Comet Data


The following page contains data sets and tools related to comet missions. The IPDA maintains a glossary of agency acronyms. Links will open in a new tab.

Comet Missions

Mission NameComet EncounteredAgencyDataset Interval or Flyby TimesLocation of Information or Data
Vega 11P/1682 Q1 (Halley 1)IntercosmosFebruary 28, 1986 – March 7, 1989 (March 6 closest approach)NASA PDS/SBN
Suisei1P/1682 Q1 (Halley 1)ISAS (now part of JAXA)March 3, 1986 – March 13, 1986NASA PDS/SBN
Vega 21P/1682 Q1 (Halley 1)IntercosmosMarch 7, 1986 – March 19, 1986 (March 9 closest approach)NASA PDS/SBN
Giotto1P/1682 Q1 (Halley 1)ESAMarch 12, 1986 – March 15, 1986ESA/PSA
NASA PDS/SBN
Sakigake1P/1682 Q1 (Halley 1)ISAS (now part of JAXA)March 11, 1986NASA PDS/SBN
Giotto Extended Mission (GEM)26P/1922 K1 (Grigg-Skjellerup 1)ESAJuly 9, 1992 – July 11, 1992NASA PDS/SBN
AMDA/CDPP
Deep Space 119P/1904 Y2 (Borrelly 1)NASASeptember 22, 2001(closest approach)NASA PDS/SBN
Stardust81P/1978 A2 (Wild 2)NASANovember 2003 through January 2004 (closest approach on January 2)NASA PDS/SBN
Deep Impact9P/1867 G1 (Tempel 1)NASAMay through July 2005 (encounter on July 4)NASA PDS/SBN
Stardust NExT9P/1867 G1 (Tempel 1)NASADecember 2010 through February 2011 (closest approach on the 15 of February)NASA PDS/SBN
EPOXI103P/1986 E2 (Hartley 2)NASASeptember through November 2010 (encounter on November 4)NASA PDS/SBN
EPOXIC/2009 P1 (Garradd)NASAFebruary 20, 2012 – March 9, 2012NASA PDS/SBN
EPOXIC/2012 S1 (ISON)NASAJanuary 17, 2013 – March 15, 2013NASA PDS/SBN
Rosetta Mission9P/1867 G1 (Tempel 1)ESAJune 28 through July 14, 2005NASA PDS/SBN
ESA/PSA
AMDA/CDPP
Rosetta Mission67P/1969 R1 (Churyumov-Gerasimenko 1)ESAMay 2014 through September 30, 2016NASA PDS/SBN
Philae67P/1969 R1 (Churyumov-Gerasimenko 1)ESANovember 12, 2014 – July 9, 2015ESA/PSA
ESA/PSA
Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science (BOPPS)C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring)NASASeptember 25, 2014 – September 26, 2014NASA PDS/SBN
BOPPSC/2012 K1 (PanSTARRS)NASASeptember 25 through September 26, 2014NASA PDS/SBN
BOPPSC/2014 E2 (Jacques)NASASeptember 25 through September 26, 2014NASA PDS/SBN
NEOWISEAsteroidsNASAStart April 24, 1990NASA PDS/SBN
Comet InterceptorselectedESA and JAXALaunch 2029ESA

Non-Comet Missions with Comet Data

Mission NameComet EncounteredAgencyDataset Interval or Flyby TimesLocation of Information or Data
International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE)Surveys of 49 CometsNASA/ESA/SERCOctober 15, 1978 through March 27, 1996NASA PDS/SBN
Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS)9P/1867 G1 (Tempel 1)NASAJune 18, 1983 through October 8, 1983NASA PDS/SBN
International Cometary Explorer (ICE)21P/1900 Y1 (Giacobini-Zinner 1)NASASeptember 8, through September 14, 1985NASA PDS/SBN
NASA PDS/PPI
AMDA/CDPP
GalileoD/1993 F2 (Shoemaker-Levy 9)NASAJuly 17, 1993 through August 14, 1994NASA PDS/SBN
Hubble Space TelescopeD/1993 F2 (Shoemaker-Levy 9)NASAJuly 17, 1993 through August 14, 1994NASA PDS/SBN
International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE)D/1993 F2 (Shoemaker-Levy 9)NASAJuly 17, 1993 through August 14, 1994NASA PDS/SBN
Mid-Course Space Experiment (MSX)Survey of 8 CometsBMDO (Ballistic Missile Defense Organization)July 24, 1996 through February 2, 1997NASA PDS/SBN
Solar & Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)Surveys of 913 C/SOHO CometsESA and NASA1996 through 2005NASA PDS/SBN
Spitzer Space TelescopeSurvey of 33 CometsNASANovember 23, 2003 through April 4, 2009NASA PDS/SBN
List of IUE, MSX, SOHO, and Spitzer comments can be found here.

Additional Comet Data Sets and Tools

Product NameAgencyLocation of Information or Data
PDS/SBN Ferret toolNASANASA PDS/SBN
PDS/SBN Data set listing by CometsNASANASA PDS/SBN
OH 18-cm line databaseParis ObservatoryNançay Radio Telescope
MPC SBN AnnexNASANASA PDS/SBN
CATCH NASANASANASA PDS/SBN
SBIB NASANASANASA PDS/SBN
SBMT NASANASANASA PDS/SBN
Comet Cross-Id utility NASANASANASA PDS/SBN
Navigation and Related Observation GeometryNASANASA PDS/NAIF