Abstract
THE RETURN OF METCALF'S COMET?—In NATURE of February 25 reference was made to a telegram received by Prof. Strömgren relative to the discovery of an object by Miss Leavitt believed to be Metcalf's comet. The Morning Post of February 23 published the following paragraph relative to this discovery: “A telegram from Prof. Pickering has just been received stating that the object reported as Comet Metcalf turns out to be a minor planet. This must be a disappointment to Miss Leavitt, but it accounts for the failure of astronomers to find the comet when better placed. The question of priority of discovery, as evidenced by the Southern comet of last year, which was discovered independently at Johannesburg, Arequipa, and Christchurch, New Zealand, on the very same day, has been already responsible for premature publication. Prof. Pickering is, however, generally prepared to take the risk and is sometimes fully justified.”
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Our Astronomical Column . Nature 95, 17 (1915). https://doi.org/10.1038/095017a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/095017a0