Comets. 383 



tso (/3 Leonis), and if we suppose the " i and (/> Ursse Majoris" 

 to allude to the place to which the tail extended, this otherwise 

 inconceivable route will appear more reasonable. 



On April 4 a great star appeared in the W. It traversed the 

 girdle of Andromeda, and passing by a Arietis came to Virgo. 

 — (Graubil.) The Chinese account refers this to another comet, 

 but Hind thinks "it is more than probable that in the descrip- 

 tion of these so- called first and second comets of this year, there 

 is some confusion as regards the order in which a single 

 comet may have passed through these sidereal divisions and 

 constellations ; or observations of the direction of the tail may 

 be mixed up (as occasionally happens) with the positions of the 

 head." 



607 [ii.] On October 21st a comet appeared in "the 

 southern region," was seen in Yirgo, and passing in the 

 vicinity of /3 Leonis came to a Herculis ; it approached near 

 many constellations, but did not reach the cross of Orion or 

 Gemini. — (Ma-tuoan-lin, who declares this comet to be iden- 

 tical with that of the 4th of April.) For a Herculis, Pingre 

 reads /3 Leonis, as above, and thinks the European comet or 

 comets of 605 the same as the Chinese comet or comets of 607. 



608. A comet emerged this year from a and /3 Aurigaa, and 

 passing v, (p, etc., ITrsas Majoris, came to /3 and 8 Scorpii. — 

 (Ma-tuoan-lin.) This is precisely the path which Halley's 

 Comet follows when its P. P. occurs in October, and as that comet 

 was due about this year, Hind thinks this was it. 



614. A comet appeared for one month during the occupa- 

 tion of Jerusalem by Cosroes, King of Persia. — (Lubienitzki, 

 etc.) Date very uncertain. 



615. In July a comet was seen to the S.E. of v and <£ Ursas 

 Majoris. It was from 50° to 60° longhand its extremity had 

 an undulating motion. It moved to the N.W. for some days, 

 and when it had nearly reached the circle of perpetual appa- 

 rition it retrograded and then disappeared. — (Ma-tuoan-lin.) 



617 [i.] In July a comet with a tail 3° or 4° long was seen 

 near (3 Leonis ; after some days it disappeared. — (Ma-tuoan-lin.) 



617 [ii.] In October a comet appeared near a and /3 Pegasi. 

 i — (Ma-tuoan-lin.) It was seen close to the tail of the Lion, and 

 disappeared after some days. — (Gaubil.) 



626. In March an extremely brilliant star was seen in the 

 W. after sunset. — (Chron. Pasch.) On March 26 it was situated 

 between the sidereal divisions of the Pleiades and Musca. On 

 March 30 it was near v Persei. — (Gaubil.) 



632. In May or June, or a little later, a sign appeared for 

 four weeks in the S. It was called a " beam," and extended 

 from S. to N. — (Cedrenus, p. 425.) 



