Is there any evidence that Isaac Newton viewed the 1702 Kirch Comet? I haven’t found any online. He was obviously still alive. He died in 1727.
I don’t know the answer, but if you don’t get one here, you might ask at Sky & Telescope. There’s a “contact us” link at the bottom. They do have contacts with historians of science who they could pass the question to.
Thanks dtilque. I’ll ask Sky & Telescope. It seems reasonable that Newton would have had some interest in the 1702 comet. He was still actively engaged in science. But I can’t find any mention of him in connection with the comet.