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List of Periodic Comets

List of Periodic Comets - Astrology Encyclopedia

Definition of List of Periodic Comets The following lists of comets afford a basis for their further study:

Periodic Comets Period Distance from Sun* Incl. to Ecliptic Perihelion Passage

Barnard's (1884) ... 5.40 1.28 - 4.89 5�28' 1906.2

Barnard's (1892) ... 6.31 1.43 - 5.38 31�40' 1905.6

Biela's ............ 6.69 0.88 - 6.22 12�22' 1866.1

Brooks's ........... 7.10 1.96 - 5.43 6�04' 1903.9

Brorsen's .......... 5.46 0.59 - 5.61 29�24' 1890.2

Cunningham's ....... 1940.9

D'Arrest's ......... 6.69 1.33 - 5.77 15�43' 1897.4

DeVico-E. Swift's... 6.40 1.67 - 5.22 3�35' 1901.1

Donati's............5000. 1858.8

Encke's............. 3.30 0.34 - 4.09 12�36' 1905.1

Faye's.............. 7.39 1.65 - 5.94 10�38' 1903.4

Finlay's............ 6.56 0.97 - 6.04 3�03' 1900.2

Halley's............ 76.08 0.69 -35.22 162�13' 1910.3

Holmes's............ 6.87 2.13 - 5.1 20�48' 1899.3

Olters's............ 72.65 1.02 -33.62 44�34' 1887.8

Pons-Brooks's....... 71.56 0.78 -33.7 74�3' 1884.1

Temple's............ 6.54 2.09 - 4.90 10�47' 1898.8

Temple's............ 5.28 1.39 - 4.68 12�39' 1904.8

Temple-L. Swift's... 5.68 1.15 - 5.21 5�26' 1903.1

Tuttle's............ 13.67 1.02 -10.41 54�29' 1899.3

Winnecke's.......... 5.83 0.92 - 5.55 17� 1004.1

Wolf's.............. 6.82 1.59 - 5.60 25�15' 1905.3

*In terms of Earth's Mean Distance.

In terms of Earth's Mean Distance. Cunningham's Comet, first observed in 1940, had a tail of an estimated length of 60 million miles, pointing directly upward. It was of a magnitude of 1.7.

Halley's Comet, 1835 and 1910, is the most historic comet. Every appearance has been traced back to 240 B.C.

The head of Holmes's Comet had a diameter in excess of a million miles. It is one of the largest of record.

The great comet of 1843, which seems not to have been given a name, was apparently a Periodic Comet, with an orbit of 400 years. A tail 200 million miles in length, the longest tail of any comet of record, made it a sight of grandeur. Its perihelion distance, 300,000 miles, was extremely short, and carried it through the Sun's corona.

Non-Periodic Comets. Among the records of non-periodic comets are: Great comet of 1729. - The greatest of record, yet details are lacking. Its perihelion distance, approximately 384 million miles, over four times distance of sun to earth, brought it no closer to Sun than Jupiter's orbit, although it did go around the Sun. Had it come as close as the average comet, its splendor would have transcended that of any other comet.

De Cheseaux's Comet, 1744 - an unusual comet, six tails - Great Comet of 1811. The largest comet in actual size ever observed, except the 1729 comet of which little is known. The head was 1,125,000 miles in diameter - larger than the Sun. The tail was 100,000,000 miles in length. It was a magnificent sight. Its aphelion-distance was 14 times the distance of Neptune from the Sun. The wine in France was particularly good that season, and for years was famed as "Comet Wine."

Great Comet of 1861. Earth passed through the tail which subtended over 100� of arc. At one time the comet was brighter than any star or planet except Venus at its brightest, and a peculiar glow suffused the entire sky. One of the finest, probably the brightest comet. Could be seen in broad daylight, even at noon.

Morehouse's Comet, 1908, showed the most rapid variations in appearance - the tail changing so much from day to day that sometimes it could not be recognized as the same comet.

(Nicholas deVore - Encyclopedia of Astrology)

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