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A STRONOMICAL PAPERS. 



151 



from the Sun, would beftill more acceptable; and there- 

 fore, when the Gentleman's Magazine, for Auguft lafl, 

 fell into my hands, I loft no time in fending him the fol- 

 lowing, viz, 



" Though we were not lucky enough in America to 

 " difcover the late Comet in its afcent from the Sun^ yet 

 " I have the pleafure to acquaint you, that it was feen in 

 " England. I find in the Gentleman's Magazine for Au- 



M 



" (to you it would not have been unexpeded) ot feeing 

 " the Comet on its aicent from the Sun towards its J/j/jl^- 

 «' /w7iy and though not vifible to the naked eye, yet with 

 " a telefcope magnifying 25 times, it appeared much like 

 «' the Nebula In AnJromeda'sGudlc. Auguft 2 2d, half paft 

 *' two, 7nane, it had io6^\ 20'. right afcenfion, and2r.N. 

 " declination. The two fucceeding days its longitude in- 

 " creafed daily I^ 15'. but its latitude both days notmore 

 " than 5'. Its apparent motion, he fays, was nearly pa- 

 " rallel to the ecliptic. If thefe fubfequent obfervations 

 '* agree as well as Mr. Meffier's previous obfervation, with 

 " your theory on this Comet, I think it will thereby be 

 ** eftablillicd paft doubt. I am yours, &c. 



WILLIAM SMITH.'^ 





Mr. RiTTENHOUSE^s Atifwer. December 26tlh 1770, 



I was favoured with your extract from the Gentleman's 

 Magazine, for Auguft, by which I find Mr. Six was lucky 

 enough to difcover the Comet with his telefcope, after it 

 had paft its perihelion, though it was not vifible to the 

 naked eye. 1 have computed the Comet's place to Au- 

 guft 22d, half paft two in the morning, and make its right 



afcenfion io8^ 46^ with 



21^ o' 



North declination; 



agreeing with Mr. Six^s obfervation entirely in declination, 

 but difl'ering from it about 2"*. in right afcenfion, which I 

 cannot think material, unlcfs I knew what method he took 

 to determine the right afcenfion of a heavenly body, out of 



the meridian. 



D. A'. 



N. B 



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