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Post Info TOPIC: Great Comet of 1807
Blobrana


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Comet C/1807 R1
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Imagine discovering a comet when it was already shining at 1st magnitude. The Italian astronomer Giovanni did just this when he found a comet in the evening twilight of 9th September, 1807, not far from the 1st magnitude blue-white Spica. It must have been a magnificent setting, as Venus, Mars, and Saturn were all nearby. Comet C/1807 R1 was independently discovered by many observers, including Pons, after it passed perihelion on 19th September at a distance of 0.65 AU from the Sun. By this time, the comet had moved into the midst of the evening planetary gathering.
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Blobrana


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RE: Great Comet of 1807
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Visible with the unaided eye from early in Sept. until late Dec.; T = 1807 September 19. Discovered in the evening twilight of September 9, not far from the bright star Spica. Comet of first magnitude with a short tail, moving toward the northeast. Late in the month, at first magnitude with a 7- to 8-degree tail. During the middle of October, when situated Serpens, still of first or second magnitude and sporting two tails, the longer of which spanned 10 degrees.
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Blobrana


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The Great Comet of 1807 was discovered by Parisi, an Augustinian monk, on 9 September, and eight days later independently by J.L. Pons (Hind, 1852). Kronk (2003) credits Castro Giovanni of Sicily with having discovered it in the evening twilight near the horizon in the west-southwest direction on September 9.7. It was a bright comet, distinctively visible to the naked eye, and was well observed by William Herschel. It passed perihelion on September 19.2389; q=0.646124 AU. In October itshowed up with two tails, a straight one >6° long and a relatively shorter curved one. It remained a naked-eye object throughout the months of October, November and even into December by which time it had dimmed. It was last observed on 27 March 1808 (Kronk, 2003).
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