X / 891 J1

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X / 891 J1
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Date of discovery 10. - 12. May 891

X / 891 J1 is a comet that could be seen with the naked eye in 891 . He is counted among the " great comets ".

Discovery and observation

The Chinese chronicle Xīn Táng Shū from the 11th century reports that on May 12th, 891 a “broom star ” was seen in the constellation Great Bear . He moved eastward through the constellation Bootes , went to Arcturus over to the area of the constellation snake and had a tail of about 100 ° length. He was observed until July 5th.

The comet can also be found many times in the chronicles of other cultures. The Japanese reported in a text from the 18th century of a “guest star” on May 11th, as did the Muslim chronicles al-Muntaẓam fī tārīḫi l-mulūk wa-l-umam by Ibn al-Ǧawziyy and al-Kāmil fī at -tārīḫ of Ibn al-Athīr from Iraq of the 13th century report on the year 278 AD (April 14, 891– April 1, 892):

«و فيها ظهر كوكب ذو جمة ، وصارت الجمة ذؤابة."

"Wa fīhā ẓahar kawkab ḏū ǧumma, wa ṣārat al-ǧumma ḏuʾāba."

"In it a star appeared with a mop of hair, and the mop of hair became a mane."

- Ibn al-Athīr : al-Kāmil fī at-tārīḫ

Several European texts report that the comet appeared around the time of the supplication processions before Ascension , i.e. in that year from 10 to 12 May, such as the English texts Chronicon ex Chronicis by John of Worcester and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle from the 12th century , as well as the Chronica maiora by Matthew Paris from the 13th century.

“AD 891. […] And the same year after Easter, about the gang-days or before, appeared the star that men in book-Latin call cometa : some men say that in English it may be termed hairy star ; for that there standeth off from it a long gleam of light, whilom on one side, whilom on each. "

“And in the same year after Easter (April 4th), around the petition days or before, the star appeared, which people call cometa in Latin . Some people say that it can be called a hair star in English because a long glimmer of light sticks out from it, sometimes on one side and sometimes on each side. "

- The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

“Anno Domini DCCCXCI. [...] Eodem anno circa tempus Rogationum cometa apparuit, quae Anglice Vexede sterre nuncupatur. "

"AD 891. [...] In the same year around the time of the supplication days, a comet appeared which the English call a hair star ."

- Matthew Paris : Chronica maiora

Other European texts, such as the Swiss text Annales Alamannici and the Belgian text Annales Laubacenses from the 10th century , as well as the German text Annales Corbeienses from the 12th century, report a comet and a solar eclipse for the year 891 . The annular solar eclipse in Europe over France, Switzerland, northeast Italy and the Balkans occurred on August 8th.

Orbit

Due to the uncertain initial data, no orbital elements have yet been determined for this comet . However, the long tail length indicates that the comet may have come quite close to Earth during the time it was visible .

See also

Individual evidence

  1. J. Williams: Observations of Comets, from BC 611 to AD 1640. Strangeways and Walden, London 1871, pp. 51-52 ( PDF, 20.93 MB ).
  2. Ibn al-Athīr: al-Kāmil fī at-tārīḫ. Vol. 6. Dāru l-kitābi l-ʿilmiyya, Beirut 1987, p. 367 ( PDF; 10.47 MB ).
  3. ^ AG Pingré: Cométographie ou Traité historique et théorique des comètes. Tome I. Imprimerie Royale, Paris 1783, pp. 350–351, 616 ( PDF; 56.49 MB ).
  4. ^ The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Part 2: AD 750 - 919 ( online ).
  5. ^ M. Paris: Chronica maiora. In: HR Luard (Ed.): Rerum Britannicarum Mediiævi Scriptores. London 1872, p. 428 ( online ).
  6. ^ GW Kronk: Cometography - A Catalog of Comets, Volume 1. Ancient - 1799 . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1999, ISBN 978-0-521-58504-0 , p. 140.
  7. F. Espenak: NASA Eclipse Web Site: Annular Solar Eclipse of 891 August 08. Retrieved on July 19, 2016 (English).
  8. ^ DAJ Seargent: The Greatest Comets in History: Broom Stars and Celestial Scimitars . Springer, New York 2009, ISBN 978-0-387-09512-7 , p. 86.