New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-09
THE COMET OF 1881.
OBSERVATIONS AT WASHINGTON.

THE CONCLUSION OF CINCINNATI PROFESSORS THAT
1T HAS SPLIT IN TWO NOT CONCEDED WITH
THE SPECTRUM.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRI3UNE.I
WASHINGTON, July S." Is it trne that tho comet
has split in twoT asked TRIBUNE correspondent
of Professor Asaph Hall at the Naval Observatory
to-day.
have not heard Of it," was the reply; "but it
was cloudy last night, that got observation
ferhaps Mr.. Rock. who made the observation We'd
nesday night can tell you something about it,
would not be at all surprised to hear that something
of tho sort had happened Comets have habit Of
breaking into fragments, and we arc disposed to
thlhk that the meteOric showers OF November IN
each year are caused by the passage of the earth
near or through the debris of q comet ~
Mr.. Rock was found, and he showed the following
remark written in his note book Wednesday night
when he made the observation: "a bright tongue
of light about revolution long in direction Of
tail with slight node near cad and cured" In
explanation of this Mr. Rock said Il observed the
comet at the time of its lower elimination about
twenty minutes after midnight. The nucleus did
not appear to be divided but bright band srcaued
out in the direction of the tail This band about
fifteen seconds Of the in length. Near the end of
1t was bright spot and that portion of the band
extending beyond it was curved in the same general
direction as the tail, but in somewhat shorter
1t is possible that the observer ut Cincinnati not
uniting the nucleus and tho node, and
concluded that he saw two nuclei. When |
first observed the comet, on juno %, the coma was
was apparently homogeneous as it also was on July
2. On June %, however, there were two spurs of
light spreading away from the opposite sides of tho
head, like angels wings. On July 2 did not OBJ
serve these at all or they very faint. On My
| observed the appearance that have described. It
may be that this the Same thing that saw on
4 g
is not improbable, however, that the nucleus has
really divided. Comets appear to have tendency
to do that. We shall watch 1t carefully tonight if
the weather is favorable"
The correspondent called upon Professor Hardness
who said that il was entirely probable that the
comet had already separated into two parts We
think that the November meieors" said the Profess
sor, arc tho debris OF n comet which first made ts
appearance about the year 900. This debris. to all
appearance continues to trail along the whole orbit
of the comet of which it formed a part and which
has disappeared. The August mcteors assigned
n similar origin. Bica's comet reappeared once
after its nucleus had separated into two parts it
has never been observed since. All comets appear
10 diminish in brightness and il is probable that
they become gradually disintegratcd"
Have YOU underta ken any -pcctroscopic investi-
gailon OF this comet r asked the respondent
les ana, sufficient to convince that tho
spectrum "a the same rs that of all comets. | made
obscryations on juno - and July and 2. On Juno
With three bands very hay. the whole indstinct.
EvldencG Of polarization was not Trustworthy and
concluded there was no polarization. On July |
the spectrum o. the nucleus was bright showing
two bands; wave lengths approximately 5000
and Gll.5. On July found u bright. continuous
spectrum extending from about wave length J77 to
~ the coma gave three bright bands wave
lengths approximately 5is.i. 5l33, 1872. Tho
tan gavo no continuous spectrum. The mean OF
clSiiteen comets observed gives lengths
follows: 556.4, 5l27 and i7O.6; the mean of two
nights work on this comet gave 5so3. 5l2.I |
ana i6I - These two sets of figures agree nearly
ascould he expected considering that used in my
observations "A single 60 prism aud there can be
no doubt whatever that this tho usual comet spec
trufn."
Professor Hall has Just received from Baron
Strnye, of the Imperial Observatory at Pako,a an
epncineris or ltnckcs comet extending from July -
10 November II, and preparations arc making nj
the Naval ObscrS atory for careful obs ations OF
that body, which Ia considered of grr At scientific in
terest.
Tonight has been unfavorabc for observations
on account OF haze and cloudIncSs An imperfect
Observation, however, was obtained which tho
astronomers at the Naval ObsNrv atory report did
not disclose any material change in the appearance
OF the comet since the local obso L, alton on Wc,nc
day night, rs before described.