The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1844-10-25


view, that | may Mt some future time, with better
data, rccacuate the elements Of this interesting
comet
now give you The results at which have ar
rived, as follows;
ParqLoic elements.
Perhelion passage, August 10 days, hours.
Ascending node, 96 deg. 20 IN.
Longitude of penheion, 80 5
Inclination of orbit, 30
Perhelion distance, l.l2b
Motion direct
These clements, however, do not eraciiy salts
fy later observations, and it soon became evident
to me that the orbit must be eIptical, and Of no
very great size From these last data, combined
with the first, | have arrived at the following:
Elliptic elements.
Periheon passage, August 20 days, hours.
Ascending node, 90 deg 10 m,
Longitude of perihcIion, 321 " 80 I"
INCLINATION of orbit, " 81 "
Perfection distance, l.l2S
Before committing myself on the periodic time
of this comet, wish to &c, few more obscrva-
tons, if indeed it has been observed elsewhere, as
this consider Of much importance in many points
of view, which cannot now advcr, to.
fthis comet moves in an elIiptcal orbit, it Of
course has visited the sun before, and will (ord-
narily speaking) visit il again. What says the
record No comet with similar, or nearly SINH
lar elements, has been calculated but the "Lost'
comet of NO. and, although the elements do not
exactly correspond there can be but little doubt
that these two are one and the same comet.
Elliptic clements ofthe comet Of ITO.
Ascending node, l32 deg. II m.
Ionoi,ude Of peribelion. $50 26 "
Inclination of orbit, 81 "
Distance of pcrihelion. 06I6S9
Perihelion passage, August l4th, l17O.
Lexell calculated the period of this comet 10 be
only 5 50 years, and its semi-axis major l47; so
that it only ranged as far as the orbit of Jupiter,
and should have been seen - times since ITO,
vet this was the only time it has ever been seen.
1t consequently became u solemn question with
the scientific, and the elements were recalculated
with the same results, at the request OF the Ma
tional Institute of France. Various theories were
preached to account for this failure, and the COM
monty received u.s. that tho comet passed so near
the planet Jupiter in subsequent revolution, that
its orbit became sufficiently enlarged by its atrac-
traction TO require 20 instead of years for its de-
scrption, and its perihelion distance COCO, equal
to $50 millions of miles. This theory for one
have never placed much confidence in, for, even
granting the disturbance in its full magnitude,
believe have discovered a ne,r force in astrono-
my, which tends to rccliry such confusion. One
thing, however, is certain, the plane of the comets
orbit nearly corresponds with that of Jupiter, and
and its pcrihelion distance, to Jupiters distance
Jupiter must therefore exert great disturbing
influence over the comet Of ITO. But my OPT
MON is, that its periodic time will not he found to
have changed materially. If the comet now yisi-
bic be the same as that of ITO, the slight chan
mltey attributed to the disturbing action of Jupi-
ter. The comet Of ITO had more eccentric
orbit, while its pcrihelicn distance was less than
that of the present one. This is precisely as it
should be; and this distance is the only one OF
the clements which differs from those which
have obtained. Finally, would observe that this
comet was, during the months of August and
Scntember, within ten millions of miles Of the
earth but being in southern declinaiion, lis prox-
unity prevented it from being seen. In southern
ATTITUDES, it would undoubtedly be seen by the
naked eye, during its perhcion passage. 1t is
now only visible through good telescope, and is
distant about 35 millions of miles.
Since the above results were obtained, have
received an account Of this comet having been
seen on the 10th of September, by Fl. l.. Smith,
of Cleveland. "Palmam q'n meruH feraf'' But
would rather he had been five days later. may,
however come 10 for the honor of having first cal
culated its orbit, and identified it with the Lost
Comet of ITO. THOMAS BASSNETT.