Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner is a periodic comet with an orbital period of about 6.6 years.
Discovered by Michel Giacobini in 1900 and later observed by Ernst Zinner in 1913, the comet is the parent body of the Draconid meteor shower, which occurs each year when Earth passes through the debris left behind by the comet.
The comet’s nucleus is relatively small, measuring about 2 kilometers in diameter. Its orbit brings it close to the Sun and then far out past Jupiter, which contributes to its periodicity and continued production of meteor streams.
When the comet reaches its perihelion (closest approach to the Sun), it sheds ice and rock particles into space. These particles enter Earth’s atmosphere as meteors, creating the Draconids.
21P/Giacobini-Zinner also holds significance in space exploration history.
In 1985, it became the first comet to be visited by a spacecraft, when the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) passed through its tail.
In 2024, as Earth passes through the debris left by this comet, it will result in the annual Draconid meteor shower. This comet is known for occasionally producing meteor storms, where thousands of meteors can be seen per hour. While such storms are rare, they occurred during the comet’s perihelion in 1933 and 1946.
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