Page:The Solar System - Six Lectures - Lowell.djvu/34



become pear-shaped, and on January 13 it divided, the two halves at first separating, and thenceforth travelling side by side at a distance of one hundred and sixty thousand miles for the subsequent four months during which they continued visible. A bridge of light sometimes spanned the interval between them.

In 1852 the two returned. The distance between the pair had now increased to one million five hundred thousand miles, and they travelled thus during the time of their visibility. Neither has ever been seen since; but in 1872, just when the Earth was passing the track of the lost heavenly twins, on November 27, occurred a brilliant star-shower. The German astronomer, Klinkerfues, was so impressed with the belief that this must be the remains of the comet, and that the comet itself, or what was left of it, would be seen exactly opposite the radiant, that he telegraphed at once to Pogson, the government astronomer at Madras, India: "Biela touched Earth November 27; search near Theta Centauri." Pogson looked. Clouds at first prevented, but on the third morning it was fair, and he saw in the predicted place a comet with a round head and a faint tail moving as it should have done. The next morning he observed it still better, and in its