal outburst in October 2007, when it brightened by nearly a million times in just 42 hours. It became a naked-eye object and its coma grew larger than the Sun, making it the largest object in the solar system for a time.

Perrine-Mrkos

A lost comet first discovered by Charles Dillon Perrine in 1896 and last seen by Antonín Mrkos in 1968. Despite numerous search efforts during subsequent perihelion passages, it has not been recovered and is now considered lost.

Borrelly

Visited by NASA’s Deep Space 1 spacecraft in 2001, which provided the best images of a comet’s nucleus at the time. The photos revealed a dark, bowling pin-shaped body with rugged terrain, jets of dust, and a very dark surface.

Westphal

Discovered in 1852 by J. G. Westphal, this Halley-type comet was observed to be fading and fragmenting during its 1913 return. It was never seen again and is now classified as a lost comet, likely having disintegrated completely.

Giacobini-Zinner

The parent body of the Draconid meteor shower, which can occasionally produce spectacular meteor storms. It was the first comet to be visited by a spacecraft, when the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) passed through its tail in 1985.

Kopff

A regular Jupiter-family comet discovered by August Kopff in 1906. It is a faint but reliable object for amateur astronomers to track during its apparitions. Its orbit is relatively stable for a short-period comet.

Brorsen-Metcalf

A Halley-type comet that was discovered independently by Theodor Brorsen (1847) and Joel Metcalf (1919). It is known for being relatively bright during its infrequent passages through the inner solar system, sometimes reaching naked-eye visibility.

Schaumasse

Discovered by Alexandre Schaumasse in 1911, this Jupiter-family comet is known for its unpredictable brightness. During some apparitions it is faint, while in others it can become bright enough to be seen with binoculars.

Neujmin 2

A lost comet discovered by Grigory Neujmin in 1916. It has not been seen since 1927 and is now considered lost. Its orbit was likely perturbed, and there is speculation it may be related to another periodic comet, 11P/Tempel-Swift-LINEAR.

Grigg-Skjellerup

The parent body of the Pi Puppid meteor shower, visible in the Southern Hemisphere. It was visited by the Giotto spacecraft in 1992 after its successful encounter with Halley’s Comet, making it the second comet visited by that probe.

Crommelin

Named after Andrew Crommelin, who calculated its orbit and linked three different comet apparitions (1818, 1873, and 1928) as the same object. It has a relatively long period for a short-period comet and is of the Halley-type.

Neujmin 1

A member of the Halley-family of comets discovered by Grigory Neujmin in 1913. It has a relatively large nucleus and low activity for its size, which makes it a challenging but consistent target for astronomers on its returns.

Schwassmann-Wachmann 1

A highly unusual comet with a nearly circular orbit that keeps it between Jupiter and Saturn. It is known for frequent and unpredictable outbursts, suddenly brightening by 100 times or more. It is in a continuous state of eruption.

Reinmuth 1

A Jupiter-family comet discovered by Karl Reinmuth in 1928. It is a faint object with a regular and predictable orbit, making it a good “test” object for amateur astronomers to locate and track with moderate-sized telescopes.

Schwassmann-Wachmann 2

Discovered by the same team as the more famous 29P, this is a more typical Jupiter-family comet. It follows a path that brings it inside the orbit of Mars, making it easier to observe than its nearly-circular-orbit cousin.

Comas Solà

Discovered in 1926 by Josep Comas Solà, this comet was initially mistaken for an asteroid due to its stellar appearance. Subsequent observations revealed its cometary nature. It is known for having a very distinct, fan-shaped tail.

Daniel

A Jupiter-family comet discovered by Zaccheus Daniel in 1909. For several decades it was considered lost, but it was successfully recovered in 1992. It generally remains a faint telescopic object throughout its apparitions.

Gale

A lost comet discovered by Walter Frederick Gale in 1927. It was observed again in 1938 but has not been seen since, despite multiple search campaigns. Its disappearance remains a mystery to astronomers.

Herschel-Rigollet

Discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1788 and recovered by Roger Rigollet in 1939. This comet has one of the longest orbital periods of any numbered short-period comet, taking over 150 years to circle the Sun.

Whipple

Discovered by Fred Lawrence Whipple in 1933, this is a faint Jupiter-family comet. It is notable for being the namesake of the “dirty snowball” model for cometary nuclei, a theory proposed by its discoverer that is now widely accepted.

Forbes

A Jupiter-family comet discovered by Alexander F. I. Forbes in 1929. It is a faint but reliable performer, returning to the inner solar system every 6.4 years. It remains a target primarily for astronomers with larger telescopes.

Stephan-Oterma

This comet has a chaotic orbit, alternating between a Jupiter-crossing path and a more distant one like a Centaur. It was discovered by Jérôme Coggia in 1867 and then lost until rediscovered by Liisi Oterma in 1942.

Oterma

Discovered by Liisi Oterma, this comet was once known as the “comet-asteroid” due to its almost circular orbit. A close encounter with Jupiter in 1963 dramatically changed its path, making it much harder to observe from Earth.

Väisälä 1

Discovered by Yrjö Väisälä in 1939, this comet was initially misidentified as an asteroid. It follows an orbit that can be perturbed by Jupiter, making its long-term path somewhat unpredictable. It is a faint object.

Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák

A small comet known for its very close pass to Earth in 2017. It is also known for being an “under-performer” in terms of brightness compared to predictions, and for a dramatic rotation period change observed during its 2017 apparition.

Neujmin 3

A Jupiter-family comet discovered by Grigory Neujmin in 1929. It has a relatively stable orbit and has been observed on most of its returns since discovery, though it always remains a faint target for telescopic observation.

Wolf-Harrington

This comet was discovered by Max Wolf in 1924, then lost, and then rediscovered by Robert G. Harrington in 1951. It is a regular visitor that can sometimes be spotted with large binoculars or small telescopes under dark skies.

Reinmuth 2

Another discovery by Karl Reinmuth, found in 1947. This Jupiter-family comet is a faint but predictable object, making it a reliable target for astronomers to track on its regular returns to the inner solar system.

Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková

Known for its very close approaches to Earth, such as the one in 2017. It is a small but active comet, often appearing as a distinctive blue-green smudge in telescopes due to the presence of diatomic carbon gas in its coma.

Wirtanen

This comet made a historically close approach to Earth in December 2018, coming within 7.1 million miles. It became a naked-eye object in dark skies and was the original target for the Rosetta mission before orbital changes made it unsuitable.

Ashbrook-Jackson

A Jupiter-family comet discovered independently by Joseph Ashbrook and Cyril Jackson in 1948. It follows a stable orbit and has been reliably observed at every return since its discovery, remaining a faint telescopic object.

Johnson

Discovered by Ernest Leonard Johnson in 1949, this is a regular visitor from the Jupiter family of comets. It is a faint object that follows a predictable path, making it a common subject for amateur astronomy projects.

Arend-Rigaux

This comet exhibits very low activity, making it appear almost asteroid-like for much of its orbit. It brightens and develops a faint coma only when it is very close to perihelion. It was discovered by Sylvain Arend and Fernand Rigaux in 1951.

Arend

Another discovery by Sylvain Arend in 1951. This comet is known for its relatively inactive nucleus, showing only a small, faint coma even at its brightest. It is a challenging object to observe for all but experienced astronomers.

Harington-Abell

Discovered on photographic plates from the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey by Robert G. Harrington and George O. Abell in 1955. The comet has a regular orbit and is a member of the Jupiter family.

Harington

Discovered by Robert G. Harrington in 1953, this Jupiter-family comet was lost for nearly 40 years before being recovered in 1992. Its orbit had been significantly altered by a close pass with Jupiter, which caused its temporary disappearance.

van Biesbroeck

An unusual comet that shares a very similar orbit with 42P/Neujmin 3. It is believed that both comets are fragments of a single parent body that split apart sometime in the 19th century.

de Vico-Swift-NEAT

A comet with a long history of being lost and recovered. Originally discovered in 1844, it was lost, found again in 1894, lost again, and finally recovered by the NEAT survey in 2002.

Tsuchinshan 1

This is the parent body of the spectacular Leonid meteor shower, which has produced some of the most intense meteor storms in recorded history. The comet itself is faint, but its debris trail creates the magnificent light show on Earth.

Slaughter-Burnham

A Jupiter-family comet discovered in 1959 by Charles D. Slaughter and Robert Burnham, Jr. It is a faint object that requires a significant telescope to observe and has been reliably tracked on its subsequent returns.

du Toit-Neujmin-Delporte

This comet is actually three discoveries of the same object by different astronomers over several decades, finally linked together in 1970. It is part of a complex orbital group and may be a fragment of a larger, disintegrated comet.

Jackson-Neujmin

A Jupiter-family comet discovered independently by Cyril Jackson and Grigory Neujmin in 1936. It has a regular and predictable orbit, allowing for consistent observations during its passages through the inner solar system.

Kearns-Kwee

Discovered in 1963 by Charles E. Kearns and Kiem King Kwee, this faint comet is a member of the Jupiter family. Its orbit is stable, and it has been observed on each return since its discovery.

Tsuchinshan 2

Discovered at the Purple Mountain (Tsuchinshan) Observatory in China in 1965. This is one of several comets discovered by the observatory that bear its name. It is a faint Jupiter-family comet.

Shajn-Schaldach

Discovered in 1949 by Pelageja Shajn and Robert D. Schaldach, this comet follows a typical orbit for a Jupiter-family member. It is a faint object, requiring telescopes for observation even at its brightest.

Tsuchinshan

Another 1965 discovery from the Purple Mountain (Tsuchinshan) Observatory. In late 2023 and early 2024, it became a popular target for amateur astronomers as it reached a peak brightness that made it visible in binoculars.

Wild 1

Discovered by Paul Wild in 1978, this is a faint Jupiter-family comet. It is notable for its relatively distant perihelion, which keeps it outside the orbit of Mars and prevents it from becoming very bright.

Swift-Gehrels

Originally discovered by Lewis Swift in 1889, this comet was lost for over 80 years before being rediscovered by Tom Gehrels in 1973. Its orbit had been significantly altered by Jupiter, causing it to go missing for decades.

Gunn

Discovered by James E. Gunn in 1970, this comet has a very low orbital inclination, meaning it orbits in nearly the same plane as the planets. It is a faint object and a member of the Jupiter family of comets.

Churyumov-Gerasimenko

The target of the European Space Agency’s groundbreaking Rosetta mission. The spacecraft orbited the comet for two years and deployed the Philae lander to its surface, providing unprecedented scientific data about cometary nuclei.

Klemola

Discovered by Arnold Richard Klemola in 1965, this is a faint Jupiter-family comet. Its orbit takes it from just inside the orbit of Jupiter to near the orbit of Mars.

Taylor

Discovered by Clement J. Taylor in 1915, this comet was lost for 62 years until it was recovered in 1977. Its disappearance was due to orbital perturbations from a close approach to Jupiter.

Kojima

A faint Jupiter-family comet discovered by Nobuhisa Kojima in 1970. It follows a predictable orbit and has been observed on each return since, though it remains a challenging target for amateur astronomers.

Clark

Discovered by Michael Clark in 1973 from the Mount John University Observatory in New Zealand. This short-period comet is known for its green coma and makes a close approach to Earth’s orbit, though not necessarily to Earth itself.

Denning-Fujikawa

Originally discovered by William F. Denning in 1881, this comet was lost for 97 years before being rediscovered by Shigehisa Fujikawa in 1978. It experienced a significant outburst in brightness during its 2014 return.

Schwassmann-Wachmann 3

A fascinating comet that began to disintegrate in 1995 and has continued to break apart during subsequent perihelion passages. Its debris stream produced the Tau Herculids meteor shower, which was intensely monitored in 2022.

Smirnova-Chernykh

Discovered in 1975 by Tamara Smirnova and Nikolai Chernykh, this object was initially classified as an asteroid. It was later found to have a faint coma, confirming its cometary nature. It is among the largest Jupiter-family comets known.

Kohoutek

A short-period comet discovered by Luboš Kohoutek, not to be confused with the “Great Comet” C/1973 E1 Kohoutek. This is a much fainter, more regular visitor belonging to the Jupiter family.

West-Kohoutek-Ikemura

This comet’s name reflects its complex discovery history, with observations by Richard West, Luboš Kohoutek, and Toshihiko Ikemura all contributing to the confirmation of its orbit. It is a faint, regular visitor.

Longmore

Discovered by Andrew J. Longmore in 1975 from the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia. It is a faint Jupiter-family comet with a predictable orbit that has allowed it to be observed on every return.

Gehrels 2

A Jupiter-family comet discovered by Tom Gehrels in 1972 on photographic plates from the Palomar Observatory. It is a faint but reliable target for astronomers during its apparitions every eight years.

du Toit-Hartley

This comet was discovered in 1945 but then lost. It was rediscovered in 1982 by Malcolm Hartley. It is believed to have split into two main components that now travel on slightly different orbits.

Peters-Hartley

Discovered in 1846 by Christian Peters and then lost for 136 years until its recovery by Malcolm Hartley in 1982. Its long disappearance was due to a significant orbital change caused by Jupiter.

Wild 2

The target of NASA’s Stardust mission, which successfully collected dust samples from its coma and returned them to Earth in 2006. Analysis revealed a surprising mix of materials formed at both high and low temperatures.

Gehrels 3

A long-period Jupiter-family comet discovered by Tom Gehrels in 1975. Its orbit is more elongated than that of typical Jupiter-family comets, taking it out to the orbit of Saturn.

Russell 1

Discovered by Kenneth S. Russell at the Siding Spring Observatory in 1979. It is a regular visitor to the inner solar system, though it remains a faint object best seen with large amateur or professional telescopes.

Giclas

A Jupiter-family comet discovered in 1978 by Henry L. Giclas. It has been observed on each of its subsequent returns and follows a stable, predictable orbit. It is a faint object for observers.

Boethin

Discovered by amateur astronomer Leo Boethin in 1975. This comet was the original target for NASA’s Deep Impact extended mission (EPOXI), but it could not be located in 2008 and was presumed to have disintegrated.

Wild 3

Discovered by Paul Wild in 1980, this is another of his Jupiter-family comet discoveries. It is a faint object that follows a regular orbit, making it a reliable but challenging target for astronomers.

Bus

Discovered in 1981 by Schelte J. “Bobby” Bus, a prolific discoverer of asteroids and comets. It is a member of the Jupiter family and follows a path typical for such comets, remaining faint throughout its orbit.

Howell

A short-period comet discovered by Ellen Howell in 1981. It has made several close approaches to Jupiter, which have altered its orbit over time. It can occasionally become bright enough to be seen in small telescopes.

Russell 2

Another comet discovered by Kenneth S. Russell, this one in 1980. It is a faint Jupiter-family comet with a stable orbit that has allowed it to be consistently tracked since its discovery.

Tuttle-LINEAR-Puckett

This comet has a complex name reflecting its repeated independent discoveries. It shares a nearly identical orbit with 8P/Tuttle and is now believed to be a large fragment that broke off from 8P/Tuttle centuries ago.

Schwassmann-Wachmann

This is likely the largest fragment of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3. It is the component that has been consistently observed since the comet was first seen to be breaking apart.

Russell 3

Originally designated 92P/Russell 3, its definitive discovery was credited to Juan G. Sanguin in 1977. It is a Jupiter-family comet that remains a faint object throughout its orbit.

Lovas 1

Discovered by Miklós Lovas in 1980, this Jupiter-family comet has a regular orbit and has been observed on each return. It is a faint comet requiring a telescope for observation.

Russell 4

The fourth numbered periodic comet discovered by Kenneth S. Russell, found in 1984. It is a typical faint Jupiter-family comet that has had its orbit shaped by the gravitational influence of the gas giant.

Chiron

An unusual object known as a Centaur, orbiting between Saturn and Uranus. It was the first object discovered in this region to show cometary activity, displaying a faint coma. It is also classified as minor planet 2060.

Machholz 1

A very unusual short-period comet discovered by amateur astronomer Donald Machholz. It has an extremely small perihelion distance, taking it closer to the Sun than Mercury, and a composition different from most other comets.

Metcalf-Brewington

Discovered in 1906 but then lost, it was recovered by amateur astronomer Howard J. Brewington in 1991. Its orbit is somewhat chaotic due to the influence of Jupiter, which caused its long disappearance.

Takamizawa

A Jupiter-family comet discovered by Kesao Takamizawa in 1984. It is a faint object with a regular orbit that brings it back to the inner solar system every 7.3 years.

Belehradek

Discovered by Antonín Mrkos in 1956 and independently found by Stanislav Belehrádek in 1955. It is a faint Jupiter-family comet with a stable and predictable orbit.

Hartley 1

The 100th numbered periodic comet, discovered by Malcolm Hartley in 1985. It is a member of the Jupiter family and follows a predictable orbit, though it remains a faint object best suited for telescopic viewing.