| Taken at the Armagh Observatory on April 25, 1957 [1] | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by: | Sylvain Arend, Georges Roland |
| Discovery date: | 1956 |
| Alternate designations: | Great Comet of 1957, 1957 III, 1956h, 1956 R1 |
| Orbital characteristics A | |
| Epoch: | 2435920.5 (March 23, 1957) |
| Aphelion distance: | N/A |
| Perihelion distance: | 0.316 AU |
| Semi-major axis: | N/A |
| Eccentricity: | 1.00017 |
| Orbital period: | N/A |
| Inclination: | 119.9° |
| Last perihelion: | April 8, 1957 |
| Next perihelion: | N/A |
Comet Arend-Roland, formally designated C/1956 R1, 1957 III, and 1956h, was discovered on November 8, 1956, by Sylvain Arend and Georges Roland on photographic plates. It appeared brightest in 1957 and became very bright as it passed through the inner solar system. It was notable for the appearance after perihelion of a prominent antitail. It was travelling on a hyperbolic orbit, meaning it is travelling fast enough to escape from the solar system entirely.
Comet Arend-Roland is also notable for being the subject of the very first edition of the BBC's long running astronomy programme The Sky at Night on April 24th 1957.
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