Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-03-25
The Latest Comet

At tdur O'Clock "a the morning Of March is
Mr. Charles s. Wells, ooe of the assistsns 10
the Dudley Observatory, A b.ug, discovered
small bu. vs'y bright comet 10 hs constellation
HERCULES. ibis comet bids fair 20 bs the
astroucm c!l serea.on Of The yoar. Oa the
morolug OF discovery MIR. Wells was sble to
secure but few definite observations, owing 10
WEAKNESS and .he rapid spproscn of dawn. Fl.
did. however. measure rough position of it,
aod noticed that it bad small tail, euual to
sbout o6l-6f.b Of The dismster of the m Ion 10
length This tail vas intensely bright, emo
there wss the sppenraccs of o starlike body 10
the head. NaWs of the discovery Wss immed.-
stety communicated to ASTRONOMERS and to the
pubic. but owing 10 unfavorsba weather tu
eT obeefVaioEs have thus f,r been ob,aioed.
a: the Dudley Observatory, of coutse, the pew
comet his been The ope top Of absorbing it,
ter,s:. The oopdsnscd brightness of the head,
he barrow tell and the slow apparent motion
so!oas tho face OF the sky all served to beah en-
rbe interest which vas felt aud led the ss'rono
aers in Albaay to predict for the strange BODY
N extraorditary iutute. The uieht of March
10 @as clear, sr d another tb erva,icn was made
ut The Dudley 0 osetvsiorY by Piof B,rs aad his
aasistspts The sluS then only served tOintepsfy
iu2a.icncs fer the time to arrive when the third
cts rVa,ion Gould be made, " oieh is always uco.s
s,ry bet,r. the future course OF comst c,o be
pr. .d:c'ed. Oo Iussdey Drght their eyes were
again reRardod ty f,w trisf gimpdes Of the
oew candidate for celestial honors. The conet
had increased in size and brs sh;ness. but clouds
snd tcgs oonsp;red to obscure oil faer details
All day Wednesday h, Albany astronomers
wsro ougsged 90 the orc ssaIy coppa.atlops
tvr al orbit and Il b Q tf IN ure POSITIONS in the
ky. Vi usss. with such slender nsteii,l.
xe, dl0g ,v:r four days only. bu. little .uld
bIt txp, ,c'ed 10 p,lot of accuracy. Bus that
II, ty has bae1 sufficient to tIci.e he most glow
ing an'lcipa,ionS for be fu urs. The new con-
ct Is roH approaching the earth, or her the
c2mst and earth are mutually approsching each
other, ut the enNrmnus velocity OF 2 900 0U0
miles pcr Gay. Though the comet is DOW invls-
,ols 10 the Taxed eye, il osnuot long cco'inue
to hiie ls light 1t is now nearly ooo hu-
dred and eigh'y-fys million miles from hs
suu. but ii will 6, Oh spprolchog the suo st
q rapidly i5oressloe rate unril abOur he uldd o
ut Ju6c, when it will pass lis perih .lion at .
Gists.c, from the suo OF less than 1en million
milss.
A. present hs comet ia sbout one buudred
aDd six 2 m'liious of miles from The earlh, aud
3 oistsnos from us will probably oot he g.
h 70 ,iS millions at any time, though far her
c. clislI"ns viii be necessary TO settle tnat
poIut. Bat though it will not spprsach Us so
nesrly 90 other comets htv, done, it may be
to the cary part tf June. O1ly ten o1m6ls
-un so nearly as this 10 all probability will
Ii is t" b, regretted, however. that its Rroar-
rs. b,ili,ucy viii occur ct Tins when it SlI
bs iuvlsiil, to us and seeu ooly in the South
rrn Hemisphere. la this r So ct il will res.n-
bio the eat comet of 1850. The present
extraordinary iutet SHY of i,s light hioh Q mes
| tn us from the enormous diststc,C Cf leo 000.-
900 miles, proves that it has plenty Of material
TOR future display, snd it will prlb ~ show
lopg and oesrly sltaig GIT tail of enormous Ci-
mersions 10 our apipodPs. How much of the
Same sort it will gives Us il still soOewba, prot
lematical and osn only be soided cn the basis of
further observations.
1t is DOW visible % The baked eye, atd by
SUD all telescope thong it ls readily seen, yet
owing to It's smsllneso i: can hardly be distine
uished from lhs Stars that turround it. After
passing i.s perihelinn it will probably become
again v.si! |, 10 The n r .hCrl Hems, hire. I;
now sppe. r. in the coustella:lJn OF tho L5re
nesr Vega l. will pass to tho westward of
rbat Star aud about the lss April will sand
within f,ur or fvs de- rees from it. Ii viii coz
'iaue 90 is ruroty 10 TOTO Cepheus. when 10
My it will nsks 40 abrupt turi std 60 plupg-
ing 10 toward the sur.
Tee eiepens tf the o., bit of the new comet
are Per: h:Iian passage, Juoe Is psriheli'n
place. 43 deg. 35 uiu. oDRituds OF pode. 206
deg. 4O miu. lrc iosior, IA deg. At miu.
patibeIion dissAbce, 10 600. 0O0 miles motion
direc'.
This c2mst appe,rs to have 20 analrgde 10
tbe past. ss DO otmstis knowa with el,nents
sufficiently res N Hrpg these to c)psti ue ret,
s9nstls b let 10 d .nuty. The elements Of the
comet OF 1907 sOnewba! ressu bls those of the
prescott c.mst. but the periheliou distance Of
he former Is computed TO b, seven .imes as
great as that of b, latter. Tw, We, K, OF furth-
| er observa.ios will servo to lem we many u1-
c'rtaio,ies which now ex!s. ss 10 tho iuIure OF
his c1met aud tbese observations will ul 1 G.
i4n,oiy bs waited for VIII .he greatest lut.r r.
es..
v - NJ