THE COMET.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 6699, 6 October 1882, Page 5

THE COMET.

It will.interest Home readers to know that a comet (I the most unusual brilliancy has been vi-ible here in the eastern heavens shortly before sunrise since the 9th of September last. On that day it was seen at 5 a.m. in the northern p irtion of the constellation of Hydra, having the appearance of a star of the first' magnitude, when slightly obscured’ by a cloud,; ; the tail being less than Sleg loug. Its light was a bright yellow, and not nnlike that of the planet Mars. It was rapidly moving towards the sun, and was in perehelion [twice within a few hours on the Right, of the 19th September. Observers in Europe should have had an excellent' opportunity for malting observations. ' Throughout the 19th and 20th it was plainly’ discernible in' broad daylight with the ’ unaided eye, presenting a shape somewhat like that of a dagger, but being much' shorter and rounder. During the passage round the sun the tail assumed very extraordinary shapes. Two of bright yellow light shot out from the nucleus, curving .away fiom the sun,.and gradually fading away. Since its perehelion passage, the appearance of the comet has undergone numerous changes. For two or three mornings

it had the appearance of a scimitar, the whole seeming like an incandescent mass, the nucleus being particularly bright. It is no exaggeration to say. that it was fully as bright as the moon when at its fall, bnt a tinge of red lent it an additional lustre which it is scarcely possible to describe. While losing steadily in brilliancy the wanderer has grown enormously in size, and at the present time it may be seen for fully an hour on any clear morning, presenting a broad streak of a pure silver color. The tail extends over about eighteen degrees, and is one degree in width. The black streak, which indicates that the tail is tubular, was not observed before the perihelion passage, bat since then it has been easily discernible, being very much to one side. The nucleus still retains its yellow color, and in brilliancy it is equal to any star in the heavens. None of the observations which have been taken show how near the earth will pass to the stranger, but that they will keep many millions of miles apart has been demonstrated. Colonial astronomers ' are still uncertain as to whether the comet is that of 1811 and 1812, which was calculated to re-appear in 1883, or not ; but the opinion seems to be growing that the two are identical However that may be, we had, and stilt have, the pleasure of seeing the most magnificent celestial object of the century, and must rest content until we obtain reports from European observatories. An immense amount of interest has been created, and all the easily accessible eminences in and near the city have been crowded on fine mornings with men, women, and children who were anxious to obtain a good view.