218 



halley's comet. 



day the tail came into view at Guernsey, and although 

 extremely faint and only to be glimpsed at short intervals, 

 several of us were confident of having been able to trace 

 the delicate ray to a distance of about six degrees that 

 evening. The following night it was longer — roughly some 

 ten to fifteen degrees in total length — and plainly visible to 

 the naked eye. 



On the Friday (May 27th) the comet was seen without 

 the help of glasses from 8.55 to 11.5 p.m., and a further and 

 decided increase in the brightness anrl length of the tail was 

 apparent, which stretched away from the nucleus in a gentle 

 slope for a matter of from twenty to twenty-five degrees, and 

 the nucleus (or head) was estimated as of about the second 

 magnitude. Projected against the west sky, immediately 

 below that well-known group of stars the Sickle in Leo. the 

 whole made a very pretty picture. The night was beautifully 

 starry and, the twilight having perceptibly faded, the tail was 

 best seen between 10 and 10.40 o'clock. After this hour it 

 slowly sank from view. As already stated we in Guernsey 

 obtained our best view of the comet on this date. 



Very indifferent weather now followed, and frequently 

 for several nights in succession no observations were possible 

 because of cloudy skies. When, however, favourable condi- 

 tions obtained, a steady falling off in brightness both of 

 nucleus and tail was all too apparent. 



On Friday, June 3rd, the visitor was once more seen 

 very clearly. With binoculars the body was " picked up " as 

 early as 9.15, and it became visible to the unassisted sight at 

 about 9.30. From 10 to 11 o'clock a tail from ten to twelve 

 degrees in length could be glimpsed at intervals with the 

 naked eye, but very soon afterwards the whole faded away in 

 the horizon mists. The sky was gemmed with stars that 

 night and summer lightning was occurring low down in the 

 east, but the strong twilight prevailing must have considerably 

 dimmed what would otherwise have been a much brighter 

 object. 



This date really closes the interval during which the 

 comet was best observed and which began on May 23rd. It 

 is also the last occasion, I believe, on which the tail was seen, 

 while June 7th was, as far as I have been able to gather, the 

 last day on which the nucleus was visible to the naked eye. 

 With binoculars I saw it for the last time on Monday and 

 Tuesday, June 13th and 14th, when, because of bright 

 moonlight, it was only just possible to glimpse it momentarily. 

 Whether it would still have been visible in small instruments 



