“the late comet”
Date
5-8-1812
Newspaper
Raleigh Register
Page and Column
Page 4, Column 1
Newspaper Location
Raleigh, North Carolina
Serial Number
664
Abstract
Report from British newspaper on the comet of 1811.
Transcript
The late Comet.--A curious paper was last week read by Dr. Herscell, at the Royal Society. Dr. H. in observing the Comet in October last, noticed a highly luminous appearance near the centre of its head, which astronomers would call nucleus. This luminous disk he found to deviate considerably from the center, and to be at one time brighter than another. This led him to be more particular in his observations, with longer telescopes, and higher magnifying powers; these he varied from 7 to 10 and 20 feet, with magnifiers up to 600; when he distinctly discovered it to be a planetary body, which appeared so bright in the center of the comet, that it was evidently surrounded by a cometic atmosphere. On the 16th of October, when the comet was 114 millions of miles distant from the earth, by a series of observations and calculations, he ascertained the diameter of this planet to be 428 miles, with an atmosphere subject to the vicissitudes of the comet.
Recommended Citation
"“the late comet”" (1812). New Madrid Compendium Far-Field Database. 651.
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/cas-ceri-new-madrid-compendium/651
