Comet Skjellerup–Maristany

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.[2] It was independently discovered by amateur astronomers John Francis Skjellerup in Australia on 28 November 1927 and Edmundo Maristany in Argentina on 6 December 1927, and noted for its strong yellow appearance, caused by emission from sodium atoms.

C/1927 X1 (Skjellerup-Maristany)

Discovery
Discovered by	John Francis Skjellerup, Edmundo Maristany
Discovery date	December 6, 1927
Designations
Alternative designations	Great Comet of 1927, 1927 IX, 1927 X1
Orbital characteristics
Epoch	1927-Dec-26 (JD 2425240.5)[1]
Aphelion	2202 AU
Perihelion	0.1761 AU[1]
Semi-major axis	1101 AU
Eccentricity	0.9998[1]
Orbital period	~36600 yr
Inclination	85.1°[1]
Last perihelion	December 18, 1927[1]
Next perihelion	unknown

Forward scattering of light on 15–16 December 1927 allowed the comet to be seen during daylight if the observer blocked the Sun.[3] C/1927 X1 passed only 1.4° from the Sun on 15 December 1927.[4]

Comet Skjellerup–Maristany has been more than 105 AU (15.7 billion km) from the Sun since 2010. It was mentioned in J. R. R. Tolkien's book Letters From Father Christmas.