Comet of 1472
The comet of 1472 was visible from Christmas Day 1471 to 1 March 1472, for a total of 59 days.
The comet is notable because it was observed by 15th-century astronomers, during a time of rapid progress in planetary theory, shortly before the Copernican Revolution.
The comet was observed by Regiomontanus and Bernhard Walther from Nuremberg.
Regiomontanus tried to estimate its distance from Earth, using the parallax.
According to Seargeant :
An Italian physician named Angelo Cato de Supino also left a description of the comet, claiming it was as bright as the full moon, its tail extending over more than 30 degrees.
The comet was also observed in Chinese astronomy, where it is noted that it was visible even at midday.
The 15th century English Chronicler, Warkworth, left a detailed account of the comet's appearance and disappearance from the night sky of England.
