Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-10-09
THE COMET AS SEENaTHRoUGH A TELE
SCOPE;
PROF. nlrcHELL's OBSERVATIONS.

@. n. Mitchell of the Cincinnati Observatory,
communicates to the Daily Gasstts very interest
ing paper regarding the Comet which now makes SO
fne display in our western heavens ut night. 1t
was discovered by Professor Donati, of Forsncs,
Italy, nearly four months ago, and for large por-
ton Of the time since detected has been stead
fly approaching the earth, and Z direction 50
nearly coincident with the visual ray, that but for
the computations Of astronomers might well excite
anticpations Of some fearful collision with our plan
to have been pfunging downward so exactly toward
the earth that it scarcely changed its apparent place
among the fixed stars by quantity larger than two
or three times the diameter Of the moon.
1t will reach its nearest approach to the sun in
few days. Its brillancy vii, increase rapidly up to
the close Of the first week in October, when it will
put on it's most splendid appearance, and will then
rival in grandeur the famous Comet of HALEY, at its
last return in 1885,
This comet, Professor Mitchell says, twill soon
commence to change direction at first slowly, after.
ward more rapidly, from the earth. when
sweeping swiftly round the sun it will regain those
distant regions OF space wherein vast proportion
Of its orbit lies far beyond the reach Of telescope
vision'' He further states
ION the evening of the 25th of September the
appearance of the comet, in the great refactor of
the Cincannati Observatory, was especially interest
ing: The central portion or nucleus, was examined
with powers varying from one hundred to FIVE hum
dred without presenting any evidence Of . well.de-
fined planetary disc. 1t brilliant glow of light
darling and flashing forward in the direction of the
motion toward the sun, and leaving the region be-
bind IN comparative obscruty. But the most Won
derful physical feature presented portion of .
nearly circular ne6ulous ring with it's vertex drec
ted toward the sun, the bright nucleus being in the
centre, while the imperfect ring swept more than
half round the luminous centre. This nebulous ring
resembled those which sometimes escape from .
steamppe, but did not exhibit the appearance which
ought to be presented by hollow hemisphericsl
envelope Of nebulous matter.
"There evident concentration Of light in
the central portions of the ring WHILE in the Of
hollow enevelope the brightest portion should be
at the outer edge. By micrometrical measurement,
the distance from the central point the crcumfcr.
sand miles. This would give diameter Of eighteen
thousand miles, in case the ring was entire. SINH
lar measurements, made on the evening of the 26th
Of September, indicated decided increase in the
radius Of the ring, which was now not less than
twelve thousand miles in length. On the same
evening noticed the fact that the luminous enve-
ope did not blend itself into the head portion of the
tall, but appeared somewhat to penetrate into this
nebulous mass, especially the upper part, presen-
ting the appearance of about 200 degrees of spiral
The tail on the 25th was decidedly brighter and bet
ter defined the upper than on the lower portion,
while on the evening Of the 26th there was much
approach to equality in Brightness especially
near the head Of the comet. Through the telescope
and the head the tail presented the appear ance
Of hollow nebulous envelope, under the form Of q
parabalod Of revolution, the edges being brightest
and we'll defined, while there was manifest fading
away Of light towards the central region. Through
the vast depth Of nebuous matter composing this
wonderful appendage the faintest telescope stars
shone with undiminshed brightness.
mo one can gaze on this gigantic object, in all
its misty splendor, without deep impression that
the eye is resting mass Of nebulous matter pre-
cisey such as the nebulous theory of La Place sup
poses to have been the primordial condition of our
sun and all it's attendant planets, and from which
choatic condition this beautiful system of revolving
worlds has been evoked by the action of single
law.
"The only comet which has presented an appear.
snce resembling the one now visible is the one
known as Halley's Comet, as seen by Sir William
Herschel and others in its return in 1885, There is
marked difference between the two: That while
the envelope Of Haneyss Comet is described as .
hemspherical hollow envelope. this shows more the
shape Of q nebulous ring; there is . faint. misty
light of irregular outline, but not to be mistaken by
even q casual observer"