Orbit of Comet C/1845 D1 (de Vico) and the utility of Bulirsch–Stoer integration

Comet C/1845 D1 (de Vico) is one of a large number of comets with parabolic orbits. Given that there are sufficient observations of the comet, 291 in right ascension and 269 in declination, it proves possible to calculate a better orbit. The calculations are based on a 12th order predictor–corrector method. The cometʹs orbit is hyperbolic and, from calculated mean errors, statistically different from a parabola. Bulirsch–Stoer integration, although more flexible and of comparable precision, proves considerably more laborious.