Astronomy:Comet Skjellerup–Maristany
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| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | John Francis Skjellerup, Edmundo Maristany |
| Discovery date | December 6, 1927 |
| Alternative designations | Great Comet of 1927, 1927 IX, 1927 X1 |
| Orbital characteristics A | |
| Epoch | 1927-Dec-26 (JD 2425240.5)[1] |
| Aphelion | 2202 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.1761 AU[1] |
| Semi-major axis | 1101 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.9998[1] |
| Orbital period | ~36600 yr |
| Inclination | 85.1°[1] |
| Last perihelion | December 18, 1927[1] |
| Next perihelion | unknown |
Comet Skjellerup–Maristany, formally designated C/1927 X1, 1927 IX, and 1927k, was a long-period comet which became very bright in 1927. This great comet was observable to the naked eye for about 32 days.[2] It was independently discovered by amateur astronomers John Francis Skjellerup in Australia on 28 November 1927 and Edmundo Maristany in Argentina on 6 December 1927, and noted for its strong yellow appearance, caused by emission from sodium atoms.
Forward scattering of light on 15–16 December 1927 allowed the comet to be seen during daylight if the observer blocked the Sun.[3] C/1927 X1 passed only 1.4° from the Sun on 15 December 1927.[4]
Comet Skjellerup–Maristany has been more than 105 astronomical unit|AU (15.7 billion km) from the Sun since 2010. It was mentioned in J. R. R. Tolkien's book Letters From Father Christmas.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: C/1927 X1 (Skjellerup-Maristany)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=1927X1.
- ↑ Donald K. Yeomans (April 2007). "Great Comets in History". Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology (Solar System Dynamics). http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/?great_comets.
- ↑ Marcus, Joseph N. (October 2007). "Forward-Scattering Enhancement of Comet Brightness. II. The Light Curve of C/2006 P1" (PDF). International Comet Quarterly. pp. 119–130. http://www.icq.eps.harvard.edu/marcus_icq29_119.pdf.
- ↑ Horizons output. "Observer Table for Comet C/1927 X1 (Skjellerup-Maristany)". http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi?find_body=1&body_group=sb&sstr=1927X1. (Observer Location:Geocentric [500])
External links
- Orbital simulation from JPL (Java) / Horizons Ephemeris
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