2 
Mifs Herschel’s Account of 
Germany, I have taken the opportunity of his abfence to 
J weep in the neighbourhood of the fun, in fearch of comets; 
and laid night, the i ft of Auguft, about io o’clock, I found 
an object very much refembling in colour and brightnefs the 
27th nebula of the Connoijjance des Temps, with the difference 
however of being round. I fufpeded it to be a comet ; but a 
hazinefs coming on, it was not poffible intirely to fatisfy 
myfelf as to its motion till this evening. 1 made feverai 
drawings of the ftars in the field of view with it, and have 
inclofed a copy of them, with my obfervations annexed, that 
you may compare them together. 
Auguif 1, 17S6, 9 h. 50', the object in the center is like a 
ftar out of focus, while the reft are perfedly diftind, and I 
fufped it to be a comet. Tab. I. fig. 1. 
10 h. 33', fig. 2. the fufpeded comet makes now a perfed 
ifofceles triangle with the two ftars a and b. 
1 1 h. S 7 , I think the fituation of the comet is now as in 
fig. 3. ; but it is fo hazy that I cannot fufficiently fee the fmall 
ftar b to be affured of the motion. 
By the naked eye the comet is between the 54th and 53d 
Urfae majoris, and the 14th, 15th, and 16th Comae Berenices, 
and makes an obtufe triangle with them, the vertex of which 
is turned towards the fouth. 
Auguft 2. ioh. f , the comet is now, with refped to the 
ftars a and b *, fituated as in fig. 4. therefore the motion fince 
laft night is evident. 
10 
* A doubt having arifen about the identity of the ftars marked a and b in the 
figures, I have examined that part of the heavens in which the comet was the 
I ft of Auguft, in order to fettle this point, but find fo many fmall ftars in that 
neighbourhood that I have not been able to fix on any of them that will exa&ly 
7 anfvver 
