Look at the orbit of Jupiter, to which Encke's comet approaches so nearly when it retreats from the sun.
But the calculation of the perturbations of Encke's comet is so extremely intricate that Asten's result is not of great value.
Encke found from the observations that the comet returned to the sun once in every three years and a few months.
A huge comet (Encke's, I believe) was flaring all over the sky.
Can we learn whether the luminous matter in such nebul is more diffused or less diffused, than that of the comet of Encke?