202 



KNOWLEDGE 



[September. 1901. 



noticed it was situated to the S.W. of the sun, and in 

 perihelion; a few days aftei^wards it passed about 15° 

 south of the sun, and became visible in the evening sky. 

 The faint broad stream of luminous material which 

 formed the secondary tail was curved near its southern 

 extremity, and it remained visible, under various 

 modifications, from May 2 to 27. It may be interesting 

 to summarize the estimated lengtbs of the two tails, as 

 given by several observers: — 



May 6 

 „' 12 



H 



ii-n 



IT) 



f) 



6 



2 



■A 



4 



5 







s 

 111 

 11 

 U 



m 



Bright 

 Tail. 



10 



111-12 



=> 5 



8 10 



5-10 



Seeouilary 

 Tiiil. 



30 



2.3 



2'y.M 



20 

 23 



2 5 -SO 

 2.5 



U. T. A. Imies, Cape Town. 



J. Lunt, Cape Town. 



J. T. Bird, Dullstroom. 

 E. Transvaal. 



C. J. TaUor, Cape Town. 



A. M. Megginsou, SvdneT. 

 C. J. Merfield, Sydney. 



L. A. Kddie. Naauwponrt, 

 S. Afriea. 



The comet remained prominently visible to the naked 

 cyo until about May 27, after which moonlight 



practically obliterated it, but Major Eddie watched it 

 in a field-glass until June 10, when it appeared as a 

 faint nebxilous streak. {B. A. A. Journal, June, 1901.) 



A large number of descriptions and drawings of the 

 comet have been received from S. Africa, Australia, and 

 other regions, and a number of these have been 

 published in the scientific journals. A series of 

 sketches were made by Mr. C. J. Taylor, of Cape Town, 

 and these show the general aspect and approximate 

 positions of the object very well. Possibly, however, 

 the angle between the bright main tail and the faint 

 long streamer is not represented suificiently great, as 

 photogi-aphic views of the comet show the inclination 

 to have been about 32° on May 6 and 7. 



Mr. Taylor, wi-iting on May 28, from Kenilworth, 

 Cape Town, says: — "On the morning of April 27, I 

 caught a glimpse of the comet, but it was too near the 

 sun to be observed with advantage. On May 3 it was 

 observed directly after sunset, and was a very con- 

 spicuous object on the 4th, when the tail was over 4° 

 in length and divided in the middle by a clear dark 

 space, the preceding portion being much wider and more 

 defined than the following. A shorter secondary tail, 

 very indistinct, was to be observed in the telescope 

 sweeping to the east. The comet became a splendid 

 object thereafter and was seen to the greatest advantage 

 between the 6th and 15th, the best views being obtained 

 on the 9th and 11th, when the main tail extended over 

 8 to 10°, still being clearly divided ; while the secondary 

 and fainter tail made a graceful sweep over fully 20° 



Soiitli. 



Nortt. 

 Flo. 1.— Tlie Great Soutliern Couiet (1001 I.). From sketelie« by Mr. C. J. Taylor. 



