The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-10-14
The Great Comet.


Notwithstanding the rain last evening three or four
hundred ladies and gentlemen assembled in the Union
Chapel, of Thirty ninth street and Broadway 10
hear the Rev. Mr. Maitison late Professor Of Natural
Philosophy and Astronomy, deliver lecture the great
comet visible In the western sky. The proceeds of
the lecture were 70 be devoted to the benefit &C the Sab
bath school.
Rev. Mr.. MArIsoS, on taking the stand said VIC had
been recently honored by strange celestial luminous
body in tho western sky-onc never looked upon be-
fore and shall look upon again. This strange body
bad received much attention as deserved
Tie notices Of that had appeared the newspapers had
been necessarily meagre, and as seemed 10 him, very
ike carcaturos. Heavenly bodies we're divided into
the solar and the sdera systems Tho speaker then
On 70 explain Of the primary principles of astronomy
eomcts belonged to the solar system he could not say
that they did not belong other systems but they did
belong 20 tho solar system IN great numbers. They
noted for their lshtncse rarity, the elpses
cf their orbits, and for moving around the sun IN dl.
rcction opposite 10 that OF tho planets well
direction. He had examined during tho day tie
ctmcnts a forty nine comets, twenty fonr Of which
moved rvund the sun in opposite direction to tho
planets There we're millions q these comets constantly
10 the naked eye ccrnets did not manifest the same
appearance every time they returned. they varied
much that u was exceedingly difficult 10 distinguish
them their return. They frequently split into, some
times divided Into several pieces, and appeared under
entirely different aspects. The comet visible In the
western sky called the pcuati comet from having
been FIRST discovered by Donaii, IN Italy the 81 of
June last ~ was the Tracice among astronomers 10
heavenly bodies after the person who discovered
them This comet was hrst seen IN America the 29h
q June hs ey g. 2 scn,,eman ,, IN New Jersey
~ II had been said that this comet
three hundred years ago but he tthe speaker did
not believe a. 50 far as he had examined the charts. this
comet bore the most resemblance 10 one that
S3l years before Christ that wonh give n pcriod of
2sc0 years Tho substance composing comets very
rare. This comet did slightly afc't atmosphere
and weather, but II was 30 slightly that II could
not by any device be ascertaned appre-
Gated. All comets much than
atmosphere; they not sell. luminous, but only
rene,tors ~ the suns light He next attempted 10
plain the philosophy ~ the comets TAIL lie disagreed
with Newton upon tho subject. According 10 his idea
comets must he propelled by the force of the rays Of IN,
sun striking them and in describing their orbits the
denser part o them attracted and Kept In towards the
centre of gravity, around which they were revolving
ms comet he calculated moved AZ the rate of 500 90
miles an hour when arst Il headed toward
he tast, when last seen will head towards The West
moves across our heavens, keeping its head Away
towards the sun. He did think would ever reur
70 the solar system again u probably moved in para
an clptical orbit II might