J74 
iVfr. Ivory on cl tlczv Method of deducing 
Application to the first Comet of 1805. 
This comet was discovered by M. Bouvard : and Legendre 
has given us five observations communicated to him by that 
astronomer.* Of these observations those which I have se- 
lected for the purpose of computing the orbit, are unfavour- 
able in several respects. For, besides that the intervals between 
them are too unequal, the whole time elapsed, which embraces 
a heliocentric motion of no less than 25®, is rather too long : 
and it happens that the comet is placed with regard to the 
earth and the sun, so as to approach very near the limit, when, 
as has been remarked in No. 9, the method will fail. A better 
choice cannot however be made from the observations recorded 
by Legendre, without interpolating. 
Times. 
Longitudes. 
North Latitudes. 
Longitudes of 0 . 
Log. R. 
October. 
22-6849 
C, 1K3 20 53 
2°2 59 53 
e , 29 ’9 50 
R. 9 ' 99742 i 
30-6867 
c°,i83 48 32 
37 21 
e°,37 19 48 
R°, 9'99 H 9^ 
November. 
37209 
£',191 46 15 
\',12 2 29 
6-', 41 22 26 
R'. 9'99^°53 
In this instance, we get 
log. 9*2341873 
n = 34° 38 ' 3ii" 
i = 28 25 49 
^ = + 0*0246945 
M == 146° 17' 25'' 
h = 124 51 1 
h' = 154 o 41 
* Supplement, p. 14, § 15. 
