188P/LINEAR-Mueller (0188P)

Type: Periodic Perihelion date: 13 April 2026 Perihelion distance (q): 2.5 Aphelion distance (Q) : 6.2 Period (years): 9.1 Eccentricity (e): 0.42 Inclination (i): 10.5 JPL orbit diagram COBS lightcurve Atlas 1998 S1 P/LINEAR-Mueller was discovered by Jean Mueller on 17 October 1998 on a 30-min exposure taken on 14 October with the 1.2-m Oschin Schmidt telescope at Palomar by K. Rykoski and Mueller in the course of Palomar Outer Solar System Ecliptic Survey. The comet was confirmed on 17 October and Gareth Williams later identified it with minor planets observed by LINEAR on 26 and 27 September and LONEOS on 17 September. The comet is of short period and had a close approach to Jupiter in 1992. Rob McNaught recovered the comet (designated 2007 J7) with the 0.5-m Uppsala Schmidt at Siding Spring on 13 May 2007 and Jim Scotti independently recovered it with the Spacewatch 1.8-m f/2.7 reflector at Kitt Peak on 26 June. Observations (VEMag = visual equivalent magnitude) Date 10x10 mag Error VEmag Coma ' 16-Jul-16 18.33 0.07 17.7 0.2 27-Aug-16 17.30 0.07 15.4 0.2 03-Sep-16 17.16 0.03 16.4 0.2 10-Sep-16 17.11 0.04 15.8 0.3 21-Sep-16 17.24 0.03 16.1 0.3 27-Sep-16 17.28 0.02 16.3 0.4 04-Oct-16 17.32 0.05 15.6 0.3 28-Oct-16 17.58 0.03 16.8 0.3 04-Nov-16 17.69 0.04 17.0 0.3 24-Nov-16 17.80 0.03 16.7 0.2 27-Dec-16 17.97 0.02 17.2 0.2 23-Jan-17 18.04 0.14 16.7 0.2 27-Oct-17 18.91 0.06 18.5 0.2 25-Dec-17 18.39 0.01 16.9 0.3 22-Jan-18 18.62 0.06 18.4 0.2