Tales from India: the great march comet of 1843 (C/1843 D1)

Abstract

This paper discusses the observations of the Great March Comet of 1843 made from India. The observers were at various locations and the newly formed observatories participated in the astronomical observations spread over a long phase of the apparition. Of great interest were the observations by Dr George Buist at the Colaba Observatory made on 5 and 6 March when the tail of the comet seemed to vibrate, with pulses of light appearing to shoot out longitudinally every 15 seconds. He said that this was also noticed by several other observers. Elsewhere, there were not many observations of the comet on 5 March, but there were several on 6 March. The phenomenon was reported from nowhere else and therefore it is difficult to say anything definite about it. Furthermore, around the time the comet was most spectacular, Sind was annexed by the British in the wake of the historic battles of Miani and Dubba in February–March 1843, and many people saw in the rise of the comet great misfortune befalling the country.