C/1680 V1

Infobox Comet
name=C/1680 V1


discoverer=Gottfried Kirch
discovery_date=1680
designations=Great Comet of 1680, 1680 V1
epoch=2335000.5
semimajor=444 AU
perihelion=0.00622 AU
aphelion=889 AU
eccentricity=0.999986
period=~9356 a
inclination= 60.7°
last_p=November 14, 1680
next_p=~11036

The Great Comet of 1680, formally known as C/1680 V1 or Kirch's Comet, has the distinction of being the first comet discovered by telescope. Discovered by Gottfried Kirch on November 14, 1680, it became one of the brightest comets of the 17th century--reputedly visible even in daytime--and was noted for its spectacularly long tail. [cite web | url=http://home.att.net/~jwwerner51/Comet.html | title=The Great Comet of 1680 | author=James W. Werner | accessdate=2006-02-05] Passing only 0.4 AUs from Earth on November 30, it sped around an incredibly close perihelion of .006 AU (898,000 km on December 18, 1680, reaching its peak brightness on December 29 as it rushed outward again. [cite web | url=http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/data/ELEMENTS.COMET | title=JPL DASTCOM Comet Orbital Elements | accessdate=2006-02-05] [cite web | url=http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/?great_comets | title=Great Comets in History | author=Donald Yeomans | accessdate=2007-08-01] It was last observed on March 19, 1681. [JPL Small Body. Retrieved on 2008-04-16.] As of June 2008 the comet was about 252 A.U. from the Sun. [NASA. [http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=1680+V1&orb=1 JPL Small-body database browser] approximate orbit plot. (needs Java)] [NASA. [http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi?find_body=1&body_group=sb&sstr=C/1680%20V1 JPL HORIZONS current ephemeris] more accurate position, no plot.]

While the Kirch Comet of 1680-1681 was discovered and subsequently named for Gottfried KIRCH, credit must also be given to the Jesuit, Eusebio Francisco KINO (1645-1711), who charted the comet’s course. During his delayed departure for Mexico, KINO began his observations of the comet in Cadíz in late 1680. Upon his arrival in Mexico City, he published his "Exposisión astronómica de el [sic] cometa" (Mexico City, 1681) in which he presented his findings. KINO’s "Exposisión astronómica" is among one of the earliest scientific treaties published by a European in the New World. [H. E. BOLTON. "Kino’s Historical Memoir of the Pimería Alta". Cleveland, OH (USA): Arthur H. Clark, 1919. Reprint 1949.]

Although it was an undeniably a sungrazing comet, it was probably not part of the Kreutz family. [cite web | url=http://home.earthlink.net/~tonyhoffman/SOHOfaq.htm | title=A SOHO and Sungrazing Comet FAQ | author=Tony Hoffman | accessdate=2006-02-06] Aside from its brilliance, it is probably most noted for being used by Isaac Newton to test and verify Kepler's laws. [cite web | url=http://www.knowledgerush.com/paginated_txt/3hsci10/3hsci10_s1_p49_pages.html | title=A History of Science, Vol. 3. | author=Henry Smith Williams | accessdate=2006-02-05]

References

sk:C/1680 V1