C/1963 R1 (Pereyra)
A bright Kreutz sungrazing comet discovered in 1963.
Comet Pereyra (also known as C/1963 R1, 1963 V, and 1963e) was a bright comet observed in 1963. It belonged to the Kreutz group of sungrazers, comets that travel extremely close to the Sun. On August 23, 1963, it came within 56,000 kilometers (35,000 miles) of the Sun’s surface.
The comet was first spotted on September 14, 1963, by Z. M. Pereyra at Argentina’s Cordoba Observatory. British observer George Alcock later reported seeing a thin, pencil-like beam low in the sky on September 12, possibly the comet’s tail. By September 20, the comet was located near the star Alphard in the constellation Hydra. At that time, it was bright—magnitude 2—with a short tail about 1 degree long. Over the following days, the comet faded quickly, having already passed perihelion, though its tail grew to roughly 10 degrees by late September. During its brief naked-eye visibility, it was widely seen across the Southern Hemisphere.
Orbital studies after the comet receded from the Sun confirmed it was a sungrazer, passing about 56,000 kilometers from the Sun’s surface. The 5-sigma uncertainty was ±24,000 kilometers, meaning the closest possible approach was about 32,000 kilometers. Further analysis placed it in the Kreutz Sungrazers, a family of comets all originating from a single large sungrazing comet that broke apart centuries ago. The Kreutz group splits into two main subgroups, each from further fragmentation of two different pieces of the original comet. Pereyra belongs to the subgroup that includes the Great Comet of 1843 and the Great Comet of 1882, though it likely separated from the larger fragment one orbit before those two great comets split from each other.
Quick Facts
- Discovery Ref
- Venter_1963
- Discoverer
- Zenon M. Pereyra
- Discovery Site
- Cordoba, Argentina
- Discovery Date
- 14 September 1963
- Designations
- 1963 V, 1963e
- Orbit Ref
- jpldata
- Epoch
- 25 October 1963 (JD 2438327.5)
- Observation Arc
- 86 days
- Obs
- 12
- Orbit
- Kreutz sungrazer / (Population I)
- Aphelion
- 183 AU (inbound) / 167 AU (outbound)barycenter
- Semimajor
- 92 AU (inbound) / 84 AU (outbound)barycenter
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The comet was first seen on 14 September 1963 by Z.M. Pereyra of the Cordoba Observatory in Argentina. British observer George Alcock later reported that he had observed a thin pencil-like beam of light low in the sky on 12 September, which may have been the comet's tail. By 20 September, the comet's position was found near the star Alphard in the constellation Hydra. It was bright, with an apparent magnitude of 2, and had a short tail about 1 degree long. Over the next few days, the comet faded rapidly, having evidently already passed perihelion, although its tail grew to about 10° in length by late September. During its short period of naked eye visibility, it was widely observed throughout the Southern Hemisphere.
As the comet receded from the Sun, orbital studies showed that Pereyra had been a sungrazing comet, passing about 56,000 km (35,000 mi) from the Sun's surface. The 5-sigma uncertainty was ±24000 km, giving a minimum possible approach of about 32000 km. Further analysis demonstrated that it was a member of the Kreutz Sungrazers, a group of comets all descended from one very large sungrazing comet that fragmented several centuries ago. The Kreutz Sungrazers consist of two major subgroups, which are descended from further breakups of two different fragments of the original comet. Studies have shown that Pereyra is a member of the subgroup that includes the Great Comet of 1843 and the Great Comet of 1882, although the separation of Pereyra from the larger fragment probably occurred one orbit before the two Great Comets separated.
Reader's Guide
Comet Pereyra is significant as a member of the Kreutz Sungrazers, a group of comets all descended from one very large sungrazing comet that fragmented several centuries ago. Its orbital studies confirmed its sungrazing nature, passing about 56,000 km from the Sun's surface, with a 5-sigma uncertainty of ±24000 km. The comet's membership in the subgroup that includes the Great Comet of 1843 and the Great Comet of 1882 provides insight into the fragmentation history of the original Kreutz progenitor. The separation of Pereyra from the larger fragment probably occurred one orbit before the two Great Comets separated, offering a clue to the timing of these breakup events. Its legacy lies in contributing to the understanding of the Kreutz sungrazing group's structure and evolution, as documented in studies by Marsden and Sekanina. The comet's rapid fading after perihelion and its brief naked-eye visibility in the Southern Hemisphere also highlight the typical behavior of sungrazing comets.
More in Named Comets, Part 3 1-24
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