Sept. II, J 879] 



NATURE 



459 



which were brilliant. One was observed in the twilight 

 and mo:nlight at 8.30 falling vertically in Delphinus, and 

 the other, at 9.57, was as bright as Venus, and gave a 

 succession of three outbursts. Path from 79° + 76° to 

 Z<f + 67°. There was a vivid flash at the end point 

 which many persons who did not see the meteor itself 

 mistook for lightning. W. F. Denning 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



Biela's Comet. — In the actual uncertainty with regard 

 to the present condition of Biela's comet, the importance 

 of an exhaustive survey of the eastern sky during the dark 

 mornings, i.e., the moonless mornings, of September and 

 October, can hardly be exaggerated. The comet may 

 possibly have been so disintegrated by this time that 

 nothing further will be seen of it as such, but there must 

 remain very great doubt as to such being the case. 

 According to M. Otto Stiuve's observations of the two 

 heads in 1852, their diameters were still considerable, that 

 of A being upwards of 20,coo miles, and of B 37,000 miles, 

 and the brightness of the latter was equal to that of a star 

 of Argelander's ninth magnitude. 



With respect to the most promising plan of search, not 

 much, perhaps, can be said, but if a number of observers 

 are available, as it is to be hoped there may be, sweeps 

 in zones of declination between pretty wide limits of right 

 ascension, appear likely to insure some justifiable conclu- 

 sion as to the comet's present state or position. Prof. 

 Winnecke, we believe, is in possession of a 6-inch refrac- 

 tor, mounted as an "Airy's orbit-sweeper," and if the 

 comet, or what remains of it, be still moving in the old 

 orbit, this instnnnent, in such hands, will be of the utmost 

 value in the examination of the proper sweeping-lines for 

 the particular dates. But if the orbit has been sensibly 

 changed by further perturbation, the effect 'of which is 

 wholly unknown to us, the necessary survey of the heavens 

 will be, of course, only partially effected by this means, so 

 that our only resource appears to be, as we have suggested, 

 in a well-organised scrutiny of that portion of the sky 

 wherein it is possible the comet might be situated, and 

 there is yet time to provide for this, if arrangements have 

 not been already made at those observatories which are 

 occupied with cometary observations. To indicate the 

 portion of the heavens in question, we subjoin the comet's 

 places for the dates of new moon in September and 

 October, according to different assumptions as to its 

 distance from the perihelion, with similar places for five 

 days subsequently : — 



The Cluster about k Crucis.— In a communication 

 to the Paris Academy of Sciences on August 25, M. 

 Cruls, Director of the Observatory at Rio Janeiro, states 

 that on comparing the present appearance of the stellar 

 cluster about <c Crucis, with the map and observations 

 made by Sir John Herschel, he finds notable changes — 

 confirmed by detailed micrometrical measures which he 

 intends to publish. Three double stars are found to be 

 certainly in orbital motion, and there is a rectilinear dis- 



placement of the star near the red one. M. Cruls also 

 mentions that he has registered a star 6-5m., which he 

 believes has not been previously remarked, and which he 

 suggests may be variable; it follows B.A.C. 4308 = 

 Lacaille 5293 by im. 4-265., and is south of it, 4' i4"-6 ; 

 according to Mr. Stone's position of this star for 1875-0, 

 the place of M. Cruls' object for the same year is in R.A. 

 i2h. 44m. 58-525., N.P.D. 149° 43' ii"-o. We notice that 

 the differences given by him are almost precisely the 

 same as the differences between Lacaille 5288 and 5293, 

 though that in decHnation appears to be in the wrong 

 direction; thus, Mr. Stone's catalogue of 1875 makes 

 the position of 5293 with reference to 5288, in R.A. 

 -t- im. 4-72S., in Decl. + 4' io"-4. Is it possible that 

 there can be any confusion here.? Mr. Stone has not 

 observed a star in M. Cruls' place. 



This cluster is h. 3435, and Sir John Herschel' s 

 micrometrical details relative to no of its components, 

 will be found at p. 17 of his Cape volume; it is remark- 

 able for the various colours of the stars, an attempt to 

 illustrate which is made in the last edition of Chambers's 

 "Descriptive Astronomy." 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 



The news of the arrival of Prof. Nordenskjold at 

 Yokohama on the evening of September 2, will have been 

 received with satisfaction by the whole civihsed world. 

 The long-looked for solution of the problem of the 

 North-East Passage has thus been practically accom- 

 pUshed. After being imprisoned in the ice near the 

 Tshuctshe settlement for 264 days, viz., from September 

 28, 1878, until July 18 last, the Vega was at last released, 

 and passing the East Cape, Bchring's Strait, on July 20, 

 entered St. Lawrence Bay, which may be said to form 

 part of the Pacific Ocean. Crossing to Port Clarence on 

 the American coast, a short stay was made there, and 

 then the Professor re-crossed to Komian, while all the 

 time dredging operations were carefully made, the form- 

 ation of the sea-bottom at this spot being particularly 

 interesting on account of the meeting of currents from 

 the Arctic and Pacific oceans. No doubt the Vega will 

 bring home a rich collection of specimens. The voyage 

 was then continued, and after touching at St. Lawrence 

 Island, Prof. Nordenskjold visited Behring's Island, off 

 the east coast of Kamtchatka, where he received the first 

 news from Europe through the resident agent of the 

 Alaska Trading Company. It was here that the professor 

 discovered the fossil remains of the gigantic marine 

 animal Rhytina stelleriy On August 19 he left the 

 island and continued his journey towards Japan. On the 

 31st the ship encountered a severe gale, during which the 

 maintop was struck by lightning, which also slightly 

 injured several of the crew. Without further accident 

 the Vega anchored at Yokohama at 10.30 p.m. on the 2nd 

 inst., where she will remain for a fortnight. No deaths 

 trok place on board since the vessel left Sweden last 

 summer, and thus the high-minded liberality of Herr 

 Dickson, of Gothenburg, who supplied the means for the 

 spirited enterprise of Prof. Nordenskjold, is by the 

 complete success of the latter deservedly rewarded. 



In the August number of Petermann's Mittheilungeti 

 the narrative of journeys and voyages to Siberia is con- 

 tinued, with a map showing the most recent voyages 

 through the Kara Sea. A special map has also been 

 issued in which a portion of the course of Nordenskjold 

 in the Vega is laid down. The new coast-line of North- 

 East Siberia is also laid down from the data supplied 



' Tilts anini.il was a species of Sirenia, and w.as exterminated by man with 

 in a comparatively recent period. It was discovered about the middle of last 

 century upon the island in question, which has its name from the celebrated 

 traveller who was wrecked there in November, 1741, and who found the 

 place inhabited by large numbers of these enormous animals. They were 

 first described by Herr Stcller, who was one of liehring's party. The dis- 

 covery, however, seems to have been fatal to Rhyt:na, ncnc having been 

 seen later than the year 1768. 



