Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-09-26
The Great Come, Of 1852.

ITS ELEMENTS AS SHOWN BY CORRECTED coNPUTA-
TIoNs-sUPPosED IDENTITY WITH THE COMETS OF
1S43 AND lss0-pANeER OF IT'S BEING PRECIPITATED
ON THE SOLAR SURFACE.
From observations made at the Naval Observa-
tory On the 18th, Goth and 21st instant, DR.. Nor
rison, of the Nautical Almanac Office, has CON-
puted the elements OF the orbit OF the comet
which was visible TO the naked eye few days ago
near the sun. The observations have been cor
rected for paraax and alteration the latter being
very important In the present case, and therefore
the following elements Of the orbit are considered
70 De more accurate than any Others hitherto pub
lished, in which the corrections have rot been
applied; p d..
TOO short to admit OF rei'g accurate de-
termination OF the orbit Perihelion passage.
msan n dys hrs e. m PM The Wash
helion, 27So e; longitude OF ascending node,
$40 re; referred to the mean equinox OF 1SSAO;
inclination, 39o AZ; logarithm or perihelion dis
tance, 7739i, which corresponds to 554 $50 miles,
the SUMS distance being taken at " $40 600 miles
Motion retrOgrade.
RECEDING FROM THE EARTH.
The comets distance FROM the earth on Septem-
Der 10 day, his. Sc m pm, was 1o3, 900 miles,
and On September 21 day. 11h. m, it was 107 AGO.,
900 miles, from which it is that the comet is
| rapidly receding from the earth.
The comets velocity at periheon was 392 miles
the 2st inst. 1t had receded to such an enormous
distance from the sun thatits velocity was reduced
TO 5S miles per second.
The middle place OF observation is not as well
represented by the computation as it ought to be,
supposing the orbit to be parabola. 1t is, there
fOre highly probable that the orbit is an ellipse,
which, however. subsequent observation. embrac-
| ing longer intervals Will easily determine.
The orbit OF this comet is according to the pre-
cedtng elements almost Identical with that OF the
great comet OF 1S43 whose elements, reduced TO
the same equinox, are as follows: PerfheliOn pas
sage, 1843, February 27 day, 9Sh. longitude OF
perihelon 27So 1t.5 longitude or ascending node,
10 46: inclination, $50 1915; lOgarithm Of peThe
lion distance, 774337; eccentricity, 1899 57; mo-
ton, retrograde. It also almost comedies with the
orbit OF the comet OF 1880, and II subsequent in
yeStgatlonS show that these
THREE COMETS ARE IDENTICAL.
it Is evident that the comet must have expert
enced great resistance during its prev ious peri
helton passages in order to have it's periodic time
reduced from 36 years to two years, and that be-
fore two Or three more revolutions shall have been
performed the comet will be perclpitated on the
solar surface. 1t is difficult to say what the result
OF such collision Will be, since there is little or
nothing known OF the mass or quantity OF matter
| IN the comet That 1t would be followed by con-
siderable Outburst OF solar heat Is absolutely
certain, but whether its intensity would in
teriere seriously with vegetable and animal life
On the surface of our planet, there is no means at
present Of determining.
LORD CRAwFoRD's COMPUTATION.
There was received at Harvard College yester-
day computation from Lord Crawford, OF Eng
land, giving the following position ot the CrulS
comet: September Il, 9h. On. 42s Greenwich mean
time; right ascension, 11h. 31m. 9s. decltlatlon
north, 10 % 26'; elements computed are: time OF
per1helion passage, September II, 81 Greenwich
meon time; longitude of perlhelion, 43o IA 81;
longitude OF node 342o 39 So; inclination Of OrDit,
14O0 IT. 46'; perlhe1iOn distance, .0O3279