The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-24
ENcKE's COMETS EXPECTED APPEARANCE.

Encke's comet is due, says the Providence Journal,
and the star gazers are turning their telescopes to
the skies in the hope OF discovering the presence Of
the expected visitor 1t is interesting chiefly for per-
forming its revolution within the boundaries Of the
solar system for the comparatively short period with
In which its revolution takes place. and for the rea
son that we know more about it than we do OF those
vast ethereal creations which visit our system and
then rush Off into space
Encke's comet, although it was really discovered
bv NJ. Pons on its return in 1916, was seen four
times before its identity was determined. IL was
frst detected by French discoverer In 1855, then
by Miss Caroline Herschel In 1895, again by
Astronomers began to mark the similarity Of
the orbits OF the four comets, and NJ. Encke, by
combining the observations that had been made de-
mOnstrated that 1t was one and the same comet
which had appeared at these different times. Encke
then predicted its return In 1922 the position which
1t would occupy among the stars, and also that 1t
would only be seen in the southern hemisphere. He
had the happiness Of finding his predictions verified
by the observations of an astronomer in New South
Wales. Since this time there have been thirteen
returns OF this eccentric visitor to its perihelion
every one Of which has been predicted with the
The orbit o: Encke's comet is an epse inclined at
an angle OF thirteen degrees to the plane OF the
earths orbit. At its nearest point 1t is 81, 900 600
miles and at its most remote point it is $1,000 600
miles from the sun. Its perihelion Is between the
sun and Mercury, and its aphelion is between Jul
piter and the Asteroids Its motion, like that OF the
planets is from west to east, and its revolution Is
completed about l,2l0 days. SUBJECT 10
which is caused by the disturbing influences OF the
planetary masses near which 1t comes in its eccentric
course.
Enckes comet is by no means a remarkable one.
1t is telescope comet and consists OF circular
patch OF nebuous light, few minutes OF an arc In
diameter and somewhat condensed toward the CEN
tire. Though usually only visible through telescope
1t has been distinctly seen by the naked eye. Such
was its appearance in 1925 when IL was In q favor
able condition for observation. and its light was
equivalent 10 that OF star OF the nth magnitude.
At common times there Is no trace OF TAIL but on
occasions slight one has been discerned, once
as a faint brush OF light extending frcm the comet
towards the sun and again with second appendage
opposite the FIRST We shall not enter into scientific
details upon the dilatation and contraction OF It's
volume as it approaches to recedes from the sun;
neither shall we philosophize upon its extreme
tenuy so that stars OF the eleventh magnitude may
be through its transparent substance; neither
shall calculate mathematically the effect upon its
motion OF its vicinity TO the planetary oTbs within
the sphere Of whose attraction It yields obedience to
the universal law.
The little star has its mission. BY observations on
It's excessive perturbatons' when nearest Jupiter,
the mass OF the huge planet was more accurately de-
termined, and, In the same manner, when IT was
error was detected i'm La Places value OF Mer-
curys mass. This corrected value ia the one
adopted IN the american Ephemeris and Nautical
Almanac
During July the comet rises half an hour after
midnight, and the 10th OF the month its place was
midway between the Pleiades and loata Aurigae,
and the 28th 1t is between Iota Aurigae and Beta
Tauri. Astronomers all over the world are sweeping
carefully its track with their telescopes.