C/1915 C1 (Mellish)

< C
C/1915 C1 (Mellish)
Comet Mellish photographed by Harry E. Wood from the Union Observatory in June 1915
Discovery
Discovered byJohn E. Mellish
Discovery date10 February 1915
Designations
1915a
1915 II
Orbital characteristics
Epoch30 June 1915 (JD 2420678.5)
Observation arc376 days (1.03 years)
Number of
observations
94
Perihelion1.0053 AU
Eccentricity1.00027
Inclination54.792°
73.453°
Argument of
periapsis
247.782°
Last perihelion17 July 1915
Earth MOID0.3339 AU
Jupiter MOID0.9970 AU
Physical characteristics
Mean radius
2.07 km (1.29 mi)
Comet total
magnitude
(M1)
4.5

Comet Mellish, also known formally as C/1915 C1, is one of five comets discovered by American astronomer John E. Mellish. It is a hyperbolic comet that reached perihelion on July 17, 1915. However, just two months earlier, Edward E. Barnard had reported the comet had splitted into three distinct objects in May 12, later increasing to four by May 24. In addition, it is thought that this comet was the parent body of the June Lyrids meteor shower, which was first discovered in 1966.