The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-10-04

w WASHINGTON; sept. ZJ.-In nls OD-
servation Of the new comet, taken at the
Naval Observatory at P. M. on Tues
day, Prof Frisby determined its position
in right ascension IL hours, Is minutes,
so seconds: declination north @ degrees,
8 minutes. 40 seconds. Prof. Frisby also
obserbed it before sunrise, and again at
| 6 o'clock this morning. It was very
prominent object, rising about half an
| hour before the sun, and to the south
ward of it about loor IL degrees. The
tail Of about degree length, was very
| plainly visible. The nucleus Is very
condensed and stellar in character, hav-
| ing wings which curve outward and
downward, the whole presenting the
| appearance of bird in flight. The nu-
cleus is surrounded by an envelope OF
light Of much less intensity The comet
was very plainly seen with the naked
eve after sunrise.
An observation OF o comet in broad
daylight with meridian instrument is
unique This is perhaps the third in
seance in more than a hundred years of
its having been done. Wells comet
was thus observed o few months ago at
| the Dudley Observatory. The position
rom the transit circle observation is:
Right ascension, IL hours, ii minutes,
1894 seconds deciination south, @ de-
gree, "a minutes, 28.5 seconds.
Prof. Lewis Boss of the Dudley Obser-
vatory, Albany, who is now III wash
ington on the eve of his departure for
Santiago de Chilli, where he is to observe
the transit Of Venus in December next,
SAYS be believes that the comet we now
see near the sun, il a return Of the great
Icomet discovered by DIR. Gould in South
America on Feb 5, 1880. He says he
vas led to this suspicion in the first
place by his efforts to suppose the pres
ent comet identical with the one discov-
cred in Rio Janeiro by Cruls on Sept. TO-
In order to thus identify the two objects
} it was necessary TO suppose that the
Cruls comet when discovered was on it
way to perihelion. Somewhere ABOUT
| PLs Al
by the binding radiance Of the sun ano
thus lost to view. On Sept. Is it was
past its perihelion, and Of such dazzling
splendor, as it emerged from close prox
y unity to the sun, as to be seen by severa
observers in its position three or four dc
[ grees west Of the sun. The comet wa:
| now on its return journey into space
On the 10 at noon, it was about degree
west from the sun, and still going west
: ward. Assuming these facts TO be true
we must also assume that the perihellol
r. distance is very small. In order to fnl
+ fiji these relations the comet must nav
>, nassed around the sun ON the eastern
d side so close as almost to Craze the SUI
r face. These suppositions were estaE
lished yesterday by rough calculations.
Prof. Boss says: II have scarcely
doubt in nv own mind that we are ac'
ually witnessing o return OF the grea
p comets of lS43 and 1880. | believe tina
Y the perhelion passage will be found :
q have occurred some hours previous t
nc Greenwich, midnight of the 18th, an
that the orbit will be found to be ellipt
cal with period Of less than thre
years. We may, therefore, expect th
comet back again in 1884, if not soone
m At each fresh plunge into the solar q
0y mosphere, the comet, which at ths
time is moving with the enormous velo
ity of $40 miles per second, will be in
= peded it its flight. The result OF tn
will be to make intervals between gu
cessful returns continually diminish
on length. Hotter and hotter will becon
!, the mad flight of the splendid comet VI
der the all powerful and increasing q
- traction of the sun. At last, and as / b
lieve, before the close Of the present Gel
ck tury, the comet, on some one Of its recu
ck ring approaches to the sun, will NEE
low down. in the solar atmosphere, q
= obstruction too great TO be resisted.
will then fall headlong into tie sun, al
vanish from the catalogue OF comets to
i. ever This catastrophe may occur ne
y year or some years later, but Isbelieve
!. must come sooner or later. / am mo
inclined to believe that the destructis
Of the comet will take place suddenl
q, rather than byla gfadSal wasting ava
ing It is even possible that theevent will g
8 x.sA. Iy ,,xr, Ix,x1rso. hit if 1