The Heavens Above: A Popular Handbook of Astronomy

by J. A. Gillet; W. J. Rolfe

Fig. 317.

Fig. 318.

Fig. 319.

Fig. 320.

The tails of comets are sometimes straight, as in Fig. 316, but usually more or less curved, as in Fig. 317, which is a view of Donati's comet as it appeared at one time. The tail of a comet is occasionally divided into a number of streamers, as in Figs. 318 and 319. Fig. 318 is a view of the great comet of 1744, and Fig. 319 of the great comet of 1861. No. 1, in Fig. 320, is a view of the comet of 1577; No. 2, of the comet of 1680; and No. 3, of the comet of 1769.

Fig. 321.