The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-07-16
The Comet Family.

dred and forty comets have appeared within
the earth's orbit during the last century that
have not again been seen. Ii 900 years
be allowed rs the average period of each,
it may be computed, by the theory of
probabilities, that the whole number that
range within the earth's orbit must be
400; but, Uranus being twenty times
more distant, there may be not less than
100000 comets that come within the
known extent of our system" This would
make a rather extensive family; and if the
members of ii were the malignant bodies
they have often been considered not only the
earth, but every thing else would be in con-
slant danger of being "run into" by one Of
them, when the effect would by the reverse
of agreeable. But this is not all. Accord
ing TO Arago, if we adopt the hypothesis of
an equal distribution of comets in all the
regions OF our system, and being aware
that the number of them, whose perhclion
distance is less than the rudiuS of the orbit
OF Mercury, amounts TO 81, the solar system
within the orbit of Neptune would be fur.
rowed by l7,55S,424 of these hairy stars.
He, however, will not subscribe TO the cal
culations by which these figures are arrived
dts bhb ltCS WIN bAlS NigN ldhtu " iIt1ll-
bert, according TO which hypothesis "thc
sphere whose centie would coincide with
the sun, and which would have its surface
at the distance Of Neptune, would contain
only from 100000 to $4,000 comets"
Even this number is quite large enough TO
frighten all those excellent souls who will
have it that every created thing is Intended
to affect man in some way or other-a
belief begotten by ignorance or egotism.
The "panpered goose" which hisscd its be.
lief that man was made TO be It's minister
was not more ridiculous animal than the
man who thinks that all the wonders of
creation, things that the mind iaiuts over
when it attempt to grasp them, were called
into being for the especial benefit of hu-
manity, which is only ahooism more or
less refined.
Comets belong to ~ ancient celestial
family. The earliest witch is limited at in
history is supposed TO have appeared in the
year before Christ $50, tnd therefore, ac-
corIing to supersti,ion 4nust have had
something 10 DO with the Persian invasion
Of Greece, for that was ne year of Their
mopyl;c and SaIamis. In Arago's cata,
loSuc Of calculated comets the first mention
ei is that which appeared Is. 9. l3G, or
just before the oPenlr OF the Gracchne
troubles in Rome, whi. were tie com
moncoment Of that rg revolutionary
movcmcu; dat coGvcr,,.. tho republic into
IN empire. The .hir,ecnlh appeared \. ID.
l0G6, the year of the battle Of Hastings,
perhaps lie most important Of all modern
battles The dirty ninth showed itself in
lGlS, Tie year " hen the Thirty \ ears War
began, "a war in which immeasuraJlc evils
Were inflicted on humanity. Eleven of
these calculated comets rom he forty.
second To- the fifty second, both inclusive,
appeared in the twcnty-eight years that
preceded the English revolution; and one
came in sight Immediately after that event.
Between the passage Of The stamp act and
the beginning OF the war Of the American
revolution eight comets appeared; and the
same number appeared in the six years that
preceded the meeting Of the French States
General in 1856 to which meeting is as
signed the commencement of what we spe
ciiically call the French revolution. BE
tween the opening days of 1890 and the
first of March, 1917, calculated comets al
most swarmol, twenty eight Of their mum
Der, from lO3 TO l30, both inclusive, then
coming within the sight of observers; and
these twenty-slX years were 50 crowded with
events Of tho first magnitude that they
stand without rivals ~ interest. Nations
and dynastics were continually tumbliug
down. In lSU6 and 1907 were two comets,
and IN those years occurred the battles Of
Jena, Eyiau, and tiiedand, and the Peace
d ..f In ..f- .,,.l