8 OBSERVATIONS OF A COMET. 



Oct. 26. The tail of the comet is considerably longer on 

 the south-preceding, than on the north-following side. 



It is not bifid, as I have seen the comet of 1769 delineated 

 by a gentleman who had carefully observed it*. 



Oct. 28. 7 feet reflector. The south-preceding side of the 

 tail in all its length, except towards the end, is very well de- 

 fined ; but the north-following side is every where hazy and 

 irregular, especially towards the end ; it is also shorter than 

 the south-preceding one. 



The shape of the unequal length of the sides of the tail, 

 when attentively viewed, is visible in a night glass, and even 

 to the naked eye. 



Oct, 31. 10 feet reflector. The tail continues to be better 

 defined on the south-preceding than on the north-following 

 side. 



Dec. 6. The length of the tail is now reduced to about 

 23' of a degree. 



Of the Density of the Coma and Tail of the Comeh 



Density of the Many authors have said, that the tails of comets are of so 

 cotna and tail rare a texture, as not to affect the light of the smallest stars 

 that are seen through them. Unwilling to take any thing 

 upon trust, that may he brought to the test of observation, I 

 took notice of many small stars, that were occasionally 

 covered by the coma and the tail, and the result is as fol- 

 lows. 

 ffi- % ^ ct * 2 ^» ^* * 5, Large 10 feet reflector, 24 inches aper- 



obscure the ture. A small star within the coma is equally faint with two 

 ti arS ilTtl other stars that are on the north-following side of the comet, 

 but without the coma. 



7h. 30'. The coma being partly removed from the star, it 

 is now brighter than it was before. 



Oct. 31, 6h. 5'. 10 feet reflector: A star in the tail of the 

 comet, which we will call a, is much less bright than two 

 others, b and c, without the tail. 



Two other stars, d and e, towards the south of b and e> 

 are in the following skirts of the tail, and are extremely 

 faint. 



7h. 20'. The star e is now considerably bright, the tail 



* Dr. Lind of Windsor. 



having 



