CHAP, in.] Second Comet discovered. 81 



taining an account of your discovery of a second comet 

 on the 21st, and recommending it to my attention. 



I received it only on the 24th, at ten in the morning, 

 owing to the slowness of our penny post. 



I delayed acknowledging it till I could inform you at the 

 same time I had seen it. The frost, unfortunately for us 

 astronomers, broke up the very same morning that your 

 letter arrived, in consequence of which the weather has been 

 so bad that I could not get a sight of your comet till last 

 night, the 26th, when, at 6' 1 34', it followed a Lyrre in the 

 A. R., 3' 1" of time, and was 2 30' S. of it. This only by 

 the divisions of the equatorial and meridian circles, but true 

 to a minute or two of declination and five seconds of time. 

 I compared it more accurately with a small telescopic star 

 nearer it, which, when settled hereafter, will determine its 

 place within 30" of a degree. Hence its A. R. was about 

 18 h 33' 55", and distance from the North Pole 53 59'. By 

 your observation of December 22nd, 5' 1 31' in the morning, 

 its A. R. was 18 h 35' 12", and P. D. 56 56'. Hence it has 

 moved retrograde in A. R. about the rate of 17' of time per 

 day, and 30' per day northward in declination, which agrees 

 nearly with your observation of its approach towards 8 Lyra?. 

 Its motion is fortunately favourable for our keeping sight of 

 it for some time, which may be very useful, especially if it 

 should be moving from us, which there is an equal chance 

 for, as the contrary. It appeared to me very faint, and 

 rather small, but the air was hazy. By its faintness and 

 slow motion, it is probably at a considerable distance from 

 the earth. Time will explain these things. Let us hope 

 the best, and that it is approaching the earth to please and 

 instruct us, and not to destroy us, for true astronomers 

 have no fears of that kind. Witness Sir Harry Englefield's 

 valuable tables of the apparent places of the Comet of 1661, 

 expected to return at this time, with a delineation of its 



