Our Astronomical Column

Abstract

ENSOR'S COMET.—Mr. S. Seliwanow, of the Observatory of the Russian Society Mirovédénié, Leningrad, writes to say that the Society organised an ascent in a captive balloon on the night of February 22–23 in which he took part. He passed low clouds at a height of 350 metres; above them the air was clear. Using a powerful binocular, the comet was located after a twenty minutes' search south-west of e Equulei. It appeared as a dim indistinct spot 8' to 107apos; in diameter, of about the fifth magnitude. The time was 3^h 22^m U.T., the height 700 metres. A faint tail, 20′ long, was suspected. A later ascent by G. A. Langé and B. W. Okuney confirmed these results.