Great Comet of 371 BC

X/-371 (Aristotle)
(Great Comet of 371 BC)
Discovery
Discovery date372–371 BC
Orbital characteristics
Orbit typeKreutz sungrazers?
Orbital period~400–500 years
Last perihelion371 BC

The Great Comet of 372–371 BC (sometimes Aristotle's Comet) was a comet that was observed by Aristotle, Ephorus, and Callisthenes. Ephorus reported that it split into two pieces, a larger fragment that is thought to have possibly returned in 1106 AD, as X/1106 C1, and another smaller fragment. While visible from Earth, it was said to have cast shadows at night comparable to a full moon. The Great Comet is thought to possibly be the source of the Kreutz sungrazer family.

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