Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-09-03
COMETS.
ron THE NATIONAL rsrrLE1orScEn.

an inquiry into the nature and habits OF these wanderers
of the heavens that perhaps few facts and opinions
respecting them may not be unacceptable
We commence our remarks with Encke's comet, the
first discovered of the comets of short periods 1t COM
pletes its revolution in about three years 1t is small
and, except under very favorable circumstances inys
bic the naked eye 1t approaches the to about the
distance of Mercury and recedes at its apheon about
the distance Jupiter
Enckes comet manifests a striking popularity its
periodic time is gradually decreasing. "This comet it
is said, lis certainly falling towards the central lum
nary Nor is this fall heoretic fall from the tangent
of its orbit the falls toward the earth, but an
actual fall according the meaning Of the word
fall" 1t draws and nearer to the sun.
This Gall Of comets is new idea. 1t
talpsd byEewton who in With his nephew
thus expressed himself Olmstcds Letters 81 cannot
when the Of 1850 will fall into the sun posi-
bly, after five six revolutions more but when that
aives the heat Of the will be raised by it that
globe will be burned and all animal life upon will per-
sh"* The opinion of Sir Isaac founded the laws
of attraction but modern astronomers have attributed the
fall of Enckes comet to resisting medium, which checks
sackens, were the proectle force, thus giving
lpreponderance to the gravitating force.
There is however, very serious objection to the re
ssting medium - for if exist and retard the COMETS it
must also upon and retard the motion of the planets
Dense however, planets compared with comets the
motion Of the planets must be somewhat retarded; and
slowly but continually every sphere of the solar sys
tenn be falling into the sun.
This conclusion is admitted by those who hold to the
resisting medium" We read in the preface to the
American edition of Hersches Outlines SPY the action
the resisting medium one by the planets must be
lost in the sum- and the itself be merged into other
suns contribute by the mmensty of its attraction to
the destruction of other systems.n
The want Of permanency in the solar system is an old
speculation very old We read Of it in Lucretius Book
l. 1290,) thus translated:
For ignorance of causes troubles man,
And hence is doubt if ere the world began,
IL e'er shall end, how long the orbs shall roll,
How long the stars viii move around the pole"
THE stability of our system" says Playfar, "was
established by the great thematician La Grange dis
coyery that render his name forever memorable in
science" We do not, however, in this matter, place our
faith in computation There what has been called the
phosopha pri,aa something and beyond mathema-
tics The solar system created by God and upheld
every moment of time by his present power End 1t
may when the of the system determines. But
the from wear it is not brought about by
imperfect construction the solar system does not
tend decay il is to be destroyed by the action of
the laws of its present movements
All the perturbations and changes Of the heavenly bo
dies compensatory From its normal position planet
sways side then the oshAr, 70 equal
tent The motion is the same forever osciilacrs
on side is counterbaanced by motion the other
side If this law apply to cometsand why should It
not?-the fall Of Enckes will be for time only
towards the SUM- in other revolutions II viii increase its
distance from that luminary. The fall is not accidental
not tfu not by the resisting medium" but it is from
the law which guides only planet in its orbit but
the smallest particle of vapOr that floats in space
In the year 1926 BELA discovered the comet which is
called by his name Bielas comet has period of about
six years IL does not present wedefned nucleus,
and, like Enckes is invisible to the naked eye
It was this comet which was the of so much
alarm in the year 1892 Astronomers knew that it would
pass little within the orbit Of the earth and there was
great fear that this globe would be burnt up or be broken
into pieces by the blow form another congeres
OF asteroids
The French Academy gave the subject to the great
astronomer Arago that lie might investigate the chances
Of our worlds safety. He found that true it Belas
comet would. pass the earth orbit but then the earth
would be far away in another part Of its annual path
quietly and safely pursuing its journey around the sun
"If" said the astronomer, hcre is virtue in this if
the comet had been delayed by the attraction Of Jup
ter some thirty days. the dreaded collision would have
taken place.'t
"Scence," says a modern astronomer, has not yet
dscOveredany for the planets against the shock
of a comet"
Fortunately the world does not need this guaranty from
science If the planet is to be burnt scroll or broken
into pieces this will not from accident, from the
foruitous jostle Of comet. Science is too apt to
think there is no law where it discover none; and
believing that it comprehends the motion of the planets
regards them as well-behaved trusy members Of the
great family Of stars, always in their proper places
Comets on the other hand, because not so well under
Stood looked upon outsiders, as errac and dan
gerous members Of the system.
Because science, with puny eye and weak Judgment
cannot time the comets exactly because 1t cannot cover
them fully with the present theories Of stellar notion II
concludes forsooh, that these beautiful gems of the
heavens may be out Of harmony with the better known
spheres and that some Of them may trench the
Of other stars.
We will, then, fall back the 81 higher philosophy"
Not sparrow falls to the ground without the will Of the
Heavenly Father All his worlds safe. Every one,
comet as we'll as planet is in its own place at every in
slant Of time.
Think for a moment how long the solar system has
been in existence and during this vast period how large
the number of comets which, rapid wing have flown
through the system around the sun, moving direct
some retrograding, coming from the north, from the
SOUTH the east and the west in the plane Of the ecpc
and at every angle with it. Had every wanderer written
down its path in permanent lines Of light the heavens
how confused and nterlaced would appear the golden
network! But planet has been disturbed Their
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