[BAA Comets] Sir James South and comet of 1844

[denis buczynski]

Hello Amar,
Thanks for your post about the comet drawings of James South in 1844. The low resolution image offered at the link at the RAS Photo library states that the comet observations refer to "mauvais' second comet" . This comet is now designated C/1844 N1 Mauvais. The dates of the observations are given as 1844 June 8, 9 11. However this comet was not discovered until 1844 July 8 so perhaps the dates given are wrong. Moreover  C/1844 N1 was discovered near 16h RA +46 Dec whereas the comet drawn by J.South is near Capella which is at 5h RA +46 Dec. Further investigation is need to find out which comet these drawings refer to and if the quoted dates are correct. At the moment the details do not match. Moreover I have searched through Cometography for the year 1844 and cannot see any comet that was observable in June. So perhaps the year stated is also in error. Hmmm!
Denis Buczynski




________________________________
 From: amar sharma <amar10sharmaa at yahoo.co.in>
To: BAA Comets discussion list <comets-disc at britastro.org> 
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2015 6:18 AM
Subject: Re: [BAA Comets] Sir James South and comet of 1844
 

Last one for this email thread before I make many chains.
Comet drawings and notes, by the British clergyman and astronomer Thomas William Webb (1807-1885). Webb made his astronomical observations in his spare time at his vicarage in Hardwick, near Wales. He published many of his observations in Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (1859), a widely published guide for amateur astronomers. Webb also sent numerous reports to the Royal Astronomical Society, including an observation of the Earth passing through the tail of the comet of 1861.

1) http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/364336/view
Drawings of the comet of 1862, by the British clergyman and astronomer Thomas William Webb (1807-1885). The drawings show the appearance of the comet's nucleus and tail on various dates from 18th to 25th August of that year. Now known as Comet Swift-Tuttle, this comet was discovered independently in July 1862 by the US astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Parnell Tuttle. This comet passes close to the Earth's orbit, and it is thought that one day this comet will hit the Earth. It is the parent body of the Perseid meteor shower.

2) http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/364340/view
The past email removed the links. I re-post the links:
1) http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/364342/view

2) http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/364337/view  
You could search more related images of British observations of comets. Thank you.


     On Thursday, 15 January 2015 11:41 AM, amar sharma <amar10sharmaa at yahoo.co.in> wrote:
  

Another one:
1) Caption: Comet observations, by the British clergyman and astronomer Thomas William Webb (1807-1885). Several comets are described here, along with dates for the observations: the comet of 1862 (drawings, upper left); Encke's Comet of 1871 (text at upper right); the Great Comet of 1881 (text and drawing, centre right), and the Great Comet of 1882 (text and picture, at bottom). The latter text refers to Hardwick vicarage and Webb's wife Henrietta Montague Webb (HMW).

19th century comet observations - Stock Image V700/0328 - Science Photo Library

2) Caption: Comet drawings and notes, by the British clergyman and astronomer Thomas William Webb (1807-1885). Two stars are shown at upper left: Beta Aurigae and Capella. The text at lower right mentions Donati's Comet of 1858. Webb made his astronomical observations in his spare time at his vicarage in Hardwick, near Wales. He published many of his observations in Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (1859), a widely published guide for amateur astronomers.
19th century comet drawings - Stock Image V700/0323 - Science Photo Library
Thank you.


    On Thursday, 15 January 2015 11:34 AM, amar sharma <amar10sharmaa at yahoo.co.in> wrote:
  

Hello BAA comet members,
While searching for images, found something different.
Caption: Comet observations, 1844. Star chart with three comet observations made from the observatory in Kensington, London, UK, built by the British astronomer Sir James South (1785-1867). The position of the comet is shown for the nights of Sunday 8 June, Monday 9 June, and Wednesday 11 June in the year 1844. The comet's appearance on these dates (right to left), is shown by the numbered observations at lower right near the star Capella. At upper left are stars that form part of the constellation of Ursa Major. Comets are icy bodies from the outer solar system that boil and form a bright tail of gas and dust as they approach the Sun.

Comet observations, 1844 - Stock Image C009/0428 - Science Photo Library

Weblink, if the above link doesnt open, is at: http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/153109/view

Google search will yield more about Sir James South's observations of the comet of 1844. Thanks, Amar.
_______________________________________________
Comets-disc mailing list
Comets-disc at britastro.org
http://lists.britastro.org/mailman/listinfo/comets-disc


    
_______________________________________________
Comets-disc mailing list
Comets-disc at britastro.org
http://lists.britastro.org/mailman/listinfo/comets-disc


  
_______________________________________________
Comets-disc mailing list
Comets-disc at britastro.org
http://lists.britastro.org/mailman/listinfo/comets-disc