214 Biela's Comet. 



tude, with scarcely a decided nucleus, but a coudeusation of 

 light towards the centre. Two days afterwards (Sept. 20) 

 the nucleus had become decided, and that of the other division 

 of the comet was also perceived, of scarcely inferior brightness. 

 Fig. 3 gives a very correct representation of a drawing made 

 by Struve on that day. On September 23rd the nucleus of the 

 fainter comet, or division of comet, was hardly perceptible.* 

 On September 25th, another drawing was made, represented 

 in Fig 4. The brighter comet was now oblong in shape, the 

 other much fainter. On repeating the observation on Sept. 

 28th, the second nucleus, or the one first seen at Rome, was not 

 distinguished at all; the other was seen and observed with 

 some haste, because of the increasing twilight. This was the 

 last observation made anywhere.* It must be remarked that 

 the mutual apparent distance of the two nuclei was considerably 

 greater than in 1846. The distance, however, of the comet 

 from the earth was about twice as great as when it was in 

 perihelion in that year, viz., 126 instead of 56 millions of 

 miles. 



At the next return to perihelion, in 1 859, the comet was 

 too near the sun to be seen. It cannot, therefore, be [said 

 whether it did return or not. 



The next appearance, in 1865-6, was most eagerly expected, 

 and the comet was most diligently looked for at nearly all the 

 great observatories, but, to the great disappointment of astro- 

 nomers, it was nowhere seen. The conclusion from the failure 

 of these attempts to recover the lost wanderer, seems to be, 

 that it is completely dissipated ; and this conclusion Professor 

 d' Arrest, who devoted with great zeal, on every possible oppor- 

 tunity, the fine instrument he now has at his command at 

 Copenhagen to the search, has not hesitated recently to ex- 

 press with considerable confidence.f This dissipation we may 

 presume to be a consequence of the same feebleness of attrac- 

 tion which, in 1846, caused its separation into two portions. 

 And yet it was with this dispersed, scarcely-cohering matter, 

 that all Europe, in 1832, was alarmed at the possibility of a 

 collision. Again and again has astronomy been asked whether 

 she can indicate the means whereby the Almighty will one 

 day accomplish the destruction of our globe ? Again and 

 again has she answered in the negative. There have also 

 been those who have demanded of her the steps by which He 

 was pleased to create this scheme of things, this beautiful 

 system, this wondrous kosmos of which our earth and our- 



* Memoires de VAcademie Imperiale des Sciences de St. Petersburg. Sixieme 

 Serie. Sciences Mathematiques et Physiques, Tome VI. 



f Ast. Nach., No. 1624. A translation by myself is given in the Astronomical 

 Register for March 1867. 



