BIELA'S COMET. 143 



comet appeared single, and so continued until the 27th 

 of April, when it entirely disappeared. 



Also on the 13th of January, the distance of the com- 

 panion from Biela was estimated at about two minutes of 

 space ; near the middle of February it was five minutes ; 

 on the first of March the distance was ten minutes ; and 

 at the close of March it was fifteen minutes. 



The preceding facts afford abundant materials for spec- 

 ulation. What was the relation of these two bodies? 

 The appearances, when first noticed, suggested the idea 

 that the companion was a satellite to Biela. Such an idea 

 is now inadmissible. It is found that all the observations 

 are very well represented by supposing that each nucleus 

 described an independent ellipse about the sun. Profes- 

 sor Hubbard, of the Washington observatory, has com- 

 puted the orbits, and finds that all the observations of 

 each nucleus may be represented by an elliptic orbit within 

 the probable limits of the errors of such observations; 

 from which we must conclude that the disturbing in- 

 fluence of one nucleus upon the other must have been 

 extremely small, and the observations do not appear to 

 be 'sufficiently precise to render this influence in any de- 

 gree sensible. The following table shows the distance 

 of one nucleus from the other, in a straight line, expressed 

 in English miles according to the elements of Professor 

 Hubbard : 



Distance. 



1845, Dec. 1, 117,000 miles, 



1846, Jan. 20, 198,000 " 



28, 213,000 " 

 Feb. 9, 227,000 " 



Distance. 

 1846, Feb. 17, 226,000 miles. 



25, 216,000 " 



March 5, 202,000 " 



21, 170.000 " 



