American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-10-22
9C0METSL

""o "SSuvUo oPPonr, WHICH WOuIU SLrlk0
the earth at tangent, aud knock it
into the condition Of a tempest struck
hulk. The public press of Europe and
America presented an immense spread
Of paperon the subject, and there was
o convulsive time of it generally. The
year 1857 passed away, however, with
out the expected wanderer of the skies
making his appearance; and astrono-
mers and the public settled down into
the dull routine of common regulari-
ties, not anticipating any brilliant
comet for some timo to come. We have
all been most agreeably disappointed.
For some weeks past we have been en-
joying nightly one of the most beauti-
full sights that ever appeared in the
starry dome.
On the second of June last, an Ttal-
ian astronomer named Donati discov.
cred, the present comet approaching
slowly towards the sun, in northwes-
terly direction, andit has been increas-
ing in brightness--as all comets do--as
it draws nearer old Sol. No fears are
excited by its presence; it is gorgeous
beyond language to describe, and is be-
held only with thrill of admiration. -.
Like q streaming torch of silyery light,
extending fifteen millions of miles in
length through the heavens, it hangs
evening after evening gracefully over
the northwest sky. Its head resem-
.bles ring, with bright nucleus in
the middle, or something like an illu-
minated globe, with its intense flame
in the centre. The diameter of the
ring as measured by Prof. Mitchell, of
Gin cinnati, is $4,000 miles. 1t has
been approaching the path of our planet
with the apparent intention of giving
US friendly brush, and on the date
of this number Of the Scientific Amer
lean, it will have attained to its maxi
mum brilliancy. 1t approaches the
sun with its tail flashing behind it, and
at a certain distance from the great
luminary, it will suddenly turn round
to the other side and back out of our
planetary,system in a contrary direc.
ton to that by which it entered. In
l843 q comet appeared far less bright
than the present one, but its tail was
reckoned to be ITO million miles in
length. When it wheeled round the
sun, it moved round its curved path
with the velocity of the lightning's
flash. In two short hours its immense
tail swept through range Of no less
than 3,740 millions Of miles. From tho
fight of objects on earth, it is impos-
slble to form a comparative idea of the
awful velocities Of comets and other
heavenly bodies.
Of the composition of comets, the
most learned are ignorant. They must
De composed Of somo matter more sub
tie than anything with which we are
acquainted on earth. Stars arc clear
ly visible through this comets tail and
it possesses little, if any, gravity
This is deduced from large comet
which appeared in 1899, and got en-.
tangled among the satellites Of Jupiter.
1t was there arrested for several weeks,
yet its attractive force upon the satel-
lites was so limited as not to produce
the slightest effect upon their move
ments. .s uf
In ancient times comets wero believ-
to be prognosticators Of dire events -
One appeared when Julius Cesar was
assassinated; another when Constanti-
nople was taken by the Turks one du-
ring the terrible prosecutions in the
reign of Charles the Fifth; and another
in 1911, when all Europe was deluged
in war and bloodshed but no intelli-
gent person has any superstitious dread
OF their presence in this age. From
what is known Of the insignificant eff.
feet of the comet of 1899, It is reason
able to infer that were comet to como
in collision with our planet, it would
produce no greater effect than the blast
OF bellows upon the Rocky mountains.
Some men, however, of profound ac-
quirements, have expressed their belief
that our globe at one period was struck
by comet, and that in consequence
Of such collision it was made to 70.
tate on o different axis from that which
it once had. M. Arago, the eminent
French astronomer, however, denied
that such a result had ever taken place,
and he founded his deductions Upon
the fact, that tho earth now turned on
a principal axis, whereas had It been
50 struck, it would have turned on q
different axis, one not passing through
the poles ofan oblate spheroid. All
the planets revolve round the sun in
one direction, but comets ontor our
system in every direction, and coin.
pletely battle the reasoning Of philoso.
piers TO account for their actions, 1t