Great Comet of 1402

C/1402 D1
The comet in the Augsburg Book of Miracles, ca 1552
Discovery
Discovery date8 February 1402
Designations
Great Comet of 1402
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch21 March 1402
Perihelion0.38 AU
Eccentricity~1.000 (assumed)
Inclination55.00°
126.00°
Argument of
periapsis		91.00°
Last perihelion21 March 1402
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		0–1[2]

The Great Comet of 1402 (designated as C/1402 D1 in modern nomenclature) was a bright comet seen between February and April 1402. The comet was reported to be visible in daylight for 8 days, the longest recorded for a comet.[2] The comet is mentioned in many chronicles, with most of them placing the comet in 1402, but it has been suggested that comets mentioned to be seen in 1401 and 1403 are in reality accounts with chronological errors of the great comet of 1402.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference JPL was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Cometography was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Helmolt was invoked but never defined (see the help page).