Page:The story of the comets.djvu/93

VI.

All the foregoing comets, except perhaps Brorsen's, may be regarded as assured members of the Solar System, and certain to be seen again, sooner or later.

Comet No. 1 in the foregoing list is by far the most interesting of all, and therefore its history deserves to be given in some detail.

On Jan. 17, 1786, Méchain at Paris discovered a small telescopic comet near β Aquarii. On the following day he announced his discovery to Messier who, owing to bad weather, did not see it till the day after, on which night it was also observed by J. D. Cassini Jun. and by Méchain himself. It was tolerably large and well defined, and had a bright nucleus but no tail, and was not seen again.