NOTES ON COMETS.] 



ASTRONOMY. 



9C.5 



of this year, a comet, whose tail was 6 or 7 in length, 

 was seen uear a and /3 Pegasi. On the following IGth of 

 April it was near ? Andromeda. On the evening of the 

 22nd of April it had passed over the Pleiades, or about 

 11 of right ascension. On the 23rd of April, it was 

 seen in the feet and legs of Gemini, and finally disap- 

 peared in Leo. 



240. Seen in China, on the 10th of November, a comet 

 with a tail 30 in length in Scorpio ; it passed through 

 Capricornus, and on the 5th of December entered into 

 Libra. Its latitude was 2 south on the 10th of Novem- 

 ber, but at the beginning of December it was not an en- 

 tire degree. On December 19th the comet was south of 

 the ecliptic, and was in the constellations of Aquarius 

 and Cetus. 



252. In this year two comets were seen in China. The 

 first was seen in the wing of Pegasus on January 10th. 

 It was to the west, and appeared seventy days. 



On the 25th of March, a comet was visible in the 

 constellation Musca ; it was seen for twenty days, and 

 the length of its tail was 50 or 60". 



336. In China, on the 16th of February, in the even- 

 ing, a comet was seen in the southern arm and the girdle 

 of Andromeda, and in the northern part of the constella- 

 tion Pisces. It is probable that this is the comet which 

 in mentioned as having been seen at the death of the 

 Emperor Constantino, who, however, died on May 22nd, 

 in the following year. 



'..At the end of August of this year, according to the 

 Chinese annals, a comet was seen near the stars, a, , c, X, 

 t, v Virginia. Its brightness was so great that it was 

 visible in full day. 



389. In thU year a brilliant comet was visible, in the 

 month of August, in the morning, which Mascellin, Phi- 

 losotorgus, and Nicephorus mention. It equalled Venus 

 in brightness, and was erroneously placed near this 

 planet. Payne has calculated that the planet Venus was 

 at this time in inferior conjunction, and that it did not 

 become visible in the morning till November ; but he 

 thinks that it was very likely that it was near Jupiter. 

 Jupiter waa, at this time, in August, to the west of the 

 sun, and would rise a short time after midnight. The 

 comet lasted for forty days, and finally disappeared in 

 the constellation of Ursa Major. 



390- In this year a comet appeared similar to a hang- 

 ing column, which lasted for thirty days. There appears 

 to be DO doubt that this waa a different body from that 

 of the preceding year. 



400. The historians of this year, Socrates and Soze- 

 ramcs, make mention of a terrible comet which occurred, 

 and was seen in this year. Its form was that of a sword. 

 It was also observed in China on the 19th of March, 

 near the northern part of Pisces, and the girdle and 

 southern arm of Andromeda ; its tail was 30 in length. 

 It successively passed through the constellations of Cas- 

 siopeia 1 , and to the square of the Great Bear, where it 

 was near X Ursa Majoris, then to a Hercules, and finally 

 between 7 and ft Virginis. But this does not appear 

 probable, for it would have been more so, if, instead of 

 the head of Hercules, it had been written the tail of the 

 Lion. 



418. During an eclipse of the sun of this year, on the 

 19th of July, a comet was seen which had a conical form, 

 and was visible for a period of four months. This is con- 

 firmed by an actual calculation of this eclipse, which 

 occurred at this time. It was also seen in China, and its 

 path was as follows : At its first appearance, it was near 

 the star I Cygni, from which it went to the square of the 

 Great Bear ; it afterwards proceeded to that part of the 

 heavens which always remains above the horizon, to the 

 constellations Bootes, Virgo, Leo, and Corona. Stuyck 

 was of opinion, at first, that this comet was identical 

 with that of 1596, but afterwards renounced this 

 idea. 



467. Perseus and John being consuls, a great prodigy 



was seen for some days in the heavens. It was observed 



for forty days, but in some places it was only seen for 



ten days. 



604. In this year a star or comet of great brilliancy 



was seen, but the Saxon annalist describes it in exao; 

 gerated terms. 



530 or 531. The Chinese annals make mention of the 

 first, which appeared in the month of October, 530. Its 

 course was from Arcturus to \ UrsiE Majoris. This 

 would agree with the motion of the comet of 1680, whicl 

 period Halley had assigned to it ; and we may, therefore 

 infer its probability. The second, which appears to be 

 a different body, was seen at Constantinople in 531. Al 

 the Byzantine authors speak of the last, which is de- 

 scribed as having been a large and terrific body, and was 

 visible with them for twenty days. Its rays extended to 

 the zenith, and it was compared to a lamp. 



539. This comet, which was visible for forty days, 

 occurred in the 13th year of Justinian. Its head was in 

 the east, and its tail extended to the west. Its appear- 

 ance is described as being equal in magnitude to a great 

 man, which afterwards increased. It was subsequently 

 observed in China, in the constellation Sagittarius, near 

 It, T, <t>, a, T, and ?. Its tail was 10 long. On the 1st 

 of January, 540, the comet was within 3 of Venus ; but 

 this appears improbable. 



565. On the 4th of August of this year, a comet was 

 visible in China, and remained so for 100 days. It was 

 seen hi e, f, 0, 0, o, and h of the Great Bear. Its tail 

 was not a whole degree in length. It then approached <y 

 Aquarii, and e and Pegasi, at which time its tail was 



* long. Its last appearance was in Equuleus. 



10 



566. In this year a comet was seen which, according to 

 one chronicler, lasted for a whole year ; but, according to 

 another, which is more probable, only remained for sixty- 

 six days. It is described as throwing out a long flame, 

 and appeared in the Arctic circle. 



568 (first comet). On the 10th of July of this year, a 

 comet was seen in China in the feet and thighs of Gemini. 

 568 (second comet). Another comet was observed by 

 the Chinese this year, on the 3rd of September, in the 

 face and heart of Scorpio, and proceeded eventually to 

 the east. On the 8th of September, it had a tail of 40, 

 near the northern star of Delpliinus. It then passed 

 through the constellations near/3 Aquarii and n Equulei, 

 and a Aquarii, and c and Pegasi, and entered into the 

 constellation of the Eye of Pegasus. On the 8th of Oc- 

 tober it was in the head of Aries. It was observed 

 altogether for sixty-nine days. 



582. At Easter day, which occurred on the 29th of 

 March, a great comet is mentioned by many historians 

 as having been seen at Soissons. 



607- In China, two comets are mentioned as having 

 been seen, which some astronomers consider identical. 

 The first appeared on the 4th of April, in the west. It 

 passed through the constellations, the Northern Fish, the 

 girdle and the southern arm of Andromeda, the head of 

 Aries, a and Virginis, and the feet of the Virgin, where 

 it disappeared. 



The second was seen on the 21st of October, in the 

 same constellations. It passed over the northern part of 

 Leo, of Virgo, and of others stars more to the north. 

 The comet did not attain the constellation a, ft, y, <S, t, , 

 ij, 0, K, Orionis. 



615. In July a comet was seen in China, in the Great 

 Bear. Its tail was 50 or 60 in length. During the 

 night its head or nucleus had, as it were, a motion of 

 libration. 



676. In the beginning of this year a comet was dis- 

 covered in China, whose tail was 5 in length, to the 

 south of the constellations a and Virginis, and the feet 

 of the Virgo. 



729. Bede and other chroniclers mention a comet as 

 having appeared in the month of January of this year, 

 which was near the suu for 14 days. But some mention 

 two having been seen, which is improbable. It is likely 

 that it had a right ascension little different from the sun, 

 with a northern declination, which would account for its 

 setting after the sun, and rising before it. 



837- Father de Maille, according to Pingre, relates 

 that on the 22nd of March, in China, a comet was seen 

 near a Aquarii, 4 aud Pegasi. The tail of the- comet 

 was 7 long. 



