New Co}7iei. — Composition 'jf Muriatic Acid. 2&.'> 



NF.vV COiJET. 



On Sunday the Sth of December, about six o'clock in 

 ?:he evenins, Mr. Kirmin!,>;er, the assistant at the royal ob- 

 servatorv, (jrcenwich, discovered a comet iii the constel- 

 lation Aquarius, a little to the east of south. Its appear- 

 ance to the naked eve was similar to a star of the first 

 magnitude, when covered bv a cloud, through which it 

 niight be faintly seen; or rather like what Jupiter would 

 appear under similar circumstances : but when viewed 

 throuiih a niohi-glass, it appeared to have a bright nucleus 

 surrounded by a coma. 



As it was approaching the meridian when first discovered, 

 Mr. F'irniinger made preparations to take its transit, and 

 found that its light was sufficiently strong to enable him to 

 iliuminate the wires in the focus of the telescope, so as to 

 observe its passable with great accuracy. 



The mean time of its transit was 6^ 24' 7"} with right 

 ascension ] 1' 23''' 6' 49''', nnd south declination 23" 41' S". 



On the following evening it was looked for again; but 

 though the, sky was very clear, it could not be seen. It is 

 therefore vtrv probable it may be moving towards its peri- 

 helion, and should this be the case, astronomers may ex- 

 pect to find it again in its return from the sun. 



The same comet was, we understand, observed by Dr. 

 Hcrschel, at Slough, near Windsor, about the same time 

 that it was discovered by Mr. Firminger. 



COMPOSITION' OF MURIATIC ACID. 



In our present number (see pa^e 257) is inserted a third 

 communicalion from Mr. Peel of Cambridge, on the pro- 

 duction of muriatic acid and alkalis, bv the decompoiilion 

 of water. Here we have to stale the result of an experi- 

 ment on the same subject bv another gentleman. 



Bv continuing to pass ihe Galvanic fluid from a trough 

 holding aliout fortv pair of square inch plates through di- 

 stilled water contained in a glass lube, furnished at one 

 end with a wire of gol-l, and at the other with a uire of 

 platina, at length a coalinc^ of oxide of gold was depo.^ited 

 on the gold wire — evidenilv proving that oxygenated nm- 

 riatic acid had been formed by the process. 



If we arc rigiitiv informed, this experiment wris per- 

 formed by Mr. Cuihbertson — as fit a person as any in the 

 world for exn'Timents of this sort. 



pun* 



