The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-08-20
THE GREAT COMET COME AT LAST.


THE GREAT COMET COME AT LAST
A New York paper learns from its des
patches from Europe, that the great come
Of Charles ", ms it IL sometimes called, bn
better known to astronomers as that of Fab
ricius, has at last made its appearance, an,
will very shortly be visible to the naked eye
II has been seen from the Paris Observator,
through its telescopes, and is pronounced by
Arago the genuine article. A sharp lookou
Cor it has been kept for year or two past by
the European comet seekers. 1t is not knowr
yet whether it will appear as j. once did, like
n very large and bright star, or with tai
100 degrees in length. The curious hope
that it will its "wondrous tale unfold" lis
first appearance was in 1864, and its disap.
penrance took place on the second of Octo-
Der of that year, the day on which Pope Ur
ban w. died, as the world thought in strange
coincidence. In 1866 itre-appeared and was
observed by Paul Fabrcius, astronomer to
Charles ", who executed map of its path,
which was published in November of that
year. The Emperor considered it n special
omen Of his own approaching death; but he
lived for some years afterwards. II was then
described as great and brilliant star. Its
course was through Virgo and Bootes, past
the pole Of the heavens into Cepheus and
Cassiopea." The celebrated DR.. HALEY cal
culated its elements more than century af-
forwards, and several others after him. The
calculations of Mr.. BONNIE, of Middel-
burg, of the Netherlands, of recent date, are
more precise, and are generally supposed to
be more reliable than those of his predecess-
ors. This astronomer finally came TO the
conclusion that in the year 1854 its ellpse
had period of 1904 days, or 3O2,922
years, expedited by planetary disturbances
by 4,O77 days, and that in 1856 its mean mo.
ton corresponded 20 a period of 3Os, 1863
years. Its present revolution he calculated
would be shortened by purterbation lO4s
years, and the comet should reach its peri.
helion about the End of August 1858.
Mr.. Hind, the great English astronomer,
does not or did not entirely coincide with NJ.
BONNIE. He wrote to Professor Littrow,
director Of the Observatory at Vienna, nrg-
ing him to search for the original chart of
Fabricus. This was accomplished, after
considerable exertion, through the medium
of the newspapers, and with i: was obtained,
very unexpectedly, from the ducal libraries
at Wolienbuttel and Gotha, n descriptive
treatise by the Nuremburgh astronomer, 10.
achim Heller, who had observed this very
comet for fifty-three days--a much longer
time than Fabricius had taken for his obser-
vatons. Thus more complete elementary
series was obtained. Mr.. Hind thereupon
modified his own views, concluding that the
comet would hasten IFS return, for several
reasons of an astromical nature, and that its
temperance was near at hand. This, then,
is the month during which the comet of
Pope Urban and Charles " should properly
make its appearance. According to our Ia
test advices, as we have already mentioned, il
has appeared to the French observers, and
will soon be visible to us, with its long tail,
If - has uUt A--rr-i ~ ;r i,- i.ot j--.
ney.