NOTE ON THE COMET.
It has been generally assumed by those who have written about this comet that it must necessarily have passed its perihelion. This is certainly very probable ; but it is possible that the comet’s path, and, consequently, the perihelion point, may be altogether outside of the earth’s orbit, and that the cornetary orbit is an extremely elongated ellipse, the major axis of which is enormously greater than the minor axis. In this case the distance from the Sun to the apse might be, though absolutely very considerable, relatively very small compared with the major arc. Should this represent the real state of things, it is at least possible that the comet may not yet have passed the perihelion. In the absence ef reliable observations, or the means of making them, it is well not to be too sure about any matter of this kind. If, however, it could be clearly shown that the speed of the comet is slackening to any great extent, it would decide the matter. In that case it would be quite certain its perihelion had been passed.
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Evening Star, Issue 3569, 31 July 1874, Page 2
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184NOTE ON THE COMET. Evening Star, Issue 3569, 31 July 1874, Page 2
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