The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-03-18
SEEKING FOR COMETS.

The great observatory at Harvard College
was established in l847. Among the many
brilliant discoveries made there since its estab.
lishment, are no less than fourteen comets.
Nine were discovered by the interchangeable
labors of Mr.. George P. Bond. The tenth
was discovered in March, 1853, by Mr.. Charles
W. futile. The remaining four by Mr.. Horace
P. futile.
Few persons are aware of the patience and
labor exercised by the astronomer in making
discoveries of this kind. 1t requires several
years study and practice to qualify one to dis.
cover telescope comet. 1t is undoubtedly
very easy to look at comet already visible to
the naked eye in the heavens; but when it il
required to discover an unknown one, wander.
ing in its long travel of thousand years +" in
the profound abyss of space, the labor then be.
comes truly prodigious. The amount of physi.
cal suffering occssioned by exposure to all
kinds of temperature, the bending and twisting
of the body when examining near the zenith,
and the constant strain of the eye, cannot be
fully understood and appreciated by one unac.
quainted with an astronomers life.
The astronomer, with his telescope, begins at
the going down of the SUD, and examines, IL
zones, with the utmost care and vigilance, the
starry vault, and continues till the "circliBg
hours" bring the sun to the eastern horizon,
when star and comet fade from his view. 1t
requires several nights to complete q thorough
survey of the heavens; and often these nights
90 not follow in succession, being interrupted
by the full moon, by clouds, auroras, and by
various other meteorological phenomena. he
is frequently vexed by passing clouds, feeting
through the midnight sky, and strong and chill
ly bree yes of the night. His labors are contin-
ued throughout the year, and his unwearied ex.
RI dn yl0t oil 1uri fbo
nights, when the frozen particles of snow and
ice, driven before the northern blast, cause the
stars to sparkle with unusual lustre, and his
breath to CONCEAL on the eye piece of the tele-
scope. 1t frequently happens that his lAbors
are not crowned with a discovery until after
several years search.
Nothing can exceed the sublime spectacle
presented to the astronomer under clear mid
night sky, as he sweeps athwart the gorgeous
consultations in their STARRY dauceD around
their appointed centre. Occasionally the field
of the telescope is filled with the dazzling rad.
ance of unnumbered suns of variety of rich
and beautiful colors. The field of the telescope
is often iIumined by the sudden transit of
far-off meteor, invisible to the naked eve. Some
times large one falls from the zenith, and, 81.
lently exploding, fills the midnight sky with
startling spectral light. The solitude and 81.
lence of the night is broken, in spring. summer,
and autumn, by the low murmurine voices of
migrating Birds and the halfsuppressed buffet.
ing of their weary wings, which darken for q
moment the field of the telescope in their flight
These are the only living companions Of the
astronomer afoat in the sky at midnight.
There is momentary excitement when bis
wearied eye detects a small wisp of pale scat
tered light in the field of his telescope. It is
very comet-like, but he does not feel quite sure
that he is not tantalized with nebula-a clus.
ter of suns-so remote as to defy the utmost
power of assisted vision to resolve il into its
individual components. He immediately ascer-
tains the exact position, and examines the cata.
logues for information of its character. If it
is unrecorded, he is obliged to bring the won
drous mechanism of human hands to his az
sistance. The sidereal clock, and the infinitely.
graduated circles of his telescope, inform him
of his right ascension ard declination. Usually
the distance of the unknown body is vigorously