History of Astronomy for the YearlSOQ. 71 



scrvations, which he has reduced with the most scrupulous 

 exactitude. The errors in the calculation only extend to b" , 

 as well in right ascension as in declination. The great mul- 

 titude of observations, and their exactitude, inclined him to 

 think that the result was very probable. 



Messrs. Gauss and Bessel have calculated the comet of 

 December- 1 S05, and that of 17 72, in an ellipsis, and they 

 have found such differences that it is ditikult to suppose it 

 to be the same comet, at least there must have been derange- 

 ments. 



M. Gauss has calculated that of 1805 in the parabola and 

 ellipsis; and he has found that the whole ellipsis, the great 

 axis of which exceeds 2-82, represents th.c observations better 

 llian the parabola. He thinks that there are probably plenty 

 of comets where observations are not sufficient to prove that 

 the orbits approach the parabola, and that it is necessary to. 

 calculate for .each the limits between which th.e orbit is con- 

 tained. 



On the 21st of May a report was spread that the woild 

 would be at an end on the 23th ; and the prediction was 

 ascribed to me, of the comet that was to cause this awful 

 event. I received several letters informing me that diflerent 

 persons were ill from terror, and that some had died. A 

 man who hawked this prediction about the streets was ar- 

 rested, and I disavowed it in the Paris journals. On the 

 25th a dreadful storm increased the general terror. On the 

 13th of January 1798 I was under the necessity of malting a 

 similar disavowal ; several persons were sick, as in 1 773. 



There is in the history of comets a singular anecdote re- 

 lating to two stars, marked A and S, in the Menioirs-of the 

 French Academy for 1773: the comet had. been discovered 

 near these stars on the Sth of August 1769. The letters 

 refer to two natural daughters of the count de Charolais, 

 Adelaide and So[jlua, whom M. Bourcl v^ished to have oc- 

 casion to mention when the king was at his house, where 

 M. Messier presented his chart to his majesty. 'I'hcre is 

 one of these stars in the grand atlas ot M. Bode, but 

 without any letter attached to it. I induced him to insert 

 E 4 in 



