1 882. 19 Trans. N. V. Ac. Set. 



Hope, remarked that Mr. FiNLAY, the First Assistant, saw the comet 

 at 5 A. M., Sept 8. 



Dr. Gould, of Cordoba, in a letter dated Sept. 15, to S. C. 

 Chandler, Jr., of Boston, stated that he had been observmg a lar^je 

 comet for over a week. This undoubtedly was the one now visibler 

 and Dr. Gould appears to have been the first to see it. 



The comet was first observed in England, by Mr. A. A. COMMON. 

 He was observing the sun " with a special telescope (reflector with 

 glass reflecting surfaces only)," on the morning of September 17th, 

 when he found a " bright comet," " five minutes preceding the sun, and 

 approaching fast." This observation was made at 10.45 ^- ^'• 



Mr. Cruls thought his comet might be the expected Comet Pons of 

 1812. This is considered an oversight, as the comet of 1812 should ap- 

 pear much /ur//ier north or south of the present comet, depending on 

 whether the 181 2 comet was approaching, or receding from, peri- 

 helion. 



Since the discovery of this grand comet, much attention has been 

 given it by observers here and abroad. The bad weather has greatly 

 interfered with the observations. 



11. Aspect and Form. 



This comet will rank among the remarkable comets of the century. 

 Mr. Common, as we have mentioned, saw the comet close to the sun 

 at almost noontime ; and Mr. Gill observed the " sudden disappearance 

 of the comet at ingress on the sun's disc." The comet was not visible 

 on the sun. " Mr. Gill's remarkable observation," says Nature, " is with- 

 out a precedent, and an extraordinary illustration of the intense bril- 

 liancy which the comet attained at perihelion." The comet swept 

 around the sun, passing the perihelion point in three and a half hours. 

 The velocity in turning about must have been enormous. 



The tail, before the comet passed around the sun, does not seem to 

 have been of any great visible extent. Mr. Common estimated the 

 length of the tail, on the 17th of September, just before reaching the 

 perihelion, as 4' in length. But the bright sunlight undoubtedly hid 

 from view much of the tail's faint light. 



Since the passage of perihelion, many observers have been watch- 

 ing the comet with every means in their power — telescope, spectroscope 

 and polariscope. 



M. BULARD, of Algiers, gives, in Nature for Oct. 12, a drawing of the 

 head of the comet, showing the system of envelopes rising from the 

 nucleus. Several recent bright comets have exhibited this same pecu- 

 liarity. 



In Nature for Oct. 19, sketches by RiCCO of Palermo are given. Prof. 



