Arkansas intelligencer., 1843-03-18
glnary theory. the wretchcd doomed are alternate.
ly tossed from one extreme to the other.

ginary theory. the wretchcd doomed are alternate.
ly tossed from one extreme to the other.
Having now shown that the phenomena of cor
NETS, though Of unfrequent recurrence, are as
much IN accordance with natures laws the
phases of the moon, we will close by passing re.
mark upon that which now appears trailing after
the sun in the evening. However, when Newton
himself confessed that the determination Of the
elements of comet was Problcma longc di0fciNi-
mum, it will hardly be expected that |, with how
great soever fund of presumption might be
supposed endowed, would pretend to offer moro
than the result of 'surmises,' suggested by i'm
perfect observation.
On account Of the preceding cloudy weather,
this comet was not observed at Van Buren, until
the evening Of the 10Th inst. and having had but
propitlous evening or two since Tin which indeed
the brliancy of the moon, much bedimmed the
Phenomenon) little opportunity has been offered
to observe either Its appearace motions. 1t
would seem however TO have passed its periheli-
on ); receding from the sun apparently somewhat
in the direction of CAMS Majoris.
The catastrophe of collision with this comet
could not possibly happen u.s. for, besides that its
apparent course will not ntersect the earth's track
and that its orbit is too much inclined to the eclip
tic to permit its tail 10 brush us, it is behind the
earth, and will consequently be far out of reach
and lost in the infnity Of space, many months
ere the earth can arrive at the point it is travers.
ing-ndeed it seems already leaving our sphere.
III this comet has q nucleus it is undoubtedly v
small, for nothing is visible with the naked eye
b"t the tail: yet with the assistance of telescope
of small magnifylng power, though no nucleus
still appears, there may be distinctly seen the co.
ma, a dim, hazy but somewhat luminous spot in its
lower extremity, occupying more space than the
planet Venus, but rendered undlscernuble by sim.
pie occular vision from its paleness and rarity.
But the length of the tail is disproportionably y
siupendous; for by indirect vision t may be seen
extending over an arc of at least As degrees, and
can hardly be less than so millions Of miles long
This tail nclines to tho southwark al an angle Of
about 40 degrees from the horizon.
Whilst the ignorant look on u II comets as ADVENT
tious and ominous apparitions, some pedantic sys
tematsts have fallen into the opposite extreme ant
conclude that they all have been systematized ant
consequently every return predicted and there
tore this cannot be comet as its appearance wal
not foretod-not rejecting that as some fly off into
Infinite orbits, others which had never before been
noted are continually falling into the solar sys
tom; so thai out of 1870 whose orbits have been
determined, the return of scarce hGlf a dozen have
been successfully designated: which originates
less from irregularities, than from the great intr
cacy attending calculations Of the dimensions o.
such extremely elongated ellipses upon the basis
of so small IN observed section. Then the pre-
sent may have heretofore appeared; for beside.
the uncertainty Of the terms of some of them
even those which have frequently reappeared
have presented such variety Of aspects, at theil
several returns, that they have only been identif
ed by the identity of the clements of their orbits
Haeys comet for instance in 1905 was recorded
as cO"'eta horrende mognitudinis, and in l45G it
tail was Of such appalling dimensions, that thu
Pope of Rome ordered public prayers daily, to de
precate the divine wrath; whilst in 1853 it wa.
not visible TO the naked eye, till after its perhelior
passage, and in 1885 its tail projected but few
degrees-evident proof that they must be compo
sed Of matter Of some mutable nature.