the Comet of 1811. 349 



affurance, that It zuill return, al the fame interval, here- 

 after. The reafons of this, have already been ftated to 

 the Acadenriy, by Col. Mansfield, in his ingenious re- 

 marks, on the comet of 1 807. 



The motion of the late comet, as feen from the fun, 

 was nearly north and fouth ; inclinirjg however, about 

 17 degrees, towards the northweft and foutheaft. It 

 paffed northward, through the conllellations of the 

 Lion, the Great Bear, and the Camelopard. On the 

 19th of September, to a fpectator in the fun, it was 

 within three degrees of that part of the heavens, to 

 which the axis of the earth is direded. It reached its 

 greateft northern heliocentric latitude 73 degrees, on 

 th ift of October ; and then returned, through Ce- 

 pheus, the left wing of the Swan, Equuleus and Aqua- 

 rius. It will proceed through the Microfcope, the In- 

 dian, and the Octant ; till, at its greatefl: diilance from 

 the earth, it will be between the Chameleon and the 

 Flying-fifh, within 1 7 degrees of the fouth pole of the 

 ecliptic. Should it vifit us ai^ain, it will return through 

 the Ship, the Air pump, Hydra and the Sextant. 



This comet has not approached fo near to the fun, as 

 mofl of thofe, whofe elements have been calculated. Its 

 leaft dillance, is 98 millions of miles ; a little greater 

 than that of the earth from the fun. Its path lies be- 

 tween the orbits of the earth and Mars. It is the opin- 

 ion of Newton, that no comet is ever feen by us, when 

 farther diftant than Jupiter. Of about one hundred^ 

 whofe elements have been calculated, all, except four^ 

 have come nearer to the fun than Mars. Thefe four 

 fell between Mars and Jupiter. About 20 came between 

 Mars and the earth ; 1 5 between the earth and Venus ; 

 nearly 30 between Venus and Mercury ; and about the 

 fame number, within the orbit of Mercury. The re- 

 markable one of 1680, came much nearer to the fun, 

 than any other : fo near, as to be heated, according to 

 Newton, 2000 times hotter than red hot iron. lis leaft 

 diflance, from the furface of the fun, was not equal to 

 a fifth part of his diameter. 



E 



