Comet Skjellerup–Maristany

Comet Skjellerup–Maristany, formally designated C/1927 X1, 1927 IX, and 1927k, was a long-period comet which became very bright in 1927. This great comet was observable to the naked eye for about 32 days.[2] It was independently discovered by amateur astronomers John Francis Skjellerup in Australia on November 28, 1927 and Edmundo Maristany in Argentina on December 6, 1927, and noted for its strong yellow appearance, caused by emission from sodium atoms.

C/1927 X1 (Skjellerup-Maristany)

Discovery
Discovered by	John Francis Skjellerup, Edmundo Maristany
Discovery date	December 6, 1927
Designations
Alternative designations	Great Comet of 1927, 1927 IX, 1927 X1
Orbital characteristics
Epoch	1927-Dec-26 (JD 2425240.5)[1]
Aphelion	2202 AU
Perihelion	0.1761 AU[1]
Semi-major axis	1101 AU
Eccentricity	0.9998[1]
Orbital period	~36600 yr
Inclination	85.1°[1]
Last perihelion	December 18, 1927[1]
Next perihelion	unknown

Forward scattering of light on December 15 and 16 of 1927 allowed the comet to be seen during daylight if the observer blocked the Sun.[3] C/1927 X1 passed only 1.4° from the Sun on 1927-Dec-15.[4]

It has been more than 105 AU (15.7 billion km) from the Sun since 2010.

The comet was mentioned in J. R. R. Tolkien's book Letters From Father Christmas.