Great Comet of 1843
A painting of the Great Comet of 1843, as seen from Tasmania, by Mary Morton Allport | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovery date | 5 February 1843 |
| Designations | |
| 1843 I | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | 27 February 1843 (JD 2394259.411) |
| Observation arc | 45 days |
| Number of observations | 200 |
| Orbit type | Kreutz sungrazer (Population I) |
| Aphelion | ~156 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.00553 AU (1.19 R☉) |
| Semi-major axis | ~78 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.99993 |
| Orbital period | ~600–800 years |
| Max. orbital speed | 566.6 km/s |
| Inclination | 144.36° |
| 3.527° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 82.639° |
| Last perihelion | 27 February 1843 |
| TJupiter | 0.006 |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean radius | 24.75 km (15.38 mi) |
| Mass | 7.30×1017 kg |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 4.9 |
The Great Comet of 1843, formally designated C/1843 D1 and 1843 I, was a long-period comet which became very bright in March 1843 (it is also known as the Great March Comet). It was discovered on February 5, 1843, and rapidly brightened to become a great comet. It was a member of the Kreutz sungrazers, specifically the Population I subgroup that originated from the breakup of a large parent comet in February 1106. These comets pass extremely close to the surface of the Sun—within a few solar radii—and often become very bright as a result.