414 Great Comet of 1843. 



o'clock it presented a long, narrow, and brilliant beam, slightly convex up- 

 wards, the lower end being apparently below the horizon. The presence 

 of the moon six days old impaired, of course, the brilliancy of the light, 

 but notwithstanding this, the train shone with the distinctness and splen- 

 dor of a bright auroral streamer. Rising at an angle of about 29° with 

 the horizon, and cutting it at a point about S. 62° W., the train extended 

 for 30° along the southern part of the constellation Cetus, grazing on its 

 southern margin * Ceti, and terminating apparently near ? 2 Eridani. 

 The breadth of the train was about 2° at its upper extremity, and less 

 than 1° where it was lost in the vapors on the horizon. 



The next evening (7th) was clear, and notwithstanding the moonlight 

 and twilight, as early as seven o'clock, the comet presented a magnificent 

 spectacle. It extended through an arc of about 43°, its lower end nearly 

 touching the horizon, while the upper reached nearly to the star 19 Eridani. 

 Its breadth near the horizon was less than one degree; and gradually in- 

 creased towards the upper extremity, where it may have been equal to two 

 degrees and a half. The curvature of the train upwards, although very 

 noticeable, scarcely exceeded two degrees. The light was nearly uni- 

 form, and similar to that of illuminated fog. This evening the nucleus 

 appears to have been for the first time discovered after sunset, by Mr. S. 

 J. Parker, at New York, about 7 o'clock, with the aid of a small telescope. 

 He describes it as then "quite large, and so rare that it gave but little 

 light." This may have been owing to the twilight and the vapors about 

 the horizon. A few observers in this city supposed they saw the nucleus 

 with the unaided eye the same evening, at 7 o'clock, or a few minutes 

 earlier; describing it as a hazy star enveloped in a coma, between which 

 and the bright part of the train, the connection could be traced only by 

 indirect glances. With the telescope, the nucleus was seen and its place 

 determined by Mr. W. C. Bond, at Cambridge, Mass., on the 9th ; by Mr. 

 Wra. Mitchell, at Nantucket, Mass., on the 10th ; and by observers here 

 and in various other places on the 11th. The apparent place of the nu- 

 cleus, (without any correction,) as estimated here at 7h. 5m. on the 11th, 

 was in R. A. lh. 43m., S. dec. 11° 35. Its appearance in the telescope, 

 with a magnifying power of 55, was that of an indefinite globular body, 

 somewhat elongated behind, with a concentration of light near or a little 

 in advance of the centre, which at times seemed to consist of three faint 

 stellar points. The apparent diameter of the nucleus with its nebulosity, 

 was 3' or 4', but as the outline faded away imperceptibly, no precise 

 measurement could be made. It appeared a very inconsiderable mass, in 

 comparison with the immense train by which it was attended. The train 

 immediately proceeding from the nucleus had apparently only about one 

 half its breadth, but this appearance is probably due to the los3 of light in 

 the telescope. 



