The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-25
IT IS NOT BIELA'S COMET.
TIE MYSTERY IN ANDROMED4 7RiT-
ELS IN ANOTHER ORBIT.


mcnts OF Bieia's Comet That Fell ns Me- |
teors ON Saturday ana Wednesday Nights |
Looks as f That Comet Had Burst. |
There were no celestial fireworks last night. |
Hardly even did ameteoric FREELY hit across !
tho flrmamen to reward the eager watchers |
who froze to housctops. beguilod. by the dis
play OF tho night previous and by the various
interesting probabilities thus indicated. into
the belief that the heavens would rain fire ana
tho Columbian bridge fireworks fade from
memory by comparison.
A careful and faithful outlook during tho
whole evening and UP to midnight was unre-
warded by auCht save two or three insInih-
cant points OF light that dropped through
space and disappeared almost lefore theY
could he perceived.
All this was very dscouragng and disnr- |
pointing TO ordinary folks only eager FOR inc
spectacular. but 1T was mighty interesting 10
the astronomers. Tho brilliant shower OF
meteoritcs Of Wednesday means good deal
in relation to tho mysterious comet thae nus
been ruzzling astronomers
The flreiitcs Fireworks. and diamond drops
TINT tho poets saw Wednesday were bielaos'
.hut is bits OF the Ticla comet MIR. Garrett r.
serviss. thu astronomer. explained all ahout
the mctcorics to n Sun reporter last night.
and something OF the latest news about the
ihr shower OF meteors seen on Wednesday
bs Nr seTvss ira ss1n wsdG
be the ss S sH%s the
around regularly every six and threr-1uhrter
years Tor some time. suddenly split it two IN
1886. and those parts separated sumo 100000
In 1859 tho pieces had spread 2.O00O00
miles arart and In ls12 the comet had az arpa nn
seen At ali sine: that year, n,.,..
Now the earth crosses tho orbit Of Bie ,,',s
these 6s' M etoric showers wore looked for. But
Bieliads were seen in considerably numbers
ss.a snnd ss' ssS sTsh
piEhts until Wednesday when IN especially
brilliant shower occurred.
lively Identified as being particles from Biela's
comet by the direction from which they come:
due to cross the true orbit Of Bieia's comet. in
tered over 1 space Of at least 25.o0O.o00 miles
n di.msteE: J., .u,,,.. .,.,. ~.
comets ortit in .sylindricaI stream ana this
Hssns that the cylinder Of mse3 %, 81, Is aao
but lew on the succeeding nights until We'd,
night again luil last night is good evidence
that they are scattered irregularly oyer that
70 t iH ss dis
plaeement Of the comets orbit and that we
s.i. sss o1 tato1 Sn es t nsT hf
~ ser2ss tne The mssors aas
SniiI sqHnday nisht. when the biggest display
there be shSwss' for eight days
Ss Of
0eg a9d were sTteePinG nI1nE the orbit
ana al these prob ,IiIities may fail But t the
oae thing the meteors have proved that will
iiev s few. is that they clearly indicate that
the MYSTERIOUS comet now visible IL the con;
TRs comet Is moving on to the south so rap.
ID! th.t i1s orbit cannot now be made to coin
1t ona time it occupied precisely the place
s not I travelling vel in 10 the orbit OF bie!a comet
rs and no one een ts just What
All calculations have bcen based on certain
to 10 inrch nearer the earth than il, really is.
3f course. the fact that 1t was exactly where
ths n somi s Tns comet ft is EVIDENTLY %
stranger. hn5 it Is s. comet that very greatly
ss "sss t IS proIay not great but is of
Erent la.iy and scattered oyer vide snnGe;
t .s% n"ss a@a Wits
# still may by coming this 1t Is. II any
thing fainter now than it has been mt any
tim" since It's discovery
MIR. Serviss showed the comet to the reporter
through good glass. and it was distinctly dis
appointing. 1t would to very difficult 10 even
locate it with ordinary orera glasses. and il tho
unpra.ctised observer did stumble across it he
ing It blurred n little. than to believe he had
spotted the comet.
The nsUula in Andror1rla is much brighter.
and the twoare but short distance apart.
apparently. The comet /, failure from "A
SPECTACULAR point Of view and is fnst losing
prestige. and folks " III soon speak Of it slight
tnEly. II not with contempt.
Bat Mr.. Serviss says it may really be q bod y
q enormous size. 1t is still barely possi b lie
that it is coming this way. It may he an i'm
mensr distance Off yet. and NJ ght loom up in
terestingly before long. and then again it may
be but cloud OF meteorc dust.
At tho host the comet Is stili mystery. and
1t will take lons and careful observations to
acquire any positive knowledge Of what 1t is
and wher. it is hound. But 1t will have TO dc
somslhinG stnr'lir. pretty soon II IL expects
TO hold any place in public attention. to shy
nothing 81 respect. Meanwhile it will lie wor,l
viii! to keen an eye aloft, especially on Sat.
swarm o! Bieliads is actually due.