The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-07-08
.THATCHER'S COMET
INTERESTING STATISTICS REGARDING IT.
ITS APPEARANCE AT SEA,
&Su &c., q.

ITS APPEARANCE AT SEA,
me comet that has been visible Ia the heavens the
last week. and that generally supposed to be that
Charles the Fifth that had returned after absence
OF about three hundred years. turns upon nvesta
ton TO be the comet that Mr. Thatcher astronomer OF
this city, discovered the 4th OF April Last A. he
time we published full description Of it, furnished
by The gentleman himself. II will be found below.
This, Of course, puts end to the impression tina.
existed that our luminous friend had pad US visit
without informing Us Of his Intentions. At tho time OF
Its approach to the SUI was discovered by Mr.
Thatcher who sent the lowing communica ion ex
planning its position
TEE HERALD
NEW YORK. April Z, 1861
Win you do our good citizens and sc!eace favor by
kindly inserting the following additional respecting
the stranger comeE Yours, &C. A. +. IA ArChER.
The comet which discovered 10 this city on Thurs
Day evening 4h inst a. 1l2 O'Clock, had moved to
11l2 O'Clock on Saturday evening, 9th inst about deg
then about deg as min north Of the twin double
star, which is four degrees from z, or Grummum, In
was A. II hours 10 minutes Dec n Ct deg ''D
The following paraboc elements Of its orbits comput
cd by Mr. Stafford, OF the Cambridge Observatory, was
also published few days after its discovery
Perihelion passage June 4, at noon, Washington.
Perhelion distance 92j6 OF the esrths distance
Longitude Of Perihelion ...24a deg. 80 min
,,".. Asc' Nooe.''..........'.. ~ 10
according 70 these elements II win reach the ecliptc
about the 18th inst, crossing the same In heocentc
longitude occupied by the earth on the 10th OF April and
at distance from the equal 70 that Of the earth at
that date. Il will continue to approach the earth for
few weeks longer and will resch s perihelon the 4h
coming quite brilliant object 10 the evening eky before
It disappears SO far az Is now known the priority OF its
discovery belongs 70 the American astronomer, Ar.
The latter part Of the above paragraph explains the
brilliant appearance comet has presented in the
skes since its approach from it's passage to the It
Ia going from the sun, and will disappear from
view in few days 1t already has lost much Of
ito brilancy, and in the early hours of the night
does not appear 10 be than hak it's original size.
as the small hours Of the morning approach II becomes
luminous and attains to It's greatest magnitude.
The nearest approach to the earth that it has made s
computed At II GOO COO OF miles, being little nearer
than tmid people would desire, taking into consideration
the velocity that comets in the habit Of travelling.
Donntis comet about which fear expreesed
account Of its close vicinity TO our globe, was never
nearer than 81 0oO geo OF miles.
The following letters addressed to Mr.. Thatcher by
Messrs Pond and Maury, place beyond any doubt the
right Of Mr. Thatcher TO theownershp discovery Of
our present celestial visier:-
OBSERVATORY OF HARVARD CoLIsGs,
CAMBRIDGE, Mass, April II, 1851
DIAR SR-Your letter Of the 9th inst announcing the
discovery Of comet in the constellation Of DrafO has
been received and beg 10 thank on for tho fAvo The
notice Nhw York HERALD Of the 9th had already
suggested examination Of that part OF Tho heavens.
The reaoy found and the following position
Determined with the aid OF the micrometer Of she great
equatorial.
1861, April 10, lib. Sam. 42s.
Comets rgdt ascension, I7h TN az 76s.
Cnnnn n daCliD inn v deg NH Il
The comet 10 bright for telescope object but shows
no tau No Information OF prior discovery In Ea'ops
has reached The latest astronomical intelligence
from that quarter is up TO tie a9th OF March.
Will you have the kindness 10 tavor me with any early
de.erm a:icns OF its position which may havef
you have precise observations, dseraai of its place
among teercopc stars the evening OF Its
discovery would be useful for sn early determination Of
The new panet discovered at this observatory by Mr.
Tattle morning of the 10TH was again observed
let evening had refrigerated in right ascension thin
" six seconds and had mpved north defamation three
minutes during An interval Of twenty hours Respect
OssgRvAroky WASHINGTON, April IL, 1861
SrRI have the honor report The observations made
las: night by Mr. Ferguson through the large equatorial
COMET 1sel-II.
April 1910 h 10 mia 20 6 sec--l7 II min. 81 SEQ
t59 Cog. 70 min Ia gee
The comet IL circular; minutes in diameter, with
out any tall Condensed the cen,re with trace OF
nucleus. Its daily motion is nn 10 geo., retrosrede
in right ascension, and K se mtn. N decituasicn
Tns comet discovered Il. Mr. Rutteiord's observa
tory in New York, April a. BY Mr. A. O. Thatcher, who
reported to this obser BY lester Of April Re
specially. ~ +. MAURf, superintendent
Hon GIpsos wErLss, Secretary o. the Navy.
The following elements Of the comet, computed at tho
Cambridge Observatory by Aessys Stafford and Hail. VIII
explain its sudden epparitiop northern sSies:
Until within pact week the head OF the comet has
been vsble in the northssn hepsohere II crossei
from the southern side Of the plain OF lie eaihs orb.
about The xlh Of June Previous 10 that date must
have been brilliant inject In the toutoeTn hemisphere,
especially u. the time OF its pcrhson pssage, which
I'M IF rstn Nm thA fha I'm
puseu the tail which crossed path day
ory advance CT SO that We barely ecaped pas
sipg through IL. The dsysLCs OF the comet from the
earth is no ABOUT twenty i've millions of miles, and It
vii, be O satisfaction to some, perhaps to know that it
is increasing. 1t viii sooa fade out Of sight
ELEMENTS OF COMET II, 1861.
By T. 81. Stafford.
Psriheiion passage, 1861, June II 1878, mean time
Periheiion from rode. s2s deg. 10 min 81
Longitude ascending node ...............27s6 SO %
Inclination. Al 43
By A. Hall.
Perihelion passage, June IL $50, Washington mean
Log Perihelion distance. o 1882
Pefiheiion longitude. .als deg 81 min 60 sec
Longitude ascending node. .27S 90 %
Motion direct.
| OBSERVATORY OF HARVARD COLLEGE, july s, 1861.
| We are informed that thesc elements were deduced
from observations made at the Cambridge Observatory
the highs Of July 3D. Sd and 4th 1he two sets Of
neyerhees be what changed by observations made
| a. longer intervals OF time.
The comet was first seen In the United States on Sun
day. June 3d. but that night and that OF July were
The comet appears to have passed ts ascending mode
srees the Longitude Of the earth then being 277 The
cnation OF M orbit 10 that OF tao earth Ia 30 degrees
aS Of he distance Of the earth from tn
head Of the comet appears y have been oa'y ss9s