ON COMETS. 



9I 



a be- 







11 



pened several times, and in one case quite r, 



the great comet of i S43 was seen at noor ' 



to the sun both in Nova Scotia and at > 



fore sunset at the Cape of Good Hope.* ^ 



is only the brightest part, or the head of a ecu: that 



can ever be so seen. The faint light of the ta luis no 



chance of contending against broad dayli.' * 



(4.) Before the invention of telescopes tiic a; ce 



of a comet was a rare occurrence, because or, 

 proportion of them can ever be seen by the n;cd eye, 

 and of them again only a small portion are cohderable 

 enoufjh to attract much attention but since i.\t dis- 

 covery it lias been ascertained that the} are vc 

 ous hardly a year passes without one ; and \ 

 two, three, and in one year, 1846, no less than ^ 

 ol;served. Taking only two a year on an avncj 

 visible if looked for in a telescope, and com 

 at least as many must occur 

 could not expect to s< 

 corded histon' ther^ 

 thirty thou, 

 however, ^ 

 in fiftee 



r- 

 en 

 .re 



