Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-06-01

HE fCoMET OF 1856. The following interest
ing details Gspecting the comet which, is expected
t. make its appearance about the year 1856 g. ms
given BY NJ. Rabinet, an eminent French astrono-
iner, and member of the Academy of Sciences, in
article recently copied in the Courier des Etats
Unis. We will avail ourselves Of translation Of
it which we find in the Boston Traveller.
This comet is one of which historians make mem
ton. Its period of revolution is about three hum
dred years. It was seen in the years 1O4, 392,
68S, 975, 1864, aud the last time in 1856. As
tronomers agreed in predicting its return in S4S
but it failed to appear-eanque az rendezvous,
according to the expression of NJ. Rabinet--and
continues to shine still, unseen by u.s. Already the
observatorics begin to be alarmed for the fate of
their beautiful wandering star. Sir John Hershcl
himself had put a Grape upon his telescope, when
learned calculator of Middlebourge, Al. Bemme,
treasured the astronomical world of the continued
existence of the venerable and magnificent comet.
Disputed, as all the other astronomers were, by
the non arrival of the comet at the expected time,
Mr.. BONNIE, aided by the preparatory labors OF
Mr.. Hind, with patience truly Dutch, has revised
all the calculations and estimated all the actions of
all the planets upon the comet for three hundred
years of revolution. The result of this patient Ia
Dor gives the arrival of the comet in August, 49,
So, with uncertainty Of two years, more or less;
so that from 1856 to 1860 we may expect the
great comet which was the cause of the abdlca-
1t is known that, partaking of the general sup
erstition, which interprets the appearance of CO.
met as the forerunner Of some fatal event, Charles
" believed that this comet addressed It's menaccs
particularly to him as holding the first rank among
sovereigns. The great and once wise, but now
. wearied and shattered monarch, had been Tor
! some time the victim of cruel reverses. There were
threatening indications in the POLITICAL if not in the
physical horizon of still greater tempest to come.
He. was left to cry in despair. I" Fortune abandOns
old men, The appearance of the blazing star
seemed to him an admonition from heaven that he
must cease to be Il sovereign, If he would avoid
fatality from which one without authority mig
be spared. 1t is known that the Emperor survlv-
ed his abdcation but little more than two years.
Another comet which passed near us in 1885,
and which has appeared twenty-five times since
the year 8 before the Christian era, has been as
ISOLATED by the superstitious with many important
events which have occurred near the periods of its
visitation,
In Io66 William the Conquercr landed in Eng
land at the head of numerous army about the
time that the comet appeared which now bears the
name of Halley's comet. The circumstance was
regarded by the English prognostic of the
victory of the Normans. 1t infused universal ter
ror into the minds of the people; and contributed
not a little towards the submission of the country
after the battle of Hastings, it had served to dis
courage the soldiers of Harold before the combat.
The come. is represented upon the famous tapestry
of Bayeux, executed by Queene Matilda, the wife
of the Conquerer. The same comet, in 1856,
threw terror among the Turks under command of
Mahomet / /, and into the ranks of the Christians
during the terrible battle of Belgrade, in which
forty thousand Mussulnans persisted. The comet
is described by historians of the time as immense
terrible, of enormous length, carrying in its train
tail which covered two celestial signs 100 deg.)
and producing universal terror. F." Judging from
this portrait comets have singularly degenerated
in our day. 1t will be remembered, however, that
in 1911 there appeared comet which inspired
some superstitious fears Since that epoch science
has noted nearly eighty comets, which with few
exceptions were visible only with the aid of the
telescope. Kepler, when asked how many comets
he thought there were in the heavens, answered,
AS many as there are fish liz the sea"
Thanks to the progress of astronomical science,
these singular stars are no longer objects OF terror
The theories of Newton, HALEY, and their success
sors, have completely destroyed the imaginary en-
pire of comets As respects their physical nature,
it was for long time believed they were compos-
cd of a compact centre, surrounded by a luminous
atmosphere. On this subject the opinion of NJ.
Rabinet, who must be regarded rs good authority
on such questions, is as follows: " Comets cannot
exercise any material influence upon our globe; and
the earth should it traverse comet i'll Its entire
breadth, would perceive it than if it should
cross cloud hundred thousand millions of times
lighter than our atmosphere, and which could no
more make its way through air than the slight
est puff of ordinary bellows could make its way
through an anvil" 1t would be difficult to find Il
comparison more reassuring.