The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-10-02

NOrTuc 10 ABvsR~rsERs -Advyfiaerents., ,v
\. WSpATou msst b hand.d IN 6y six o'clock in the
sssss p::ssrs y aiss,sssms.t So sc S i. eoswnsv
~ pdper ysH not ddsaa If tAsir rscepf'sn after TIE
w "oes. u---.....-wz~~..-~
The Comet.
eroeessor Mitchell. Of the Cincinnati observaso>
~, hes been observing the Comet, and communi'
stsa 70 the Daily Csstss, Of Cincinnati, very IN
esesssiog paper regarding tho iumiaous and az
tractvs visitor now watched by many eager eyes.
He sAys taAt this eomst was discovered BY Pfoses
or Doasti, Of fioseuce, Italy, nearly four months
aso, aud Coz . largo portion Of the time since u
was detected, has eecu steadily approaching the
earth, and Ia q direction nearly cenoidsnt with
the visuAl ray, that but for the reliable compute.
tious Of astronomers, and the very uGsubstantial
nature Of comets, might we'll excite aatsctpations
Of come fearful collision with our plasst. He adda
that tLrsrghout the month OF SepteMbes, u seems
to have been piunging downward 30 exactly
toward the earth that Il scarcely changed its sp.
parent place among the liked stars by qua nifty
larger than Two OF three times the apparent diam
stss Of the moon. Professor Mitchell says II will
make lie nearest approach to the su0 ia afew days.
is briisney will increase rapidly up % the ciose
Of the irst xsek In this month, when II viii put
o. its most splsudd appearance, aud will rival In
grandeur the famous comet Of HALEY, at its last
rsturn Ia 1885, After that period, Il viii COM
meucs to change direction, ut 6rst slowly, after
wards mors rapidly, - seen from the earth. when
swsspisg swiftly round the sun II will disappear
beyond even telescope vision. A direct contact
With The comet 10 . matter Of more importance to
that body than the earth, for through the vast
depth Of nsbuious matter which composes its pro
dgious TAIL the fAntest telescope stars shine with
usdiuinishsd brightness. Professor Mitchell ex-
presses the opinion that the eye that gazes this
gigantic object 10 resting on . mass of nebulous
matter precisely such ~ the nebular theory of La
Place supposes TO have been the primordai condi-
tlss CT our sun aud all its atte udant planets and
from which chaotic condition this beautiful system
Of revolving worlds has been evoked by the action
Of single isw.
Professor Mitchell gives the following interesting
statement, and describes remarkable physical
feature, nearly circular, uebulous ring by which
Il 10 attended:
ION the evening of the 25,h of September the
appearance OF the comet the Of the
Cincinnati Observatory, was especially Interesting
The central portion, or nucleus, was exAnin ed
with powers varying from one hundredt to i've
hundred, without presenting any evidence OF a
we'll defined plauetary disc. lt was brilliant
glow Of light, dsrtiug aud flashing forward 10 the
log the region behind in comparative obscurity.
But the most wonderful feature presented
VA q portion Of q nearly circWar ne6nlons ring,
with its vortex directed toward the sun the bright
nucleus beiag 10 the centre. while the Imperfect
ring swept more than half way round the lumin
Gus csater. This nsbulous RUG trasenabled
those which sometimes escape from steam
pipe, and did not exhibit the appearance which
ought 70 be presented by hollow hemi.pherical
envelope Of nebulous matter. There was an
evident concentration Of light iu the central
portions Of the ring, while, in the case Of boil
lew envelope, the brightest portion shopld be
at the outer edge. BY micrometrical measure
msut the distance from the central point to the
circumference Of the ring was found to be about
5000 miles. This would givea diameter ofeigh'een
thousand miiss, In case the ring WAS entire. SINH
lar measu rsmen made on the evening OF the 10Th
rf September, indicated n decided increase in the
radius Of the ring. which was now not less than
twelve thousand miles 10 length. On the same
evening noticed the fact that the luminous enve-
lops did not blend itself into the head portion Of
the tail, bnt appeared somewhat to penetrate into
this nebulous mass especially on the upper part,
presenting the appearance Of sbOut 200 degrees Of
spiral. The tail on the 25th was decidedly bright
Or aud better dehusd on the upper than on the
lower portion, while the evening OF the 10Th
there WAS much nearer approach to equality Ia
brightness, especially near the head OF the come:
Through the telescope. and near the head, the tail
presented the appearance OF Q hollow nebuious
envelope, under tho form Of parabolod Of revo'u-
too, the edges being brightest aud we'll dehned
while there vas manifest fading away OF light
toward the central region"