Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-12-29
Astronomical Review for 1851,

| The tclioHiOg Interesting facts, regarding th,
astronomy ofths past year, lave been SAINT u
by Pref. Lewis Swift, Director of tho Warae
Observatory, Rochester, N. Y.
TIE astronomical evsnts of the yea. 1881
| will long occupy distinguished placs in ths
sunals at astronomy. In tho matter of comets,
esp ,cla!ly, it has been an exceptionally good
year. Since the commencement OF this cel-
| tuty, there hav1 appeared. and have been care
| fully observed, aud their orbits computed,
nearly POO oomets-an average OF about one in
| five months, bu in the interval between May
| ard November l6. only six aAd abalf months.
sevep comets were discovered. two of which
vera visible to the naked eye, enc of them 80
conspicuous as to taxa rank With the most re-.
msrksble of those of modern times.
Immediately upon the announcement of the
discovery or coEst-WheLher made in this
country or 10 Europe-spscial circulars have
been printed aud eratuisously and widely DIS
trlbltsd by the Rochester Astronomical Sccie-
~. by meaus of these clicuars-wbiah are
issued 10 less than an hour alter the reoeipt OF
ueSs-eyery newspaper and every professional
ind amsteur astronomer 10 tho Ucited States
is Ir rfIrmed OF ell the Known do.sis which the
As the year is neariug les close, i. seems de-
siraoe that resume OF the comsss iu the order
of their discovery. be made, std also some
special ino.s regarding each bs presented to The
public which could not be done wisbin the
limits cf the Circulars which were sabt out BE-
tore their orbits had osou computed, or any OF
their peculiar characteristics ascsrtsioed. My
retrosptcj must necessarily ba brief aud COR
fined chiefly 10 the comets of the year 1881,
which, in point oil Gumbers have bu. twice been
excaeded during ,hs history OF astronomy
y; the seVan, five Tere discovered 10 the
olted States. a number tq1a to ont-if.h Of
all that have ever been detected on this CONT
Dent This sudden Increase CT American dis
oover!ea Is, 90 doubt, largely due to the priz, Of
$2Uu, tor the discovery (in this country and
Canada) oil each Dew cjmot, which was offered
BY Mr. II. H. Warner. of Rochester, N. 7,
This ia the onv comet priza ever rendered 10
this country. Very thoroughly has the sky been
searched by aspiraots for this tempting prizs,
rs we'll as ior the honors Of discovery.
Three OF tho dIsolvsrers, having confirmed
to the coudillous governing the award. havs
been pbii as follows: Schscbsr 5000, Blru.
ard $500. aod Swift 5000 twioe.
The following is list OF the o,uoGs OF Tie
yesr. 10 he order OF their discovery:
Coma1 4. Ssi!t, Rochester, N. Y.
d.. b, Istbltt, South Africa
do. q. Scbsebetc. Aon Arbor, Mich
DO. D, Elcke's, Ipsrlodic l. expected
do. u. Bernard, Nashville, Tenn.
DO. G G, ss,r', S'' Rocbesser' esseS' n n Y 7
Comet A. was toucd May 10 Audroneda.
It was faint otiact. AID, moving rapidly
southeast, was soon les! 10 the morning twl-
light, snd was not seeo iu the u.hern hemis.
phetc, 20 astronomer there hsVicg been ap.
nrsod, by telegraph, Of lis discovery, as was at
first thought fdgIsabe.
Comet B." or the sensational one of tho
year, was the btightes: ti1cs the memorable
one OF 1851. sud, cuvlCusy enough, both were
discovered bS the sane person. this With the
naked ey,, ou Msy 81. I,s path was nearly
due nor'h, aud ty it7 proximity to the suu was
| soon rendered ieVisib!a from ary part of thu
| world. /: passed tho sun only s. west, at moor
| on June 10. sod was first seen 10 the northerr
| hemisphere ou the morning of June %. its tai
| only being then visible. The next morning i
became an object of general observation. strik
ing every behoder with astonishment. Its sub.
stquont ca1esr is too well reme emoered to neeC
description here. LIS orbit is prob .b'y clip
| tic.l, having period CT sbjut 3 1000 years
From similarity of elements it was at frs
thought 10 be the comet Of 1907, but that it j
cot, now comm inds the assent of astronomers
| 1t is still family vlstls 10 the constellation Ce
pheus
Comet c. was first seen on the morning o
July is. and. somewhat sipgularly, 10 sImos
| the same place whore comet B had 50 sudd ,nly
| appeared sf:er being lost sight Of 10 the nth.
Gro hemisphere. This would have been DIG
uouoced foe comet had cot lis imn diate pre-
deosssor cutivalled it 50 greatly, Like "B" il
hsd two tails. LIS elements ere unlike those o
any comet heretofore observed.
Comet D Ennke'sl. which mas period o
only about 3 10 yetrj has Just paid Us apoth
er, aud the tweuy- aInth Visit, siooe it was first
detected 10 1856.
Comet L was discovered en- August IS h by
MIR. II h. Barosrd. 10 him belongs the dis
ti1c.iou of havirg been the first 10 The South
ern States to discover a c,met. l. moves 10 q
paraoHc orbit. aud. ther, re-, visited our sy5
ten for the first sad lest time. Only thos,
comes moving 10 elliptic orbits can com, to oul
system mrre than otc,.
Comet ( Hsa ftst detected on the morning oil
| Oo.obet q 10, by Mr. w. r. Blocks, and, OF
the next morning, by Mr. W. +. D.oning, OF
| Bristol, E1gand WOO mmediately suooul ID
| it, which Mr.. Books for Two days delayed t
do, as clouds preven;ed him fiom dererninr G
whether i. were c5net or uebrIs. |. is, no,
Hi.hsanoicg thst 1t was visible only thtougt
the TELESCOPES, By tar the most iuuortsot ons vi
| the year. Ii is a periodic clmat of the shor
period Of eight years. 1t is, therefore. snc
prcb ,bIY for years has been, p:rmsn-nt men
| Der Of our system.
Comet G, discovered b1 SRif. the evening
of November l6;h, is OF fair sze, though f,int
snd. like a, f. and L. without tail. LIS el.
mapts are somewhat ss: :bose OF comet A, 1892
| bu; this resemtliIca c.oal: b. dstermnsd no
nj after further obse;v.uen 1t will bs seen fol
some tiue yet, as the dircc 100 of luoti1n sou:t-
| west will give it long visible path.
| An surulsr ecipss Of the suo took place Oh
| November 2Osh, tu;its aoLu az phase was prob
ably seen By 90 human bsi5g. as lis track lay il
the south polar regions. THo other eclipse!
have occurred, but they we're only partial, az
,ssessed little scientific value.
| ComaI 3 Vas sacc ;ssfuIIy photographed bJ