Great_Comet_of_1556
Great Comet of 1556
Comet observed throughout Europe in 1556
The Great Comet of 1556 (designated C/1556 D1 in modern nomenclature) was a comet that first appeared in February 1556, and which was observed throughout much of Europe. The comet appears to have been seen in some places before the end of February, but it was not generally observed until the middle of the first week in March. Its apparent diameter was equal to half that of the Moon, and the tail was said [by whom?] to resemble "the flame of a torch agitated by the wind." Cornelius Gemma (the son of Gemma Frisius) said that the head of the comet, when it first appeared, was as large as Jupiter, and that its color resembled that of Mars.[1]
The course of the comet of 1556 was observed by Paul Fabricius, a mathematician and physician at the court of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.[1]
According to NASA, the comet was firstly reported on 27 February 1556. It was in perigee on 13 March and in perihelion on 22 April.[2]