THE GREAT SOUTHERN COMET.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 208, 1 September 1881, Page 1

THE GREAT SOUTHERN COMET.

We quote from from ati English! paper tbe following respecting the comet lately seen in oor sky, first observed here by Oaptaia Fartfahar, of the Rotomahaoa :— One of the most interesting of all celestial o v jactis— 9 bri!liaot comet — made its appearance ebove our horizon on Juue 33 The sidereal visitant in question hea beam attracting (he atteution and exciting lhe interest of astronomers for some tima psat, having been observed more tban a month ago at the Cape of Good Hope and in South America, whence, pur-suing 'a; northerly course, it has gradually risen so a point at wbieh it is visible ia tbese; latitudes. A foHnigbt ago, od jone 9 ,' tbe Emperor of Brezil telegrsipbed to the Institute of France, of which His, Majsety is a member, the results of thei observations made at Rio de Jaceiroi observatory. The Emperor Qommuni-' cated, in round number., the elements of ihe comet's orbit — which, as is w.i! known, is, in the case of these wtnderer*?, a matter of far greater eccentricity than witb a new planet, moving io a farly regular ellipse. Sucb,however, is tbe precision of astronomical; calculations that the approximate figures supplied by the Brazilian' monarch enabled Mr J. B. Hind, the ; English astronomer, to forecast almost* witbin an bour tbe time at wbich t c comet mi^ht be looked for above our owa borisdn. WiitiDg on June 21, Mr Hind sai J : — «• The great southern comet mdy be first seen in the the cticsteilation Auriga, probably Jin atrong twilight, to - morrow (Wednesday) morning; but, if there is ho marerietl error iii the elemehts as they have reached Europe, certainly on th^ following morning." In _ fulfilment :'of this prodiction tbe comet did rise ioto view about midnight, a little before or after, sccording (d ihe obierver'e! Blttiion, bo June 23. Mr Hind coaipuled that the luminosity of the comet waa five^ dmea as great as it was -when i it firßt appeared in th-^ South Amerid-Sb: fekie.', but this intensity of light gradt-i ally declined, until on June 27 tbe^ comet was bardly visible. The present! cotnet is pot iientified with any of the' kbowti comeial whose orbits have been 1 calculated and whose returu ,m_y be' foretold ; but the known com. is b^ar) but a small proportion to those whoi.e; movements are still untraceable, .'■' |,f '-" 1 * J','"" "„•>*.