Nature July 29th 1875
A third Comet in 1813?
Bode after mentioning in his miscellaneous Notices (Berl.
Jahrb 1818) that canon Stark of Augsburg had observed the first comet of 1813
on the 19th February, states that Stark had also discovered on the
same evening with a 3.5 feet Dollond telescope, a very small and exceedingly
faint comet without tail above the variable star Mira in Cetus. Cloudy skies
are said to have prevented further observation.
Bode remarks with respect to this comet that it is strange
that no other astronomer had perceived it. However suspicion this circumstance
may have appeared , we know that several of the comets of short period have
been revolving in such orbits for one or two centuries, visiting these parts of
space without doubt under favourable circumstances for observation on more than
one occasion, yet entirely esc aping detection , so that the mere fact of a
single observer only having seen a comet, is hardly a sufficient argument
against its existence.
The late Prof D’Arrest even thought it worthwhile to submit
the reputed observations of the D’Angois-comet of 1784 to further circulation,
notwithstanding Encke’s well know investigation in the “Correspondance
Astronomique” of the Baron de Zach and we may have something to say on this
subject in a future column.
Not having seen any reference to “Starks Comet” in English
astronomical works, we have given the particulars recorded of it here.
www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk
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