The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1858-09-29
THE COMET.


THE COMET.
Those who look upon the small nebulous
star now visible can hardly realize the ter.
rife appearance Ut this same object when, in
1851. il approached the sun with tail one
hundred degrees IN feagih! It's tail came
streaming up in the morning several hours
before lis head. ann when it's nucleus was IN
the zenith the train stretched below the Vest
ern hpriyon. It's train was FIRST very broad.
but II decreased in with, extending enor-
nsonsly in length. II is said TO have disap-
peagsi Oct. 81, on the day Of the death Of
Pope Urban w. II was, Of course. thought
q special lorerunner Of that event.
This comet had appeared before in e75,
and also in sos and lo4. as mentioned BY
Chinese annalists. This would give il a pc.
Rod Of about a92 years. In 975 its tail was
40 degrees in length, and lis nucleus or head
was 50 bright as to be visible N the day time.
Its next appearance. after 1864, vas in 1856.
in the month Of February. Its aspect was
very similar to its present one. being " some
what paler than the planet Mars, and with a
train Of four degrees in length" II has been
known as I" the greet comet Of Charles V =
because il appeared in the year in which his
solicitation took place. The Emperor Charles
v. OF SPAIN considered Il M omen OF his
death, although he survived it some wears.
Fsbriclus, his astronomer, mapped out its
path, describing its course through Virgo
and Bootes, past the pole Of the heavens into
Cepheus and Cassiopeia."
What rendered this Comet particularly in
terestng was its near approach to the earth.
han a.af lta lnth March m IN !
OF miles distant. The orbit Of the comet al
1884 was computed BY Pingre and Dun
thome. while that of 1856 was campated BY
Haly. and afterwards by Hind. Of the South.
willie Observatory, Regents Park, England.
Ii was found that the two orbits agreed, and
Plngre concluded that they we're the same,
and that IN would return again in lS48. Ii
was accordingly expected at the time and lis
Don-sppearance stimulated some 20 a re-ex
animation of the previous calculations. MIR
Barber found that the attraction Of the outer
Planets, Jupiter. Saturn and Herschell, had
retarded it. Mr.. Hlnd predicted its appear.
snce IN 1853. after making allowances for the
disturbances. The excitement and crude
speeulations relative to its anticipated neal
approach TO the earth last year is still II
eyerybody's memory. There is no necess,t,
ofTepeating that we're c'met 10 strike III,
earth It could not penetrate the esrth's at
mosphere, ON account 1T the superior density
of the Latter. BIT the inclination of the com
Ct 70 the earlh's orbit beng s. great $50 de
grees,) there could scarcely be a posslbilit,
OF a" brush " from its tail at any time. II II
interesting TO consider this object in the ligh
Of a traveller, like Won Humboldt. A jour
ney Of two hundred aud ninetytvo years i
no small tramp
In 9.5 il saw the earth in the midst OF tn,
dark ages. Basil and Constantine VIII. reign
ed over the Eastern Empire. In England
the horrld murder Of Edward, the martyr, b,
his step. mother, Elfriday. had just been con
summated. The Norwegians were maxim.
discoveries in Greenland, and soon after de
scended upon this continent.
In 1864, on its next visit, il witnessed tn
first regular parliament in England. and tn
success &c the Pope in his struggle lnr TEN
eEs ps g GEe i fs eesl 3e u Sras s
OF the age.
In 1856. il found America discovered an,
greedy Spaniards riotng in wealth and bl0o'
az the ancient capital o. the Aziecs and il
the Peruvian cities. Queen Elizabeth ha,
Just been established in England. and Mon
taisue, Scaliger, Jerome Card.n. Tsssn
csmoens, Ceryan;es, Phillip Sidney, wer
all 10 The flower Of their yigor, and the world
greatest genius, Shakespeare. was justlearnin.
70 walk.
In ls4s its visit nav very reasonably b,
supposed 10 have been postponed IN order q
witness the completion Of the Atlantic cabl,
scheme. Viewed il this Light. We may cen
slider il special indication Of good will Of
tie part Of that illustfiohs luminsry.
The best catalogue Of comets known IS tha
or Motuan-lin, a Chinese Astronomer. who's.
collection extended from 6l5 years brfor,
Chnsi 10 A. ID. l644, over two thousant
years. There have been recorded about sew
en- hundred ia al, 81 which the orbits Of sboa
one hundred and eighty have been calculated
By astronomers. The periodic revelations
vary from three years 70 several thousand
years. Sumo approach 10 their Pereheliur
so near 10 the sun a. TO be heated 10 whit,
heat, as some suppose.
Although the number Of comets is 50 large
there are comparatively Few shieh appear I,
the nsked eye only a5og, fourteen ii cen
tsry. b., to the telescope, hardly veal
passes without the observation " one 0l
more. II 1910 four we're seen. 10 1913 Their.
we're eight.
Sir Isaac Newton FIRST calculated the orbI
Of comet and demonstrated that they moved
IN elipiicai paths. Bsfare that time i va
generally supposed that they moved 10 par
abulss and never reformed TO tie solar sys.
ten after leaving il.
The rame cornets is derived from i
Greek sord knmel meaning hair, and |
ss supposed that they !" sh"ss war and pes
thence from llgir hofrid hair
y. Lgss Rsps5.
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AFFAIRS IN CHINA.
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