for the year 1883. xix 



may be called upon to perform. It will have an object-glass 

 of 8-in. aperture, aDd be constructed in the most modern 

 form, with some improvements suggested by the present 

 Astronomer Royal of England, Mr. Christie. The building 

 for its reception is now in course of construction, and the 

 instrument itself is expected to arrive very shortly. 



Following the course I have usually chosen in addressing 

 you on similar occasions to the present, I will now refer to 

 a few subjects of scientific and general interest. 



First, then, as matters on which I can speak with the 

 most confidence, I take the chief astronomical events of the 

 year. The Great Comet of 1882 — for by this name it will 

 now be known — was one of the most remarkable ever seen 

 by astronomers of the present time, if we except, or rather 

 couple with it, the great comet of 1842. At the date of 

 our last annual meeting this visitor was nearty in the 

 height of its glory, and I referred to it at some length and 

 to the speculations then rife concerning it. It vanished 

 from our sight some months ago, and the history of its 

 apparition is now complete. This visitor was first seen by 

 terrestrial mortals, so far as can be ascertained, on 7th Sep- 

 tember at the Observatory, Cape of Good Hope. It passed 

 its perihelion on 18th September, and was visible to the 

 naked eye till 8th February, and with telescopes till April, 

 and even, it is stated by some observers, as late as 7th May, 

 making an almost unprecedented period of 215 days. It 

 was remarkable, also, for its great brilliancy at perihelion, 

 its great magnitude and long- continued brightness, and 

 more especially for the peculiarity of its nucleus and other 

 physical features. When first seen here it was very close to 

 the sun, and going rapidly towards it ; and on the day of 

 its perihelion passage we saw it from the Observatory with 

 the naked eye at noonday immersed in the rays immediately 

 surrounding the sun, and fully expected to see it either 

 passing across the solar disc or occulted by the sun itself. 

 Cloudy weather, however, supervened, and we lost sight of 

 it till several days after perihelion ; but at the Observatory of 



