Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 February 2018
Visual estimates of comet total magnitude have been made for well over one hundred years. In this paper no attempt has been made to review all previous work on comet magnitudes. Instead we prefer to concentrate on developing a conceptual framework upon which previous work can be evaluated. We have tried to unify the approach as much as possible by filling in gaps that occur between previously published accounts. The present work represents an extension and revision of an earlier attempt at understanding comet magnitudes (Meisel, 1970).