The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-10-06
The Comet.

In reply TO the assertion that there are
two flaming Comets in the heavens, the In
dianapolis Journal gives the following eX-
PLANTATION of the apparent phenomena, which
every one who reads can understand
"The reasons why people think there are
two comets, are its apparent changed posi-
tions towards the sun. 'Whyd does the comet
appear to be going one way i'll the morning
a ld another in the EVENING" Why does
the SUN appear in the East in the morning,
and in exactly the opposite direction in the
evening. Our question is just as much to
the purpose as the U,aons. The comet al
ways travels with its head towards the sun,
whether in its forward or retrogate motion.
Consequently it points East in the morning
and West in the evening. Why should it
be four degrees above the horizon at 4
o clock, A. NJ, and still be fifteen degrees
above at 8 z. NJ? Why is the constella-
ton Great Bear twenty degrees above the
horizon at A. NJ, and still fully as much
above it at P: NJ? Because the comet,
the Great Bear, andall the heavenly bodies,
in their apparent revolution around the
earth make the North Star their center
of motion. The pole or axes of the earth
points to the star Hence it is called the
Polar STAR and hence, us the earth's revo-
luton on that axis makes the apparent
revolution of the heavens, oil of the stars
revolve about the Polar star, or appcrr to do
so. Stars consequently, or comets that
stand within about forty degrees of the
Star, do not sink below the horizon at all
in this latitude, and all others remain below
a longer or shorter time, according to their
distance from this central point. This fact
will explain why the present comet which
lies considerably north of the suns path,
remains behind him at night and gets up
before him in the morning. If it were
closer to the Great Bear it would be out of
sight Except as the sun in daytime would
obsurc it) bat very little of the time
Prof. Bond, of the Cambridge Observa-
tory, has published the following observa-
tions
Donati's Comet will, in few days, ap-
pear to increase rapidly in size and brillian-
cy. 1t will be nearest the earth ON the 9th
of October, at which time its brilliancy will
be nearly three times as great as on the 23d
of September, and its distance from us about
ffty-two millions of miles.
According to Mr. Halls computation,
the tail of this comet on the 23d instant,
extended to the length of fifteen millions OF
miles. The nucleus viii De near the bright
star Arcturus October s, and nearest the
earths orbit on the Goth.
Some confusion seems to prevail in re-
gard to their being two comets, similar in
/ appearance, now visible to the naked eye,
/ but such is not the case. Donati's, which is
seen in the north west after sunset, is the
! same which has been seen in the north east
before sunrise in the morning This is ow-
! ing to the considerable northern declination
/ of the Comet, with right ascension differ
/ ing but little from that of the sun. I men,
/ ton this, because have had several letter:
I from different parts of the country making
I the inquiry whether there are two comet;
now to be seen by the naked eye.
" "Encke's comet is hardly visible to the
uaked eye. Tuttle's third Comet of 1858
can now be seen only with the assistance O.
telescope"