Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1843-03-30

The same laws as other celestial phenomena. We are
sil however, almost entirely ignorant Of the nature Of
these bodos though great many hypnihrses have bern
iormed concerning them They were considered bs
some Ut the aacienis, and particularly by Aristotle,
accidental Tires or meteors generated The mosfefe
OF The eaHh but tins upinon ~ obviously ground,
II they were connected with the nth atmosphere.
they would pafakc of the dlurnal motion on the axis
and could not therefore appear to have durna rcroln
ton IN the heavens along with tie other celestial bodies
Besides their having dnfnal palallax proves thai
they are alta great distance romih earth while the fact of
inelf apparent motion being affected u, he annual
ton Of the earth shows they situated IN the plan
ears regions. Observation has demonstrated that like
the planets, they permanent bodies. and, IN all prob
bilii,, derive their hight from the sun.
rom the stnall portion OF the orbit Of any comet
which We have an opportunity 81 observing. cannot
Ascertain wiki sufficient accuracy the clemens
~ ir determining the period oi Its roinrn but suppo
sing that their orbits not disturbed by any in
those distant regions of spae, through which the greater
portion NJ tr paths Of comets lie, is evident that by
accurately observing I'll the crncs that come within
view. and careful, recording tho results the course
o ages the return 81 many may be detected and
their periodic times sseeftained. Hence the greater
ANS u the otb Of each may he dcmnenod by kcpcr's
lthfd law and the comets least distance inm the BIZ
my found 10y observations the less Will asu beconr
known In this manner the periodic Of some comets
lss been uund, and their return predicted.
danger from toMcisAs tn, cumels traverse the
planetary rsons III all directions 1t is natural To in
Hre whether There Is II" possibility that some one OF
them may approach II the earth as greatly 10 dis
tub It's motion, II by scna contact la produce, tie
npsi disastrous effects. pm this subject there is no
reasonable ground l1r fear. II II Is absolutely impos
she t"al council may come IN contact with the earth,
Tue probabilities against such event happening
millions TO one Among bud.es small IN COMPARISON
win lie Immense space IN " heh they move. and no
wing with all yelocics and IN orbits that are inclined IN
all directions and are OF all dmolsious how small must
he aho Probability thai any NO shall cuue contact =
Small however ms this probability is for any ohc aae II
We take INTO account long series OF ages, the probab
lly may be greatly increased.
II Ne suppose the earth actually 10 receive such
shock. II rasy 10 imagine the caanons conscquencrs
which must follow. 1hr avis and motion Of rotation
hclng changed the OF the ocean would leave tbelr
ancient plson and would be pfcclptaled towards the
ne" equator. great pan OF the human race and Of
the lower anlnas would be drowned by tins universal
drlnge, az destroyed by the slon shock impressed on
Tie terrestrial glote. hole species Of animals might b
ahhhlatcd All the monuments OF human industry and
invention would b. oycttlrnWn. In such catastrophe
We lihd too, cause adequate for the ocean
having overlooked lofty mountains which II has left
neonio~lahc evidence Of lis presence and To cNplan
ho" the animals aud plants ol the south may have rx
is'h IN tht climates 0illlo noh where fluid the r.
mains ana impressions OF eln. Lastly. such an event
account Tor the foeentncsse The modern world The mon
nneni ul which % back scarcely 5000 years The hu
nm race, reduced 10 small number Of ndyi1Nls and
To The most miserable condition. would for LONG tim, he
NANNY occupied III providing i1r their preservation n
nidsl the wreck which surrounded them and would lose
all femnfahee oil arts aud sciences. aud wh,n by the
progress o civilization, they length became sensible of
the want OF these they would fndt necessary Ia rccom
mencc, as II man had been newly placed upon The
earth.
II seems impossible To contemplate the picture of ca
iamhy mere drawn, without being orcbly struck with
'ns singular concdonr';tha II we suppose the period
ol the comet oi lbSl (Which IN that year made con
Sdrfably near approach the enrth'. nrhiA ia ko
: years. aud count back from the wear 1850 seyen
revolutions, OF period OF lGS rcas We reach the wear
35i9 before thfl,-the year Of the dclngc as fixed hy
chfanuultrs
II "elake into consideration the great velocity with
which the comets move IN approaching In and rcccdno
from the sun. Il Is evident thai Hc llere arproratio
comet 10 The Frcstiai orbits rouR BE- pyodirtir,
q ~ - I" no t0ccf Accordingly. though a comet is
sud To have eehpscd tho moon IN winch ease it must
have ylaYery near tho ,anh no sensible effect was
produced.
In addition Ia the above notice If { omets ~, ci,c ,
PARTON OF an article the subject translated from
tho hltetnh edition OF Fraucoeur's Astronomy
'o'nr'S' which were ofmefy regarded as mreors
engineered 10y the atmosphere, truly stars yer, far
llomth' caftUi they arc planets which describe an Il
lss excessively stretched out of which the sun is tho
Locus lhey are often accompanied by vaporois tail
through which one can even distinguish the lulc stars
HIS is only Al first nebuusliy which surrounds the
comet " Increases IN proportion approaches nearer
which fta,hes no" and then In 90 degrees lcnuth-
he shapes "i comets moreover are very uncertain
Inc TAIL OF That OF the year IL b. c. occupied third of
the heavens, according To Aristotle; that Of Tho wear 40
H. l., at the birth Of Muhrdates. appeared during s.
days as large as the Ten wears b,or, thcro had
heeh seen one which seemed oiulame all the sky
Justin reports that 1t had brillancy SUPERIOR t Ina, or
The SIn and that 1t occupied fourth 81 the sky Thu
ol the year II B {. was very fine and II was suppnsed
aer The murder of julius sar t.a ii had come ia an
nounce that event Th3totlhe wear l. was they say
very lrghiu According 10 Frerct that of 40 WAS able
oeeipSc Inc sun IN an c1lrapGmary manner In 100 on,
was seen IN the form o sword which stretched from
me zenl'h to the horizon lhato 53l surnamGd Lam
adtaS, was very large and very terrible The moon
was lc larger IN appearance than those seen in lO6
and 1900 "
As for tho rest there reason To believe th,, ,h,y
have mixed much eNaggeraton with the truth. and
since nature has been better studied We have had no
ample OF c"mets OF such extraordinary size and brllian-
'S inc most relnatkablehavc appeared in So lO6
llu2, lloh, 1882, lOlS. 1850, l1Jp li6o and 1911
hat OF lois had tail OF 0i degree, in lenrh thai If
loeo ono of the celebrated and mos, remarkable
had tail from 20 10 90 degrees; that of l7 had ST,
tales disposed IN fan form. There are those TO the con
vary which have no tails. even that sort of troubled
lish's winch Is called beard iibrous or nohulsy
Inc phas's which was observed in that Of l7it has
made MS believe that these stars are opaou, bodcs firm
ia oN mass which accompanied vaplros train of nm
certain nienseness and size The opinion of the op,rx
o comets is confirmed by the last experiments of Mr.
aa5o on the arsdon oi the light that of the wear
Ilsl0. VI Wv ''"'
comet ncverhas any tail when is far from the Sun
bui as son as II Is SO millions of leagues from it, this va
pr commences 10 FORM and cnargcs IN proportion as /,
approaches the sun The development has acquired It's