Comet C/1780 Messier

Translated from French by H. Frommert

M. Messier discovered this comet with an achromatic refractor of larte aperture on October 27 at about 4:30 in the morning, below [south of] the beautiful star Beta in the tail of the Lion: It resembled then the nebula which is placed between the head and the bow of Sagittarius [M22].

From October 27 to 31, the sky didn't permit to see it again, because of a fog constantly rising; but on November 1 at 3:30 in the morning, the fog had disappeared, M. Messier observed the comet again with the same refractor; it appeared now above [north of] the same star Beta in the Lion, having a bit more light than on October 27; one couldn't yet perceive it with the naked eye.

M. Messier has continuously observed it from October 27 to November 29 in the morning, in the Lion & in the Great Bear. M. Méchain saw it again on December 3 with an achromatic refractor.

M. Lexell, astronomer of the imperial Academy of Russia, who was then at Paris, has calculated the orbit of this cometfrom observations of Messier: Here are the elements he deduced:

  Longitude of node:                    4s  4d  0'  0"
  Inclination:                             53. 56. 28.
  Longitude of perihelion of the orbit: 8s  6. 30. 14.
  Logaritm of perihelion distance:           8.9903713
  Passage of Periherlion: September 30, 1780 at 20h 16'
    22" standard time. Motion retograde.

Last Modification: January 25, 2002