194 HERSCHEL AND HIS WORK 



If Herschel had not known this body to be a comet, 

 he would have described its head, as "a very large, 

 brilliant, round nebula, suddenly much brighter in the 

 middle." He says that he would have added, "The 

 centre of it might consist of very small stars." So 

 struck was he with this singular idea that he directed 

 a telescope "with a high power to the comet." He 

 then saw "several small stars shining through the 

 nebulosity of the coma." The terror which once sur- 

 rounded the appearance of these bodies in the heavens 

 is gone ; the awe remains, and, as knowledge increases, 

 the mysteries that attend their birth, their growth, 

 their flight through space, have become greater and 

 more wonderful problems awaiting solution. 



