C/1911 N1 (Kiess)
Parent body of the Aurigids meteor shower.
C/1911 N1 (Kiess) is a non-periodic comet discovered by Carl Clarence Kiess on 6 July 1911. It is notable as the parent body of the Aurigids meteor shower, which has produced occasional outbursts of high activity.
Kiess spotted the comet on a photographic plate taken at Lick Observatory with the Crocker photographic telescope during the early morning hours of 6 July 1911. The object appeared as a distorted, nebulous patch with a short tail. Visual confirmation came the following day, revealing a well-condensed nucleus and a faint tail; photographs showed the tail extending four degrees. At discovery, the comet shone at seventh magnitude and was moving southward. Preliminary orbital calculations indicated it had already passed perihelion, and it was predicted to approach Earth to within 0.27 AU (about 40 million km) on 20 August. By 19 August, the comet was visible to the naked eye, reaching an estimated peak apparent magnitude of 5.
In 1911, some suggested the comet was a return of C/1790 A1 (Herschel), but later calculations showed the orbit’s eccentricity was too high for a 122-year period. Louis Lindsey’s 1932 orbit calculation gave an orbital period of roughly 1,903 years.
The comet is the parent body of the Aurigids meteor shower, which occurs annually from 25 August to 8 September, typically with a zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of about 7 meteors per hour. The shower has experienced notable outbursts in 1935, 1986, 1994, and 2007. The 2007 event was the first predicted outburst for a shower linked to a long-period comet, peaking at a ZHR near 200 meteors per hour. The annual shower and its outbursts have slightly different radiant points, suggesting multiple components within the debris stream.
Quick Facts
- Discoverer
- Carl Clarence Kiess
- Discovery Site
- Lick Observatory
- Discovery Date
- 6 July 1911
- Designations
- 1911 II, 1911bICQ1
- Orbit Ref
- jpl
- Epoch
- 30 July 1911 (JD 2419247.5)
- Observation Arc
- 71 days
- Obs
- 86
- Aphelion
- 366 AU
- Perihelion
- 0.684 AU
- Semimajor
- 184 AU
- Eccentricity
- 0.9963
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The comet was discovered by Carl Clarence Kiess at Lick Observatory on a photographic plate taken in the morning hours of 6 July 1911 with the Crocker photographic telescope. It appeared as a distorted nebulous object with a short tail, and its presence was confirmed visually the next day. The comet had a well condensed nucleus and a faint tail; in photographs the tail extended four degrees. At discovery it was of seventh magnitude and moving southwards. A preliminary orbit indicated the comet was past its perihelion, and it was calculated that it would approach Earth to within 0.27 AU on 20 August. On 19 August the comet was reported visible to the naked eye, peaking at an estimated apparent magnitude of 5.
In 1911 the comet was suggested to be the return of C/1790 A1 (Herschel), also known as 1790 I. However, further calculations showed that the orbit of comet Kiess had an eccentricity too high for a 122-year orbital period. Louis Lindsey in 1932 calculated an orbital period of 1,903 years.
Reader's Guide
C/1911 N1 (Kiess) holds significance primarily as the identified parent body of the Aurigids meteor shower, which occurs annually between 25 August and 8 September. The shower typically has a zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of 7 meteors per hour, but it has experienced notable outbursts in 1935, 1986, 1994, and 2007. The 2007 outburst was the first predicted for a shower associated with a long-period comet and reached a peak ZHR of about 200 meteors per hour. The annual shower and the outbursts have slightly different radiant points, indicating the presence of different components in the debris stream. The comet's legacy includes its role in linking a long-period comet to a meteor shower with predictable outbursts, advancing the understanding of cometary debris streams.
Did You Know?
- The comet was discovered on a photographic plate taken with the Crocker photographic telescope at Lick Observatory.
- It was initially suggested to be the return of comet C/1790 A1 (Herschel), but later calculations disproved this.
- The annual shower and outbursts have slightly different radiant points, suggesting multiple debris components.
More in Named Comets, Part 4 1-24
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