Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-08-16
THE APPROACHING COMET.
Interesting Paper from an InteIIi-
gent Correspondent.

since by q morning c~OtempOrary, to
the effect that it was within its range
of possibility for the comet, now
bound in the direction of the nOrth,
and coming at. g speed of $4,000
miles an hour, more of less, to come
in collision with our sphere and knock
things "higher mol a kite" brings
out a friend of this Journal in an in
teresting article on the subject OF
heavenly bodies generally and comets
particularly. He writes:
ARTICLES Of this sort (referring to
the paragraph above spoken of, pub
Iished ia papers without comments,
are apt to mislead the young and un-
Informed, and to frighten people with
fears which are needless, and which
are fonnd to be totally grOunGtS&s
when we have correct information.
Comets are bodies ofG numerous class,
which appear to belong to the solar
system, and = gOueTRed By the same
harmonious lars aChieh regulate and
control all the other hedUeR(y bodies.
The number of comets that have oc-
casionally appeared within the limits
of the solar system is YaFiously esti-
mated from $50 to 500. The paths or
orbits of about 50 have been calcu-
lated from observation of the times at
which they most nearly approached
the suns their distance from the sun.
and the earth at these times; the
direction of their movements, whether
from east to west, or from westto east,
and the places in the armament at
which their orbits crossed that of the
earth, and their inclination tG ii.
"The result is, that Of these ninety
eight, twenty-four passed 6ett1eeR the
sun and Mercury, thirty-three passed
between Mercury and Venus, twenty
one between Venus and the earth,
sixteen between the earth and Mars,
three between Mars and Ceres, and
one between Ceres and Jupiter; that
fifty of these comets moved from east
to west; that their orbits were in
clined at every possible angle to that
of the earth. Comets in their reyolu-
ton describe long narrow Ovals, They
approach very neal the sun in one of
the ends of these ovals, and when
they are i nthe opposite end of their
orbit, their distance is immensely
great.
Newton calculated the velocity of
the comet of 1850 to be $50, 900 miles
per hour. This comet was remarka-
bic for its near approach to the sun,
being nc farther than $4,000 miles
from it, which is but little more than
half the suns diameter. BrydOne
calculated that the velocity of q comet
which he observed at Palermo in
1770, W Is at the rate of two millions
and a half miles an hour. The iumin-
Gus stream or tail of a comet fol.
lows it as it approaches the
sun, land goes before it when it re-
cedeS from the sun. The substance of
the tail of comets is so rare that stars
may be seen distinctly through it.
The tails of comets differ greatly in
length. Some are attended by only a
small cloudy light, while the length
Of the tail of others has been estimated
at fifty to eighty million of miles.
1t is said that in l454 the moon
was eclipsed by a comet; the comet
must therefore have been less than
240, 900 miles from the earth.
"Some comets have exhibited the
appearance of two or more tails; the
great comet of 1744 had six. Many
escape observation because
hey traverse that part of the heavens
)nly which is above the horizon in
daytime. They are therefore lost
n the briiliancy 0fthe sun, and can be
seen only when a total eclipse of the
takes place. Seneca, Sixty years
Christ, states that a large comet
was actually observed very near the
Iun during an eclipse. DR.. HALEY,
Prof. Encke and Gambart are the first
astronomers that ever successfully pre-
iicted the return of a comet. The
periodical time of Halleg's comet is
about seyenty-six years. Itappeared
asst in the year 1885, and presented
appearances from different
of observation.
1.-The comet of 1853, the return of
which was predicted by DR..
was regarded with great
interest by astronomers be-
its return was predicted
But four revolutions before, in 1856 If
vas l0Okssd upon withthe utmost hor-
OF. Its long tail spread consterna-
ion over Europe, already terrified by
turkish arms. Pope Callixtus on
his occasion ordered q prayer In
which both the comet and the Turk 1
included in one anathema.
'carcely a year or month now elapses
Without the appearance ofa comet in
system But 10 is now k5aoson that
hey are bodies of such extreme rarity
Eat onr clouds are MdSsiUe IN compqri-
On rith them. They have no more
lensity than the air under an ex-
lausted receiver.
Herschel saw stars of the 9th mag
itude through a thickness of 10000
1iles of coYetie matter. The number
fcometsin existence within the COM /,
ass Of the solar system is stated by
stronomers as over seven millions. !
1.-THE above facts are drawn from {
uthentic history, and the works of |
he greatest astronomers ofthe world, /
Q that if the comet comes in contact !
nth our earth We will never perceive I
for Mr. Babihet, the great French {
nnomer, says comets cannot ex- s
7@riai influence on our ]