Discovery date December 6, 1927 Semi-major axis 1101 AU Discovered 6 December 1927 Last perihelion 18 December 1927 | Aphelion 2202 AU Orbital period 36,532 years Discoverer John Francis Skjellerup | |
Discovered by John Francis Skjellerup, Edmundo Maristany Alternativedesignations Great Comet of 1927, 1927 IX, 1927 X1 Epoch 1927-Dec-26(JD 2425240.5) People also search for C/2000 U5, C/1999 F1 | ||
Comet Skjellerup–Maristany, formally designated C/1927 X1, 1927 IX, and 1927k, was a long-period comet which became very bright in 1927. This great comet was observable to the naked eye for about 32 days. It was independently discovered by amateur astronomers John Francis Skjellerup in Australia on November 28, 1927 and Edmundo Maristany in Argentina on December 6, 1927, and noted for its strong yellow appearance, caused by emission from sodium atoms.
Forward scattering of light on December 15 and 16 of 1927 allowed the comet to be seen during daylight if the observer blocked the Sun. C/1927 X1 passed only 1.4° from the Sun on 1927-Dec-15.
It has been more than 105 AU from the Sun since 2010.
The comet was mentioned in J R R Tolkien's book Letters From Father Christmas.