Star.
London, England, 1811-09-11 00:00:00

7 THE EDITOR OF THE S74IR.

SlR—The Comet which was observed in Europe
in its descent to the sun from the middle nearly of
March to tl:e latter end of May last, and in the West
Indies on Ist June, when it had passed its descend.
ing node, and was coming to its perihelion, and was
again observed at the Observatory at Pa:is, after it
bad passed its perihelion, and had risen above its
ascending node w►th a light ascension of 147 deg. 18
min. and a north declination of 32i in the constella-
tion of Leo Minor, is now very conspicuous under the
square of Ursa Major; whence it seems to be passing
in•a direction through the square and the tail of Drat°
and the body of arsa Minor, near the tail. Its pCIO
sition last night was considerably near to C the more
southerly of the two lower stars of the square.
. When first seen here, 21st August, ten minutes past
eight in the evening, it had the appearance of a large
Nedula nearly circular, and of about one degree in ex-
tent, with a central light like that of Andromeda, re.
aembled a hazy stir of the fourth or fifth magnitude.
It had then R.A. 149 or 50 N.D. nearly 36. Cloudy
weather prevented its being again seen till the evening
of the sth, when it appealed like a fixed star of about
the second magnitude, with a thin pale train of about
4 deg.' min. at about half-past eight; on the 6th it
was brighter very considerably, its train then, viewed
with a good four foot and a half refractor of Dolland,
and a very goad night glass adapted for use by
Nairne and Blunt, was evidently divided by a darkish
shade near the farther extremity. It was very con-
spicuous even to the naked eye. The head, which
bed appeared like SIIIIIIN in his afthelion, now appeared
much more round, like Jupiter at his meridian. Last
slight, with R. A. of about 262, N. D. of about 42,
still advancing towards the square, it appeared evert
brighter than on Friday, the head a yellowish light
pretty well defined ; the train, (which when most ap-
parent was that and the former night about 6 degrees
in length and nearly 4 at its farther extremity) a thin,
white splendour like the brightest part of the mil 1y way.
Breadth of the head (including diffused Coma) about
40, or about 1-4th or 1-sth of the Moon's apparent
diameter. From its slow motion and the direction of
its path, there seems reason to hope that it will be vi-
sible three or four months longer. It is a noble con-
firmation of the Newtonian and Halleian Theory,
having been seen so long before, and now after its
rrihelion. I am, Sir, your's sincerely,
CAPEL LOFFT.
Trost= Hall, near Bury, Suffolk, September a.
Though less brilliant than the comet of 1807, it is
apparently, arid I believe really, a larger comet. From
observation of both, and some others, there seems no
reason, in general, to suppose any thing noxious or
ficstructive in their forms, but the contrary.

The Comets in our system, according to Sir laits.e
NEWTON, are 2! in number, moving in all sorts et
directions. 01 these the periods of three only are
supposed to be known to any degree of certainty
The first of them is supposed to return, so as to Mtsi.
sible to the inhabitants of the earth, every 75th year;
and the second every 129th year ; and the third in
no less a term than 575 years. This latter Comet, at
its greatest distance, is eleven thousand two hundred
millions of miles from the sun ; and its least distance
from the .nn's centre, which is 490,000 miles, is
within less than a third part of the sun's diameter
from his surface. In that part of its orbit which is
nearest the sun, it flies at the amazing swiftness of
880,000 miles in an hour ;* and, at that period, its
heat must be 2000 times hotter than red hot iron ;
and, being thus heated, it must retain its heat till it
approaches the sun again, even should it be 20,000
years, instead of its supposed period of 575 years !

Friday last, as Messrs. Bailiff and Pagan, of Dum. ;
fries, were travelling in a gig, between Sanquhar
and Muirkirk, on the road to Glasgow, the horse sud-
clenly became restive, on a dangerous part of the
road. On perceiving their critical situation, Mr. Pa.
gan sprung out, and Mr. Bailiff, soon after, finding '
his situation no longer tenable, followed his example ;
' but, in spite of their exertions, the horse and gig were i
precipitated to the bottom of the hill, The horse I
as w killed on the spot.
i