How close does it actually come to earth, historically? Even a stub of a tail can appear big if it's close. On Mon, Oct 21, 2013 at 9:24 AM, John M. Craig <jmcraig@xmission.com> wrote:
More info on Encke's appearance in earlier apparitions is given on this page:
http://cometography.com/**pcomets/002p.html<http://cometography.com/pcomets/002p.html>
I found it particularly interesting that as far back as 1822 (its first predicted return), observers viewing it a couple of weeks after perhelion described it as: "like a faint nebula of a round form" and somewhat later as having "the same nebulous, orbicular appearance as when first seen."
This was also an interesting note: "The comet's longest recorded tail length was 3 degrees in 1805, while it reached 2 degrees in 1871 and 1961."
So, not an impressive tail in modern times ever, it would seem.
John
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