C/1881 K1

C/1881 K1
The great comet of 1881, chromolithograph by Trouvelot
Discovery
Discovered byJohn Tebbutt
Discovery date22 May 1881
Designations
C/1881 K1, 1881 III, 1881b, Great Comet of 1881, Comet Tebbutt
Orbital characteristics
Epoch2408248.4388
1881-Jun-16.9388[1]
Aphelion~359 AU[1]
Perihelion0.73455 AU[1]
Semi-major axis~180 AU[1]
Eccentricity0.9959[1]
Orbital period~2414 a[1]
Inclination63.4256°[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]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Orbital data for C/1881 K1, JPL Small-Body Database Browser
  2. ^ "THE GREAT COMET OF 1881". The South Australian Advertiser ( Adelaide, South Australia). 8 June 1881. letter from C. Todd
  3. ^ Les Grandes comètes du passé