Comet Return Dates Table
| Comet | Period yr | Last perihelion | Next perihelion | Feeds shower |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2P/Encke | 3.304 | 22 Oct 2023 | 10 Feb 2027 | Taurids |
| 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko | 6.43 | 2 Nov 2021 | 9 Apr 2028 | none (Rosetta target) |
| 46P/Wirtanen | 5.43 | 12 Dec 2018 | 27 Oct 2029 | none |
| 55P/Tempel-Tuttle | 33.3 | 28 Feb 1998 | 25 Feb 2031 | Leonids |
| 21P/Giacobini-Zinner | 6.53 | 25 Mar 2025 | 30 Aug 2031 | Draconids |
| 1P/Halley | 74.7 | 8 Feb 1986 | 28 Jul 2061 | Orionids + Eta Aquariids |
| 109P/Swift-Tuttle | 133.3 | 12 Dec 1992 | 12 Jul 2126 | Perseids |
Seven periodic comets, next returns spanning 10 February 2027 (Encke) to 12 July 2126 (Swift-Tuttle), and the question everyone actually asks has a NASA-backed answer: Halley's Comet next passes perihelion on 28 July 2061, position and timing per JPL Horizons - the apparition should be better placed for viewing than the lopsided 1985-86 return.
Bottom line: every comet in this table is already paying you annual visits - as meteor showers. The Perseids every August are dust from Swift-Tuttle, the Orionids and Eta Aquariids are Halley's debris, the November Leonids trail Tempel-Tuttle, the Taurids come off Encke and the Draconids off Giacobini-Zinner. You do not wait 75 years for a piece of Halley; its gravel arrives every October.
The period column explains the calendar: Encke's 3.3-year lap is the shortest of any numbered comet, Tempel-Tuttle's 33 years gates the famous Leonid storm cycle, and Swift-Tuttle's 133-year absence is why the Perseids are the only ticket to its debris until 2126. Wirtanen and 67P carry no major shower but bookend the modern era - 46P was a naked-eye binocular comet in 2018, and 67P is the Rosetta lander target.
How to use
- Pick a comet to see its next perihelion date and a live day counter from today.
- Rows are ordered by next return - the soonest observable event first.
- Cross the shower column with the meteor shower calendar to catch a comet's debris the year before its actual return.
Frequently asked questions
When will Halley's Comet return?
Its next perihelion is 28 July 2061 - predicted position from JPL Horizons and published by NASA - with the following return around 27 March 2134. It last passed in February 1986, and the 2061 pass will be more favorably placed for observers.
Which comet returns soonest?
2P/Encke, on 10 February 2027. Its 3.304-year period is the shortest of any numbered comet, but it is a small, faint object even at perihelion (0.34 AU from the Sun) - do not expect a show; it has been seen at every return since 1818 except 1944.
Why do two comets both return in 2031?
Coincidence of independent clocks: 55P/Tempel-Tuttle (33.3-year period, last out in 1998) arrives 25 February 2031, and 21P/Giacobini-Zinner (6.53 years, last out March 2025) follows on 30 August 2031. Tempel-Tuttle's return is the one meteor watchers note, because fresh Leonid dust near its perihelion drives the roughly 33-year storm cycle.
Can I see comet debris without waiting decades?
Yes - that is the practical use of the shower column. August Perseids = Swift-Tuttle, October Orionids (and May Eta Aquariids) = Halley, November Leonids = Tempel-Tuttle, October Taurids = Encke, October Draconids = Giacobini-Zinner. Each shower is the comet's shed dust hitting the atmosphere.
What did Rosetta have to do with this table?
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is the only entry humanity has orbited and landed on - ESA's Rosetta mission 2014-2016. Its next perihelion is 9 April 2028, period 6.43 years, and it carries no major meteor shower.