Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-20
THE GREAT COMET.
Detailed Reports as to Its Appearance.

WASHINGTON, September 19.-The great
comet, reported this m orning as having been
discovered by observers In Colorado, was
observed at the Naval Observatory this az
temoon. 1t was found in right ascension
IL hours 19 minutes 80 seconds and declina-
ton north zero degrees and 10 minutes.
The comet was easily seen with the
naked eye, and exhibited short
tail, with a bright head. Of considerable
extent. In the telescope the nucleus showed
as a confused mass OF bright light, indicat-
ing large comet with plenty of loose mate
rial. Extending on both sides were seen
bright arcs Of light presenting the appear
ance OF a bird with outstretched wings.
This afternoon a dispatch was received
from the observatory at Paris to the follow
ing fleet:
"Thollon's comet was observed at Nice
about noon Of September Is three degrees
west Of the sun. The nucleus gives con-
tinuous spectrum very brilliant and very
much extended. Both tail and nucleus give
sodium lines extremely brilliant, very
sharply divided and characteristic. They
seem displ.ced toward the red ray."
The spectroscOpic observations reported
in the above dispatch are OF extraordinary
Interest. They indicate that this is the
second comet that has shown a sodium
spectrum. The first was that discovered
this year by Wells, at Dudley Observatory,
Albany, and observed at that institution In
full daylight. The reported displacement
Of the two sodium lines toward the red end
Of the spectrum is Of the highest interest,
since 1t indicates that the comet is now
moving toward the earth with a planetary
velocity.
Such an observation has never before
been made In the case OF any comet. From
the position given in the above dispatch
the comet is moving to the westward from
the sun at the rate Of five or elk degrees
daily. II is almost certain that the comet
has now passed its perihelion, or the point
where 1t is nearest to the sun. Astronomers
will now be ar xtous to learn II this comet is
Identical with the one recently discovered
in South America. II their identity
is proved, 1t will follow that 1t has ap-
preached very near the sun, probably as
close as did the great comet Of 1880, a ccmet
which had the smallest periheliOn distance
on record. Several days must elapse before
particulars of its orbit can be ascertained, q,
and this question be defnitely settIed.
The comet to-day at o'clock was 9
degrees west Of the sun and It will probably
have increased this distance by sunrise on
the Goth to II or 13 degrees. 1t will, there
AOACt AASO 9OLi OCAOlC VIC SUM- OuV OMlhS
to the fact that 1t is also further south than
the sun 1t will not be readily seen before
sunrise. In a few days, with its present
rate and direction OF motion, 1t should be-
come brilliant object in the morning sky.
On the whole, this may be regarded as one
OF the most extraordinary comets of modern
time. The only one which resembles 1t in
its special features OF interest is the great
comet Of 1913, which, like this, was visible
tn the nQked apa I'm fI1ll eun1iObt
Barnard's comet, recently discovered at
Nashville, was also observed at the naval
observatory this morning at four o'clock by
Professor Frisbee. Its right ascension was
hours q minutes, and declination 12 de-
grees Al minutes north. It presented its
usual appearance of telescope comet with
a slight central condensation. An obserga-
tion OF the same comet was taken at Table
Mountain station, in California.