▁search ▁near ▁Th eta ▁Cent a uri ". ▁ ▁P og son ▁began ▁searching ▁for ▁the ▁com et ▁at ▁around ▁ 4 ▁a . m . ▁local ▁time ▁on ▁the ▁ 3 rd , ▁after ▁cloud y ▁weather ▁had ▁ham per ed ▁observations ▁for ▁two ▁night s . ▁The ▁clouds ▁broke ▁up ▁for ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁around ▁ten ▁minutes , ▁and ▁at ▁ 0 5 . 1 5 ▁he ▁sp otted ▁an ▁object , ▁" ev ident ly ▁com et ary ▁at ▁the ▁first ▁glance ", ▁which ▁he ▁recorded ▁as ▁" circ ular , ▁bright , ▁with ▁a ▁decided ▁nucle us ": ▁he ▁identified ▁it ▁to ▁his ▁satisfaction ▁as ▁B iel a ' s ▁Com et ▁by ▁comparing ▁its ▁rate ▁of ▁motion ▁against ▁background ▁stars . ▁On ▁the ▁following ▁morning ▁he ▁made ▁further ▁observations ▁under ▁better ▁conditions , ▁stating ▁that ▁the ▁apparent ▁com et ▁now ▁had ▁a ▁short ▁tail . ▁The ▁morning ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁was ▁cloud y , ▁and ▁P og son ▁immediately ▁dispatch ed ▁several ▁letters ▁not ing ▁his ▁observations ▁and ▁giving ▁three ▁detailed ▁positions , ▁although ▁adm itting ▁he ▁had ▁failed ▁to ▁spot ▁the ▁second ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁com et ary ▁heads ▁seen ▁on ▁the ▁previous ▁observed ▁return ▁of ▁Com et ▁B iel a . ▁ ▁Analysis ▁ ▁P og son ' s ▁observation ▁quickly ▁attract ed ▁academic ▁attention . ▁The ▁amateur ▁astronom er ▁L t - Col . ▁George ▁Lyon ▁T up man , ▁writing ▁in ▁the ▁January ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁Month ly ▁Notices ,