3-008-787 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Rosa's comet, Aug. 3, 12.30, 1862. 'The comet discovered by Rosa, at Rome, on July 25, is now a conspicuous object in the northern heavens, and was plainly visible to the naked eye on August 3...From its situation in the sky it is very easily found: we have only to look between the well-known pointers and the equally well-known polestar, to discover its whereabouts...The telescopic appearance of the comet is very remarkable, and will, doubtless, be narrowly watched by astronomers. On Aug. 3, about half an hour after midnight, the nucleus was very distinct and bright, A faint jet of light was noticed as proceeding from it towards the left, and this was in every respect similar to the fintail, or sector of light, seen to such perfection in Donati's and the last great comet. The tail was faint, very slender, and quite straight, and the head was attached to it like a bulbous root to a slender stalk...It is almost a perfect facsimile of Halley's comet, as seen on Oct. 8, 1835, by Struve, resembling it both in the luminous sector and in the narrowness of the tail. The accompanying drawing of the comet and neighbouring stars was made by the aid of an excellent five-foot telescope (equatoreally mounted)'. From "Illustrated London News", 1862.