406 Anetu Comet. — Chemijlryi 



a beautiful colour, great malleability, and capable of receiving 

 an exceeding fine polifh, more unalterable than that of gold 

 when expofed to the action of fulphurized hydrogen or fimU 

 lar agents. 



A NEW COMET. 



About ten at night, on the *8th of Auguft, C. Mechain, 

 member of the National Iniiitute and of the Board of Lon- 

 gitude, difcovered a new comet in the confteilation of Ser- 

 pentarius : it was fame degrees below two nebulous ftars 

 which are on the (eft fide of that figure, and near the equator. 

 He determined its pofition, and found that it was riling with 

 great rapidity towards the north. He continued to obferve 

 the following days... The light of this body did not appear to 

 him to increafe in a fenfible manner; its nucleus did not be- 

 come more brilliant ; and the nebulofity which furrounded it 

 did not extend. 



On the i ft of September he made a report to the National 

 Inftitute of his fir ft and laft obfervations. 



Auguft 28. Mean time, 9 hours 24 7 6 J1 ; right afcenfion, 

 249 18 7 ; declination fouth, 6 11 1 $i n . 



Auguft 31. Mean time, 9 hours 35' 19 77 ; right afcenfion, 

 250° 16'; declination fouth, o~ J 39x'. It is to be remarked, 

 that, according to the prefent pofition of this comet, its di- 

 ftance from the fun is neceffarily greater than that of the fun 

 from the earth. It rifes towards the north pole, following 

 the left fide of Serpentarius and the oppofite fide of Hercules. 

 Though it is vifible only with the help of telefcopes, it may 

 fiill be obferved a long time if its light be not weakened. 



We learn by R letter from Bremen, that on the 2d of Sep- 

 tember, at nine in the evening, Dr. Qlbers difcovered a fmall 

 comet, which cannot be feen but with good telefcopes. From 

 its obferved pofition it feems to be the fame that C. Mechain 

 fix days beioie. Dr. QlbeiV obfervations are ftated as 

 follows : 



September 2, at one minute paft eleven, its right afcenfion 

 was 25 1 ° 28 7 ; declination north, 4' 32'. 



On the 4th, Meantime, 9 hours 7 min.j right afcenfion, 

 251 28 7 ; declination north, 7 57 7 . 



There is, however, probably, a miftake in the letter rcr 

 fpecting the Jalt-mentioned right afcenfion, 



.iEMISTRY. 



Mr. Arthur Aikin has fucceedeel \i\ producing an amal- 



m of iron and mercury, by uniting an amalgam of sine 



and mercury with iron filings, and then adding muriate of 



irom 



