Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-05-16
TO THE EDITORS OF TIE ENQUIRER.
aNDoLFH MACON COLLEGE, Va

TO THE EDITORS OF TIE F.NQUiRER.
RANDOLPH MACON COLLEGE, Va
April 90 ls43 )
herewith transmit an abstract of paper, which |
have drawn up, upon the subject of the Comet, which
recently appeared within the limits Of our Planetary
System; and which, account of its unusually
sive and brilliant tram, has attracted
share of public attention The position of the nucleus
was determined from the 18th of March TO the 5th
Of April, whenever the state OF the weather permitted
NJ calculations founded upon the observations OF
the 10Th and 25th Of March, and the lst of pr being
themos satisfactory Of the SERIES and at nearly equal
intervals from each other
Not being able 10 discover The nucleus in Transit
Instrument and not being provided with Position
thermometer for referring the comets place 10 the fixed
stars in its immediate vicinity, avaled myself of q
very excellent Azmuth and Altitude Instrument, for
determining Ills horizontal and vertical co-ordinutes
The limb OF the instrument is graduated to seconds
and every precauton used to secure the utmost
accuracy in lis indications. The point of The fix
ed azmulhal circle, was each evening OF observa.
ton brought approximately into the plume Of the me-
rdian by the simultaneous passage of a fixed star
across the vertical wire of It's telescope, and the
middle wire OF the transit instrument and its err
in position then determined by the consecutive
passages Of stars remote from each other in decllnaon
The times OF observation were determined by one e
Dents best chronometers; the absolute advance CT
which the time of this place, and lis rate OF
going had been for months the subject of daily obser.
va,nn. in view Of all the precautions taken 10
accuracy, there be bat serious of
in my observations, and that from the nd,stinc-
ness of the nucleus, when light was admitted for il
Illuminating the cross wires of the telescope. Several
azmuths and attitudes taken during the lapse Of
few minutes and the changes the values Of these
compared with the intervals of time. The regularity
Of these changes convinced me- that from this
the of angle could not exceed divisions
oil the limb, or rs
After correcting the attitudes for refraction,
verled these and the azimuths into destinations and
right uscensions, and these again into geocenc latl.
tudes and longtudes. The longitudes Of the
calculated from Deambres solar tables, and the nbu.
lar results corrected for alteration. The method Of
Oilers then applied these data in order to obtain
the approximate elements OF the orbit.
DATA.
Mar r. III lem aos Mar. 49, III am. oGs. Ap Am. 5c,.
Azmuth sd SIM les w Of s. Esd Ism O5s 6ad 05m ass
Defamation Sd a7m s0s 3 I'd 4sm OILS $ Cd ion 4ss =
Geo la esd o9m csss. s6d I'm Ais $. 2Gd s7m SOS g.
Geo Ion. Esd i4n SIS 4sd Ism 53s SD Bonn els
The elements of The comets orbit, calculated from
The foregoing data, are as follows:
Perihelion passage Feb 81, 3249 mean time r NJ e.
Longitude OF the ascending node Id 22m dis
/" descending node lod 22m Ais
Inclination of the orbit Esd :}Sm 35s
Longitude of the perhelion 275d Com OILS
Perihelion distance .. 0l2l40l
Motion retrogade
have not learned from any source, that The elements
of the orbit have been calculated by any other person,
cept by association ofscienfc gentlemen in Philadel
pha, and by Professor Pierce Of Cambridge Professor
Plerce's results have not seen Those obtained at
Philadel phia are follows
Perhelion Passage Feb 81, 24O345
Ascending node Id ION 2ls 4.
Inclination 35d 4Um Sis
Longitude Perihelion 276d Som 32s .
PerihelIon Distance 0.UOele296
Motion rctrograde
The discrepancies in these results greater in some
instances than could have been anticipated, especially
in the periheon distance and the longitude OF the Pc
riheon. The others fall within the possible errors OF
observation.
have not pushed my calculations beyond the para.
boc elements of the orbit IT would be vain 10 atiemp!
deducng the mao of elliptic orbit, which would
be comfortable TO series Of observations extending
through only Ia days, and with instruments of no
greater perfection those which have employed. The
ohly in such case is to compare these ap.
proximae elements with the elements of other come Is
which have appeared IN former years. Should there
be found close between two sets OF elements
we may safely infer that they both belong to one and
the same comet We thus have from observations the
periodical time; and from this additional element, all
the others desire to know, easily and accurately
determined. Upon instntng such an examination into
the elements of The comeIs heretofore observed and
calculated it seems to me that the of 1743, Sep
20. agrees nearest with this of lS43 The elements
of Tho former as determined by Knkenburg, are as fol
lows:
Perhelion passage u743 Sep 20 deg, 81 min 90 sec.
Longitude of pe'helion, 246 deg, 33 min, So sec
Longitude Of ascending node, deg i6 min, % Sec
Inclination, 45 deg, 43 min 81 Sec
Perihelion distance O52l57O
Motion retrogade.
am now engaged in the calculation Of the orbit,
supposing these two comets Identical; the results Of
rfoft bn o.
sentnp upon this subject 10 the Philosophical Society
and Of which this notice is bare abstract.
l.. G. GARLAND.
~ Will the National lntelligencer please copy this
AS other calculations the subject have been
given in that paper l.. =. u.