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Gentleman's Magazine 1742 p.210
SIR,
TO compleat your Account of the Comet, I have sent you
the following Sketch, which, if you think it worthy a Place
in your Magazine, please to get it engraved in due
Proportion. Your last from Mr Wright (by whose
Oversight I cannot pretend to say) is vastly wide from the
Determination he draws from it.
The small Stars 5 and 6 are the 5th and 6th without Form
in Tycho Brahe's Catalogue of the Lesser Bear, both
of the 6th Magnitude; with which two Stars the Head of the
Comet form'd an equilateral Triangle March the 12th
about 9 at Night.
That Star mark'd A is the 2d in the Bear's Tail,
the other five, viz B, C, D, E, F, (which together
with (A) form a Hexagon, not very irregularly, about
the Pole Star) are neither in Tycho's Catalogue, nor
that more copious one of our Countryman Mr Flamstead: B
C and E I find in Hevetius's Description
of Cepheus, but D and F, the latter
being a very small one of the 7th or 8th Magnitude, I can
find no Account of: The Places of the Comet mark'd 12, 13,
14, &c. are its Places the respective Nights in
March. The 13th, when in a Line with the two Stars, its
Tail fell directly upon the Star B: At its nearest
Approach to the Pole Star, viz. March the 16th, its
Distance was scarcely 3 1/2 Degrees of a Great Circle. My
Observations were made about 9 or 10 at Night. I was not
very curious as to Minutes, the precise Time being of little
Use in this manner of observing. Saturday the 20th
being somewhat cloudy, the Comet appear'd distinctly thro'
the Breaks, but the 21st it was scarcely visible to an
unarm'd Eye, tho' with a Telescope it appeared very
distinct; after which Night, cloudy Weather setting in, I
saw it no more, and had the Air continued clear, I presume
it would have quite disappeared in a few Days, not far from
the Place of my last Observation. I have not troubled you
with its Longitude and Latitude at each Observation, that
being easily obtained from the Scheme, and correct Places of
the Stars.
I am, Sir, your humble Servant,
Friestone April 4, 1742
Edmund Weaver.
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