Abstract
THE number of comets of short period which are expected to return to perihelion during the next two years is remarkable. In 1898 the following comets are due:—Pons-Winnecke (April), Encke (May), Swift, 1889 VI. (June), Wolf (June), Tempel, 1867 II. (September); in 1899, Denning, 1881 V. (January), Tempel, 1866 I. (March), Barnard, 1892 V. (April), Tuttle, 1858, I. (May), Holmes (May), and Tempel 1873 II. (July). In addition to these, 1898 may possibly witness a return of Biela's comet, last seen in 1852, and of Coggia's, 1873 VI.; but these are doubtful, and the prospect of re-observing them appears to be very limited. Thus there are thirteen known comets which may present themselves for detection, but several of them will be enabled to elude observation in consequence of their unfavourable position, and in one or two cases the objects may escape owing to the uncertainty now existing as to the exact periodic times.
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DENNING, W. Periodical Comets. Nature 56, 518–519 (1897). https://doi.org/10.1038/056518a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/056518a0