C/1847 T1

Last updated
C/1847 T1
Discovery
Discovered by Maria Mitchell
Discovery dateOctober 1847
Designations
Miss Mitchell's Comet
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 1847-Oct-26
(JD 2395960.5)
Number of
observations
77
Perihelion 0.329 au
Eccentricity 1.000172 [1]
Inclination 108.13°
Last perihelion1847-Nov-14

Miss Mitchell's Comet (formally designated C/1847 T1) is a non-periodic comet that American astronomer Maria Mitchell discovered in 1847. [2]

The discovery was initially credited to Francesco de Vico. Vico, observing from Rome, was the first to report the comet's discovery in Europe. However, Mitchell observed the comet two days before Vico did, so she became recognized as the comet's discoverer. [2] [3]

The comet had a weakly hyperbolic orbit solution while inside the planetary region of the Solar System. [1] An orbit solution when the comet is outside of the planetary region shows that the comet is bound to the Sun.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francesco de Vico</span>

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References

  1. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: C/1847 T1 (Mitchell)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 2019-09-25.
  2. 1 2 "Maria Mitchell Discovers a Comet". This Month in Physics History. American Physical Society . Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  3. "Comet". Maria Mitchell. Maria Mitchell Association. Retrieved November 1, 2012.