The New York herald., 1879-11-26
Professor Proctor on the Expected Me-
teOric Display, November 25-29.
BIELA'S DIVIDED COMET.
How to Distinguish the Meteors Attend
ing On Its Track
ASTRONOMICAL ILLUSTRATIONS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HKRALD:-
Seven years ago astronomers were mourning the
loss of fayorite comet. Discovered in 1926. Bielas
comet had not for twenty years attracted moro at
tenon than others of short period unless. perhaps.
the that its orbit very near that
of the earth regarded as feature of interest.
But in 1916. almost under the eyes of astronomers,
this comet divided into two. "All seemed to be
going on quietly and comfortably, Sir John Her
schel wrote las nearly can recall his words).
"when 10! suddenly, ON January Is. the comet split
into two distinct comots! each with head and
coma and little nucleus OF its own. What domes-
tic troubles caused the secession it is impossible to
conecture but the two receded farther and farther
from each other. with some degree Of mutual CON-
munlcation and q very odd Interchange OF light
day head being'the brighter and another the
othertill they to havo agreed finally to part
company" He goes on to say that when the double
comet whose period around the lasts
six years and eight months came back in 1852 the
two bodies were both ut about the same distance
from each other and both easily visible in the
telescope. In reality. however. the distance had
enormously increased In the interval; for whereas
the greatest distance between the companion comets
1886 had been but about $4,000 miles. in 1852 it
amounted to about 1,250.000 miles. Whether the
comets returned in 1859 is not known, for the
part of the heavens which they crossed lin that easel
in 1859 was too near the sun for the comets to be
visible. In 1866. however. they should have been
seen. but they were sought in vain. In 1872, when
tho next return should have occurred. still more
careful search was made for the dsspated and
doubtless demoralixed comets. but again without
avail. During the first week in October the comet
should have passed its point Of nearest approach to
tho sun. Week after week passed without its being
detected. and. as said above. in November. 1872.
astronomers had given up the hope OF again
seeing Bielas comet in the ordinary manner. In
October. 1872, in essay which appeared in
tho st. I'anps Magasine I indicated the
pro liability that display OF meteors following in
the track Of that comet would probably be some
time between November IS and December s. "The
Skies" said. should be carefully watched. The
shower of neteors will fall in such direction that
shooting stars may be looked for at any time Of the
night" pointed out that meteors attending the
track Of Bielas comet could be distinguished from
others by the course they follow on the sky, each
travelling path radiating from (observe. not
extending FROM part of the constellation Andro-
media; in fact. from the neighborhood of the star
Gamma Andromeda, which marks the left foot Of
the Chained Lady-that is the foot which lies the
right as you face the constellation when Andro-
medals head Is uppermost. which, unfortunately $50
far recognition of the constellation is concerned
is not always the case.
FIGURE 1-PosITIoN OF ANDRoMEDA.