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7P/Pons–Winnecke
	Comet Pons–Winnecke as seen in 2021 by ZTF
Discovery
Discovered by	Jean Louis Pons &; Friedrich Winnecke
Discovery date	June 12, 1819 &; March 9, 1858
Designations
Alternative designations	1858 E1, 1858 II, 1819 III,; 1927c, 1933b, 1939c,; 1945a, 1951c, 1964b,; 1970b, 1976f, 1983b,; 1989g
Orbital characteristics
Epoch	2023-02-25
Aphelion	5.59 AU
Perihelion	1.233 AU
Semi-major axis	3.41 AU
Eccentricity	0.6385
Orbital period	6.30 yrs
Inclination	22.373°
Last perihelion	May 27, 2021; January 30, 2015; September 26, 2008
Next perihelion	2027-Aug-25
Earth MOID	0.24 AU (36 million km)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	5.2 km

Epoch	Perihelion (AU)
Perihelion distance at different epochs^[4]
1819	0.77
1875	0.83
1886	0.89
1898	0.92
1909	0.97
1921	1.04
1933	1.10
1989	1.26
2027	1.13
2039	0.982
2062	0.847

7P/Pons–Winnecke (also known as Comet Pons–Winnecke) is a periodic Jupiter-family comet with a six-year orbit. Early calculations for the 1921 apparition suggested that the orbit of the comet might collide with Earth in June, but observations on 10 April ruled out an impact.^[6] It made a very close approach to Earth in June 1927.^[7] The outward migration of perihelion created impressive meteor showers in 1916, 1921 and 1927.^[8]

The next perihelion passage is 25 August 2027^[3] when the comet will have a solar elongation of 63 degrees. The last perihelion passage was 27 May 2021 when the comet had a solar elongation of 107 degrees at approximately apparent magnitude 11.^[2] It passed 0.44 AU (66 million km) from Earth on 12 June 2021. Before that it came to perihelion on 30 January 2015^[2] with a solar elongation of 24 degrees.^[9]

Jean Louis Pons (Marseille) originally discovered the comet on 12 June 1819, it was later rediscovered by Friedrich August Theodor Winnecke (Bonn) on 9 March 1858. It is the parent body of the June Bootids of late June.

7P has an orbital period of 6.3 years. It currently has a perihelion of 1.2 AU (outside the orbit of Earth) and an aphelion of 5.6 AU (past the orbit of Jupiter). It passed within 0.04 AU (6.0 million km; 16 LD) of Earth in June 1927, and 0.1 AU (15 million km) in 1939;^[5] but it will not come as close in the 21st century. A close approach to Jupiter in July 2037^[5] will drop perihelion to 0.982 AU, and by 2062 perihelion will be further reduced to 0.85 AU.^[4]

7P/Pons–Winnecke closest Earth approach on 2062-Jun-12^[5]
Date & time of closest approach	Earth distance (AU)	Sun distance (AU)	Velocity wrt Earth (km/s)	Velocity wrt Sun (km/s)	Uncertainty region (3-sigma)	Reference
2062-Jun-12 18:25 ± 10 min	0.1676 AU (25.07 million km; 15.58 million mi; 65.2 LD)	0.8499 AU (127.14 million km; 79.00 million mi; 330.8 LD)	16.3	42.5	± 312 km	Horizons

The comet nucleus is estimated at 5.2 km in diameter.^[5]

Proposed exploration

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory proposed a flyby of the comet with a flight spare of Mariner 4 with the closest approach taking place in 1969.^[10] The probe was instead used for a Venus flyby as Mariner 5.^[10]