236 



DATE. 



Observatory. 



Position B 

 from A. 



Distances. 



Brilliancy of 

 B in parts 

 of A. 



January lAd 



Qk 



51?ft 



Wash. 



322.4 



98." 



0.2 



18 



6 



46 



5) 



325.0 



130. 



0.3 



19 



6 



38 



!) 



325.5 



131. 



0.3 



22 



7 



1 



55 



325.8 



145. 



0.4 



22 



7 



45 



Phila. 



330.0 



145. 



0.4 



23 



7 



1 



Wash. 



327.8 



147. 



0.4 



24 



7 



23 



55 



326.4 



152. 



0.5 



24 



7 



27 



Phila. 



329.1 



152. 



0.5 



26 



6 



35 



Wash. 



327.7 



156. 



0.6 



28 



6 



47 



55 



330.0 



169. 



0.7 



28 



6 



27 



Phila. 



329.6 



178. 



0.7 



February 4 



6 



39 



Wash. 



333.5 



221. 



0.7 



B is the fainter comet. Both A and B have a condensation of 

 light in the centre of their nebulosities. Both have a tail extending 

 from the comet opposite the sun about 4'. Both the nebulosities when 

 the moonlight is absent, seem to blend very faintly at their outer 

 border. 



The above descriptions and measures are furnished with the con- 

 sent of Messrs. Maury and Kendall. 



I submit, with some hesitation, an opinion respecting these singu- 

 lar objects. 



In a period of 21 days of observation, the difference in place of 

 each from that of Santuri's Ephemeris of the Biela comet is quite 

 uniform, in traversing an arc of 15° of apparent motion in the 

 heavens. Hence they would seem to be components of Biela's co- 

 met. 



The objects are so indefinite in their shape that you will notice a 

 great discrepancy in the measured positions and distances. By taking 

 an average of several consecutive evenings, except for the 4th of 

 February, which depends on one night's work, I find the following 

 results : — 



Jan. I8.d79 

 2d.d28 

 28.d28 



Feb. 4.d28 



B from A 

 Position. 



3250.2 

 327°.8 

 329°.8 

 3330.5 



Daily 

 increase. 



+0°.58 

 -I-0O.40 

 +0°.53 



M« 



130" 



148" 

 174" 

 211" 



Daily 

 increase- 



+4".0 

 +5". 3 

 +5".3 



Log. dist. 

 comet 

 from 

 earth 



9.8783 

 9.8634 

 2.8346 

 9.8082 



B from A in 

 parts of earth's 

 mean distance 

 foreshortened. 



0.0004762 

 0.0005238 

 0.0005764 

 0.0006578 



Daily increase. 



+0.0000106 

 +0.0000105 

 +0.0000116 



