Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-09-19
COMETS.
The foHozving observations reshecfiHS CO
NETS are erfracted from a London Ma
gazi7e hu5Li8hsd in .Nopcn6er 1907
country.

A Comet, vuIgarly called blazing star.
count of its sppearauce, extraordinary sight;
for though the nanber of them be great, vet on ac-
count Of the long period Of their revolution they but
very seldom appear. They Supposed to consist
OF very compact ard durable subsistence, capable OF
the greatest dcgree Of heat and cold without beire
subject TO dissolution and, Ike the planets, shining
onlv by reflection.
Isy the ACCENTS, Comets were considered as vapours
metcors; aud Of this opinion Aristotle the
LIBERATED Greek Philosopher. These phenomenas
we're therefore treated with neglcct, until the time
Of Seneca, who observed two very remarkable ones,
which he scrHped not to place amongst the celestial
bodies, though he owns their motions to be govern
ed by laws not then known.
Doctor HALEY declares, that notwithstanding all
his researches into the histories Of Comets he found
nothing satisfactory until Constantinopolitan his
tOrisn aud astronomer, in the year A. ID. 1857, pref
~ accurately described the paths Of Comet amongst
the fixed stars. The,next Comet which appeared,
WIS in the year 1472, and was observed By Rcgio-
Inantanrs; IL the swiftest Of any that have hi
therto appeared and the nearest 10 the earth This
Comet 50 dreaded on account Of the magnitude of its
body aud tail moved 81 the rate of forty degrees of
a great circle in the Heavens, in the space OF one
day, and was the first Of which have any proper
observations. In the year 1877, remarkable Comet
visited This GARTH the study of which Tyeho Brahe
fedniously applied himself. This great astronomer
after many faithful observations, found that il had
no pereeptble Paralaxl ADD consequently could not
be aerial vapOur.-TyehO was succeeded by the
system of this world
At length came the prodigi0us Comet Of 1880,
which descended almost pcrpendiculary towards the
sin, arose from him again with equal velocity, and
was seen for four months together. Not long after,
tie iliustriOus Newton demonstrated not only what
Kepier had found did necessarily obtain IN the pIa-
Notary system, but also that Comets observe the
same law, moving in very long cclipses round the
sun. and describing equal areas in equal times.
The revolutions Of only two Comets (or the num-
Der Of years necessary for performing q Journey
round the sun) are known with any certainty The
one is that which appeared in the years 1856 1851
1907, 1852, aud 1859, and is ascerta'ucd 10 move
round tho sun it 76 years; il will therefore make
its appearaucein 1895. The otheris tie Comet seen
10 1850, in Ii0G, IN 55t, and soon after tie death ~
julius Cesar, about forty years before Christ II is
mentioned by many historians Of those times and
PHuy IN bis natural history, where Augustus Cesar
says concerning IT," IT, the very DAYS Of our games
hairy ciar (Sydus Crinitan) was seen for DAYS in
that part of the heavens which is under the Sepfen-
tTionc II about the l1th hour Of the dsv and
was clearly 20 be seen all over the world The
period Of this Comet is therefore aseortaiued 10 be
about s75 years old. les appearance will be IN the
year 2255
The number &c Comets belonging 10 our system Is
unknown, but it has been asceraine that more than
q'O have been gccp, bot the number whose orbits
are settef With sufficient accuracy for to ascertain
t1elr Ecntfy on their temperance, il only about
81 The orbits of most Of these are inclined 10 the
plane Of the eclpte IN large angles, and in their ne