THE NEW COMET

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 30, 5 February 1941, Page 9

THE NEW COMET

NEW ZEALAND DISCOVERER

The New Zealand discoverer of the new comet, Mr. R. A. Mclntosh, an Auckland amateur astronomer, will have his name sent overseas, stated Mr. M. Geddes, director of the Carter Observatory, Wellington, in .a statement yesterday afternoon. He added that reports received from observers throughout the country showed that the comet was first seen by Mr. Mclntosh. who observed it at 2.30 a.m. on January 25. Mr. R. B. Newport, Nelson, who saw it at 11.35 p.m. on January 25, and Mr. K. D. Adams, of Dunedin, who saw it 20 minutes later the same evening, were the next New Zealanders to make a similar observation.

Mr. Geddes said that no official advice of the discovery of the comet had yet been received from overseas, but according to Press reports a Melbourne amateur astronomer, Mr. J. F. Skjellerup, located the comet four days before Mr. Mclntosh. The name of the comet world probably be fixed by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. San Francvsco, after l-eports of observations hat) been received. Meanwhile it would be known officially as "Cornel 1941 A."

The new comet Avas still moving at a tremendous rate and was well within 20,000,000 miles of the earth and prob ably as close as 10.000,000 and coming closer. , Tha* was vei*y close for a comet, and indicated that it was not really a very large comet.