DISCOVERY OF A COMET.

Auckland Star, Volume V, Issue 1391, 27 July 1874, Page 3

DISCOVERY OF A COMET.

Captain Andrews, of the steamship Ladybird, informs us that while at sea on Saturday night he observed a comet to the eastward, with a tail which he estimates as between five and six degrees in length. As no comet of any great magnitude is expected this year by astron< mers so far as we are aware, the one discovered by Captain Andrews must be a stranger. Its advent, if it should prove a large one, as we may suppose it to be from first indications, will be^ hailed with satisfaction by scientfiic men, who have long desired to compare the results obtained by the aid of the spectrum from the solar, zodiacal, and other lights, with that emitted from one of these erratic heavenly bodies. Scientific speculation has been so largely directed of late towards the investigation of the comet phenomena, and with so little satisfactory rosult, that the presence of a large comet in the heavens would no doubt attract such an amount of attention in all parts of the world, that we might reasonably hope for a final determination of the merits of the conflicting comet theories. Should to-night prove clear our readers may look out for the visitor.