The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-07-14
THE COMET.


Il Divides into Two Parts, and n Develop
ing n SecOnd Tail.
cincinnati Commerc al July ~
F. The startling intelligence was communicated
from the Cincinnati Observatory about half
past 10 o'clock last night, that the comet had
separated, and was forming into two entirely
distinct nuclei. It was first observed by Mr..
Wilson, at 10 o'clock. He was taking telescope
observations at the time, and his attention was
first attracted by the sudden appearance of q
Jet of exceedingly bright light, shooting out
from the comet at the right, about twenty de-
grees from vertical line and seventy degrees
from a horizontal. 1t gradually spread over
the face of the comet horizontally, until the
nucleus separated, and the upper and lower
portions by degrees widened further apart. To
the naked eye 1t appeared like an elongation Of
the nucleus. Through the telescope, however,
the old nucleus was seen to become two distinct
bodies, the broken lines becoming rounder as
distance widened, and each body more distinct
in itself. About II o'clock the lower nucleus
developed tail of its own, smaller than that Of
the upper nucleus, but filling up the space be-
tween the two.
Professor Stones attention was drawn 10 the
phenomenon as at first observed, and he
watched its development with close interest.
At half past II o'clock he computed the distance
between the nucleii at l 200 miles, and noticed
that the upper was greater and brighter than
the lower. Clouds soon interviewed, and both
were then shut from view. -
At hah-past 1 this morning Professor Stone
reported that the nuclei had separated to o dis
tance OF about {, 900 miles, and the two had as
sumed an elliptical shape, or, rather, that Of an
exclamation mark %, inclined at an angle of
20 degrees from the pole. The lower comet
was bright and distinct star, while the up
per was not 30 clear. The tail of the new OF
lower comet was not so distinctly defined az
that Of the old, and still filled up much Of the
intervening space between the two.
To the naked eye, both appeared still as one
comet, with the tail somewhat longer than
usual, inclining to the westward. ..if.+
Prof. Stone was unwilling to predict the fu-
ture course Of the two comets, but was disposed
to think they would still further separate, and
possibly pursue such o course as that of the
Biela comet. - .-
The Biela comet, which was first observed on
January 10, 1876, at the Washington Observa-
tory, was divided into two distinct comets
each having coma, nucleus and tail. Three
days after this discovery at Washington, Euro
.pean astronomers noted the same phenomenon.
The two comets pursued their oourse side by
side. Singular interchanges of luster were
notable % ls aiS First one one appeared the brighter
and at that time both comets were still visible
Ia the same telescope field of view. The peri.
helion passage, of 1859, II 1t took place, was
not observed. The year 1865 came, but the
comet did not, nor has It been seen since. The
claim OF some scientific men Of the extreme
looseness Of texture in the comets Is manifest
and strengthened by the separation Of the
Biela comet, and now by this one.