Comet Skjellerup-Maristany
Encyclopedia
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. It was independently discovered by amateur astronomers John Francis Skjellerup
in Australia
on November 28, 1927 and Edmundo Maristany in Argentina
on December 6, 1927, and noted for its strong yellow
appearance, caused by emission from sodium
atoms.
Forward scatter
ing of light on December 15th and 16th of 1927 allowed the comet to be seen during daylight if the observer blocked the Sun. C/1927 X1 passed only 1.4° from the Sun on 1927-Dec-15.
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
which became very bright in 1927. This great comet
Great comet
A Great Comet is a comet that becomes exceptionally bright. There is no official definition; often the term will be attached to comets that become bright enough to be noticed by casual observers who are not actively looking for them, and become well known outside the astronomical community. Great...
was observable to the naked eye
Naked eye
The naked eye is a figure of speech referring to human visual perception unaided by a magnifying or light-collecting optical device, such as a telescope or microscope. Vision corrected to normal acuity using corrective lenses is considered "naked"...
for about 32 days. It was independently discovered by amateur astronomers John Francis Skjellerup
John Francis Skjellerup
John Francis Skjellerup was an Australian who spent about a decade working as a telegraphist in South Africa, and was an astronomer....
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on November 28, 1927 and Edmundo Maristany in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
on December 6, 1927, and noted for its strong yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
appearance, caused by emission from sodium
Sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...
atoms.
Forward scatter
Forward scatter
In telecommunication and astronomy, forward scatter is the deflection—by diffraction, nonhomogeneous refraction, or nonspecular reflection by particulate matter of dimensions that are large with respect to the wavelength in question but small with respect to the beam diameter—of a portion of an...
ing of light on December 15th and 16th of 1927 allowed the comet to be seen during daylight if the observer blocked the Sun. C/1927 X1 passed only 1.4° from the Sun on 1927-Dec-15.
External links
- Orbital simulation from JPL (Java) / Horizons Ephemeris