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In 1868 Huggins compared the spectrum of Winnecke's comet with that of a Geissler tube containing olefiant gas, and found exact agreement. Nearly all comets have shown the same spectrum. A very few comets have given bright band spectra differing from the normal type. Also a certain kind of continuous spectrum, as well as reflected solar light showing Frauenhofer lines, have been seen.
They were now perceived to be self-luminous, and to be formed, to a large extent, of glowing gas. The next step was to determine what kind of gas it was that was thus glowing in them; and this was taken by Sir William Huggins in 1868. A comet of subordinate brilliancy, known as comet 1868 ii., or sometimes as Winnecke's, was the subject of his experiment.
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