C/1948 V1

This article is about the "Eclipse Comet of 1948". For the "Eclipse Comet of 1882", see X/1882 K1 (Tewfik).
C/1948 V1
The Eclipse Comet of 1948 photographed by W. C. Braun from the McDonald Observatory on November 14, 1948
Discovery
Discovery date1 November 1948
Designations
Eclipse Comet of 1948
1948 V1
1948 XI
Orbital characteristics[1][2]
Epoch10 January 1949 (JD 2432926.5)
Observation arc137 days
Number of
observations		17
Aphelion3,149.44 AU
Perihelion0.1354 AU
Semi-major axis1,574.79 AU
Eccentricity0.9999
Orbital period62,494.39 years
Inclination23.116°
211.043°
Argument of
periapsis		107.249°
Last perihelion27 October 1948
TJupiter0.423
Earth MOID0.1883 AU
Jupiter MOID1.8182 AU
Physical characteristics[3][4]
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		9.0
–1.0
(1948 apparition)

The Eclipse Comet of 1948, formally known as C/1948 V1, was an especially bright comet discovered during a solar eclipse on November 1, 1948. Although there have been several comets that have been seen during solar eclipses, the Eclipse Comet of 1948 is perhaps the best-known; it was however, best viewed only from the Southern Hemisphere.

When it was first discovered during totality, it was already quite bright, at magnitude –1.0; as it was near perihelion, this was its peak brightness.[5] Its visibility during morning twilight improved as it receded outward from the Sun; it peaked near zero magnitude, and at one point displayed a tail roughly 30 degrees in length, before falling below naked eye visibility by the end of December.[5]

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