Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-11-22
BieIa's Comet.

In view of the possibility that the newly
discovered comet may be that known a.
BIela's comet Of 1926, the following facts
regarding it will interest persons curious 10
Astronomical lore.
Its first appearance was in i1I2, when
Montague at Limoges, France, caught sew
eral partial glimpses.
In 1906 il WAS rediscoyered, also in
France. finally seen By the naked eye and
elliptic elements computed.
ia lS26 NJ Biela in Bohemia, found a
faint comet, and established its dentits
with those of l572 and 1905. He found
that it had a period of little over six years.
aud predicted its return to the earth on
November 81 1852. 1t was found that
the comet would pass within 20, 900 miles
of the earths orbit, and though the earth
would not he in that point for month after
the comet, vet considerable excitement and
fears of earthly demolition as the result of
a collision existed in the popular mind.
1t came punctually, Us predicted hut no
serious results followed.
its next approach was unobserved. rs il
came in the day time and remained close to
this sun
In lslj it returned as well-conducted
comet should do, hut. while telescopes were
still examining it, it parted in twain, and
before it had disappeared its compon"nts
had separated to distance of 80, 900
miles.
In 1852. when seen again. the separation
had increased to | ,25o 600 mile, and prac-
tically two comets existed, pursuing sepa-
rate orbits. where one had been before.
Again in 1859 it was invisible by reason
e - III. 49,, ,l,. x.,f no
looked forward to with great interest to de-
termine what changes had taken place IN
the Is years interval. But though the ele-
lnents had been carefully calculated, and
many telescopes awaited its coming, Biela's
comet did not appear. No traces which
could certainly be identified as this comet
were discovered. On November 21th, there
was a meteoric shower. and, on the strength
of this, German astronomer telegraphed
to Madras, +Biela touched earth on 27th :"
search near theta Centauri. The receiver
OF the telegram looked, as directed, and saw
a comet. which could hardly have been the
missing one.
There is no certain evidence that Biela 5
comet has been seen since 1852, unless the
present one should be the lost wanderer but
every year. as November q draws nigh a
shower of meteors. coming from the very
point in the constellation from which
Bielas comet is due. plentiful but not very
brilliant. falls toward the earth. while every
sixth wear, when the comet would, in regu-
lar order. reach this portion of space, the
shower becomes more abundant. 1t looks
as if the separation had been carried further
than dissection, and that the meteors were
the debris strewn along the path of the
comet, which resulted from the scattering
of the cometary fragments Through some
domestic trouble" as Iersehel says of an
other similar case.
If. however, the comet has recovered
itself and is about to appear in un'liminished
brilliancy this assumption will have to be
reconsidered. \ few cool observations
several DAYS apart, made now. will enable
astronomers to reeompute its orbit and re-
trace its devious course for the past ~
years comet is comparatively light
body, and when il approaches planet il is
often caused to deviste widely from its
former orbit. If the planet Is in front OF it
the velocity will be accelerated and the
eIlipse of its orbit will be increase !. or if
NAV be thrown entirely away from our
solar system. never TO return. If the planet
is behind i, It's velocity will be retarded,
the ellipse lessened so that the revolution
around the sun is quickened. or, if it moved
10 a paraboia an endless curve, this may
be transformed into an ellipse.
# may therefore readily have happened
that Bielas orbit has been greatly trans
formed by its close visits to terrestrial
neighborhoosis.
Ii will be observed tina, the part of the
l. xsx fba fat Hat rlr
eda--is the quarter from which Bieia ought
to arrive. and that the date of closest APP
trosch, November 23th, also seems to indi
cate our old friend. Still, the behavior of
comets is too erratic to place much depend
cnce on anything except mathematical COM
patations of their course through space.