But as the comet swings round the Sun with a mighty rush its tail is sent round also in a great outward sweep, pointing all the time away from the Sun. Lastly, as the comet on the other side of its pathway goes away from the Sun, its tail travels first, end-foremost, and the head follows after the tail. So the head of a comet always points towards the Sun, and the tail of a comet always points away from the Sun. We know little as to the true nature of comets. They are, however, believed to be made partly of shining gases, and partly perhaps of small masses or lumps of more solid substance--in short, of little meteors. _Biela’s Comet_ was once a comet belonging to the Sun’s kingdom; but its story is rather curious. In 1846 it broke into two separate comets. These two kept company for a while, and then parted. One went ahead, and one dropped behind. After this both vanished, and in their stead our Earth in her journeying came across a shower of meteors. So perhaps the meteors are the remains of those two comets--the broken up bits, if one may so speak. _The Great Comet of_ 1882 was often to be seen in full daylight. When passing away, after its rapid whirl round the Sun, it could be perceived in telescopes at a distance greater than that of Jupiter--a very unusual thing. In the picture of a Sun-Eclipse you will notice a tiny comet quite near the Sun. This little comet had been hidden by the Sun’s glare and nobody knew it to be there at all. But when the moon glided between, hiding the Sun’s great brightness, and a photograph was taken--then the tiny comet had its picture taken also, side by side with the dark body of the Moon and the light edge of the Sun, with the fiery sea and sharp mountains. QUESTIONS. 1. What does the word “comet” mean? It means “a hairy star.” 2. What is a comet like? A star-like body, with a hazy kind of fog round it, and a long tail. 3. Do comets always have tails? No; the tail generally appears when the comet comes near to the Sun. 4. Tell me the three parts of a comet. The Nucleus, or thickest part; the Coma, or hazy part round the Nucleus; and the long Tail or Train. 5. Which of these is always found in a comet? Only the coma. The nucleus and tail may be wanting. 6. What shape is a comet’s pathway? A long oval: sometimes very long and narrow indeed, with the Sun close to one end of it. 7. How long is a comet’s year? All lengths, from three or four of our years up to hundreds of our years. 8. Do all comets belong to the Solar System? No; only a certain number seem to do so. 9. Where do others come from? They seem to come from far-distant stars, paying one visit to our Sun, and then going off, never to return. 10. How does a comet carry its tail? Always pointing away from the Sun. 11. Which goes first, head or tail? When a comet is coming towards the Sun its head journeys first. But when a comet is going away from the Sun, its tail journeys first. 12. What is a comet made of?