The hydraulic press. (North San Juan, Nev. Co., Cal.) 1858-18??, 1858-10-02
q b { p res s
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1858.
About Comets.

wondering gaze of all as it sweeps
with terrific velocity towards the sun,
a few facts in regard to the comet
family generally, will prove of interest
to such readers as have not access to
fuller sources of information. The
received theory concerning these boz
dies-that they are of a gaseous ma
ture, in the form of fogs or clouds,
revolving in different directions around
the sun and shining with light reflect
ed from that orb-is too common ly
known to need special statement.
According to Sir John Herschel
the number of comets which have
been automatically observed, or of
which notices have been recorded in
history, is very great-amounting to
several hundreds /; though he consid-
ers it probable that their actual num-
Der must be many thousands. One
astronomer publishes list in which
700 are enumerated. If the ina GIN
alton could grasp the thought of an
mfnity Of solar systems, each one
supplied with its thousands of fash
ing comets, how all its previous con.
ceptions of glory and magnifcence
would pale and vanish!
Numerous as comets are, the peri.
odic times of only four of them have
been positively determined, and these
vary in length from three and half
to6ve hundred and seventy five years,
those Of the shortest period being
known to keep their appointments
with great precision. In the opinion
Of eminent astronomers the greater
number Of comets visit our system but
once, s'and then fly off in nearly
straight lines till they pass the center
Of attraction between the solar system
and fixed stars, and go to revolve
around other suns in the far distant
heavens
That magnificent appeudage of the
comet called its tail is thus described :
4 "Comets consist for the most part
of large and more or less splendid,
but ill-deined nebulous mass of light,
called the head, which is usually much
brighter towards its center, and offers
the appearance Of a vivid nucleus,
IKE a star or planet. From tho head,
and in direction opposite to that IN
schsch the sun IS situated from the
comet, appear to diverge two streams
of light, which grow broader and more
dfused at a distance from the head,
and which most commonly close in
and unite at a little distance behind
It, but sometimes continue distinct for
. great part Of their course, producing
an effect like that Of the trains left
BY some meteors, or like the diverging
FIRE Of q sky-rocket, (only without
sparks or perceptible motion. The
apparent length of some Of these tails
is immense, several being recorded
which covered from one third to one
half Of the celestial hemisphere !;
whilst their real length is estimated
ct many millions of miles. The great
comet Of 1843 had an apparent
length, when longest, which was esti-
mated at IS deg, and its real length
Vas calculated as being one hundred
and thirty millions Of miles! Some
comets, and very bright ones too,
have been entirely without tales, and
some are described as being as round
and we'll defined as the planet Jupi-
tor whilst others have been furnished
!" With many tales or streams of d.
vsrging light" that of 1744 having
no less than six, spread out like an
immense fan, extending to q distance
Of nearly thirty degrees in length. "
The most numerous class Of comets
are not visible, or difficulty SO, to the
naked eye, and appear like round or
oval masses Of vapor through which
stars Of the smallest magnitude are
distinctly visible, although it is said,
g the same stars would be completely
obliterated by q moderate fog, ex-
tending only . yards from the surface
Of the earth"
From what is known Of comets it is
n