ANOTHER COMET.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 21 January 1926, Page 7

ANOTHER COMET.

BETWEEN CORVUS AND CRUCIS. jay Teleerfcr.fi—Press Association. WELLINGTON, January 20. The New Zealand Astronomical Society has been notified by the International Bureau at Copenhagen that a faint comet, of magnitude eleven, was discovered on January 16, at 22 hours. It; position on discovery was 12hrs 12mins right ascension and 30 ueg. llmin south declination. The comet is in line between the stars Gamma Corvus and Gamma Crucis, and is about one-third of the distance from Gamma Corvus.' RECORD YEAR FOR COMETS. TOTAL REACHES ELEVEN. “The year 1925 now. hold 3 the record for the number of comets observed,” said Dr Crommelin at a meeting of the British Astronomical Association in London in November last. The largest number of comets ever seen in any previous year was ten. That was in 1898. The recent discovery of Van Bierbroeck’s com* and of Wilk’s comet had brought the number for 192,5 up to eleven. Dr. Crommelin went on to say that Wilk’s comet would probably fade rapidly, for although it would continue to approach the sun until December 7, it was already hurrying away from the earth. It seemed likely that the comet either would never return again, or, if it did, not until after a long interval. As far as could at present be judged, Van Bierbroeck’s comet was , also fading. Wilk’s comet had no tail, but Van Bierbroeck’s was possessed of at least an indication of one.