New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-04-13
rhe COINED of June 1a. las7.

The Comet OF June Is, 1857.
It is truly lamentable to see the excitement pro
duced by the indscretion Of a journal which an
nounced as the prediction of d German astronomer
the destruction Of the world by comet on the 18th
Of June next. This ridiculous news, repeated by
echoes great and small, has spread over Europe with
amazing rapidity. 1t is now the universal topic OF
conversation in every class of society What is there
not to speak Of truth but--of probaoiity IN this
prediction relative to the comet said TO pc expected
on the 18th Of June? Nothing-absolstely 9GoIning.
In the first place, what is the name OF the German
astronomer who has undertaken to warn the world OF
its premature end No one was able 70 cue the
name although lattery something has leaked out on
the subject. 1t appears that the prophet oil EVIL
is Matthew Laensberg. L.
But Matthew Laensberg is neither German nor an
astronomer. He is Belgian and a canon OF Liege.
His sole title to reputation is his having compiled the
first Liege almanac. Moreover what IS this predicted
comet Is it something new, or is it comet already
known Of which they forete the returns If it is
new comet we know well that an unknown comet
cannot be predicted; for to announce beforehand the
apparito of such body it is necessary to be true
prophet. If the prediction only relates to comet
previously Observed the orbit Of which is known let
them give us the elements Of this wandering star let
them produce its progress day by day, and let them
publish the calculation which demonstrates the pos
sibty OF its collision with the earth. From the mo-
ment that it becomes question of comet known to
proessed astronomers it is to these astronomers and
their observations that to look for the oracle
But all the observatories are silent and they are all
silent because they have the gertrude that there exists
no comet at all menacing the earth and destined to
strike it on the 18th of June this year.
An influential journal has unWisely entertained its
readers in the midst Of these chimercal terros with
an account of the comet of 1864 which so much alarm
ed the Emperor Charles when it reappeared in
1856 But this comet accomplished its revolution in
292 years it was, therefore, in lS4S that it should
have shown itself in the heavens but it nowhere
perceived at that period. Planetary perturbations
may have without Doubt retarded it in its COURSE SO
that its appartion may yet be expected, if it did not
indeed in is4s arrive Of its periheon invisible to u.s.
circumstance that happens sometimes to this kind
Of stars, which atmospheric accidents or permanent
clouds hinder from observing when they should 9th
erwise be accessible to sight. Let us admit,
ertheless that the comet Of Charles has yet to ap
pear.
Never, certainly, has any astronomer thought of
making it cause of alarm to the inhabitants Of our
globe The inclination of its orbit on the ecliptic is
the same track as the earth. Moreover many astron
omers-Mr. Hind amongst others-haye recently
traced the ephemerides Of the comet; they could
then, tell exactly in what point of space, and at
what distance from the earth this comet ought to be
found on the 18th June, 1851 But to ask them such
questions would be to give air Of seriousness to
ridiculous prediction. With respect to the question
often discussed as to the possibility Of concusson
between comet and the earth, we cannot do better
than anote from g L Astronomie Populaire,n of Ar
ago. which gives all that with reason be advanced
on the subject Arago has calculated the chances
which exist of the shock of comet against the earth
in considering separately the conclusion which the
nucleus of the comet, and that which would result
from contact with the fluid mass which surrounds Or
follows it, commonly known as the tail
tFor shock by the nucleus Of "a comet" says
Arago, which might destroy the earth, we have
found likely chance for Isl 900 900 of unlikely
chances are 10 or 20 in ISL 100000. Admitting for
moment that the nucleus of comets striking the earth
would annihilate the human species, the danger of
death which would result to each individual from the
apparation Of an unknowing comet would be exactly
equal to the chances he would run in an urn he had
but white ball in total of PSI 900 900 balls and
his condemnation to death would be the inevitable
consequence of his drawing this white ball at the first
draw. Every man who makes use OF his senses must
laugh at danger SO remote
Although comets occupy an immense space in the
heavens Surprising millions of leagues, yet by reason
of the absence of atmosphere in those regions, per-
hitting fluids to be infinitely FAIRFIELD the matter Of
these bodies is reduced to the most feeble proportions
Laplace says on this subject" Although the dmen-
sons of the tails Of comets be myrads Of miles, yet
they do not sensibly affect the light of stars
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 with the earth produce any sensible
effect, and it is probable that they have frequently
enveloped 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.
Deambre tells us that the comet of ITO passed be-
tween Jupiter and his satellites without causing any
sensible perturbation. Thus the comets even to as
tronomers are but objects of curiosity Sir John
Herschel goes still further and says in express terms
that he tail of large comet, far as we can form
any idea of it, is composed of few pounds of matter
and perhaps only asfew ounces.' What have we then
to fear from the shock from body of mass so in
Significant We will add, in conclusion that M. Bah
met, one of the greatest authorities of the age in
physical astronomy, has gone so far as to say, the
earth, in coming into collision with comet would be
more affected in its stability than would railway
train coming in contact with fy.' i.4
The author Of the article in the influential journal
to which we have alluded has not hesitated to give
lesson to NJ Babinet this subject in reminding him
thataa matter even impalpable as % mist or vapor,
when moving with immense velocity Ii capable OF
the most destructive effects The anony-
author Of this article forgets that comets are
not endowed with much rapiditiy of motion, except
when very near the sun: at distance from the sun
equal to that Of the earth they have already lost all
their velocity at still greater distance they are en-
tirely motionless and in any case as NJ lie Verrer
has very well observed, the comets are part of our
solar system and the Creator of the universe has
taken into account their mass and their movements in
the laws Of our planetary system--laws
which have been the admiration of all great geniuses
who have unveiled and comprehended them.
Paris lie Presse.