Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-09-16
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1923.
On the Comet Of 1882, ,chich some predict
as to destroy oar Earth.

Some German journals predict the appear.
ance Of comet in 1882, which must destroy our
Globe, and this has been copied and commented
on by the journalists OF other countries. In
letter dated May IL, 1928, addressed TO the
French Academy of Sciences, the author, W.
Gee, professor in Paris, ventures 10 put the
question to the Academy, whether it does no.
consider itself bound in duty 10 refute as spec
div as possible this ride ulous assertion "Po-
puiar ,errors," he observes, "are productive OF
serious consequences. Several members Of the
Academy may sill remember the accidents and
disorders which followed SINH ar threat, I'M
oruden,Iy communicated TO the Academic des
Sciences, by NJ. de Lalande, in May, MS
Persons OF weak minds died oil fright. and wo-
men misc arried. There was not waning peo-
ne who knew TOO well the art OF turning to
I cir advantage the alarm inspired by the APP
proacaing comet, and places IN Paradise '"e'e
SOLD al q very high rate. The announcement Of
the comet Of 1882 may produce similar efiee's'
IS the authority Of The Academy applies a
prompt remedy, and this salutary intervention
is a, this momen, implored by many benevolent
persons. As it is extremely probable that the
Academy will make no reply to this letter. we
shall here enter into some details which will
shew how desritate Of foundation these popular
errors are.yhich VI G breads, The comet
which is 10 appear in 1882, is the comet OF six
wears and three quarters, Of which the Obj, was
ea,culsted in France, by one OF our most distln-
suished astronomers, Nj. DamoiseHu. member
Of The Academic d"s Sciences. All that has
been said in Germany respecting this comet, is
founded on the results b ailcd at Paris. Now,
these results are so far from being terrifying,
that they do nat even leave the smallest posi-
bility of an accident The comet Of 1882, in
It's shortest distance from the earth, will remain
more than sixteen millions OF leagues from IL
7, a.ight come a thousand times nearer before
auy danger could be apprehended. In l77o, a
comet came SO near as 10000 leagues (about
nine times nearer than the moon) LalanGe
estimates the distance al which "a comet might
produce sensible effects on the earth, at $4,000
leagues. Whence, then, comes the errGr Of ;he
journalists, OF whom the author of he letter
speaks9 Without doub., solely from The cir
cumstance, tina, the comet in question will pass
very near the earth's orbit (at A diameters
from $4,000 10 $4,000 leagues; so that, in fact
were the earth 10 be al the same time in the
part o. its orbit nearest the comet, some alarm
imp distuIban might ensne. IL is unnccessa-
~ 10 say that so gross misrepresentation as
that which we have just pointed out, was not
committed by any aslronomer The only re-
spec able public alton, in Germany on the sub
itct is a letter Of NJ. Oilers, in which that
astronomer giAes AN ac' cunt OF the results OBJ
tanned by NJ Damoiseau; and it is without
doubt, because ignorant persons have seen IN
this letter that comet will approach very near
the earth's orbit in $50 that they have persuad-
ed themselves IT its collision with The earth.
M. Gees letter contains an assertion with
reference TO L,abde, which we think it our
duty now TO refu'e. That astronomer was bu,
the very innocent cause of the general terro,
which pervaded the public mind in l77S. The
following is the real cause: - Nowtun, IN speak
ing of the consequences that Nigh! result from
a comets coming in contact with the earth, had
said that Providence had so arranged as 10 rem"
der such collision impossible. Lalande tho't
differently. No orbit, il is true, was known
that might interfere with that OF the eafth; out
the orbits might be sensibly altered by the pia :
notary attractions. Besides, The orbits OF all
the comets were very lar from being known
Was il not rash 10 pronounce II certain, thai
none Of the orbits hitherto not calculated, could
come into contact with that OF the earth, and
that, Of those known, none could ever be dis
arranged, so to intersect M There was n">
ching but what was very just in these remarks.
Time has Confirmed them, since the orbit OF
the CONT of six years and ,hree quarters passes
so near that Of the earth, that The smallest dis
turbance might cause their intersection. But
before a disaster could happen, II would not
only be necessary that the orbits should meet
but also that the bodies themselves should
happen to BE at the poin, of intersection, and
the probabilities of snch a concurrence are
infinitely small. This was NJ. Lalande's OPT
MON. He drew up memoir on the subject
for public meeting Of The Academy; bot, hap
pening 10 be last in the order Of readers, the
time passed away, and i, was not read. The
title Referions sur les c0meteS qui peurent
approaches de la terre, announced a subject
calculated TO interest The greater number OF
hearers. ItWas asked, what the memoir con-
tanned? and the answer was, that 1t con aimed
an account of the effscts which comet s'rik-
ing the earth nigh, produce. A noise went
abroad tina, the comet was to come, and that II
was predicted by Lalande.
MsunertuIs, in his ietlers on ihe same sub
;ect. smoke IN a much more positive and ,errl-
fying manner, and yr' nobody took notice Of
hen: bu, Mauoertuis was not positively known