169P/NEAT

169/NEAT is a periodic comet in the Solar System. It is the parent body of the alpha Capricornids meteor shower in Late July. 169/NEAT may be related to comet P/2003 T12 (SOHO). 169P is a low activity comet roughly a few kilometers in diameter. It could have originated from the main asteroid belt.

It last came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 9 July 2022. On 13 July 2022 passed 0.1395 AU from Venus. On 11 August 2026 it will pass 0.1672 AU from Earth and then come to perihelion on 21 September 2026.

169P has a similar stable orbit with the smaller body P/2003 T12 (SOHO), both avoiding close encounters with Jupiter. It is possible that both comets likely fragmented from a parent body a bit over 2000 years ago. A further fragmentation even about 4,500 to 5,000 years ago could have produced the meteors of the alpha Capricornids meteor shower. The total estimated mass of the meteors is similar to that of the surviving comet.