Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??, 1843-06-10
b. r. W..

ID W. w
MORE WONDERS IN THE HEAVENS
Our readers may recollect that some time
since the Cincinnati papers were filled
with the particulars of wonderful sight
seen In the heavens by the pilot of the
steamer, VIM. Penn. He first saw the
letter G. in the sky, and while lost in as
constituent the letter o. made its appear
ance. Frightened still more at this he
called the captain of the boat; but before
the latter arrived, a d. was added to the
two first letters. We have had hardly
time to get over our surprise at this singu-
lar story, before the Boston Bee comes
out with wonderment still more strange.
1t reads in this wise, and as there is an
excellent moral in it, we give ii entire:-
A Mr.. Blindman, pilot of flat boat on
the Ohio, recently saw most wonderful
sight in the heavens. He was watching,
eagerly, the Comets tail, when all at
once he saw the tail curl up, and form in
big letters, the word
PAY
He didn't pay much attention to it. but in
few minutes he looked round again, and
saw distinctly, in the same place the
word
THE
Astonished at this, he rar below to inform
the captain, and when he got back, and
looked up at the tail, he found that it had
changed again, and had formed the word
PRINTER
Whereupon he and the captain marveled
greatly, and did resolve, instantly, to heed
the admonition, and as soon as they got
home, to pay the printer.
The Comet.-The following remarks
upon the comet were made by M, Arago
to the French Academy of Sciences, April
I'd:
M. Arago said, by way of justyfying
himself for his somewhat tardy discovery
of the comet, that it had been seen by
amateurs before it was signalized by the
it had no where studied or
observed with more care and exactness.
II is small matter to see comet little
sooner or later; the advantage of seeing it
irst, and attaching ones name to it, is
mere satisfaction of selt-love; the main
hing is to study its path, to observe it,
md this has been done in superior man
Ter. The calculations made by the as
pupils OF the Paris Observatory
particularly those of Messrs. Laugier and
Mauviais, are of such precision that they
rave served to reform the incorrect results
If Mr.. Encke respecting this wandering
tar.
According to the new calculations, it is
low demonstrated that the comet has not
IS M. Plantamour supposed, penetrated
ne atmosphere Of the sun. 1t has, to be
ure, approached very near that luminary;
% near, that on the 9th of February, il
vas only five thousandths Of the distance
If the earth from the sun itself, but the ra-
,idity of its course was at the same time
o great, that it was able to resist the pow
rlul attraction of the sun, and flee the
dangerous passage, without being con-
ounded and lost in this luminous body.
The rapidity of its progress was not less
nan l04 leagues q second, or seven times
reater than that of our globe.
The distance of the comet from the
arth is about thirty-two millions ofleagues
ut by reason of the prodigious length of
Ill, the astronomers have asked whether
e were not for time enyeloped in this
immense prolongation of comet matter.
his would have been the case, M. Ara
, says, if the tail Of the comet had been
lly double in width. 1t outreached in
the point occupied by the earth, but it
as directed obllquely beside us without
nching us,