halley's comet. 211 



through, the local papers of the time for possible paragraphs 

 on the subject. A search through the Star failed to bring to 

 light any allusion to the famous heavenly body. The Comet, 

 however, did refer to the phenomenon in two interesting 

 paragraphs which are reproduced below. They are from the 

 issues for October 16th and J 9th respectively of that paper. 

 The writer, F. C. L., was Col. Frederick Corbin Lukis, 

 F.S.A., the celebrated archaeologist, whose valuable Museum 

 has recently been presented to the States by his son, the late 

 Captain F. du Bois Lukis. 



HALLEY'S COMET. 

 This interesting Comet, which lias so long occupied the 

 attention of astronomers, was distinctly visible here on Saturday 

 evening last, the 10th instant, without the aid of the telescope. 

 When first observed on the above ni^ht, its situation in the 

 heavens was nearly north, somewhat to the eastward of the star 

 Alpha (Dubhe), in Ursa Major, commonly known as the Great 

 Bear or Charles' Wain. Its appearance was like that of a star 

 of the second or third magnitude, having a pale halo or nebula 

 surrounding the body. At times, when the darkness of the sky 

 was most perceptible, there was a faint appearance of the tail in 

 a direction oblique to the plane of the horizon, raised about 

 25 degs. 



The comet was visible until near midnight, although the 

 moon had then illumined the heavens, and as the constellation of 

 Ursa Major declined to the west, it assumed a more upright 

 position with regard to the star Dubhe, and seemed visibly to be 

 approaching it. 



On Sunday night, about the same hour, Halley's comet again 

 became visible, but assumed a more brilliant aspect, having the 

 tail more distinct to the naked eye. It had, however, altered its 

 position, having left the vicinity of the star Dubhe and passed 

 above the stars Delta and Alioth, with which it then formed an 

 equilateral triangle. 



Some conception of its velocity may be formed, when it is 

 stated that in the space of twenty-four hours it had thus changed 

 its position one inch on a 12 inch Celestial globe. 

 Guernsey, 12th October, 1835. F. C. L. 



On Thursday evening, the 15th inst., about 7 o'clock, this 

 comet was again visible ; the state of the weather, however, 

 prevented its being generally observed for any length of time. 



Its place in the heavens was in the west, having travelled in 

 the space of four days at the same rate as mentioned in our last 

 account — about midway of a line drawn from Alpha (Lyra) to 

 Arcturus (Bootes) would nearly fix its situation on a globe — on 

 the above evening, i.e., in or near Corona Borealis. 



At the rate of velocity with which it now moves, in 24 hours 

 more it will intersect the line of the orbit described by the comet 

 of 1811 at nearly a right angle. 



For the space of a few moments the tail of the comet was 

 distinctly seen, and extended upwards to a very considerable 

 distance. 



F. C. L. 



Guernsey, Friday, October 16, 1835. 



