Abstract
A NEW comet was discovered by Jean Louis Pons at Marseilles in June, 1819, and it was observed during five weeks. From the observations obtained, Encke computed that the comet was revolving in an elliptical orbit, with a period of 2052 days, or 5.618 years. Nothing more was, however, seen of the object until nearly forty years afterwards, when Winnecke re-discovered it, and also re-determined its period of revolution. It has since been observed in 1869, 1875, 1886, 1892, 1898, 1909, and 1915. During the last fifty years the planet Jupiter has somewhat disturbed the orbit of the comet, for the two objects made several near approaches. Two periods of the comet are nearly equivalent to one period of Jupiter, hence at alternate visits of the former to aphelion, as in about 1872, 1883, 1895, and 1907, the perturbations were considerable. These had the effect of lengthening the comet's period and bringing that section of its course which is nearest to the sun almost into conjunction with the earth's path at the end of June.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
DENNING, W. Pons-Winnecke's Comet and its Meteor Shower. Nature 107, 15–16 (1921). https://doi.org/10.1038/107015a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/107015a0