Hind. 

 1844. Oct. 17-33613. 



Greenwich mean time. 



180 24 9-6 



31 39 6-4 



48 36 21-7 



9-9321180. 



Motion retrograde. 



410 Mr. J. R. Hind on the Comets 



final researches on the elements. At the latter end of January, 

 Professor Encke with the Berlin refractor, Mr. Lassell at Li- 

 verpool, and many others again observed the comet. I caught 

 sight of it on February 2, when it was seen without much 

 difficulty in Mr. Bishop's eleven-foot refractor: the state of 

 the atmosphere near the horizon prevented our taking obser- 

 vations at an earlier date. 



The parabolic elements of this comet have been computed 

 by many astronomers. M. Nicolai has based his calculations 

 on four normal positions, three before and one after the peri- 

 helion passage; his results are almost identical with my own, 

 obtained from three observations, July 8, November 2, and 

 February 8. 



Nicolai. 

 Per. passage (T) 1844. Oct. 17'37544. 



Berlin mean time. 



Long, of perihelion (x) 180 23 55-2 

 Ascending node ... (^) 31 39 4-9 



Inclination (i) 48 36 237 



Log. least distance {q) 9-9321208. 

 Motion retrograde. 



Our longitudes are referred to the mean equinox of 1845, 

 January 1, and the perihelion is reckoned in the manner most 

 usual among astronomers, viz. on the ecliptic to the node and 

 thence on the orbit. The elements require very small correct 

 tions, and these will be best applied when we are in possession 

 of the reduced Cape observations. M. Nicolai suggests that 

 the slight diflf'erences between his calculations and the normal 

 positions may arise from eccentricity in the orbit. 



First or Periodical Comet of Tie Vico. 



Before the last comet had disappeared in the sun's rays, 

 another was found by Father De Vico, at the Observatory of 

 the Collegio Romano at Rome. It was discovered on August 

 22 in the constellation Cetus. Mr. Mehrop of Hamburg, and 

 Mr. Hamilton Smith of America made independent discove- 

 ries of this comet. Astronomers very soon found that a pa- 

 rabola would not satisfy the observations, and M. Faye of 

 the Royal Observatory, Paris, calculated the elements by 

 Gauss's general method, from which it was evident that the 

 true path of the comet was elliptical, and that the period of 

 revolution could not l)e more than six years. The discovery 

 of another periodical comet so soon after astronomers had re- 

 cognised that of Faye, among the ^ew which revolve in less 

 than eight years, is as singular as it is important. I subjoin 



