 The Great Comet of the morning of 9 September 1769 over Nuremberg | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Charles Messier |
| Discovery date | 8 August 1769 |
| Designations | |
| Great Comet of 1769 | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | 2367454.6204 1769-Oct-08.1204[1] |
| Aphelion | 326.8 AU[1] |
| Perihelion | 0.1228 AU[1] |
| Semi-major axis | 163.5 AU[1] |
| Eccentricity | 0.99925[1] |
| Orbital period | ~2090 a[2] |
| Inclination | 40.73°[1] |
C/1769 P1 (Messier) is a long-period comet that was visible to the naked eye at its last apparition in 1769. The comet is classified as a great comet due to its superlative brightness.
- ^ a b c d e f "NASA JPL Small-Body Database Browser: C/1769 P1".
- ^ Hind, J. Russell (1852). "Professor Bessel". The comets: a descriptive treatise upon those bodies. London: John W. Parker and Son. p. 99.