Comets between 1758 and 1808

The 52 Comets between 1758 and 1808

and the impressive one of 1744.

Also note:

List of Messier's (and Méchain's) comet discoveries
Charles Messier's 46 Comets - those he observed during his professional life; Messier's personal Notes

No  Comet                Desig. new  old       Perihelion Date  Discoverers
                                      
(0) Klinkenberg-De Ches. C/1743 X1   1744      1744-03-01.8398  Klinkenberg  De Chéseaux
    
 1  De la Nux            C/1758 K1   1758      1758-06-11.637   De la Nux    Messier
 2  P/Halley             1P/1758 Y1  1759I     1759-03-13.0623  Palitzsch    Messier
 4  Messier              C/1760 B1   1759II    1759-11-27.5018  Messier
 3  Great comet          C/1760 A1   1759III   1759-12-17.3411   -many-      incl. Messier
 5  Klinkenberg          C/1762 K1   1762      1762-05-28.8345  Klinkenberg
 6  Messier              C/1763 S1   1763      1763-11-02.3738  Messier
 7  Messier              C/1764 A1   1764      1764-02-13.0710  Messier
 8  Messier              C/1766 E1   1766I     1766-02-17.8616  Messier
 9  P/Helfenzrieder      D/1766 G1   1766II    1766-04-27.9088  Helfenzrieder, Messier
10  Messier              C/1769 P1   1769      1769-10-08.1204  Messier
11  P/Lexell             D/1770 L1   1770I     1770-08-14.0409  Messier
12  Great comet          C/1771 A1   1770II    1770-11-22.7352   -many-      incl. Messier
13  Messier              C/1771 G1   1771      1771-04-19.6349  Messier
14  P/Biela              3D/1772 E1  1772      1772-02-17.675   Montaigne
15  Messier              C/1773 T1   1773      1773-09-06.1068  Messier
16  Montaigne            C/1774 P1   1774      1774-08-15.9488  Montaigne
17  Bode                 C/1779 A1   1779      1779-01-04.5807  Bode,        Messier
18  Messier              C/1780 U2   1780I     1780-10-01.2524  Messier    
    Montaigne-Olbers     C/1780 U1   1780II    1780-11-29.348   Montaigne,   Olbers
19  Méchain              C/1781 M1   1781I     1781-07-07.6889  Méchain
20  Méchain              C/1781 T1   1781II    1781-11-30.0232  Méchain
21  P/Pigott-LINEAR-Kowalski   226P/1783 W1 1783      1783-11-20.4304  Pigott 
22  Great comet          C/1783 X1   1784      1784-01-21.6996   -many-
23  Messier-Méchain      C/1785 A1   1785I     1785-01-27.8255  Messier,     Méchain
24  Méchain              C/1785 E1   1785II    1785-04-08.9140  Méchain
25  P/Encke              2P/1786 B1  1786I     1786-01-31.360   Méchain
26  Herschel             C/1786 P1   1786II    1786-07-08.3797  C.Herschel
27  Méchain              C/1787 G1   1787      1787-05-11.325   Méchain
28  Messier              C/1788 W1   1788I     1788-11-10.8093  Messier
29  P/Herschel-Rigollet  35P/1788 Y1 1788II    1788-11-20.637   C.Herschel
30  Herschel             C/1790 A1   1790I     1790-01-15.712   C.Herschel
31  P/Tuttle             8P/1790 A2  1790II    1790-01-31.349   Méchain
32  Herschel             C/1790 H1   1790III   1790-05-21.741   C.Herschel
33  Herschel             C/1791 X1   1792I     1792-01-14.0349  C.Herschel
34  Gregory              C/1793 A1   1792II    1792-12-27.698   Gregory      Méchain
36  Messier              C/1793 S2   1793I     1793-11-05.341   Messier
35  Perny                C/1793 S1   1793II    1793-11-19.9983  Perny  
    P/Encke              2P/1795 V1  1795      1795-12-21.963   C.Herschel
    Olbers               C/1796 F1   1796      1796-04-03.2737  Olbers 
37  Bouvard-Herschel-Lee C/1797 P1   1797      1797-07-09.6142  Bouvard,     C.Herschel, Lee
38  Messier              C/1798 G1   1798I     1798-04-05.0083  Messier
39  Bouvard              C/1798 X1   1798II    1799-01-01.4138  Bouvard
40  Méchain              C/1799 P1   1799I     1799-09-07.6909  Méchain
41  Méchain              C/1799 Y1   1799II    1799-12-26.3964  Méchain
42  Pons                 C/1801 N1   1801      1801-08-09.0565  Pons,        Messier
43  Pons                 C/1802 Q1   1802      1802-09-10.3554  Pons
44  Pons                 C/1804 E1   1804      1804-02-14.0881  Pons
45  P/Encke              2P/1805 U1  1805      1805-11-21.9864  C.Herschel
    P/Biela              3D/1805 V1  1806I     1806-01-02.3990  Pons
    Pons                 C/1806 V1   1806II    1806-12-29.4118  Pons
46  Pons                 C/1807 R1   1807      1807-09-19.2389  Pons, "Great Comet"
    P/Grigg-Skjellerup   26P/1808 C1 1808III   1808 03 17.1000  Pons

Key:

No: Messier's numbering for "his" comets (i.e., those he observed)
Comet: Comet Name/Discoverer[s]
Desig.: Comet Designation (Old Style "Final" Designation; year and Roman number for perihelion passage)
Perihelion Date: Date (and time, by fraction of day) of perihelion passage
Discoverers: Name(s) of (original and independent) discoverers

Comet                Desig.    Perihelion Date  Peri.Dist Excent.  Asc.Node Len.Peri Inclinat  m_max Exp  Observations from-to
                                                                                                 
Klinkenberg-De Ches. 1744      1744-03-01.8398  0.222209  1.0      151.4783  48.6030  47.1378   0.5  3.9  1743-12-21 1744-03-01

De la Nux            1758      1758-06-11.637   0.215352  1.0       36.78   233.51    68.30     4.0  4.0  1758-08-15 1758-11-02
P/Halley             1759I     1759-03-13.0623  0.584466  0.967686 110.6903  56.5292 162.3695   3.8  4.0  1759       1911      
Messier              1759II    1759-11-27.5018  0.801390  1.0      273.924  142.309   79.090    3.3  4.0  1760-01-26 1760-03-16
Great comet          1759III   1759-12-17.3411  0.965760  1.0      301.651   82.778  175.126    7.3  4.0  1760-01-08 1760-02-08
Klinkenberg          1762      1762-05-28.8345  1.009048  1.0      115.480  351.170   85.661    3.0  4.0  1762-05-31 1762-06-29
Messier              1763      1763-11-02.3738  0.498185  1.0       88.570  359.048   72.491    9.5  4.0  1763-10-03 1763-11-18
Messier              1764      1764-02-13.0710  0.555216  1.0      104.852  122.685  127.093    7.0  4.0  1764-01-03 1764-02-11
Messier              1766I     1766-02-17.8616  0.505324  1.0      100.889  246.719  139.154    7.0  4.0  1766-03-08 1766-03-15
P/Helfenzrieder      1766II    1766-04-27.9088  0.406034  0.847632 178.6515  75.6114   7.8635   6.8  4.0  1766-04-09 1766-05-03
Messier              1769      1769-10-08.1204  0.122755  0.999249 329.1231 177.5941  40.7403   3.8  4.4  1769-08-22 1769-12-01
P/Lexell             1770I     1770-08-14.0409  0.674449  0.786119 224.859  133.926    1.557    7.7  4.0  1770-06-15 1770-10-03
Great comet          1770II    1770-11-22.7352  0.528242  1.0      260.364  111.236  148.558    7.5  4.0  1771-01-10 1771-01-20
Messier              1771      1771-04-19.6349  0.901835  1.0       76.2057  30.3167  11.2838   4.6  5.2  1771-04-01 1771-06-12
P/Biela              1772      1772-02-17.675   0.99038   0.72588  213.362  260.222   17.055    7.5  4.0  1772       1805      
Messier              1773      1773-09-06.1068  1.126886  1.0      314.112  123.540   61.224    2.8  3.1  1773-10-17 1774-01-19
Montaigne            1774      1774-08-15.9488  1.42858   1.0      136.534  183.276   82.984    5.0  4.0  1774-08-18 1774-10-25
Bode                 1779      1779-01-04.5807  0.713178  1.0       62.1678  27.4438  32.4351   5.8  3.6  1779-01-19 1779-05-17
Messier              1780I     1780-10-01.2524  0.099256  1.0      237.821  126.529  126.181    4.5  4.0  1780-10-27 1780-12-04
Montaigne-Olbers     1780II    1780-11-29.348   0.515277  1.0      255.16   144.38   107.92     6.0  4.0  1780-10-18 1780-10-26
Méchain              1781I     1781-07-07.6889  0.775861  1.0      156.202   85.359   81.724    7.9  4.0  1781-06-28 1781-07-15
Méchain              1781II    1781-11-30.0232  0.960995  1.0       61.378   79.771  152.801    5.9  4.6  1781-10-09 1781-12-25
P/Pigott-LINEAR-Kow. 1783      1783-11-20.4304  1.459289  0.552456 354.6428  57.9867  45.1248   6.9  4.0  1783-11-19 1783-12-21
Great comet          1784      1784-01-21.6996  0.707858  1.0      336.108   59.153  128.856    3.6  4.0  1784-01-24 1784-05-26
Messier-Méchain      1785I     1785-01-27.8255  1.143398  1.0      205.638  266.514   70.237    7.5  4.0  1785-01-07 1785-02-08
Méchain              1785II    1785-04-08.9140  0.427240  0.996461 127.1968  66.9888  92.6367   5.6  4.0  1785-03-11 1785-04-17
P/Encke              1786I     1786-01-31.360   0.33603   0.84842  182.202  336.469   13.687    9.0  4.0  1786       1805      
Herschel             1786II    1786-07-08.3797  0.410712  1.0      325.0548 196.7000  50.8981   4.2  4.0  1786-08-05 1786-10-26
Méchain              1787      1787-05-11.325   0.348911  1.0       99.150  109.148  131.727    5.0  4.0  1787-04-10 1787-05-27
Messier              1788I     1788-11-10.8093  1.063012  1.0       57.836  159.220  167.519    7.5  4.0  1788-11-27 1788-12-30
P/Herschel-Rigollet  1788II    1788-11-20.637   0.74902   0.97483   29.572  355.274   63.840    7.1  4.0  1788       1940      
Herschel             1790I     1790-01-15.712   0.758097  1.0      115.951  178.427  148.075    7.5  4.0  1790-01-09 1790-01-21
P/Tuttle             1790II    1790-01-31.349   1.04484   0.81907  207.040  270.820   54.189    7.7  4.0  1790       1858      
Herschel             1790III   1790-05-21.741   0.797961  1.0      119.475   35.417  116.142    5.8  4.0  1790-05-02 1790-06-29
Herschel             1792I     1792-01-14.0349  1.292577  1.0      154.350  192.900  140.217    6.0  4.0  1791-12-17 1792-01-19
Gregory              1792II    1792-12-27.698   0.965812  1.0      147.175  285.467  131.001    6.1  4.0  1793-01-10 1793-02-13
Messier              1793I     1793-11-05.341   0.403441  1.0      239.803  110.681  119.644    6.3  4.0  1793-09-28 1793-10-11
Perny                1793II    1793-11-19.9983  1.504546  1.0       69.3347   4.4773  51.9298   5.5  4.0  1793-09-27 1793-12-08
P/Encke              1795      1795-12-21.963   0.33549   0.84859  182.258  336.448   13.690    8.4  4.0  1786       1805      
Olbers               1796      1796-04-03.2737  1.579636  1.0      184.2940  19.1978 115.1657   7.0  4.0  1796-03-31 1796-04-14
Bouvard-Herschel-Lee 1797      1797-07-09.6142  0.52545   1.0      279.686  331.397  129.421    8.8  4.0  1797-08-15 1797-08-30
Messier              1798I     1798-04-05.0083  0.485030  1.0      342.995  124.228   43.788    8.4  4.0  1798-04-12 1798-05-22
Bouvard              1798II    1799-01-01.4138  0.774794  1.0      215.887  251.588  137.748   11.0  4.0  1798-12-07 1798-12-11
Méchain              1799I     1799-09-07.6909  0.839863  1.0       95.820  101.623  129.063    5.5  4.0  1799-08-07 1799-10-25
Méchain              1799II    1799-12-26.3964  0.625802  1.0      136.474  328.912  102.990    6.2  4.0  1799-12-26 1800-01-06
Pons                 1801      1801-08-09.0565  0.25641   1.0      219.826   44.601  159.263    9.0  4.0  1801-07-12 1801-07-23
Pons                 1802      1802-09-10.3554  1.094249  1.0       21.8530 312.3128  57.0060   8.3  4.0  1802-08-28 1802-10-05
Pons                 1804      1804-02-14.0881  1.071168  1.0      331.946  178.836   56.459    8.0  4.0  1804-03-13 1804-04-01
P/Encke              1805      1805-11-21.9864  0.340645  0.846528 182.3163 336.4447  13.5874   8.0  4.0  1795       1819      
P/Biela              1806I     1806-01-02.3990  0.907159  0.745871 218.1036 253.3533  13.5913   7.5  4.0  1805       1833      
Pons                 1806II    1806-12-29.4118  1.08193   1.0      225.219  324.293  144.948    6.0  4.0  1806-11-13 1807-02-12
Great Comet/Pons     1807      1807-09-19.2389  0.646124  0.995488   4.1043 268.7819  63.1758   2.5  3.5  1807-09-22 1808-03-27
P/Grigg-Skjellerup   1808III   1808-03-17.1000  0.7315    0.7437   193.55    17.84     3.49    13.5  6.0  1808       1922

Key:

Comet: Comet Name/Discoverer[s]
Desig.: Comet Designation (Old Style "Final" Designation; year and Roman number for perihelion passage)
Perihelion Date: Date and time (parts of day) of Perihelion
Peri.Dist: Perihelion Distance in AU
Excent.: Orbital Excentricity
Asc.Node: Ascending Node
Len.Peri: Length of Perihelion
Inclinat: Inclination
m_max: Maximal visual magnitude
Exp

Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
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Definitive Version: January 28, 2013
Last Modification: November 4, 2024