Comets. 219 



681. On October 17 a comet 50° long was seen near a 

 Herculis; gradually diminishing in size it moved towards a 

 Aquilae, and disappeared on November 3. — (Gaubil.) 



683. On April 20 a comet was seen near a Aurigse. On 

 May 15 it had disappeared. — (Ma-tuoan-lin.) 



684 [i.] On September 6 a comet 10° was seen long in the 

 evening towards the W. On October 9 it had disappeared. — 

 (Gaubil.) Hind remarks that this single account will tolerably 

 well describe the position which Halley's comet must have been 

 in at its return to perihelion in this year ; so, doubtless, this 

 was that celebrated body. — (Comp. to Almanac, I860, p. 88.) 



684 [ii.] On November 11a star like a half-moon was seen 

 in the N. — Ma-tuoan-lin. 



707. On November 16 a comet appeared in the W. ; on 

 December 18 it had ceased to be visible. — (Ma-tuoan-lin.) 



708. [i.] On March 31 a comet appeared between the 

 Pleiades and Musca. — (Ma-tuoan-lin.) 



708. [ii.] On September 21 a comet appeared within the 

 circle of perpetual apparition. — (Ma-tuoan-lin.) 



711. In the 92nd year of the Hegira a comet endued 

 with a sensible motion appeared for eleven days. — (Haly. 

 Liber Ptolemcei Comment.) The year 92 of the Hegira 

 lasted from 710, Oct. 29, to 711, Oct. 18. 



712. In August a comet emerged from the W., and 

 passed to near /3 Leonis, etc. — (De Mailla, vi. 199.) 



716. A comet of a terrible aspect, with its tail directed to- 

 wards the Pole, is said to been seen this year, but we have only 

 a modern authority for the statement. — (Sabellicus, Omnia 

 Opera, Ennead. viii. lib. vii., Basilese, 1560.) 



729. Several writers speak of two comets visible for four- 

 teen days in the month of January, the one after sunset and 

 the other before sunrise. — (Bede, Historia Ecclesiastica, v. ; 

 Herveld, Chronicon Historian Qermanicai.) It is easy to see 

 that a single comet with a Right Ascension not differing 

 much from that of the Sun, but with a high North Declination, 

 would be seen both after sunset and before sunrise, and thus 

 fulfil the statement of the chroniclers. Donates great comet 

 of 1858 was so visible for several weeks in the month of Sep- 

 tember of that year. 



730. On August 29 a comet was seen in Auriga; on 

 September 7 it spread its light over the Hyades and Pleiades. 

 — (Gaubil.) Ma-tuoan-lin says that the comet of September 

 7 was not the same as that of August 29. 



738. On April 1 a comet was seen within the circle of per- 

 petual apparition. It traversed the square of Ursa Major, 

 and was observed for ten days or more, when clouds interfered. 

 — (Ma-tuoan-lin .) 



