# Extract of a Letter from Edward Pigott, Esq. to M. de Magellan, F. R. S.; Containing the Discovery of a Comet

**Author(s):** Edward Pigott  
**Year:** 1784  
**Journal:** Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London  
**Volume:** 74  
**Pages:** 2 pages  
**Identifier:** jstor-106574  
**JSTOR URL:** <https://www.jstor.org/stable/106574>  

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V. Extract of a Letter from Edward Pigott, Esq. to M. de Magellan, F. R. S.; containing the Discovery of a Comet.

Read November 27, 1783.

SIR,

York, Nov. 22, 1783.

I have the pleasure of informing you, that I discovered a comet on the 19th instant, and have made the following observations on it.

| Date     | R.A. | North Decl. |
|----------|------|-------------|
| 1783 h.  |      |             |
| Nov 19   | 11   | 41          |
| 15       |      | 6           |
| 20       | 10   | 40          |
| 54       |      | 0           |

Nov. 21. This night I saw the comet where I expected it, according to the above determinations; but could not observe it with an instrument.

The comet looks like a nebula, with a diameter of about two minutes of a degree. The nucleus being very faint, is seen with some difficulty, when the wires of the instrument are illuminated. It is not visible with an opera glass.