Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-04-05
PREMIUM FOR THE DISCOVERY OF A COMET.
HIsH SeHooL OBSERVATORY,
m n

PHILADELPHIA, MARcH 81, lS45.
Messrs EDIToRs avail myself of your columns, IN com
pance with the request of Mr. State Counsellor ScHumAcHER
of Altoona, to make public the conditions on which the King
Denmark awards the gold medal of twenty ducas founded b.
Frederick VI for the discovery Of the telescope comet Thes
conditions are stated in full in the four hundedh number
Schumachers valuable publication, the Astronomsche Ma
| chrichten
l. The first discoverer any nation, of telescope comet
which, the of its discovery is visible to the nake
eye and whose orbit unknown, will receive the
dial on complying with the following conditions:
If the discoveer resides in North America he must
The night Of The discovery Of suspected comet address let
ter to GEoRsE BEDELL Amy, Astronomer Royal Greenwich
Observatory, England announcing the fact and stating thu
place of the comet if possible the direction of its motion, ant
the geographical position of the discoveries residence The
letter be forwarded by the first post or if there post
by the first conveyance packet otherwise to STEES BILLIE
Esq, Charge fAaires Of Denmark at Philadelphia, with
request to forward the same duly aested to Professor Airy
g. The dscovere search for the comet the next or
successive clear evenings and finding it again must also
forward in the statement of its place on the
night Of the second observation is recommended to The dis
coyerer to send duplicate to Professor Airy.
A. The medal is awarded year after the discovery on
the nomination of Professors and AIRY, or, in
OIL oAtss VI
Yours respectfully,
SEARS G. WALKER.
p. s. enclose you an extract from Professor scHuMA-
CHEERS letter giving important information relative TO the comet
of 81 years PERIOD the honor of whose discovery shared with
the Europeans by our countryman HAMILTON L. SMITH,
Esq. of Cleveland Ohio
altoona, NOVEMBER ls, 1914.
Dean SIR avail myself of the opportunity given me by
Mr. STEES BILLIE in sending your letter to him. to bring
very late but very thanks for the volumes OF Mr.
Downe's Almanac sent some years ago. The great
Der Of letters astronomical subjects which have to write
without any aid makes often commit what the French call
epistoaes which indeed cannot ercse, though
may explain them. Mr.. Downes Almanac seems to
Of the best Of its kind and have, excepting England mo-
hing which deserves to be put at its side.
The by Mr. Hamilton L. Smith, on the 10th of
September had already been discovered the 22d Of August
by NJ de Vice. Director of the Observatory of the Coego
Romano at Rome. II also independently discover
ed Berlin the 5th and Hamburg the 9th of Sep
iembe Consequently, Mr.. Smith this time receive
the medal but trust he will continue his meorous labos
spying with diligence the comets yet to be discovered
while you twoud afford sincere pleasure, when
such discovery first made in America should place in
my power, transmit Mr. Billie the medal TO be handed
to the dscoverer.
Our for the rest to be very remarkable
is probably the that observed by ycho Brahe In
1885, and likewise very probably the the famous comet
of l770 whose orbit altered by Jupers attraction Our
King always jealous fol promoting science win put the gold
medal for the best discussion of ycho Brahes
gna observations of the of 1885, and has ordered that
these original observations, which exist only in manuscript
shall be printed, The will be year after the obser
vaions have appeared in print.
The best elliptic elements which up TO this moment have
of the present comet the following 1t is impossible to
present the observations by parabola-
Perhelion passage lsi4 Sept 9 49l So time Berlin
Longitude Of Perheon Si2d. 29m Ais. 9m e Sept q.
g Ascending Node, esd. iSm SIS.
inclination, 2d. 55m Is. 9
Logarithm Of great axis, o.4929i5i.
Eccentriey, 0.6l61o3.
Period OF sidereal revolution, 1904 $3.50 days
Motion direct.
Believe me, dear sir, very sincerely yours
III. G. SCHUMACHER.
To SEARS &. WALKER, Esq,
High School ObserpatorY PHILADELPHIA