The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-10-02
= II = G o M = r.

Amateur Astronomers on the Qui Vive-
Street Corners Impr0vised ObservatOrAes-
Opera Glasses Turned into Telcscopes-Thc
Comet ofIs43-Letter from Professor Mitch
ell, &C., &c.
This strange yser in our heavens increasing in bril-
nancy every day. and attracting moro ana more atten
on the curious all the street corners
The telescope man the OF Broadway and Park
place has raised his tariff from sixpence to shilling
peep consequence Of the large increase of CUSTOM and
The gazers have TO take their turn in ane like folks at the
Post Office Tuesday night the nucleus OF the Dona comet
ia the northwest brighter and the tail longer than
any previous occasion There is difficulty in dis
tngushing il with the naked eye The comet, accordn
70 French astronomer, will reach its periheion on the
22d of October will the constellation Of Hercules
IN January next will disappear March, but be again
sibe in tho southern hemisphere. 1t will temporarily dis
appear towards the end of this month"; but will soon max
its appearance little before sunrise in the constellation
the Little Lion. The brancy of the comet on Thursday
night Of short duration light haze sprung up from
the northwestern horizon at about quarterpast seven
o'clock p NJ, and from that time the comet partially
ebscured, presenting but feeble light Throughout the
night the winds blew in all directions, thunder rolled and
lightning flashed, until became perfect tempest This
storm commenced at Buffalo, at O'Clock p NJ, and trav
eed eastward far Hudson the telegraph lines the
same time being compelled to suspend operations Some
but Of that is absurd Our brilliant vscr is not
answerabe for the sudden disturbance of the elements
The longitude of the perihelon Of this comet is about
thirty degrees and Of the ascending node about hun
dred and sixty six degrees The inclination about six
tyeight degrees The perihelon distance is about 49,,
coo 600 miles, little greater than the distance
Of Mercury from the Sun Its motion is retrograde so that
Xs apparent motion is from right TO left at this
time The velocity of the comet, when at its pcrheon,
viii be about 100 600 miles per hour Its tail is at least
5000 900 miles in length though thero difference
Of opinion as TO ts dimensions. Professor Hind writing
70 the London Times says that the apparent diameter of
the nucleus about Eve seconds Of and as the comet
B sn upwards of 40 600 600 miles from the earh the
real diameter will be rather 900 miles Taking the
apparent length of the tail at five degrees its true length
would appear TO be about 10 900 miles. Describing
the appearance Of the tail, Professor Hind says
The tall which might be traced in the "comet seeker"
about i've degrees from the head consisted OF single
ray well defined the side preceding with reic
to the direction OF notion but fading away indis-
tinctly on the opposite side. very faint ray OF light
from the nucleus towards the previously
remarked in several Of these Objects and thought nj
mens that short "horn" or secton issued thereirom
at right angles 10 the axis OF the tail.
The in the brightness Of this comet is 30 nearly
IN conformity with theory that there high probability
Of being visible with telescopes in ul sunshine about
the eIact OF mdTlraum briilancy ia October.
In Mr.. Kinds opinion this comet will not visit these
parts Of space again for few hundred years II would
appear that the tail Of the comet visible is not long
that Of previous The tail OF the comet OF lS43
90 COO 600 miles long, and that Of 1871 1872 900 miles
All fears Of collision with the planetary bodies have
been dsipated by the accurate observations of astro
nomcrs II has been ascerained that comets transpa
rent bodies luminous vapor which take their bright
from the sum- and far from affecting the planets
when they into their neighborhood, it was shown
nearly century ago that comet entering within the or
bit OF the Of Jupiter held in suspension for four
months and its course arrested Tho speed Of comets
varcs but their velocity increases considerably as they
approach SUM- their motion grows slower as they
recedc into space One has been known 10 travel
round the sun at the rate of 2l2 miles a second. The
distance which they receie from the is sometimes
enormous having reached in instance seventy thou
sand four hundred millions OF miles requiring period OF
nearly nine hundred thousand years travel that distance
and Jack again to the Sun Professor BOND q .arvard
University an excellent authority, writing the 25h o.
September says
Donats comet will, in few days, appear to increase
rapidly and briancy. will be nearest the earth
on the 9Th Of October, which time Us briancy will be
nearly three times great the 23d Of September,
and It's distance from us about fifty two millions Of miles
According TO Mr. Halls computation, the tail Of this
comet the 23d instant extended 70 the length Of fifteen
msons of miles The nucleus viii b. near the bright star
Arcturus Oct g. and nearest the earths ob on tue 10th
Some confusion TO prevail in regard 10 there being
two comets, similar in appearance, now visible ~ the
the northwest after sunset the same which has
been the northeast before sunrise IN tue morning
,hs eoms wh r,ybs sscensoa dI.sina bu, little from
that OF the mention this because have bad scve
raj letters from different parts u the country making the
inquiry whether there two comets now to be seen by
Enckes comet rs barely visible to tho naked eye. Tut
tie third comet Of 1885, now be only with the
assistance of a telescope.
Considering these facts, the present vlstcr is just OBJ
ject Of interest and attraction.
THE GREAT COMET or 1s43.
We must not overlook the claims Of this distinguished
ystcr 70 public recollection lie a perfect beauty
and coming unhcraldcd as he did come the midst OF
tho Mlcrite excitement resulting from tho Miller pro
phecy the destruction the world the second advent
Of Christ and the general rising judgment o saints aud
sinners dead and alive, the I'D Of April, the convc
ton in the minds Of the Alcrito believers wrought
INTO perfect phrcnsy concerning tho truth Of these pre-
dictons The writer Of this notice speaks from personal
observation, when he says that the visitation OF this
comet unheraded BY the almanscs, accepted by the
Acritcs as the undoubtcd courier of the Day OF
Judgment Night after night, for tho many weeks during
which this strange intruder in tho sky VISIBLE he
hooked upon by the Mllcrtes the herald of Gabriel,
warning the nations 10 prepare for his awful proclamation
on The day appointed, that time should be
The tail Of tho present estimated at Ave dc.
grees in length or about fifteen millions Of miles the tail
Of Of isa3 thirty degrees length ninety
millions of miles and ts nucleus visible midday
We extract from the 4mer,cdn Almanac Of 1914 the fol
lowing details, by Professor Pierce, Of Harvard univcr
sitys-
on the 25th Of February this comet was nearly al
midday, ia Conception = A. Captain Peleg Ray, man
Of sound Judgment very accurate observer and correct
man. observed II IN that city and that day. al III A.
NJ at the east of the sun, its bearing from the being
almost precisely east with very little pctoepbie south
ing Its distance from the only Eve minutes,
sixth Of the suns apparent diameter lie did not y
William MITCHELL OF Nantucket, in letter describing
ths observation, measure the angie, his instruments
being board Of the ship, distance below the city
hut he took great pains 10 estimate the apparent distance
and being so near sun, thinks he has done Il very
nearly have tested the day aud hour a most salts
factory manner"
various parts OF New England, the Last and West Indies