CHAP, ii.j Sloiigh. The first Comet. 65 



and Mr. Aubert to announce the comet. After a few hours' 

 sleep, I went in the afternoon to Dr. Lind, who, with Mr. 

 Cavallo, accompanied me to Slough, with the intention of 

 seeing the comet, but it was cloudy, and remained so all night. 



MISS HERSCHEL TO DR. BLAGDEN. 



August 2, 1786. 

 SIR, 



In consequence of the friendship which I know to 

 exist between you and my brother, I venture to trouble you, 

 in his absence, with the following imperfect account of a 

 comet : 



The employment of writing down the observations when 

 my brother uses the twenty-foot reflector does not often allow 

 me time to look at the heavens, but as he is now on a visit 

 to Germany, I have taken the opportunity to sweep in 

 the neighbourhood of the sun in search of comets ; and 

 last night, the 1st of August, about 10 o'clock, I found an 

 object very much resembling in colour and brightness the 

 27 nebula of the Connoissance des Temps, with the differ- 

 ence, however, of being round. I suspected it to be a 

 comet; but a haziness coming on, it was not possible 

 to satisfy myself as to its motion till this evening. 

 I made several drawings of the stars in the field of view 

 with it, and have enclosed a copy of them, with my obser- 

 vations annexed, that you may compare them together. 



August 1, 1786, 9 h 50'. Fig. 1. The object in the centre 

 is like a star out of focus, while the rest are perfectly distinct, 

 and I suspect it to be a comet. 



10 h 33'. Fig. 2. The suspected comet makes now a 

 perfect isosceles triangle with the two stars a nnd &. 



ll h 8'. I think the situation of the comet is now as in 

 Fig. 3, but it is so hazy that I cannot sufficiently see the 

 small star b to be assured of the motion . 



