Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1857-05-21
PLYMOUTH, THURSDAY, MAY FL, 1857.

on the 18th of March, 1759--being thirty
days earlier than he had calculated. Sub
sequent calculations enabled him to reduce
the error to nineteen days. The perihel-
ion passage of the same comet on its return
in 1885, was predicted within nine days of
its actual occurrence a most astonishing
approximation to truth when it is remem
bered that this body. far as it penetrates
into space, never, even at the remotest
point of its orbit, escapes from the sensi
bic influence of the planet Jupiter.
Besides the comet Of 1889, of which
there have been five authenticated returns,
there are several others of which some
thing like return may be traced at long
intervals. One of these passed its pari-
helion at about 5 O'Clock on the morning
of the 9Th of July. 1864; and again at a
little pas, 8 o'clock on the evening OF the
2lst of April, 1859. Thusis period is
about 292 years. Another appeared in
/ $50. and again in 1861. having thus pc
riod Of about l29 years. The return Of
that comet should have been in 1890. In
that year three comets made their appear
ance, but neither of them resembled the
one of 1861.
While the periods of most of the com
cts examined are comparatively short, those
of others have been ascertained to extend
to many thousand years. The great comet
of 1911 remained visible for upwards of
two months. and was considered one of the
most brilliant of modern times. After a
careful investigation NJ Argelander fixes
Its period Of revolution at 2,888 years.
The periodic time of the return Of the COM
ct Of 1907 was fixed by Bessel at 1913
years.
A comet, denomina,ed Encke's comet,
appeared in 1918. and Encke's obse7va-
tions upon itenabled him to identity it wi.h
the one described by Messieurs Michaier
and Messien 1896; also With he comet dis
covered in f7e5' by Miss Herschel, and
the one Of 1906.
Encke predicted its re-appearance in
1929. and his prediction was realized by It's
being discovered on the Cd of June Of that
year, by Thomas Brislure; and its return
was noticed again in 1926 and 1923, and
attracted much attention from the astrono,
mers of that day.
Another comet was discovered by Bel.a
on the 9th of February, 1926. which re-
wolves around the sun in about six years
and seven-ten!hs. Its return in 1916 at
tracled good deal Of attention, on account
of its having been discovered by Lieut.
Maury. Of the Washington Observatory,
that what had hitherto appeared as single
body was actually composed of two dis
tinct and separate comets. In the same
4 year. one of the comets which is now Wis
ible, was supposed to De indentical with the
third comet of 1916, discovered by Bror-
sen, and which is now the second which
has made its appearance this year; its re-
turn perihelion is calculated to be on the
25th Of June next--and as the first one is
now in Aunges, and receding from the sun
the second is in Porseus, and is at this
time visible IN the north western part of
the heavens, and will be during the whole
of May.
All the comets that have heretofore been
observed have made their progress through
very different parts of the solar system; "a
have passed within the orbit of Mercury,
AZ within that of venus. SO within that of
the Earth. 73 within that of Mars. and the
whole within that of Jupiter. OF hum
dred comets, or thereabouts, mentioned by
Lalande, about one-half have moved from
the west to the east, in the same direction
as the planets, and half in the opposite di-
rection.
Although the superstitious fear of COM
cts. as por'ending harm to the inhabitants
Of the Earth, has vanished before the light
Of philosophy. there are still few remain
ing who entertain fears of collision with
some of the comets that might cross the
Earlh's path. 1t has often been predicted
that that sad calamity would ultimately
take place will be recolected that, no
longer ago than 1882. it was predicted that
that the comet Of that year would cross the
Earth's track, and great fears were enter
tanned of a collision. But there is no ev-
ilence tEat such collision ever did
happen. either with the Earth, or with any
other planet; and there are no means of so
calculating the place of a comet as to be
able to say with certainty that, on a given
day. it will cross the orbit of planet
The motion of the Earth in its orbit is, in
round numbers, more than a million and a
half miles in dav, and al Cl iraut, with