Great Comet of 1680
Night landscape with the great comet seen on a field in Alkmaar in January 1681 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Gottfried Kirch |
| Discovery date | 14 November 1680 |
| Designations | |
| 1680 V1 | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | 1680-Nov-29.0 2335000.5(?) |
| Observation arc | 125 days |
| Number of observations | 30 |
| Aphelion | 890 au |
| Perihelion | 0.00622 au |
| Semi-major axis | 444 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.999986 |
| Orbital period | ~10,400 yr |
| Inclination | 60.7° |
| Last perihelion | 18 December 1680 |
| Next perihelion | Unknown |
C/1680 V1, also called the Great Comet of 1680, Kirch's Comet, and Newton's Comet, was the first comet discovered by telescope. It was discovered by Gottfried Kirch and was one of the brightest comets of the seventeenth century.