Hudson. — On the Comet of 1901. 



33 



The 9th, 10th, and 11th May were cloudy, and on the 

 12th, when the comet was again seen, with its tail straight 

 along the belt of Orion, a very great decrease in brilliancy 

 had taken place. Beyond a further steady decrease I did not 

 observe any noteworthy features during the succeeding week ; 

 but several other observers remarked to me that the space 

 between the long, faint southern tail and the two brilliant 

 northern tails appeared to be filled in with cometary matter of 

 extreme tenuity. 



From this period to the final disappearance of the comet 

 in my telescope on the 15th June there is nothing special to 

 note, except, perhaps, that after about the 20th May the 

 nucleus became slightly brighter in relation to the tail, 

 though, of course, the entire object was continually becoming 

 faiuter. 



The following rough positions of the comet, taken on the 

 dates stated, will enable amateur astronomers, who are in- 

 terested, to mark out the track it followed through the con- 

 stellations during the period I observed it. They were taken 

 with an equatorial telescope of only 3^ in. aperture, and are 

 merely rough approximations. The right ascensions are pro- 

 bably correct within about one minute of time, and the 

 declinations within ten minutes of arc. I have inserted them 

 as they may be of some interest to other amateur observers, 

 and it is also, perhaps, possible they may be of some little use 

 to professional astronomers in estimating the probable orbit 

 of the comet : — 



