The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-06-25
The Comet and It's Tail.
"On tn other side

In tn Arctic sky, and from lis horrd hair
Shakes pcstiience aud war;
! The recent appearance &c two telescope
comets adds new zest 10 the prediction of n
millennium comet, which distinguished
| popular lecturer of France has used, on the
authority of some obscute German dream.
er, TO tickle the (ancies Of his wonder. low
ing countrymen. |, is catain that no data
exist on which the predicted collision of n
comet with our earth can be founded, and
no intimation of such an event has appear.
ed IN any responsible scientific periodical.
Our scientific lecturers and popular wri-
ters seem quite rs much given 20 the inven-
ton of fables as the older bardS of mvthic
stories, and find quite as willing an ear in
the undyng love of wonder Of "A cre1ulous
people. Instead OF summoniug the gods TO
light mems battles and destroy cities, they
predict deIuges aud judgment days, at the
hands of those celestial wiIl.o' .the-wisps.
the comets.
Science makes strong compromises with
creduity, and popular lecturers dwell more
on what Is uncertain or purely fabulous in
science than on well established facts. We
hear great deal from the yceum about
the neGulous origin Of the solar system, the
existence of central sun in the group Of
PleiadeS, and the malignant disposition OF
the comets. These vague and unfounded
specuations are set 10y the side of the bes,
established cer,ainties Of science, in Dor.
rowed light, aud are thus accredited pre-.
cisely rs the Homeric tales were through
the traditions Of popular religions.
| But have we nothing 10 fear from tie
wandering comets Most certainly we
have. The thing in the world" said Mon
taigne, 81 am most afraid Of, is fear" and
! this, we think is the dircSt calamity comets
! have ever brought in their trims. Men are
nightly given To the worship of occult
causes, aud when anything does appear
! new under the sun, it is invested with an
omnipotence of evil painful to contemplate.
! The facts IN regard 10 these wanderers
are few and simpe-the coniecrures many
and MIRACULOUS. Ia the tirs: place, comets
( ue much more numerous than angels Wis.
It's, about five "A year having been observed
/ during the period when tie prize of com.
ct medal, offered 10y the King of Denmark.
stimulated the zeal of amateur astrono.
mers.
Ii is probable that all he comets visible
/ IN the northern hemisphere, with the opti.
cal means of the aInateurs, were seen during
this period, Tor there WA scarcely a comet
which had not several independent discov.
erer~. Since tho comet e,,al, !.ago heon
withdrawn, the annual average of di>cove-
! rics have sensibly diminished, and it may
not be out Of place here 10 suggest to our
! American princes, what indeed was urged
/ before the American Association for the
| Advancement of Science last summer. thu,
a renewal Of these prize medals in thi,
country might be Of signal service to Anne.
/ rlcan astronomy.
! The comets already discovered arc un.
! queStionabIy but very small part of the
swarm which are lifting. like great celestial
mosquitoes, round the sun.
While modern observations have thus
established the gregarious habits of these
/ l"ng-tnIed monsters, the Innulest obscrya.
/ Tons and the cXacteSt calculations have
! ialIed TO detect the slightest disturbing ef
feet from them IN the motions of The plan.
/ cts, though the comets themselves have suf-
tered great disturbances.
lhc remarkable case Of Lexelis come.
I deserves special mention. This comet pass.
( ed IN lIIO very near the earth. after hay
ing made similar approach to Jupiter. L.,
orhl! was determined aud 1t, return predict
eI i'om observations then made; but it
never came back, and subsequent calcuIa
mons Shove! insi ''> return was prevented
/ 10y the action of Jupiter during second
AMI euii nearer approach OF the comet, even
within the J"''i circle Of the old fellows
fe'alncrS he comet entirely changed is
course "i'er tIiS interview, and was never
recognised "g"n, yet the c'lcumlnvlaI sat
e'ltes Kept steadily ln lhe'r old courses.
II Is H'g"'y probable tLat comets make u
great S"o" "'In very u't.e material, and
t"e chance OF the "wihN being Int hy the
.'ue 'o'| matter there Is IN any OF them,
Is very small Inc prediction OF a collision
- o'lohi me power OF mathematics, Tor
'"e Po'"'" "' i comet orbit and the
comets Pu>'"'h az any time ia IL orm'.