Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-09-21
ASTRONOMICAL
The Most Extraordinary Comet
of Modern Times
Discovered, and Moving Earth
ward With Planetary Force.
It Can be Easily Seen With the
Naked Eye.

WASHINGTON, September ia
great comet was reported this morn-
ing as being discovered by observ>
ers in Colorado. 1t was observed at
the naval observatory this afternoon.
1t was found III right ascension, IL
hours. 9 minutes and 30 seconds, and
declination North, no degrees and
ten minutes. The comet was easily
seen with the naked eye and 1t ex-
hibited a short tail, with bright light
at the head for a considerable extent
In the telescope the nucleus showed
a confused mass of bright hight, in
dicating a large comet with
plenty of loose material,
Extending on both sides were
seen bright areas of light, presenting
the appearance of a bird with out
stretched wings This afternoon a
dispatch was received from the OBJ
servatory of Paris, to the following
effect:
The Thallons comet, observed at
Nice, about noon, on September 18th,
three degrees vest OF the sun nucleus,
gives a continuous spectrum, very
brilliant and very much extended
towards Violet Both the tail and
nucleus give sodium liens extremely
brilliant, very sharply divided and
characteristic. The, seem displaced
toward the red. The spectroscopic
observations, reported III the
above dispatch, are Of ex
traordinary inter, st. They indl-
cate that this is the second comet
that las shown sodium spectrum.
The first was that discovered III S
year by y eli-, at the Dadley observa-
tory, Albany, and observed at thai
institution III full day light. The
reported displacement OF the two
sodium lines toward the red end of
the spectrum is Of the highest inter
est, since it indicates hat the comet
is now moving toward the earth
with planetary velocity Such an
observation has never before been
made IN case OF any comet. From
the position given IN the above
dispatch, the comet is moving west
ward from the sun at tue rate
of five or six degrees daily. 1t IS
almost certain that the comet has
now passed its perihellon, or the
point where it IS nearest the sun.
Astronomers viii now be anxious to
learn If this comet is identical
with the oue recently discovered III
South America. Ii this identity is
proven, 1t will follow that it has ap~
preached very near the sun, proba-
bly, a. close as did the great comet
OF 1880, the comet which had the
smallest perihelion distance on
record. Several days must elapse
before the particulars Of the orbit
can be calculated by the astrono-
mers, and this question be definitely
settled. The comet at three
o'clock was 8 degrees west OF
the sun, and it will probably
have increased this distance by sun
rise on the Goth to II or 13 degrees.
1t will therefore rise sometime be-
fore the sun. But owing to the fact
that 1t is also farther south than the
sun, it viii not be readily seen be
fore sunrise In few days, how
ever, with It's present rate and direc
ton of motion, it should become Il
brilliant object in the morning sky.
On the whole, this may be regarded
as one OF the most extraordinary
comets OF modern times. The only
one which resembles it in its
special features of interest is the
great comet of 1913, which. like this,
was visible to the naked eye in full
light. Birnard's comet, recen ly
discovered at Nashville, was also ob
seryable at the National Observatory
this morning at 4 o'clock by Pro-.
trlsber. Its right ascension was 7
hours rs minutes, and declensiOn II
hours fl minutes north. It pre-
stnted the usual appearance of a
telescope comet, with slight central
eoDden satlon. An observation of
the same comet was eaken at Table
Mountain Stat on, California.