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

measured by the micrometer-a work of unsur.
passed dalicacy-from star in the same field
At the end Of several hours his labors are re-
warded BY the discovery of new nebula, or
the slow but decisive motion of new Comet.
1t is moment of intense feeling. A new globe
has hove il sight from the utmost bounds of
humanvision. Whittier has it come; and whittier
is it goingf What is its distance from the earth
and from the sun? When will it be nearest to
the earth, and when to the sun? What is its
velocity and magnitude? Will it ever become
visible to the naked eye? and has il ever before
appeared within the memory of man, or on the
records Of history? These are questions that
he cannot Immediately answer. His mind, aid.
ed by the most powerful analysis, penetrstes
into the secret workings of the Infinite Mind,
and by mysterious process evolves the answers
to his queries.
Three complete observations, made on three
different days, or longer intervals of time, fur
nish him with the basis of his calculations of
the unknown particulars of the comet. They
are technically called the e1emeats Of its orbit
With thek three great celestial marks, he pro-
ceeds to the calculation of the elements, q work
of exceeding great labor and difficulty. It is
problem of pure geometry and the illustri.
GUS Newton, who first solved this gigantic prob.
lem and applied it successfully to the great
comet of 1880, pronounced it Problema longe
dibtfcilimttm,." A distinguished American as.
tronomer of the last century, Rittenhouse OF
Philadelphia, was the first American that solved
the problem. He computed the elements OF
the comet of ITO, and says of it, in letter to
the President of the American Philosophical
Society, " Herewith I send you the fruit OF
three or four days labor, during which have
covered several sheets, and literally drained my
inkstsnd several times. Our celebrated coun.
trynIan and neighbor, DR.. Bowditch, computed
the elements of the great comet of 1907, and
the still greater one of 1911, the latter yet re-
membered by all our aged citizens, a. appear
ing in the autumnal months of that year, which
"Burned
In the arctic sky, and from its horrid hair
Shook pesience, and war; 4.
In l849, the learned world in America and
Europe was astonshed at the production of the
elliptic elements of the first comet of that year
| by the wonderful Stafford, then only fourteen
| years of age. No mathematical genius in the
| history of our race has ever achieved such an
honor at so early An age.
| The late King of Denmark, great patron
of astronomy, in the last years of his life, de-
creed that gold medal should be awarded tc
| the first discoverer of comet. Miss Maris
Mitchell, of Nantucket, discovered comet in
Octoper, 1c4f, ana received therefor GOMEZ
medal, and was further honored by being made
a member of the American Academy of Arti
and Sciences. The King soon after deceased
other purposes. The discontinuance of thu
| Denmark medal has not in the least degrees
abated the zeal of the astronomers. The dis
covery of the same comet by different astrono
mers in different parts of the world, on the
same night, or within few days of each other
attest their unremitting vigilance Nesobury
| port Herald