The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-07-14
PROF. BOSS'S COMET,
Whom and How the Stranger Gan
Be Found at Present
THIS is IT'S FIRST APPEARANCE
To the People on Earth and But Little
Can BE Said About tit is Moving
Toward the Big DippOr, Which 1t is
Rapidly AppFoachIng-A NebuIous
Mass Clear and sharp

Albany Journal,
The new cometary visitor that has
suddenly made his appearance in the
northwestern section OF the heavens, in
the constellation Lynx, was being Gag
erly sought last night by many peoples
but very few succeeded in locating it.
1t is very faint as yet and there is 10
much light in the western sky that the
hazy point Of light is lost in it,
1t will be remembered that the new
comet was discovered on Sunday by
Prof, Boss, at Dudley Observatory, who
is to be credited with having made the
first telescope discovery reported, Last
night he made the second Of the three
observations necessary for a computa-
ton to determine its distance from the
earth.
The comet is moving in a southeast
erly direction, toward the "Big Dip
per-" which it is rapidly approaching.
Prof.. Boss Characteri2es tho comet as
a "flery fellow" "a the nobulous mass
il clear and sharp, having atail that is
quite prominent.
Prof. Boss is laborlng at q great dis
advantage in making his observations,
US no telescope has yet been erected at
the new observatory and ho has only
a portable telescope, which he calls a
"comet chaser" Through this the
comet was distinctly seen last night,
but it did not appear as distinct as on
Sunday night, on account OF the hazy
condition OF the sky.
From the observations made last
night, the comet was located ut s hours
and 80 minutes right ascension, and
AZ degrees north declination. 1t had
therefore moved "a minutes 10 the Gust
ward and l degree to tho southwark
since Sunday night This denotes q
very rapid motion for u comet, and
Prof. Boss thinks it is much nearer to
the earth than to the sun; but whether
it is approaching the earth or not can
not be determined till another obserya-
ton has been made and u mass OF figures
have been computed.
With a sky free from all haze, the
comet will soon be easily visible to tho
naked eye. Tho tail can DO traced at
present to q length OF three degrees.
The comet has not been identified with
any other previously seen, and is no
doubt "a total stranger" AS it was OBJ
served first neal the western horizon,
and is moving in an easterly direction,
setting each night about half an hour
later, q good opportunity will be given
to observe its motions. A pair OF opera
glasses make tho comet very plain, and
after it has been located, it can be east
ly picked out by the naked eye.
TO find the comet tonight at about
half.past nine, find the "Big Dlpper," a
little to tho west OF tho zenith then,
looking in n straight limo further to tho
westward find two bright little stars
closer together and u little further
down aud to tho right another bright
star. Almostdirectly under this a hazy
but rather bright body will be found.
This is tho comet.
The manner in which Prof. Boss dis
covered the comet was rather peculiar.
Inc pEOlCbHOT 10 u llculubE VI viz YUM
mittee that was appointed to award the
four prizes that are to be given to Amer
lean astronomers who have made the
best observations. AS no discoveries
had lately been reported the professor
thought he would take n look over the
twinEling canopy, and had leveled his
comet searcher but u fewmoments when
he observed the hazy, nebulous mass
which told him that a new comet had
made its appearance. At the time he
was not aware that any n else had
seen it. 1t was seen with tho naked eye
by an astronomer ut Salt Lake City,
whore the atmospheric conditions were
o favorable. Prof. Boss was the first
to discover it in the east by means Of the
telescope. The tramp may turn out to
be quite an important fellow before he
bids adieu to our planet. 1t will take
three or four days TO make out u rolia-
bic computation which will establish
its distance from tho earth, its direc-
ton, etc.