Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-03-31


Of June. Its passage the periheon only differ
ed three hours from the prediction Of MIR. Encke.
The returns in September 1925, and May 1882,
have been equally predicted aud verified. That
comet, which the action Of Mercury strongly in
huenced has much analogy with Ceres therefore
it has the inclination and the great axis; it's side
renl revolution is 46 days less than that of Vesta
the perehelion ffs in the orbit of Mercury the
aphelion enters the orbits of Jupiter and the new
planets.
AS to the comet OF MIR. Bisa, we are not Ger
tain about its course bnt it was seen in 1772,
1905 1896 and. 1899 il is one Of the smallest,
and which approached nearer TO the earth
There are yet two other comets whose course
we know bu as their returns have not yet been
verified, it is expected hat the observation will
confirm that hope. The first is that 1850 which
Newton made the subject of his researches Nnd
to which he attributes n revolution Of 575 years
this would be- following him, the same which
ought to have appeared IN HOG 53l, 30, 6l9. --
The second is that which has been seen in 1864
and 1856 to which is attributed q revolution OF
292 years, and which is ugun expected in lS46.
OF all the known comets, that OF 1879 was the
nearest to tho earth il appeared so rapid in its
course that II described in one day 100 degrees OF
the sky, retroRrading across Virgo Leo and Can
Ger. That Of 1770, calculated by Lexe, was on
ly six times further from US Than the moon, (400
terrestrial or 100000 leagues y it's distance from
the sun was 0,0l54 Ii has however, puzzled the
astronomers, who are much embarrassed 10 de-
! terpine its movement. II ii he not impossible
that comet can meet The earth, there ere thou.
| sand probabilities against such ai event; it would
bs an extraordinary event tor two such small bod
les, swimming in SO immense space, with
such great velocity, in orbits Of all DIMENSIONS
aud under all sorts Of inciinations should meet
| each other As for the rest this endless ccnJec-
ture disappears beioie another, winch is time the
Indefinite duration of time permits rs To conceive
| all possible realities aud the effect Of such Az
| encounter would be terrible Here are some re-.
marks of Laplace on this subject:
=" 1t is easy TO represent the effects which shock
from comet would produce upon The earth. The
axis and the rotary motion would change; seas
abandoning their old positions to precipitae them
selves towards the new equator great part of
/ the men and animals would he drowned in the
universal deuge, or destroyed by the violent cou-
cusson imprinted upon the terrestia. globe some
species would be entirely unnihilaied; sll the
monuments of human industry would be over
thrown such are the disasters that shock with
n comet would produce We then why the
Ocean has again covered high mountains, on
which it has left inconesable proofs we see how
animals aud plants of the South have been abe to
exist in Northern climates, where are found their
remains and their resting place at last it explains
the newness of tue moral world, whose monu-
ments do not go much further back than 5000
years. The human species, reduced TO small
number Of individuals and to most deplorabe
state, always occupied during n very long time
, ly the remembrance OF the sciences aud ats and
when the progress Of civilization makes them feel
the want OF new comforts, u il necessary 10 re-
commence, as if mankind had just been placed
upon the enrlh. Although there has been a cause
assigned by some philosophers for these phenou-
ona, repeat it, we ought to be- perfectly assured
/; on go terrible event. during the short interval
j of our lite But man is disposed TO he fearful
K we had an example Of this in 1913. The greatest
: terror spread itself in Paris. aud from thence com
inunicated 10 all France on tie SIMPLE announce
J. ment of memoir, in which Leaude had decided
which fthe comets that had been observed would
approach nearest the earth so true II is that the
errors, the superstons The foolish fears and evils
which ignorance brings along with it, would be
e promptly reproduced, if the light of science wa:
extingushed."
II il be true as we believe, tharNewton's com
. ct finished revolutions in 4025 years, i, mus
i have passed near the earth III 2349 years before j
= c., very The year in which Moses deug,
d took place.
n Comets have very little density they are onI,
= a kind of condensed vapor thus up TO this pres
II Ont time astronomers have not remarked any de
Il rangenen caused by comets; even when they
d approached nearest tho earth That OF 1870
which was very near the earth, did not cause AM
. alteration IN its movemet. Laplace has caIcula
= ted that if its size had been equal TO that OF The
n earth, the action of that comet would have in
Il creased the sidereal year Oh. 28m. Its szo wal
70 certainly not more than 500Oh part OF that OF GU
], globe, and probably less, since it passed between
l. Jupiter and his satellites without causing an,
r change The greater number of The comets Hr
70 very small and far from altering the movement o
n the planets, they would be more likely TO expert
10 ence u change. This is The reason why come o
- them may have their orbits changed from clip
IN tics to pnrsb0cs, or even into hyperbollcs: NOV
= ing in open curves, they ought TO leave us neve
I'd TO return and flying great dlslunre from the SUI
n enter in the sphere OF attraction of another sla
10 to become its satellite to continue new para
r. bole changing thus increasingly their centre OF al
Ell traction, and at last precipltatng themselves iDt
of il, and there becoming absorbed.
n Ii is thus that the comet OF l77O. observed /
b. an arch OF l7U' ought, IT we believe Lexell, I
e. reappear every five years and halt calculation
< and recalculations have been made with care
lie however il has never been perceived, and has nr'
nj er reappeared. II is without doubt that Juplte
nd and Saturn, between which were its nphelion, di
re- not at first hinder it's turning towards Us
ut become visible in 1910, invisible as it always wa
e. before bu, years after, these same planets, b
e. contrary action, again have altered the ole
no mens OF its orbit and rendered The comet invisi
he BILE to US for ever or at enst impossible for us
recognise.
x. The subsanc. which composes comets is u,
H. known 10 us, the cause to which we have altribl
by ted the tail which accompanies them, 10 only
he probable supposon. In 1871 MIR. ChIadni n
n marked prodigious ebullilion the undulalio
e. continued during to 3N, from The comet to Il
Ell end OF It's TAIL passage OF millions OF league
~ What uncomfortable activity what prodgio,
u quickness! IL surpasses all conception, even Il
Tor rapidly of light. The tail of The comet in 1St
nd presented 10 Mr.. Chladn the same observation
he thus there is no reason TO doubt il. The ancen
&C. generally believed, with Aristotle, that CONT
'p were fiery meieors, vapors emenuled from Il
Tor earth, which condensed in the mir. This opn'
US. at the present lime will not bear examination v
RS. are assured that comets ure bodies set in motto
vs., like the planets, by primitive impulsion aud
m the attraction of the sun. But what is the nslu
led of the substance which forms them? This is
MS what we are absolutely ignorant. However pai
The full il may be Tor human vanity 10 avow It's pen
lralion vanquished, ,huy here fnd glorious cor
ew pensaon IN the great number of theories hi
Use have discovered above all when we consider II