Great Comet of 1744

C/1743 X1

The tails of C/1743 X1, the Great Comet of 1744, extending above the horizon before sunrise on March 8, 1744
Discovery
Discovered by	Jan de Munck, Dirk Klinkenberg, Jean-Philippe de Chéseaux
Discovery date	November 29, 1743
Designations
Alternative designations	1744 Comet de Chéseaux
Orbital characteristics
Observation arc	71 days
Perihelion	0.22 au[1]
Eccentricity	1.0 (assumed)
Inclination	47°

The Great Comet of 1744, whose official designation is C/1743 X1, and which is also known as Comet de Chéseaux or Comet Klinkenberg-Chéseaux, was a spectacular comet that was observed during 1743 and 1744. It was discovered independently in late November 1743 by Jan de Munck, in the second week of December by Dirk Klinkenberg, and, four days later, by Jean-Philippe de Chéseaux. It became visible with the naked eye for several months in 1744 and displayed dramatic and unusual effects in the sky. Its absolute magnitude – or intrinsic brightness – of 0.5 was the sixth highest in recorded history.^[2] Its apparent magnitude may have reached as high as −7, leading it to be classified as a Great Comet. This comet is noted especially for developing a 'fan' of six tails after reaching its perihelion.