Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-04-09
Translated from The Courier desEtqts inns.


The EXPECTED CoMET.-The Comet OF 1856,
or OF Charles the With, OF which an astronomer
has very ieebly iorstold its return on the 18th
of June OF the present year, make us research
all the documents that can interest the public
opinion on this eyentuality. Here we present
on this subject some facts borrowed from the
! A. de Guynemer:-'s Comets since they have
been more closely observed, do not present any
more of those extraordinary forms, which the
frightened Imagination of people of other days
gave them, and who thought them to be signs
Of celestial anger.
These vapOrOus and diaphamous bodies,
whicliare not luminous, but on by reaecting the
rays of the Sun, are generally very feeble
masses, and incapable of causing the least per-
turbatlon TO the surface and in the atmosphere
of our planet. The resistance of the other,
which feels the place and the planetary attrac-
tions, occasion variations of more cOnsdera-
ton in the perodity OF the comets as their or
bits are more extended, and the action of the
central body is made less sensible to the far
regions where these strange bodies go to con-
tinue slowly their revolutions, after having been
animated at times of an astonishing velocity,
when they approach the SUM-" ''On that ac-
count specially it is impossible to foretell to
fixed day, and even to year their return.
Sc The comet of 1911 had, on the 18th of 0c-
tober, tale of 40 millions OF leagues (l2,00O
miles,) of which the extremity was then six
millions from the earth that of 1910 came
near it by 240, 900 myriametres; that of Hal
ley's in 1918, was three times near, and lastly
that of Biel or of Gambert was found to be
2600 myriametres. But however near were
there approximations, these bodies never had,
since the historical times, the least influence
on the movements, nor the tides Of the globe.
The comet of 100, which, on coming and re-
turning passed through satalites Of Jupiter,
did not produce any arrangement, even on the
velocity of these small bodies.
&c Are we, however, to believe, with one of
our most learned profession, (Mr. Babinet,)
that the meeting Ot these masses OF vapor
would not have any more effect on our planet
in movement, than the chock of the swallow
on convoy Of cars driven by ten locomotives
ut full speed Whatever be the temerity OF
the matter that forms the tale OF the body ol
these comets, it has been acknowledged that
the velocity otsOme of them was ten thousand
times larger than that of the strongest hurri-
canes. Or in physical terms, the vital force of
a body results from its mass combined with its
velocity, if this last is prodiguOus, when the
former should be almost nothing, the resultant
may yet be considerable. 1t ought to be so,
for the comets which the mentioned spiritual
astronomotre calls the nonevissiblcs.
"Don't we know, in fact that the winds wa
terspouts and hurricanes these nonevisibles,
and yet irresistib.es, are but displaced air 2
The volcanic eruptions, the earthquakes, the
gaseous explosions, as much as those Of gum
powder, are they not also produced by imper-
ceptible molecule, which have by themselves
no power? We can then reasonably suppose
that the shock of enormous masses of animated
fogs, Of an imaginary velocity, and consequent
ly of certain force, could trouble at least
tho atmosphere of our planet. Arago, to re-
move our fears on such a shock, compares the
danger, to the chance of firing black ball, by
itself, through three hundred millions of white
balls"