THE PONS' 1812 COMET.

Kumara Times, Issue 2300, 11 January 1884, Page 2

THE PONS' 1812 COMET.

According to a cablegram from Melbourne on Wednesday, the comet which lias been on view for some months in the northern hemisphere, is now becoming visible in southern latitudes, having been clearly visible from Melbourne on Tuesday hist. This being the case we may hope to see it now from Kuniara on some fine evenin» in the north-western sky shortly after sunset. This comet is said to be identical with the .comet discovered by Pons on July 20, 1812, being the sixteenth comet discovered by that industrious observer within the space of ten years. Its orbit was calculated bv Professor Enckesoon after ita discovery and was found to be an ellipse of such dimensions as to give it a period of 75-J----years. Although this is about 3-£ to 4 years more than the time of the actual period of revolution of the comet, it is sufficiently near to show that the calculations then made (with instruments much inferior to those of the present day) was pretty nearly correct. The comet was on Wednesday as near to the earth as it will be. It will be in perihelion (nearest distance to the snn) on the morning of the 26th insfc., at a distance from that body of somewhat over 71 millions of miles. It is nowmoving rapidly south, and as the moonlight diminishes will probably be visible to the naked eye in the north-western sky after sunset in a day or two. Towards the end of the month it will be nearly eqni-distant from the eaith and sun, being on the 28th January 72*millions of miles f.iom the former, and about 71i millions of miles from the latter.