Consideratio & observatio cometae aetherei astronomica qui anno MDLXXX mensibus octobri, novembri et decembri in alto aethere apparvit

XI. CONCERNING THE PLACE, MOTION, LIGHT, TAIL, ETC. OF THE PRESENT COMET: PLATIC OR COMMON OBSERVATIONS. CHAPTER II.

To the things enumerated above is added a dire torch, which, not vanishing so suddenly, shone forth ignited in the high ether, namely, the most terrible aspect of a Comet. Although I thought that I could now publish nothing to the public regarding this Comet—on account of the shortage of time, since I had consumed a large part of it after its conflagration either on the road, or had spent it on the execution of business necessary for my departure, or had contributed it to the arrangement and organization of matters both personal and those pertaining to my current station—nevertheless, the magnitude of the miracle, with the addition of both the exhortations of those whom I must humbly obey and the petitions of friends, caused me to note briefly and succinctly what I observed regarding the quality and quantity of its motion, so that an opportunity might be provided for both myself and others to think more about its motion, place, celestial sphere, magnitude, distance from the center of the world, etc., if perhaps we might be able to find and understand something more certain about such prodigious works of God (which He does not wish to be and remain entirely unknown to us, just as the motion of the stars is not).

On what day this Comet first arose, I do not know. Although, as is my custom in the inspection of the stars of the sky, I am wont to be frequently intent, while I especially observe the locations, motions, distances, and meridian altitudes of the stars, both fixed and wandering, with the benefit of a large Quadrant and a longer Astronomical Staff, so that sometime, with God’s help, I may be able to restore the collapse of the tables in the motions to the integrity of calculation...