----------------+---------+------------+------------+------------+------- | I. | II. | III. | IV. | V. +---------+------------+------------+------------+------- | 1668. | 1843. | 1880. | 1882. | 1887. Perih. Passage.| Feb. 29 | Feb. 27 | Jan. 27 | Sep. 17 |Jan. 11 Log. Per. Dist.| 7.6721 | 7.8395 | 7.7714 | 7.8895 | 8.1644 Long. Per. | 80 deg. 15' | 73 deg. 30' 46"| 74 deg. 11' 13"| 55 deg. 37' 29"| 89 deg. 41' Long. Node. | 357 deg. 17'|355 deg. 46' 48"|356 deg. 17' 4"|346 deg. 1' 27"|359 deg. 41' Inclination. | 125 deg. 58'|143 deg. 1' 31"|143 deg. 7' 31"|141 deg. 59' 40"|141 deg. 16' Eccentricity. | 0.9999 | 0.9991 | 0.9995 | 0.999 | ...... Calculator. |Henderson| Plantamour | Meyer | Kreutz | Finlay ----------------+---------+------------+------------+------------+------- ] But it is not merely as thus explaining what had been a most perplexing problem that I have dealt with the evidence supplied by the practical identity of these five comets' orbits. When once we recognize that this, and this only, can be the explanation of the associated group of five comets, we perceive that very interesting and important light has been thrown on the subject of comets generally. To begin with: what an amazing comet that must have been from which these five, and we know not how many more, were formed by disaggregative processes--probably by the divellent action of repulsive forces exerted by the sun! Those who remember the comets of 1843 and 1882 as they appeared when at their full splendor will be able to imagine how noble an appearance a comet would present which was formed of these combined together in one. But the comet of 1880 was described by all who saw it in the southern hemisphere as most remarkable in appearance, despite the faintness of its head. The great southern comet of the present year was a striking object in the skies, though it showed the same weakness about the head. That of 1668 was probably as remarkable in appearance as even the comet of 1882. A comet formed by combining all these together would certainly surpass in magnificence all the comets ever observed by astronomers.