794 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The nearest approach of the comet to the earth was about Novem- 

 ber 18, 1880, when it was distant from the earth 0'13 of the earth's 

 distance from the sun. The period, as determined by Professor 

 Frisby and Mr. Upton, is probably somewhat too large, owing to the 

 uncertainty arising from the shortness of the arc of observation. The 

 length of the period of revolution affords a reason for the fact that 

 the comet escaped observation at its last return ; since then it must 

 have been in the direction of the sun. 



It will be seen, from the drawing, that at aj^helion the comet j)asses 

 beyond the orbit of the planet Jupiter. 



About the 22d of June last, a comet flashed into view which Avas un- 

 expected as it was brilliant. It was seen with the unassisted eye by a 

 multitude of persons in widely separated localities. Among the ear- 



FiG. 2. 



June ^8 



Ju 



T %- / ^'^^ne /s. 



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liest of those ^who discovered its i-)resence in the northern sky was Mr. 

 G. W. Simmons, of Boston, Massachusetts, who chanced to be in camp 

 at Morales, Mexico. This gentleman first saw it on the morning of 

 June 20th. It had, however, been discovered nearly one month earlier 



