THE STORY OF THE COMETS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 710, 8 January 1910, Page 3

THE STORY OF THE COMETS.

■ANtIiiTKEiR TAIIS.

j to.;^^nicri'^.bpofc c (^hV^Stpry-^of: ■.bo i hbrbflgMy .timed/.:';Whether ■'■to' vi «w' ■ #ori" 'the:,- M,■"'ibai;' it' W' Viegiirded teres^gVo{/;all^£h« : '^M6tS; '.history; v< whose /nanib' \ the:' (its' orbifefpuid/' rtliat ;it tho/'c6fflets^o.f;isSil. ■and; 16Q7. ; \:'.: 3?jfls J :' , i yiis'-'iaiffii;vi<s Vreap'pe'SrV .a'nce.'iu.l6B2i :^whiclx : .th'us £oyfrifr',a,'peribdof. and ■ a :^ft.y?^^^ : .Ylßit:HaUey{was•ysrjr:?gteaaJ!. rtroa.bledihy,osrtaiii;disprepaneies between■ the ■.kaoifti facts-and,'uio 'results"of ::his ;: .lpiaigiaatipn,. tested! by' .prolonged l ..calpula-■• .ti.an',.';he';. discovered'"', that /the- influencerbf'; ■eity.ef :.fte /boniot.^aiid 1 'thus 'shortened';' ■its..orbit.,■■.He;.ventured .to;pTCdict■ thai';i£ ,'woold return.':abbut ..the'end I :ofil?sikand:' OT'6te.;6bndernlng' ; : it'.'.tlie..\foUbwing '• almost'' jpathetip£'.'■'.^t^ce^Wiere^re''if? :'it. tfrofr' aboutYthb • yeafe.l7sß \ impartial'-posv ■terityv. .&■;.■ acknowledge 1 that.,; this-;.was ■'first, discovered v.by '*. : aii :Ki^Ushman, > '. ;; :'lt /did, 'return;., and '':. was' vChrist-l ..nias. ,-■ Day ( .':.7: , .'.l7sß;';v'. : :by'; v '".aji' ; '.' astronbT, ..■raicaUyrineUned-farmer.'niijied jalitzsoh, ■liviiigijncar-Dresden.'rind.''as-rHind' has. tjmark^;.: ; ppsterity:has nbt.'atiemptbaVtb ...dbprivevHaliey'of. the'hononjs whiohi.wcre 1 ■'his:ane.w : ;"^" , '^' , 'j , vi '■ ; i^' ; - ; L:.•/:.:vvV■■;■■!:■■ «.'■■■'

,: C',Bi^uiig''jso&'dts':ia''^^u'Mf.: i Chun>' >l .Bfe , ;telU^«Ss■• , .^naby^'.thiin^■ : H*^■timi^l»■, : gently :on the'popular, tallslcyv tH&txoniots. ■ ta^t^'alwajaf'":..haTe>|^s/ / that : :.;the .majority. : of. comets. ..Wben. firrfv'S«nV. ; ,'.£hb':-flrdinary'. comet.''sh'ows:'. , raerely..;'as'■• a: fmnUyv.lum^ 'sizßi'.iiic'reases, 'and.'after''.a;. : wbile'\ft' ; nn-.-cleui.. of■.■.coiidofised': light, 'appears.; \ ;; The '-.sa/S- .'and>brillian6y ; .sentlyr-if.',there. ~is:.: going'." toi-'.ba :aC tail-.. ■ .olondriie.-.. bpfcer V; mass "of ■the ..comet;.■b6com«s.■.less , symmetrical:' Speakin'gv in:..general', terms,.''it: ;: may,';ba' ..said.'.that tliosaVoomßt'si'whifth'make,their perihelion. passage;,(iie.vCuearest';■■ approach/ jtp:''the.-6im^:it' , a , :Mmpa^ativ«y , .'.isii6rll , cluV' :■:'tol»^ae^ l oß.;ti^Si/;.^!^ l hilßt,.':tno6B'^;.,*hloh , ' ifiake. ;the, passage'vat : aVß.<at. distance ido. [^t^;JeTOlop : i'bnes;:>ln Vthe:'matter:.pr'cometS; and ■ theiT. |. tails,:the ;is-in; newly;eVery:instance pointing,'from ■the : .6ni,;.i;:h6ther,:''th6'.:cdmet ; . is, approach-: i'rig; orj receding,,.,.To.leiplain''this':phe<iOr .meion.'.ho' gives. '.the. "time-worn ;and sohib--.•■.What';vagn6'.wmi-explahation:o£.;the..SHn's ; .being Jsuppqscd'. to ;'send;>'o'ut : '.':'a;''M , *£orce.v-v' A '.'..' , '. , ' : .-.'''.'' : '-;i ■■,:. : -:'\~: :;/'!■■■: '■■■'':<.■■'■ -'«'

; : ■"S^afcihgft'witii'-."great;',res«rv«,";,';Mr.' ;;Chamber.s says/ that comets',"are made of,"; pipbably. : 'a .mixture: of : . Bolid arid-gaseous, ■matter.."'. Thp,-sizes;of >the,solid"par ticleß are,;- of': .course;:';uiikho'wn'.;:■ Many suggcs'Sons'.-, have^.beeh;.made,' such.' .as having-; 6tones,:. ; ; brickbats,-and,., again,". gratis ■'■■■.. of ■sand/ ■.'With;regard;to, colour,';he'.'; says; ttiat':"most' comets "oxiibit; a 'more ; :;.'or, :loss.' sflycry-groy;,bu&"-/;'He : : admits, v.,;to being■'.seeptical-,as ; Jto;'ihe .'correctness, r of - ,tho'' "sensational-: assertions',' of; -'many- an..: bieat and , .mediaeval..wTiters-of,'comets :pearing .of -the; colour;of, blood,, or ,'fiery': Ted*''. At .-the;-same'; time, ; be ■.admits 1 ' that."ire'dp;;findim; modern' astronomers: "sufficient' evidence to show . ;lpw/,;>r-;'rbdd\?.' are ■'.not,. 'Unprecedented.: .bbth..as'-''.re^ iauthdrrgiyescsbme/jnteresUng.'details-.of, the 'comet; ;of 'il6i&, : ;-.andUtsVenib'tib;ml-r»;'-;lig'ipus rterror' ■ Hhat .in. Germany,;'li-'-allay;-tne?'general' fear, ! - : a: ■■speVsiat"'medal'...was; struck;" having - a* picture' of 'thd-.coinet,-«ith;tbe"jdate6> on-one: ■?sc'rip'tioji-f- : .','. 1: ,'. i ;.".-'-:'...''i- ':■'■;■■>■'■■: ,'■' -■■:■:■';",■,.:M:'.l •' '■''Th^--'6]ir,.i'.threatoßUviliv.tbiEgsVN'Oniy : . '■■.■'^■''■■..TrlasM^'^^ ;.'God, will-, makeitbings. tnrn: to-'ibod;? •'.'.;; • "' ■T.hi3'■/6omot■,.alM?.'in^^e^ ; :.'.th^'fievV!'ylt' , . l■^ah>^W^fetb"l^^.tbV:\^^te'''niß■ : MtrabMn'SrJ■ j "Sow Theory of',.the::l!arth,''.;,-in', ;*-hich' |. no -sought;.to prove :'that'the''Deluge-most ■be;: asprjb«l.3Ji;. , 6ne'-.bf ;;theV'visits ! of -thisv.eryr poinei' ":■:■>■.:•; ;■ v'/.'-.-,-; : lic.-'v" \ :■■ ,' ■'■^n^ : ih'e';.chapte,"on , .i''^markable'%W-, ets-',- the again'the-famous ■details ■.of'the;,'-Great;-;'Comet, ■■ of:-1861,' i '.'turpug^^the;itail-,-o{::VwWbh'i'it'' ; 'is'r.'/6Up-'.! ■ posed;, the .'earth; may '.have.: passed:' early" pn'.June:3oi;..OH:the:.e"vening'-of:that'day' * was- '-remarked '■~ by - fmany ■• observers tbafe; .thbv.sky ;..had '*•' an-eitrabrdinary ; .appear- 'i ance': ''"alipeenliar i/phospherescerice' or'-'il-lnnunation'of:thb's£y;;!'V. :;;:■. ananroral;"* ;not ';.specniate-rmn'ch-:-on- the - imaginative": . : ■gestjoiis facts" f^'br'-thoymc^TO^ ■their. absence;-,;.::yet'>e' may be ■permitted .here; to.: observe . that-.a-.quite'; incorrect-sense;pf-security--has.;been-arrived atrin- ; the. ;xaatter; ; of ithe :..actual..qTiality: of • dan-• . ger.-.i-vrith which:'.comets are /invested; ,:it , u'true.;that.~the;;'earth v may-.-have' ;p'assod ■ .through,'the uakhowably-sublimated-eth-' 6t ;tho' comet's -tail.; .:and-.-,timt.-no'.:. , .suhere.was; apparent; ,but; itcis '■ futile 'and. :at^d:;to-.:quoto'-.this-:faoti--as.is''so-gener, W:;done,-Vto.)iphbld;-tho;unprbvable-c<m-- '. n >°. n .; that 1 , eeimumb, ih".'tot".wSW: a" .:sourco,:, of. -..danger rto--:the .-Planet' Terra > nearer -acquaint--:anco- with-the > nucleus':, of.' a large cometas.- -holding -uncomfortable: possibilities. 'It, that -Napoleon' H' 8 "?^ 0 h ?;e- i , «g»ded-.':thb.,Gireat. Comet : pt, 1769 vasrhis;, protecting', genie;: but:; if/ ,¥.? s ' .sometimes-thpught;-- he.'entertained; .bpnce.ning; the:comet of ,1811.:-in.'tho aatteriof,.his : 'successful--.in'ii -..vasipii;,of Eussia,: he ■ must:;have';'had -a' : -painful lesson, the.-futility. of.such;fai' cies..- ••whilst' "we-aro -dealine'. 'vrtth' 1 ' ;• tho : ;,cpmets,bfc historj. iud : tpoetr£,; it is •■"tereshng, .to recall...the disdrimmatien of kadbury,- ■„. !h.etween-..comets'-a'nd':eome'ts.:' 'From' H m .' i». learn;-that^anlhairy.,comet ■aeriotetli': ;the:.:dcath-of:,Kings;''.;and..that..;<a..com'et' J '™.asword''po,rtendeth:-,war'.-'.- It -is ex-' ...traorduiary- .to;.remember:;thatV ;;a's■ ■•la^:.:as',-1872, ; a;.'comet;.was''capablo-Vo'f-'ih ; :' s K™£»uch:'.f^ j'famt 1 •■'^■irP-'-^ h '' ; -? u^gat;'ißV, ■-.!.fftlie t -,wprst:.;c3mc';they,might>bb.affako: F !9J*t'}t'.';The; orgies' roM'the'"cbU' ' 9 W?£- 5 hu >'™«s ■ would have :wh -Hsuia. 1 ™e.--hM^.it;hot'.'been\'for'.!Uio'''n'tt«y'-;attd : : ..frightenedtseriou'sness- of .the; wbr'snippersi:' .;:,Ho>v-,many:'.;dderlyomeii::>of:,to"-day,;-:wo : ■ra^'/"™« m % : 'fiiusbjiie.s-.tbeir . last' ■-bpttle-.pf;.;. : Comet'.'Wine;V;;wliich'ivas put ■TOf Mr.-:Chambers;tells-iis,:'iii' the'year; :pf,.tl-.e,:..Great::C^m«t ) ::;.lßU?,:-.The-last ad-'--.yerfaiiemont-: of-'this -wineiappeire'd'-'in .■:'Th?i'Times":-*'6omewb.ere- in- the!'.'Ewht.' 1 ■If• ; vi«?:.;.W»i l V : .and:the;;label' ■ tlierepriasted--:long.".■; Speaking; of vthe' imprMye;to;-reme' m :- ■.per;(:hat: its'.; tad- : measured' ;a'■'■ hundred'' iength*,''aiidv.:thati:its .aphehpn;-.distaneo is>bout-'forty thousand ■million.i.jniles,- .and -its"pcriodiovcr' ■' threb r ;-,ttoiisand,:years. '; What.:'water'-■ will ; 'have : run : under..: : the: bridges :wheri : neit' it'ap.' P???W Ifl';:,enduig;i this;-brief; account : of ■ :an- exnaustive-book; wo ,'would ; remind ''the'.' reader,that it is-cmjnently-suited even, to tliose. mtnatpur.,:-astn>nom«rs v -vrho: havoriot.teased ;tp, .believe'-;.of:- ; all. comets -tKat- bf' necessity'-"thereby'.han'gs'a tail." ' '. :