| C/1948 V1 (Eclipse Comet) | |
| Discovery Date: | November 1, 1948 |
| Designations: | Eclipse Comet, 1948 XI, 1948 V1 |
| Epoch: | 2432840.5 |
| Semimajor: | 1931 AU |
| Perihelion: | 0.135 AU |
| Aphelion: | 3861 AU |
| Eccentricity: | 0.99994 |
| Period: | ~84,800 yr.[1] |
| Inclination: | 23.1° |
| Last P: | October 27, 1948 |
| Next P: | unknown |
The Eclipse Comet of 1948, formally known as C/1948 V1, was an especially bright comet discovered during a solar eclipse on November 1, 1948. Although there have been several comets that have been seen during solar eclipses, the Eclipse Comet of 1948 is perhaps the best-known; it was however, best viewed only from the Southern Hemisphere.
When it was first discovered during totality, it was already quite bright, at magnitude -2; as it was near perihelion, this was its peak brightness.[2] Its visibility during morning twilight improved as it receded outward from the Sun; it peaked near zero magnitude, and at one point displayed a tail roughly 30 degrees in length, before falling below naked eye visibility by the end of December.[2]