THE COMET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6096, 1 June 1881, Page 6

THE COMET.

Tiik Sydney Morning Herald of the 26th has the following respecting the comet : — Regarding the comet, Mr. H. C. Russell, Government Astronomer, sends the following communication from the Observatory :— "Tuesday evening proved, very cloudy at Sydney ; but we were more fortunate this evening, the: sky being clear, and but for some haze and smoke to the west, all the circumstances were favourable for observing the comet. It is an object quite conspicuous to the naked eye, and it can be very weH seen with a binocular glass. The nucleus is condensed bright, and almost starlike ; thence the tail may be traced fully 12 degrees ; but the smoky haze before mentioned prevented me from seeing how long it was. The rough determination of position places it in Right Ascension 4h. 49m. 4Gs.; and south declination 34 degrees 13?. minutes. Examined with tho large equatoria, the nucleus presents a bright, nearly round condensation, in front of which is a sort of half halo, something like the drawings of the comet of ISSS, but the state of the atmosphere prevented mo from seeing the details which the telescope should have revealed. Comparing Mr. Tebbutt's observations on the 23rd with the above, it appears that tho comet is slightly increasing its right ascension and moving northward at the rate of about half a degree per day. P.S.—lt seems unnecessary to give directions for finding it, for in a fine sk3' it cannot be overlooked in the southwest."

Mr. John Tebbutt, of the Private Observatory, Windsor, writes a follows, under date May 23:—"Sir, —I announced to you this mornina; by telegraph that I discovered on the previous evening a comet between the constellations Columba and Eridanns. Combined with the light of the two stars designate in the catalogues as Gamma Cceli it appeared to the unassisted eye as a hazy patch, but without a tail. In the telescope, however, the tail could bo distinctly seen. I was informed that a relative of mine, residing near Bungonia, had seen what she thought to be a comet in the southern sky, about 3 o'clock on the moruing of Sunday, the 15th instant, but in the absence of any particulars respecting the observation, and from our ignorance respecting the orbit of the stranger, it is at present impossible to say if the two objects are identical. Is is a remarkable circumstance that the date of discovery here is only nine days later than the anniversary of the discovery of the great comet of 1861, and that the present comet was found only about fifteen degrees east of the position of the great comet just mentioned. I fortunately obtained a good series of comparisons with the equatorial, giving for the present tho rough position R.A., 4h. 5Sm. declin. 35i degrees S. Information, has been communicated to the Sydney Observatory, and also telegraphed to Melbourne."

The Argus thus refers to the comet, as seen from Melbourne :—" From information supplied by Mr. Tebbutt, of Windsor, N.S. W., thu comet -was readily found soon after sunset, and measures of its position obtained. It was readily seen with the naked eye (but better with a binocular) in the S.VV. sky, at au altitude of 20 degrees at 7 o'clock, and would set about 10 minutes past 9. The nucleus was quite bright and stellar, and the tail—which was narrow and well defined,- but somewhat faint

—could be traced for 15 or 20 degrees. The nucleus itself was in the constellation Cceli Ssulptoris, and the tail extended into the constellation Columba, inclining towards the South Pole. Its approximate position was found to be R. A., 4 hours 59 minutes, declination 35 degrees 14 minutes south, and moving northwards. Of course, no opinion as to whether it is one of the known comets or a new one can yet be ventured upon. From its southern declination it will rise two hours before the sun in the morning.'"