ASTRONOMY AND METEOROLOGY. 367 



comet on the evening of August 29, in the constellation Cameloparda- 

 lus. It then, in the great refractor, presented a very feeble concentra- 

 tion of light towards the centre. It was also observed at Cambridge 

 on the 30th and 31st, and on September 2, 3, and 8, and frequently 

 after the latter date. The comet was discovered in Europe at four 

 localities, independently of each other, and before the announcement 

 of its discovery in this country ; but Mr. Bond has the honor of the 

 priority. It was detected by Mr. Brorsen, at Senftenberg, on Sept. 

 5 ; by Mr. Charles Robertson, at Markree Castle, Ireland, on Sept. 

 9 ; by Mr. Clausen, in Dorpat, on Sept. 11 ; and at one other locality, 

 we presume, as Schumacher speaks of five discoverers. It had no 

 nucleus. 



The Boston Traveller states that Mr. Bond, of the Cambridge Ob- 

 servatory, on the evening of Jan.-l, 1851, while sweeping with the 

 great refractor, discovered a very faint nebulosity, so faint that it 

 could not be seen through a four-foot telescope. 



This comet is supposed to be the same as that seen by M. Faye, 

 Nov. 22, 1843, as the calculations of Nicolai and Leverrier assigned 

 to it a period of 2717.68 days, with an eccentricity of 0.55596, and an 

 inclination of its orbit to the ecliptic of 11 22' 31". 



Leverrier read to the French Academy, on Dec. 9, a paper on 

 Faye's comet, with especial reference to the probable action of Jupiter 

 upon it. What was then in a great measure theory may now be 

 perhaps tested by the fact. Leverrier, in 1844, assigned April, 1851, 

 as the precise epoch of the return of Faye's comet to its perihelion. 



This comet is, we believe, the eleventh seen at Cambridge before 

 any information thereof had reached this country. 



COMET DISCOVERED IN 1849 AT SEA. 



LIEUT. MAURY communicates to the National Intelligencer an ex- 

 tract from a letter from Rev. Mr. Jenkins, of Georgetown College, 

 who sailed for Rio de Janeiro in October, 1849, and states that he saw 

 a comet during the voyage, " on November 15th, at 7k P. M. The 

 nucleus was very distinct, and about as large in appearance as Mars ; 

 the tail was curved and pointed towards the south, was quite bright, 

 and nearly a degree in length, as visible to the naked eye, but much 

 larger when viewed with the spy-glass." A later account states that 

 the ship was in lat. 13 22', long. 24 50 west of Greenwich. " The 

 bearing of the comet from the ship was west-northwest ; its course 

 was southeast and northwest ; height of head from the horizon, 48 ; 

 in sight about one hour.' 



55 



THE COMET OF 1264 AND 1556. 



IT is well known that in 1264 a great comet astonished the world, 

 and is supposed to have returned in 1556. This period of about 292 

 years would have caused it to return in 1848. Since that period, 

 therefore, a careful lookout has been kept for it, but it has not yet 

 been detected. It is probable that Jupiter and Saturn may have by 

 their influence retarded it for a considerable period. 



