several Comets not previously computed. 417 



tseu)^ a strange star was seen to the east of the constellation 

 Ti (commencing at « Librae)." But it is to be observed, that 

 in 568 there was no day Jiiir-tseu in \he sixth moon : the date 

 given by M* Biot falls in the fifth moon. The next day, Jin- 

 iseu, answered to August 27 in the seventh moon; and I am 

 strongly inclined to think that this is the date intended, for 

 the following reasons: — 1st. Ma-tuon-lin says the comet ob- 

 served on the day Ji?i-tseu was situated to the east of Ti (Li- 

 bra) ; and this position agrees very well with that which the 

 second comet of 568 would have occupied on that day, for on 

 September 3 it was in Scorpio, and moving in the order of 

 signs : it would therefore pass through Libra previous to Sep- 

 tember 3. 2nd. The Chinese state that the comet was seen 

 in all sixty-nine days, and that it disappeared on the day Jin- 

 su of the ninth moon, or on November 5 : this fixes the day 

 of its discovery on August 27, or on day Jifi-fseu of the seventh 

 moon, which is therefore very probably the date intended in 

 the extract given above. 



The following is my parabolic orbit for this comet: — 

 Perihelion passage 568. August 28*27. Greenwich meantime. Julian style. 



O I 



Longitude of the perihelion on the orbit... 316 47"! o • r c«q 



: Longitude of ascending node 294 36/^q"»"0'' »* ^oo- 



Inclination to the ecliptic j...:.'. iir\^\'\ ^ ^ 



Perihelion distance ....;\:...'l?.^7,.?.\V..9,-.. ; ' 0-889 log. == 9-94.91. 

 ■'■' Motion direct. ' 



This comet made a near approach to the earth at the end 

 of September. -^'-^ i'^ V"i' '^ 



T/ie Comet of 574- was discoverecl Wtti^ third year of the 

 period Kien-te, second moon, day Wou-ou (April 4) : it was 

 of a bluish colour and appeared to the south-east of the con- 

 stellation Auriga; it was about 3° in length, and moved 

 slowly to the east. On day Jin-tchin, fourth moon (May 8), 

 it entered into Wcn-tchang (5, o, <$> Ursae Majoris). On day 

 Tifig-wei (May 2.'j) the comet entered the square of Pe-teou 

 («, /3, y, 8 Urs£e Majoris) ; it afterwards left it and became gra- 

 dually fainter. The comet was seen in all ninety-three days 

 (M. 13iot thinks we should read sixty-three days). From 

 these positions I have deduced the following elements, which 

 are very uncertain : — 

 Perihelion passage 574. April 7"28; Gfeepwith mean time. Julian style. 



Mov\ Longitude of periheMpA-Wt^^.^ ■'^^'*^<^VKliSiUk of 574 

 .Longitude of ascending node ... 128 17/ ^^,! °^ ° ^'^" 



'"''':*' -' Inclfnatipn .! 46 2,\^ " ■ '"" 



■'£" "L6g;[iei'meli<!)h distance 9-9836. 



lit '.'A- V- \ 'iJunij r- Motion direct. 



-•'Ma-tuon-lin hris some additional particulars relating to a 



