Comet West formally designated C/1975 V1, 1976 VI, and 1975n, was a spectacular comet, sometimes considered to qualify for the status of "great comet".
It was discovered photographically by Richard M. West, of the European Southern Observatory, on August 10, 1975, and reached peak brightness in March 1976, attaining a brightness of -3 at perihelion. During peak brightness, observers reported that it was bright enough to study during full daylight...
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Comet West formally designated C/1975 V1, 1976 VI, and 1975n, was a spectacular comet, sometimes considered to qualify for the status of "great comet".
It was discovered photographically by Richard M. West, of the European Southern Observatory, on August 10, 1975, and reached peak brightness in March 1976, attaining a brightness of -3 at perihelion. During peak brightness, observers reported that it was bright enough to study during full daylight.
Despite its spectacular appearance, Comet West went largely unreported in the popular media. This was partly due to the relatively disappointing display of Comet Kohoutek in 1973, which had been widely predicted to become extremely prominent: scientists were wary of making predictions that might raise public expectations.
The comet has an estimated orbital period of 558,000 years.
During the passage of Comet West into the inner solar system, possibly for the first time in 500,000 years, its nucleus was observed to split into four fragments...
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