166 
the moon we not: yet risen to interfere 
with the light of the comet. 
Nev: 20. With-a seven: feet! reflector 
and-power only75, I can also see'the nu- 
cleus ; ,it is extremely: small, 
ore than: a mere point. 
Of the Head of the Giumen 
When the comet is viewed with:an in- 
ferior telescope, orif the magnifying pow- 
er) with 2 pretty good-one, 1seither much 
too low, or much too high,.the very bright . 
rays immediately contiguous to tHe nu- 
cleus will seem to belong: teit, and! form 
what may be called the head. 
Oct. 19. J examined the head of the 
comet with an indifferent telescope, 
manner E have described,. and foutid: it 
apparently of the size of the planet Jupi- 
ter, when it is viewed with thesame teles-. 
cope‘and magnifying power. 
With-agood telescope, f saw inthe cen- 
tre of the head a very small weil-defned 
round point. 
Nov. 20. The head of the comet is 
now less brilliant than it hac been, 
Of the Coma of the Comet. 
The coma is the nebulous ap peararice. 
surrounding the head. 
Oct. 19. By the field'of view of my 
reflector, I estimate the coma of the co 
met to be about six minates in diameter. 
/ Bee. 6. The extent of the coma, with 
2 mirror of twenty-four inches diameter, 
is HOw about 4.45. 
Of the Tail of the Comet. 
Oat. 18. The With a night glass, which 
has a field of view of nearly: 5°, T este 
raated the length of the tail to be BPRS 
but twilight is still very strong, which may 
sk sie my seeing’ the tehcle of it, 
Nov. 20. The tail of the comet is still 
of a considerable length, certainly not less 
tian 22 degrees. 
Oct. 26. The taibof the comet ig con~ 
siderably y ‘onger on the south- ~preceding, 
than on the north- -fallowing side. 
Itis not bifid, as T have'seen the comet 
of 1769 delineated by a gentleman who 
had carefully observed it®. . 
Oct. 28. -Seven-feet reflector. /The 
south-preceding side of the tail in all its 
‘length, except towards the end, js very 
well defined; but the north-following side 
is every where hazy and regular, especi~ 
ally towards the end; it is also shorter 
than the south-preceding one. 
The shape of the unequal! length of the 
sides of the tail, when attentively viewed, 
is visible ina night-s ‘glass, and even to the 
naked eye. 
# “Dr, Lind of Windsor, a 
eink Soran ee] il et wir 
Proveedings of Learned Sovieties: 
berg little ’ 
in the: 
{March f, 
Oct. 31. Ten-feet reflector. Thetail’ - 
‘continues to be better defined: on the 
south-preceding than on the nerth-follow= 
Ing side. 
‘Dec. 6. The length of the tail is now: - 
reduced to about 23’ of a’ degree. 
Of tie Density of the Coma und Tail of 
the Comet. x 
Many authors have said, ‘thar the tails 
of comets are of so rare a texture, as nob .- 
to affect the light df the smallest stars that 
are seen through them. Unwalling totake | 
any thing upon trust, that may bebrought 
to the test of observation, | took notice 
' of many smail stars, that were oceasionly. 
covered by tlie-conta and the tail, andthe 
result is as’ follows, a 
Oct. 26. 6h. 15’. Large ten-feet res 
flector, twenty-four inches aperture. A 
stnail star within the comais equally faint 
with two other stars that are om the north< 
following side of the comet, but without. 
the coma. . 
wh. 30. The coma. being: partly: re= 
moved from the star, it is now brighter: 
than it was baivr e. i 
Oct. 31. 6h..5’. Ten-feet reflector. Ay’ 
star in the tail of the comet, which we 
all a, is much: less bright than twoothers, 
i andic, without the tail, > 
Two other stars, d and e, towards the 
south of baad ¢, are in the following skirts’ 
of the tail, and arevextremely faint. 
7h. 20’. The star e is now consideras 
bly bright, the tail having left it, while d, 
which is reales more involved: than it was 
before, is hardly to be seen. A 
7h. 50°. The star a, toward whic dis. 
“comet moves, is involved ia denser nebu-' 
losity than before,.and is grown fainter, ~ 
dis involved in brighter nebulosty thar 
before, but being near the margin, it will - 
sedi emerze. r 
Sl, 35’. Being still more involved, the 
star wis wow har ly Wisthle. 1S I 
e is quite clear of the tail, and is a con-- 
siderable star; d: remains jnvtdiaedk: . 
9h. 40’ The star d is also emerged, 
but the comet is now too low to. estimate. 
the ieee: of stars properly. 
Nov. 23. 7h. 35. There is a star « 
within the hight of the tail, near the head 
of the comet, eqnal to a star b situate 
without the rai, bat near enough to be 
seen in the field. of view witha. ‘Phe path 
of the head of the comet leads towards a,’ 
and a more intense brightness will come 
upon it. 
Sh. 46".. The star a is now involved im. 
the brightness near the head of the comet, 
and is no longer vistble, except now and F 
then very faintly, by occasional imperfect 
glimpses. s 
