FAYE'S COMET OF 1843. 135 



M. Le Terrier computed the perturbations of the 

 comet arising from the attraction of the planets dur- 

 ing the interval from 1843 to 1851, and predicted that 

 this body would return to its perihelion on the 3d of 

 April, 1851. 



The comet was seen at the Cambridge observatory, in 

 England, on the 25th of December, 1850, and was .fol- 

 lowed until the 4th of March. It was described as an 

 extremely faint object, so as to be barely visible. The 

 positions assigned to it, scarcely differed at all from those 

 assigned in the Ephemeris computed from the elements of 

 Le Verrier. The comet was discovered by Mr. Bond, at 

 the Cambridge (Mass.) observatory, on the 1st of January, 

 1851. 



Mr. Bond describes the comet as being at that time a 

 very faint object in the twenty-three feet refractor, and as 

 appearing slightly elongated in the* direction of the sun. 

 The same body was discovered at the Pulkova observa- 

 tory, on the 24th of January. 



Faye's comet is the fourth which has been observed to 

 return to the sun in conformity to a prediction. Halley's 

 comet made its first predicted return in 1759 ; Encke's 

 comet in 1822 ; and Biela's comet in 1832. Several other 

 comets have been predicted to return, but these predic- 

 tions have not been verified by observation. 



The comet of Faye may be expected to arrive at peri- 

 helion again in .October, 1858. 



