Abstract

Records of cometary apparitions were searched to look for early observations of comets belonging to the Kreutz sungrazer group. Sixty-two comets were found between 1375 BC and AD 1702 that had features common to these comets. Details of the observations of these comets are summarised together with a list of orbits. The original comet may have had an orbital period of 5 centuries. Periods of 5.7 and 7.5 centuries are suggested for Marsden's Subgroups I and II. Other subgroups are tentatively identified.