The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-03
the COMET AS SEEN BIZ PROFESSOR MITCHELL
TIE ASTRONOMER, AT THE CINCINNATI OBJ
SERYATORY N


Professor Mitchell Of the Cincinnati Observatory has
been observing the comet and he gives the following
description Of it, He says IL has been steadily approach
ing the EARTH aud ia direction nearly eoncdent with
the visual ray that but for the reliable computations Of
Astronomers might wen excite anticipation Of fear
full collision with own planet Indeed, throughout
the present month IL TO have been pungng down
ward exactly toward the earth that II seafcey changed
its apparent place among the fixed stars by quantity
larger than two three times the apparent diameter Of
the moon.
1t win reach It's nearest approach TO the in few
days Its brlancy will increase rapidly up TO the close
of the first week in October when IL will put its most
splendid appearance and will then rival in grandeur the
famous comet of HALEY at its last return in 1886 The
comet will soon Commence TO change direction, at first
slowly, aferward more rapidly, from the earth,
when sweeping swiftly around the sun, 1t will regain
those distant regions Of space wherein vast proportion
Of It's orbit lies far beyond the reach Of telescope vision
On the evening Of the 25th of September the appear
ance Of the comet in the great reactor of the Cincinnati
Observatory, especially interesting. The central
portion, nucleus, examined with powers varying
from hundred TO FIVE hundred without presenting any
evidence Of we'll defined planetary disc II was bril-
liant glow Of light, darting and flashing forward in the
direction Of the motion toward the SUM- and leaving the
region behind In comparative obscurty But the most
wonderful physical feature presented portion of
nearly circular ntbuious r1y with its vortex directed to-
ward the sun, the bright nucleus beg In the CENTRE
while the imperfect ring swept than half way round
the luminous centre. This nebulous ring resembed
those which sometimes escape from steamppe, and
did not exhibit the appearance which ought to be pre-
scented by hollow hemsphercal envelope Of nebulous
matter. There was evident concentration Of light
ia the central portions Of the ring while in the
OF hollow envelope, the brightest portion should
be at the outer edge. BY micrometrcal measure
ment the distance from the central point to the cir
cumfcrepce Of the ring was found to be about 5000
niles This would give diameter Of eighteen Thousand
miles, In the ring was entire. Similar measure
ments nadc Oh the evening of the 26th Of September
indicated decided increase in the radius Of the ring
which was not less than twelve thousand miles in
length On the evening noticed the fact that the
luminous envelope did not blend itself into the head por
ton of the tall but appeared somewhat to penetrate into
this nebulous mass especially the upper part present
ing the appearance Of about 200 degrees of spiral
The tail the 25th decidedly brighter and better
defined the upper than the lower portion while
the evening of the 26th there much nearer APP
proach to equality in Brightness especially the head
Of tho comet Through the telescopes and the head
the tail presented the appearances Of hollow heblos
cnvel pc under the form Of parabolod Of revolution
the edges behg brightest and well defined, while there
manifest fading away Of light toward the central
region. Through the vast depth Of nebuous matter
composing this wonderful appendage the fanest teIe
scopic stars shone with undiminshed brightness.