Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-03-18

tain Hence HALEY predicted lis return
IN the cnd OF 1853 or the beginning Of
1903. Ii appeared about he sud oi De.
cember 1853, aud made its nearest ap.
! proach 10 the sun on the 18th of March
1883, differing not many days from thu
time expected. Again il made It's APP
Pearaucc, as predictcd,at the completion
OF ats period toward the end oil August,
1895.
Though there can be no doubt Of the
rientliy OF the comet Of 1881, 1907, 1869,
1889 and 1885 the appearances were
considerable different In 1881 the
met was o brigh, gold color,in 1907
1t was dark and livid, 1t was bright u
gain IN 1863; anJ obscure in l75J.
The mean distance o;this comet from
the sun Is about ciah cen times that O:
the earth; bun IN consequence Of the
great eXcentricI:y OF its orbit, is dis
lance, when ct the farther extremity Of
ITS greater axis, is nearly double that of
Uranus, the mo I distant Of the planets
" hen nearest To- the sun, its distance
lrom him is about 6.lOth parts OF ths
Garth moan distance
"A very remarkable ,omet was seen in
he end of l6GO and beginning Of 1861.
It's tul extended 10 degrees and was We.
~ brilliant. THIS comet OF all tho Sc
which have been observed, approaches
nearest To the sun. Descending with
anmcncc velocity ia 4 path almost per.
bendicuur 10 his surface, it proceeded
until It's distance from MS centre was
only aboIt lIu,OU0 mi es. Sir Isaac
Newton computed that, in consequence
ul so near an approach to the san, il
must have recci, Ell heat 1000 times
greater ,h IN that of iron almost going
INTO tuShIoai and that it was equal MAJ
nitude 10 our earth, aud cooled i'm the
same manner rs terrestrial bodies, It's
heat would not be expended in less than
$4,000 years
Three observations on comets are re
corded in history, agreeing in remarka
bic circumstances with ths comet Of
l6SO-one in the IIth year before
Christ: another in the consulate o!
LampaGeuS and Orestes, about the Year
IF Christ So and the third IN the reign
IT Henry I,of England, in the yeuIIO6
namely, SIS years: which Is also tylr.
period between | loo and l6Sl. Hence
DR. Haley conJec'ured that these might
be successive appearance of one aud the
same comet, revolving about the sun i'm
the period of about 575 years. If this
COM 'cture Is we'll founded, this conner
may be expected az IN, after finishing
he sam period, about the year 225j
\ comet remarkable for It's beauty an
pcared IN 1911. The tail orthis GOMEZ
was composed oi two divergiug stream,
of faint light slightly cnlored, which
raIe an angl Of from / 3 to 90 degrees.
and sometIlnrS much MORGAN bent ont.
wards. The space between was compa
rat.vely obscure. w len at its greatest
length, the tai! subtenjed at an auule Of
At east Is degrees, and was computed
10 extend about 23.OJ0,OJO miles i'm
length
besides DR. Malcy's comct there arc
Two others whose returns have been OBJ
served ami the elements OF their orbits
Determined, with such certainty, az 10
enable astronomers To perdIct their re-
rPPearan -. One {. those recognized
tor The first time in 1919 as Il periodic
comet. Encke, German astr 0nomer,
mas determined the time Of its IeyoIu-
ION abs ut the SUI To be three years and
three months nearly. The other was
last seen IN 1882 lis periodic time was
determined b. Bella Bohomean astl on.
omer, TO Ue SIX years aud six quarters.
Altogether, then, there arc only three
comets whose periods are certainly
known.
DANGER FROM COMErS-As the comets
transverse he aueIary regions IN al
iIrec ions III Is natural To inquire " beth
or there Is not DOss biitv that some
one vi them may approach so near to
the earth rs greatly 10 disturb lis motion,
or BY an actual cpntlct To produce the
most DISASTROUS effects. UpJn this sui
jet there - 10 reasonable ground Tor
| fear. Ii is not absolutely impossible
that comet may come in contact with
the earth, the probilties az inst such
an event happening are as millions to
/ one Among bodies SO small In COmpari
son with the Immense space in which
| they move, and moving with all velucl.
! les, and in orbits thatare inc med in a /
| dIrectlons,and are Of all dimensions ,hOw
small must be the probability that any
two shall conn in contact! Small. how
ever, as this probability is for any one
/ agG, a. we take into account a long Sc
ries ol ages,rhe probability may be great
| ~ increased.
| II we suppose the earth actually to
/ receive such shock, it is easy to lima
| gine the calamltuus consequences which
mast follow. The axis and motion Of
1T rotation being changed, the waters OF
the ocean wOult leave their ancient pc.
sItion, and would be precipilareJ to.