The National Register.
London, England, 1811-09-15 00:00:00

40.1.110,1411 r . . .
and the only general remarks that can be made on n them arc thag
the train or tail is generally small on the first appearace of it
Comet, gradually lengthens as the Comet comes int 0 the neigh-
bourhood of the sun, and again diminishen
i esa
it
dire retires n
to
nearly thee
twice. Also the tail is always extended o
opposite to the sun."
-Hie opinions of Philosophers concerning Comets have been
very different. Sir Isaac Newton first abewed that they are a
part of the solar systetn revolving round the sun in trajectories,
nearly paraboiical, having the sun in the focus. Dr. Haley
com.mted the motioes of several Comets, anti among them
fotteld some whhth had precisely the sante trajtetory. lie theree
f,”-e concluded that there were different appearances of one
Comet, and that the path of a Comet is a very eccentric eclipse,
having the sun in one focus. The apparition of the Comer of
len in 1159, which was predicted by Halley, has given his
opinion the most complete confirmalion.
Comets are therefore planets, 'resembling the others in the
laws of their motion, revolving round the sun in elipses, de-
scribing areas proportiodal to the times, and having the squares
of their periodic times prrporttonal to the cubes of their mean
distance from the sun. They differ from the planets in the great
variety of the position of their orbits, .ai d in this, that many of
them have their course in antecedentia Siznorum, (contrary to
the order of the Signs of tht Zodiac.) Their nuirtter is very
great ; but there are but few with the elements of whose mo-
tions we are well acquainted. The Cornet of MO came very
near to the sue on the 11th of December, its distance not es-
ceeding its semi-diameter. 'When in its aphelion, it will be al-
most 150 time- further from the sun than the earth is. Our
ideas cc the extent of the 'solar system are thus greatly en-
larged.
No satisfactory knowledge has been acquired concerning the
cause of that train of light which accompanies the Com
of ethe
te.
Softie philosophers imagine, that it is the rareratmosphere
1 Comet, impelled by the sun's rays. Others imagine, that it Ili
a phenomenon of the same kind the Aurra Borealis, and
that this earth would appear like awith o
Comet to a spectator placed
on another planet.
The apparent magnitude of Comets is very different, some•
times seeming not bigger than the fixed Stars, at other times
equal in diameter to Venus. Hevelrne obatrved one in 1652,
which was not inferior to the moon in sizes thOugh not GO bright;
I its light, pale and dim, its aspect dismal.

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TIDE ABI,Z.
11101! WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE OH

Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday . .
Thursday
Friday . . . •
Saturday . . . •

• . . • • .

MOUNING.

M. H.
14 after 12
2 1
47 1,
27 2
0 3
30 3
0 4

A FT IL IIY4 CON:,

M.
40 after 12
24 1 .
9 2
46 2.
16 3
45 3•
12 4

•
TO CORRESPONDENI'S.
ON e§i Mu s wilt resume " Tlit PULPIT," on Sunday next, with
an estimate of the clerical character of the Rev. Mr. Su EePAitp,
the Morning PreaCht.r at Pentonville- Chapel.
Stanzas on the death of the lute Mr. SPENCER will appear 14
our next.

The irregularity complained
shall be attended to.

of by Lieut. F. of the Bellerophon,

THE•NATLONAI:_R3., iS

_ •
ton Don. •
SUNDAY. SLPTE 'OBER. 15, 1811.

PORTUGAL. •
The Easterly wind std ci;ntinucs, and come.
quently the c4pectvci arrotals from fiertugal hive
uffered fuitlier delay.. Whilst *dm wind t ontifiALl

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