C/1915 C1 (Mellish)

C/1915 C1 (Mellish)
Comet Mellish photographed by Harry E. Wood from the Union Observatory in June 1915
Discovery
Discovered byJohn E. Mellish
Discovery date10 February 1915
Designations
1915a[1]
1915 II
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch30 June 1915 (JD 2420678.5)
Observation arc376 days (1.03 years)
Number of
observations		94
Perihelion1.0053 AU
Semi-major axis–3,663.395 AU
Eccentricity1.00027
Inclination54.792°
73.453°
Argument of
periapsis		247.782°
Last perihelion17 July 1915
Earth MOID0.3339 AU
Jupiter MOID0.9970 AU
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		7.7

C/1915 C1 is one of five comets discovered by American astronomer John E. Mellish. It is a hyperbolic comet that reached perihelion on July 17, 1915. However, just two months earlier, Edward E. Barnard had reported the comet had splitted into three distinct objects in May 12,[3] later increasing to four by May 24.[4] In addition, it is thought that this comet was the parent body of the June Lyrids meteor shower, which was first discovered in 1966.[5][6]

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