The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-07-14
THE COMET.
It Divides into Two Parts. and In Develop
ing u Seeond Tail.

=
ing u Second Tail.
[Cinciunati Commerc ial July II
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. 1t was first observed by Mr..
Wilson, at 10 O'Clock. He was taking telescopic
observations at the time and his attention was
first attracted by the sudden appearance of
Jet of exceedingly bright light, shooting out
from the comet at the right, about twenty de-
grees from vertical line and seventy degrees
from 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 it appeared like an elongatioh 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 nuclei at 1, 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 half-past this morning Professor Stone
| reported that the nuclei had separated to dis
tance of about 8, 900 miles, and the two had as
sumed an Gliptical shape, or, rather, that OF an
exclamation mark %, inclined at an angle of
40 degrees from the pole. The lower comet
was bright and distinct as star, while the up
per was not so clear. The tail of the new OF
| lower comet was not SO distinctly defined as
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.
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 course as that Of the
Biela comet.
The Biela comet, which was first observed or
January IL, 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 course side BY
side. Singular interchanges of luster wer'
notable. First one appeared the brighter
| then the other. The comet returned In 1852
and at that time both comets were still visibl,
in the same telescope field of view. The peri
helion passage of 1859, if it took place, wa
not observed. The year 1865 came, but tn
comet did not, nor has it been seen since. Th'
claim of some scientific men of the extrem
| looseness of texture in the comets is manifest
and strengthened by the separation of tn
Biela comet, and now by this one.