 The great comet of 1881, chromolithograph by Trouvelot | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | John Tebbutt |
| Discovery date | 22 May 1881 |
| Designations | |
| C/1881 K1, 1881 III, 1881b, Great Comet of 1881, Comet Tebbutt | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | 2408248.4388 1881-Jun-16.9388[1] |
| Aphelion | ~359 AU[1] |
| Perihelion | 0.73455 AU[1] |
| Semi-major axis | ~180 AU[1] |
| Eccentricity | 0.9959[1] |
| Orbital period | ~2414 a[1] |
| Inclination | 63.4256°[1] |
C/1881 K1 (also called the Great Comet of 1881, Comet Tebbutt, 1881 III, 1881b) is a long-period comet discovered by Australian amateur astronomer John Tebbutt on 22 May 1881[2] at Windsor, New South Wales. It is called a great comet because of its brightness at its last apparition.[3]
- ^ a b c d e f g Orbital data for C/1881 K1, JPL Small-Body Database Browser
- ^ "THE GREAT COMET OF 1881". The South Australian Advertiser ( Adelaide, South Australia). 8 June 1881. letter from C. Todd
- ^ Les Grandes comètes du passé