Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-03-25
The Comet of lime 18th. 1857.

A European journal lately announced as the
prediction of a German astronomer, the destruc
ton of the world by a comet Oh the 18th O.
June next This ridiculous news spread Over
Europe and was recently the universal topic O
conversation in every class Of society. 1t now
appears that the prophet of evil is Liege al
manac maker, named Matthew L@nsburg. Al
the observatories are silent, and they are silent
says the French paper La Presse, because they
have the gertrude that there exists no comet
MANAGING the earth and destined TO strike it Oh
the 18th OF June. The same paper says:
"Never, certainly, has any astronomer thought
of making it a cause of alarm to the inhabitants
of our globe. The inclination Gifts orbit on the
ecliptic is more than 80 degrees; it is then, TAI
from following the same track as the earth
Moreover many astronomers-Mr. Hind among
others-have recently traced the ephemerides OF
the comet; they could, then, tell us exactly
in what point of space, and at what distance
from the earth, this comet ought to be fonnd on
the 18th of June, 1867. But to ask them such
questions would be to give an air OF seriousness
to ridiculous prediction. With respect to the
question so often discussed as to the possibility
of conclusion between comet ana the earth
we cannot do better than to quote from LAS
tronomonie Popuaire" of Arago, which gives
all that can with reason be advanced on the
subject. Arago has calculated the chances,
which exist of comet against the earth IN con-
sidering separately the conclusion with the nu-
cleus of the comet, ana that which would result
from contact with the fluid mass which sur
rounds or follows it,. commonly known as the
tail.
''For shock by the nucleus of q comet, says
Arago, which might destroy the earth, we have
found ore likely chance for 2Sl,OOQ,OpQ Of I'M
likely chances. For contract with the tail OF
q comet the chances are 10 or 20 in 29l ,OOO.-
900. Admitting for a moment that the nucle-
us of comets striking the earth would annlhilate
the human species, the danger of death which
would result to each individual from the APP
partition of an unknowing comet would be ex-
actly equal to thechances he would run if in an
urn he had butone white ball in a total OF
281 100000 balls, and his condemnation to death
would be the inevitable consequence of his
drawing this white ball at the first draw. Ev-
cry man who makes use of his senses must
laugh at q danger SO remote.
Although comets occupy an immense space in
the heavens, surprising millions of leagues, yet
by reason of the absence of atmosphere i'll those
regions, permitting fluids to be infinitely raried
the matter of these bodies is reduced to the most
feeble proportions Laplace says on this subject
Although the dimensions of the tails OF COM
cts be myriads of miles, yet they do not sensi-
bly, affect the light of the stars seen through
them. They are, then, of an extreme rarity,
and their mass is probably inferior to that of the
smallest mountains on the earth. They cannot
then, by their contact produce any sensible eff
feet and it is probable they have frequently en-
veloped the earth without being perceived" 1t
is this which explains how many comets have
passed in proximity to certain planets without
producing the least physical influence.
Delmore tells US that the comet Of ITO pass
ed between Jupiter and his satellites without eau
sing any sensible perturbation. Thus the com.
cts even to the astronomers are but objects OF
curiosity. Sir John Herschell goes still further
and says in express terms that "the tail of o
large comet, as far we can form any idea Of it,
is composed of few pounds Of matter, and
perhaps only few ounces" What have we
then to fear from the shock from body of a
mass so insignificant? We will add, in concu-
sion, that NJ. Babinet, one of the greatest all-
thorities of the age in physical astronomy, has
gone so far as to say "the earth, in coming into
collision with a comet, would be no more af-
fected in its stability than would railway train
coming in contact with fly"