OBSERVATORY AT WEST POINT. 203 
In this way the following places were obtained for the comet. 
March 25,°. . AM . . 3°85" 20°14; Dec. — 7° 48’ 46”.6 = 6. 
4S RO es is ee ees “«“  —6 48 58 = 0, 
Rpt (PE T OL eG a 6a ag 1 a 8. 
which being converted into longitudes and latitudes, and cleared from the effects of aber- 
ration by the usual formule for a fixed star, gave 
March 25, longitude. .... 49° 17’ 52”; latitude . . — 26° 18’ 11”. 
ee aris sed eer eee 54 52 35 ; ee RG 82 85", 
April 2, ee 59 37 38 ; ..—26 37 42. 
The portion of the aberration due to the proper motion of the comet was applied to the 
time, according to the method of M. Gauss. The correction in the place of the earth for 
the effect of parallax, was disregarded in consequence of its small value, the first curtate 
distance being greater than unity. 
The method by which the following elements were computed was that of Dr. Olbers, 
as given by Dr. Bowditch in the appendix to his commentary on the “Mecanique Celeste.” 
Longitude of the ascending node. . . 357° 41' 49”. 
Inchuationpie..ocic ohas Geb geting: 2 SGp tle. 
Longitude: perihelion, 9. or Ow... 261581 47. 
Termenon Gisumnve,” Pe oe, ee G07. 
Perihelion passage, Greenwich mean time, February, . 26°. 6018. 
Motion Retrograde.—Distance from the earth on the evening of 
B0th "Marohji 28) Fo os BPS, eo OSL OF OCR R08 mites. 
Approximate diameter of the nebulous envelope, . . . . . 36,800. 
I am indebted to Prof. Church for having kindly undertaken an independent compu- 
tation of the elements as a check upon my own, and for having assisted with Lieutenant 
Roberts in making the observations. 'The perspective views are by Lieutenant Richard 
Smith, and the sections of the building by Lieutenant Eaton. 
WM. H. C. BARTLETT: 
