Contributions to Astro-Meteorology. 47 



remote epoch were near each other in space, although their peri- 

 helion passages have differed by years. The most notable of 

 these systems is that of the comets 1860 III., 1863 I., 1863 VI., 

 which at the end of the year 760 a.d. were at distances from 

 the sun respectively 600-00, 600*42, and 600*25, and distant 

 from each other 12*8, 16-3, and 8*1. To a spectator from the 

 sun, their apparent maximum distance was 1° 33'. Hoek be- 

 lieves that the comets of 1677 and of 1683 belong also to this 

 system. The antecedent probability of a chance coincidence 

 like that of these comets is exceedingly small. 



We find thus analogies between the systems of shooting-stars 

 and systems of comets. Can we not imagine mixed systems in 

 which a cloud of meteoroids are grouped in space about one or 

 more larger nuclei — that is, about one or more comets ? 



If a system of this kind is drawn from solar attraction into 

 the figure of a parabolic current, the parabola described by the 

 principal body (or those described by the principal bodies) 

 should evidently differ very little from the line along the centre 

 of the parabolic stream ; consequently the preceding question is 

 answered affirmatively whenever we find a meteoric current 

 forming a parabola identical in magnitude and position with 

 any parabolic cometary orbit. In such a case the comet will 

 evidently form part of the current, and be one of its elements. 



To test this question, M. Schiaparelli computed the following 

 elements of the mean orbit of the August meteors, supposing 

 it a parabola, assuming the radiant to be R. A. 44°, N. Dec. 56°, 

 and the time of crossing the centre of the group in 1866 to be 

 Aug. 10*75. With these elements are placed those of the 

 comet 1862 III., according to the latest determination of Dr. 

 Oppolzer *. 



Elements of Elements of 



August meteors. comet 1 8H2 III. 



Longitude of perihelion 343° 38' 344° 41' 



Longitude of node 138° 16' 137° 2/' 



Inclination 64° 3' 66° 25' 



Perihelion distance 0'9643 0*9626 



Motion retrograde. retrograde. 



Perihelion passage July 23*62 Aug. 22*9, 1860. 



Period 123*4 years. 



These elements do not differ by quantities greater than can 

 be accounted for by the want of precision in the data for com- 

 puting the paths of the meteors. We come thus to the unex- 

 pected conclusion, that the great comet 0/1862 is nothing else than 

 one of the August meteoroids, and probably largest of them all. 



At the time of announcing this relation of the comet of 

 1 862 to the August meteors, M. Schiaparelli found no comet 

 having similar relations to the November meteors. But upon 

 * Astr. Nach. No. 1384. 



