Abstract
PERIODICAL COMETS IN 1879.—Of the known comets of short period, two will pass through perihelion in the spring of the ensuing year. The comet discovered by Brorsen at Kiel in February, 1846, and since observed in 1857, 1868, and 1873, according to the elements deduced at the last appearance by Dr. Schulze, will arrive at perihelion again on April 1, perturbations, which must be light in the actual revolution, being neglected. This comet still approaches very near to the orbit of the planet Jupiter, though perhaps not quite so close as in 1842, when the present form of orbit was impressed upon it by the action of the planet, the point of nearest approach being at a true anomaly of 167° 48′, or in heliocentric longitude 283° 30′ (Eq. 1870); when last passing this point of its orbit, early in October, 1875, Jupiter was distant from the comet, 558, whence the effect of his attraction upon the length of the present revolution will be comparatively trifling. At the ascending node the comet may approach pretty near to Venus, as was the case in October, 1873, a few days previous to the last perihelion passage. To obtain an idea of the track in the heavens in the spring of next year, we may assume that the comet will arrive at its least distance from the sun at midnight on April 1 (guided by Schulze's elements) and will have the following positions:—
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OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN . Nature 18, 306–307 (1878). https://doi.org/10.1038/018306b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/018306b0