pieces labeled 73P-A, B, C and D. As of March 2006, at least eight fragments were known: B, C, G, H, J, L, M and N. On April 18, 2006, the Hubble Space Telescope recorded dozens of pieces of fragments B and G. It appears that the comet may eventually disintegrate completely and cease to be observable (as did 3D/Biela in the 19th century), in which case its designation would change from 73P to 73D. In May 2006, it was known to have split into at least 66 separate objects. In April 2006, fragment C was the largest and the presumed principal remnant of the original nucleus. The fragments passed Earth in May 2006, with the comet coming nearest to Earth on May 12 at a distance of , a close pass in astronomical terms though with no significant threat of debris–Earth collision. With a 34-day observation arc fragment 73P-T was known to pass Earth on May 16 at roughly a distance of . In 1930 when the comet passed Earth that close, there was a meteor shower on June 9 with as many as 100 meteors per hour. Analysis by P. A. Wiegert et al. suggested that a recurrence of that spectacle was unlikely. Over many decades the fragments of 73P from 1995 and 2006 will disperse over the orbital path of 73P as they are all moving at a slightly different speed. Known fragments of 73P have orbital periods of 4.7 years (73P-AJ) to 6.1 years (73P-Y). While the main fragment of 73P came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 25 August 2022 when it was 1 AU from Earth, fragment 73P-Y was near the orbit of Jupiter about from Earth. The non-primary fragment 73P-BT which has an observation arc of 250 days from February 2017 to October 2017 and (if it had survived) was expected to come to perihelion on 26 August 2022. On 23 July 2022 fragments JD001 (73P-BU) and JD002 (73P-BV) were detected and came to perihelion on 24 August 2022. Three additional fragments "BW, BX, and BY" that were discovered in mid-August were announced on 2 September 2022. 73P-BX had a 9-day observation arc giving it the longest observation arc of the five fragments discovered in 2022. The comet was to have been visited by the CONTOUR comet nucleus probe on June 18, 2006, but contact with the probe was lost on