Comet Petersen, also known as C/1848 P1 by modern nomenclature, is a parabolic comet that was seen during the month of August 1848. It is first of three comets discovered by German astronomer, Adolph C. Petersen.^[3]

Adolph C. Petersen discovered his first of two comets of the year as a "small, bright, well-defined object" in the constellation Auriga on 7 August 1848.^[a] Further observations in the following days proved to be increasingly difficult as it dropped steadily deeper into the morning twilight.^[3]

It was last observed on 27 August 1848, though it was predicted that it had reached perihelion by the next month.^[3] Recalculations of its orbit together with C/1848 U1 (another comet also discovered by Petersen) in 2014 show both comets have parabolic and hyperbolic trajectories respectively, suggesting their possible origin in the Oort cloud.^[4]

• C/1848 P1 at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters

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