When a body, like Chiron, is discovered, and thought to be a minor planet, it is given a minor planet number. Then, if it is later discovered to manifest some cometary activity, it is also given a comet number.
But this Centaur was first seen as Comet 29p/SchwassmannWachmann 1. Only in recent years have the decided it was a Centaur, and so it will not be given a minor planet number. However, that doesn't make studying it any less important.
It's orbit has a very small eccentricity (0.0447), which makes it almost a perfect circle. It hasa perihelion of 5.777 au and an aphelion of 6.318 au. It's most recent perihelion was on March 7, 2019, and it is heading towards aphelion which it will reach in mid-2026.
One orbit of 29p is 14.87 years. It's orbit is inclined to the ecliptic 9.364 degrees. As Centaurs go it is fairly large, about 60km, only 5 are larger (10199 Chariklo, 2060 Chiron, (54598) Bienor, (32532) Thereus, and (52872) Okyrhoe (which is just slightly bigger than 29p.)
is known for its highly active and regular outbursts of gas and other materials. 29p has astronomers really intrigued by a rather unique trait - it is known for its highly active and regular outbursts of gas and other materials. These outbursts vary in intensity every six to eight weeks, making 29P one of the most active objects in the outer Solar System!It averages 7.3 outbursts per year, sometimes increasing brightness a thousandfold. In a recent article it was mentioned that this was so intriguing that Hubble turned its attention to this body. NASA's Webb Reveals Unusual Jets of Volatile Gas from Icy Centaur 29P
Astronomers aren't going to name it, but perhaps after we study it for awhile, astrologers might find a Centaur name that is fitting.
It takes Jupiter a little less than 12 years to go once around the Sun, while 29p takes a little less than 15 years. So conjunctions between them are few and far between. In the past 100 years, they only made two exact conjunctions: July 7, 1930 at 2 Can 20, and April 18, 1976 at 5 Tau 24. (There won't be another until the year 2036.) Because the first body designated a Centaur was Chiron, out of impulse I thought I would see where 29p was in the Chiron Discovery chart. I am not sure what it means, but on the date, 29p was in the first house at 11 Cap 02 opposing the Moon at 12 Can 31, turning the opposition of Pluto 15 Lib 03 conj NN 14 Lib 58 to Eris 13 Ari 41 conj SN into a grand square.
In the US chart, there is a close conjunction between 29p 11 Aqu 09 and Pallas 11 Aqu 30, trine Mars 11 Lib 01.
Australia's a fairly young country. The chart for the Australia Federation is set for Jan 1, 1901, 1:35 pm in Sydney, which gives it an Aquarius MC. One of Aquarius' rulers, Uranus, was 14 Sag 18 in the 8th, only 26 minutes from 29p at 13 Sag 52. And these two oppose Pluto 16 Gem 15 in the 2nd.
Click here Centaur29p, to find out how to discover where you have this Centaur.
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