Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1858-10-09
A History Of The Comet.

North Western sky. between the hours
of 7 and s o clock in the evening and 4 Il
5 IN the morning, will be found IN the an
nexed article from the 81. Louis Repub-
lican. On Sunday and Monday evenings,
il presented veTy large and brilliant aP'
pearance, the nucleus, the coma and The
tail being pretty fully developed, and
showing its near approach 10 TIE Sun -
This log expected visitor has at
length made It's appearance. thas been
visible in the Northwest Tor about two
hours after sunset for several evenings as
a faint star with nebulous train of light
about two degrees in length.
1t can be seen distinctly by any one
who will take the trouble 10 attain some
position where he can see the Norlh-wes
fern horizon, between the hours of seven
aud eight, p. NJ
+ ose who look upon the small rebu-
lous star now visible can hardly realize
the terrific appearance OF this same OBJ
iecr, when, in 1864, it approached the
sun with a tail one hundred degrees IN
len eth It's tail came streaming up IN
the morning several hours before It's head,
and when lis nucleus was in the zenith
the train stretched below the W Western ho-
rizon. lis train was first very broad, but
decreased in width, extending enormously
in length. 1t is said to have disappeared
October Sd, on the day of the death Of
Pope Urban ". 1t was, of course,
thought special forerunner Of that event.
This comet has appeared before in 975,
and also in 395 and l04, as mentioned
Ihy Chinese annalsls. This would give
liz period of about 292 years. la 975
It's tail was 40 degrees in length, ard It's
nucleus or head was so bright as to be
visible in the daytime. lis next appear
ance, after 1864, was in 1856, in the
month oi February. lis aspect was very
similar 10 It's present one, being "some-
what paIer than the planet Mars and viii
a train Of four degrees in length" 1t has
been known as "the great comet OF
Charles v" because it appeared in the
wear ~ which his aHdiralIan took place.
The Emperor (Cbares V. Of SPAIN con
>ideEeG il an omen Of his death, although
Ihe survived it some years. FabIicius, his
astronomer, mapped out ts path desrrlb-
Ing It's course Through Virgo and Booles,
past the pole of the heavens into Cepheus
and Cassiopeia." What rendered this
comet particularly interesting was lis near
approach to The earth, being on the 18th
Of March only seven millions OF miles
distant The OrbiI Of the comet of 1864
was computed by PIngre ana Dunlhome.
while that Of 1856 was computed by Hal
IIy, and afterwards by HinG, Of the South
wi Observatory Regent Park, Eng land.
| Ii vas found that the two orbits agreed,
and Pingre concluded that they were the
same, and that it would relurn again in
1913. 1t was accordingly expected at
that Tine, and It's non-appeaIance sllmuIa-
led some TO d re examination of the pre-
vlous caIeuldli0ns. Mr.. Barber found
that the attraction of the outer planets, ,Ju-
pitcr Saturn and Herschell, had retarded
it, Mr.. Hind predicted its appearance IN
1853, aller making allowance for the dis
turbances. The excitement aud crude
speculation relative TO It's anticipated near
approach to the earth last year is sull IN
every6ody's memory. There IS no ne
cesslty Of repeating hat were comet TO
strike the earth it could not penetrate the
eaTlh's atmosphere, on account OF the su-
perior density OF the latter. But Il C IN
/ IL ~
being so great, (36 degrees,) there could
scarcely be possibility of brush
from its tail al any time. 1t is Interesting
to consider this object in light OF a travel
er, like Van HomboIdt. A journey Of
two hundred and ninety-two years is no
small tramp"
In 975 it saw the earth in the midst OF
tie dark ages. Basil and Constantine
VIII reigned over the Eastern Empire
In England, The horrid murder Of Edward,
the martyr, by his step-mother. EI(rida,
had Just been consummaled. The Nor
weglans were making discoveries in
Greenland, and soon after descended upon
this continent.
In 1864, on lis next visit, il Witnessed
the first regular parliament inEngland, and
The success of the Pope in bis struggle for
temporal power over Italy. The crussdes
had begun to tell in their effect upon Ihe
eollure Of The age.
In 1856 il found America discovered
and greedy Spauisrds rioliDg 10 weaIl"
and blood al the ancient capital OF The
Azlees and in the Peruvian cis;es. Queen
Elizabeth had just been established In
England. and MoDlsigne, ScaIiger, Je-
Eome Cardan, Tssso, Cam0ens, ,CerVsnies,
Philip Sidney, were all in the flower Of
their visor. and the worlds greatest ge-
Mus, Shakespeare, was just learning 10
walk.
! In 1913 ils visit may very reasonably
be supposed 10 bsye been postponed in