Arkansas intelligencer., 1857-05-15
The Comet.


off into space ethereal, where they pretend to
having made the acquaintance of an approach
ing comet. With all the dignity of philoso-
ply, they tell US were are in danger from
contact with this coming night errant Of the
heavens. Based upon this singular discovery
they had the impudence to frame long windy
newspaper articles, 10 put forth their absurd
hypothesis, for the purpose of creating sem
sation in the community or aiding the sale of
worthless journals. Although these nonsen-
sical disquisitions may gain credence among
the ignorant, the first ray of scientific truth
will dispel the gloom and expose the false
doctrine to the broad glare of day. With
the true spirit of "MIIerism" these psuedo
prophets inform us that on or about the 18th
day of June next, old earth will wind up her
affairs, and be blotted from the grand pano-
rama of the heavens, or in a word the comet
will knock our common mother into fits
This doctrine considered alone is doubly guar
ded by from comment or criticism, by its own
absurdity, but considering its effects upon so
ciety, it certainly demands careful examina-
ton and true exposition of its falacy.
In ignorant ages the appearance of a comet
was aI"ays the cause Of great fear and CON
sternation. for they were considered the fore
runners of war, pestilence and famine, but
science has entirely dssipated this foolish
doctrine along with the ignorance which fos-
tered it, Although we are by no means well
acquainted with the nature of comets, yet suf
ticient Is known to prevent those who wish,
from running mad with gIaring nonsense.
Comets we are told are light vapory bodies,
which move around the sun in long eliptical
orbits, having the sun in one extremity of the
eIlipse. They are generally composed Of two
parts, body or ncuclus and train. The
body appears to be a thin vapory luminous
mass of a globular form. The train or tail
is thinner than the body, and sometimes ap-
pears as an envelope or covering to the neu-
clus or main body, and streaming out it in
the wake OF the comet. This being true we
at once perceive the absurdity of supposing
Tor moment, that comet being nothing
but illuminated vapor, coming in'contact with
the earth, mass Of solid matter, and destroy
1t or even in any degree obstruct the motion
of 1t. We are aware Of the fact that in the
year 1882, Beila's comet passed through the
earth's path about one month before the
earth arrived at the point Of It's passage -
Some astronomers think that if the earth had
been month earlier at that point, and had
come in contact with the comet, it would have
been rendered unfit for the habtation of man.
But We ask, how do these men know this2
for they tell us and all astronomers tell Us,
that little or nothing is known of the nature
or composition Of the comet, and if they know
nothing of the composition Of these bodies.
by what authority do they say the earth
would be rendered unfit for the habitation of
the human family, by coming in contact with
these comets! Unless they know the compo-
stlon of these bodies, they cannot tell with
certainty the chemical effects of a conclusion
We say chemical effects, for 10 other effect
can De produced since comets, physically con
sldered, are mere aggtomerations Of vapor-
Again, we are inclined to dsbelieye the 9Th
OF June story from other reasons, even grant
ing the danger Of IA stroke from comet. for
there are bnt three comets whose return can
be calculated with the least degree Of certain
ty. These are ~ Encke's comet, which is
la'Isible to the naked eye; (2) one which has
a period Of six aad three fourth years, which
appeared in 1852. and will probably appear
again in 1858; (3l uaIley's comet, which has
period Of seventy FIVE years, which appear
eo- 1 1885, and will probably again in 1910
Hence we find neither Of these due IN 1857,
and none othor are ascertained as to their Pc
r.oJ5, 20 ihat this parade about an end Of the
world, approach Of comet, &c, is all guess
work, all stuff. The reason why the return
Of comets cannot be calculated with certainty.
is because Of their being subjected to strong
attraction by all the planets ard other heaven
ly bodies near which they pass. Thus at one
TIM they may be retarded for a long time
at another but short time, and so only the
three aforementioned are determined, because
of the distance Of their orbits from any large
planet, consequently the fulness of the at
traction causes but little Fetardation in their
motion. Even these however, are not entire
ly free from stoppages, for Halley's comet
was detained one hundred days, while within
that of Jupiter. The retardation caused bv
the attraction of the planet, Jupiter gave rise
to the opinion that the tail of the comet was
entanged with the satilites of that comet,
which is hardly to be credited. The are per-
petual stumbling blocks in the paths of the
comets, and, although they will attract the
comets so forcibly as to be smitten by them.