6g6 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1672. 



be spared here ; as they may be read in his Conic Sections and his other works, 

 from whence they are extracted. 



Extract of a Letter of M. Hefelius, from Dantzick, of March 9, 

 16Y2, N. S. giving some Account of a New Comet, lately seen in 

 that Country. N" SI, p. 4017. 



There has been seen here a new comet, from the 2d of March 1672; which 

 I myself being some days absent from home and from my instruments, could 

 not observe till March 6th, in the evening. It is seen both morning and even- 

 ing. It is but small, having at the present a train not above a degree or a de- 

 gree and a half long: which would doubtless appear larger, if it were not for the 

 twilight, and the presence of the moon. It is now about the stars in the right 

 arm of Andromeda on her shoulder blade. As far as I can collect from one or 

 two observations, it tends towards the lucida of Andromeda's girdle, and that 

 with a direct diurnal motion of about two degrees in its course. See fig. 4, 

 pi. 15. 



The 6th of March in the evening, 7h. 40m. it was in 7° of y, in the 35th 



deg. of north latitude; as I guessed by the hasty inspection of a globe. 



March 7, in the morning, 3h. 30m. its longitude was about 8 deg. 7", with a 

 somewhat less latitude than before : in the evening of the same day its longi- 

 tude was 10 deg. y, and latitude 34° nearly. — March 8, in the morning, 4h. 

 the longitude was J 2 deg. T, and the latitude 33°. Which yet I would not 

 have taken precisely, because I cannot yet reduce my observations to a calculus. 

 This evening, I hope I shall see it again; although this morning we could see 

 nothing by reason of the dark weather. — I cannot omit to mention, that I have 

 observed again, March 6, 1672, the new star under the head of the constella- 

 tion of the Swan; but it can hardly be seen as yet with the naked eye. 



We have received fresh letters from Paris, informing us that there, and at 

 La Fleeche also, it has been seen from March 16, N. S. to March 26. 



We have since been informed by Mr. Isaac Newton, that about the l6th of 

 March l6-|-|-, O. S. he saw at night a dull star, south-west of Perseus, which, 

 he says, he now takes to have been that comet of which we gave him informa- 

 tion : But he adds, that it was very small, and had not any visible tail, which 

 made him regard it no further ; so that he fears that it will now be difficult to 

 find it. 



