The herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1835-1837, 1836-01-15
IMPORTANT FROM THE HEAVENS:


tracts from of the leading scientific and literary
journals published in the British Empire.
Every philosopher in America is we'll acquainted
with the high character for science and learning of the
celebrated QUARTERLY REVIEW, published by John
Murray, Albemarle street, London price Six Shillings
Sterling number II is decidedly the ablest Journal
and Review in Europe. Its statements and discove-
res may be relied on with implicit confidence. IT is
NO Hoax. We possess the original London copy
paper and print-and exactly similar one may be
found in the New York City Library, the Ath@neum
in Chamber street,
Persons doubling the accuracy of this statement may
call at the Office of the Herald and satisfy themselves
Now for the wonderful intelligence In the course of
these extracts, few (which only given day the
rest to follow rapid succession We have the astound
ing intelligence that, should comet in its course meet
this earth in arbir of contrary direction there is
probability Of collision which would destroy the exs-
tence of both, by preoipating them into the burning
Sunin fifty four and half days from the date of the
sheck.
The importance Of this information is incaculable
Ii would also be alarming, not the intelligence ac-
companied with information tending to dispe the fears
of the nervous, and the just alarms of all.
From the London oumerly Review for Decemberl
ART WILL. Ueber den HaHeyscAen Conaefen Won
Lttrow. Wien. 1885. .. Ueber den Halleysches
Conaeten Won Professor Won Encke Berlner Jar
buch. 1885. &c. &c. &c.
The intellectual powers of man have never been
exercised with more ranscendent success than in the
theory of astronomy The discovery Of the gravitang
force at once revealed the immediate of the great
phenomena of the universe. The of the heavenly
bodies, the visible effects of its inluence-o it are
also due the innumerable irregularities to which their
motions liable-and such as seemed al one
period TO be at variance with this face of nature,
bear testimony to its universal empires. BY that power
the stability of the solar system is maintained and the
forms of the celestial bodies show that this the agent
employed by the Almighty Architect at its creation
Comets which wander for ages in the depths of space,
return 10 the sun IN obedience 10 its aItracon-nsr is
gravation confined 10 our system, which forms but a
point in the immensely of the works of God as fur as
telescope visien has hitherto extended some revolve
about the sun, the far distant heavens BY the same
power that the rain TO descend and the tides TO
how. This unseen agent OF Supreme Intelligence,
mysterious In Its nature spirit itself, the
parts OF the universe so Intimately that action is nstana
neousy answered by reaction through distance which
elude the grasp of Imagination yet the law Of this
force though the general and exalted that man has
DISCOVERED is simple, that the effects of gravlation
however numerous and complicated have been,
be predicted with unerring uncertainty.
La Place and Herschell both ascribe the origin of
Comets and the quantity of nebuous matter that is
scattered throughout all space-sometimes like extern
sive Clouds sometimes in small patches and not unfre-
queniy so like COMETS that they only distinguished
from those bodies by remaining mooness. Sir Will
liam discovered 1000 nebuae in the Northern Hcms-
phere, alone these his has already increased TO
$500, and in all probability he will double the number
before he finishes his interesting observations in the
southern half of the heavens The nebuae seems TO be
IN various States OF condensaton. Some Just beginning
TO FORM and appearing like fmsy veil sof gauze scarcely
visible even ia the darkest night with the best telescope
while others so far advanced towards solid state
that they resemble bright seen through haze
Comets supposed to have been minute rebuae with
in the sphere of the suns action while by the mutual at
traction of their PARTICLES have become sufficiently dense
TO be attracted by the sum- and compelled 10 move in
orbits round him. Sir William has observed, that on
their approach 10 the sum- the subtle fluids are driven s
into the envelopes and tail, while the dense parts are
consolidated; that in retreang from the sum- a great
portion of the envelopes and tail is disspated and lost
in space and be concludes, that by repetition of this
process, solid is at length formed perhaps the whole
dssipated according the nature and circumstances
Of the primitive nebulous mass.
The consolidation will be soonest effected in the
comets that come nearest the sum- and return most
frequently towards him. and the rotation of a comet will
hasten the process diminishing the gravitaon Of the
PARTICLES and facilitating evaporation. The hypolhe-
length of their orbits for they begin their motions at
prodigious distance from the sun, they consequently
must return to the point each revolution proyi
ded they in oral paths. IL likewise explains the
of the great obliquy of their orbits the plane
OF the elliptic, and why their motions sometimes
direct and sometimes retrograde.
The various motions of comets and the disturbances