Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1819-12-07
THE COMET.
Translated from Dutch newspaper.

N.
r G azette of this day gives the following
account at this moment oil the visible com
!. ct. :,
This erial body belongs in all Probabil
!" ily TO the description Of comets that have
made their appearance in former ages
but this is the first instance, as we nave
been able to ascertain, OF its having beer
noticed by astronomical observation, 1t u
therefore not yet possible to stipuiate III
course, nor to calculate its return: thl
can only take place after its disappearance
in future times.
From the best observations that baVe
hitherto been made, We derive the follow
| ing particulars.
During the last days of the month Of
June, the approach OF the comet to ouI
earth was as near TO each other as 1t is
possible for them to come although they
we're al a distance of about 63 millions oil
miles, or three hundred times farther from
each OTHER than the distance between the
| uioou and our earth.
Since that time they have moved away
from each other, and will continue TO do
so for long time, each in their respec-
tive spheres. On the Sd July, when the
comet was first seen at several places with
the naked eve, she was then in her near
est position TO the earth, and not far be-
You'd her nearest position to the sun. II
is owing to these two circumstances, that
she was at that time the most brilliant, and
that she has diminished in brilliancy ever
since.
When in her perihelion, or the point
where she was nearest TO the sun, her dis
tance from the sun was rather more than
one third of the distance from our earth to
the sun if we we're there, We could see
the sun three times larger on the middle
line, and nine times larger III front, and
likewise receive niue times stronger light
than we do now.
The distance Of the comet from our
earth is now already so great, that if she
was stationary. a cannon ball which is cal
culated to fly through space oil 600 feet
in one second, would only reach the COM
Jet from our earth 10 six aud thirty years
but she travels at the rate of 2, 100000
miles every 2 hours, velocity which
beats that of the bali by more than 200
times. This is also one Of the causes
why this comet has so speedily diminish
ed 10 brilliancy, aud why she has SO sud-
denly vanished from our sight.
The tail of The comet although it pre-
sents itself at this moment as small iIlu-
minated stripe to our eye, is still clearly
visible through ordinary spy glasses
When the comet was first observed, her
tail appeared, notwithstanding the strong
reflection of flight, TO cover space Of two
degrees, that is, at her distance, length
of at least 2,400,OOO miles, and thus \
times more than the distance between the
moon and our earth.
To the iiliterate, these observations may
appear strange and incredible; they are
nevertheless true and from this may be
established the superiority Of the arts aud
sciences and of astronomy, by means OF
which the orbs of those heavenly lights
are measured and calculated, without at
taching any thing to those appearances
which by many are yet viewed with su-
perstitious awe, but evident pledges of the
same omnipotence, wisdom, and order, by
which the course of the comets has been
fixed, as well as the changes ofthe seasons,
and OF day aud night. 1t remains for fu-
ture ages TO calculate The return Of comets
with as much accuracy probably as we
do at present foretel that Of eclipses, years
and ages.
The STANDING Miracle.--(From Tar.
ner's History of England, vol. ii. p. 90. y
When we recall to mind, that these are
ouly specimens of what the Jews endured
in other places, and were for several
centuries, in perpetual danger Of every
where suffering, We can hardly persuade
ourselves that any remnant OF the nation
so bitterly prosecuted. eau now be sur
viying. And yet, such is the extraordi.
nary history aud preservation of this IN.
paraileled people, that above million
are now in Poland, Lithuania, and the
Austrian Dominions that in 1871, they
stated their numbers 10 France, to be
above 10000; that there are 10000 il
Saionica $4,000 in Amsterdam; 10000
10 Rome; 5000 at Mantua.; $500 at Ad
rianople; that they are spread over va
rious parts Of Germany, and through the
Turkish Empire, and abound even IL
Georgia and Mount Caucasus that they
are in Egypt, Morocco, and other parts 0
Africa, and have for ages penetrated t.
India and China. At Copenhagen, they
] have an institution for instrncting lheil