Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-11-16

The approach Of Encke's comet to the
field of our vision will give interest To q
few remarks ON these remarkable and &C.
centric bodies Their extraordinary APP
pearance caused them 10 he regarded in
ancient times with superstitious terror, and
as prognostications OF war and other great
disasters Their ominous aspect is height
ened by their visiting our part Of the
heavens from all directions, and crossing
the usual west to east course OF the planets
at ali possible angles Moreover, the train
Of faint light which they leave behind
them is substance so extremity thin that
the smallest stars may be seen drought II I;
and it is so slightly pondcrable that the
proximity of comet of 200, 600, 600 miles
in length seldom dis.urbs the equilibrium
of any body near which it may happen to
pass.
But that it has weight we have evidence,
for the velocity Of comets diminishes. a
fact which also determines that the ether
of illimitable space is resisting medium,
sensible to body of such inappreciable
tenuity However, the matter in comet
is so small in weight that the comet of
ITO was involved, as it were, among Ju-
pliers satellites for some months, without
any disturbance of either TO the slightest
degree. The comet of the year 1910 is an
exception to this rule. In that year it was
seen to be moving in the usual eliiptical
orbit, having a period Of five and one-haf
years. But on calculating its time, astron-
omers found that il had passed very near
the planet Jupiter. the attraction of which
immense body had disturbed IFS course TO
a remarkable degree. and this accounts for
its being unrecogniZed by the scientific
world, its period, previous to the pretur-
baton, having been 40 years II returned
to the sun in 1916, but was not visible to
us. Again, i'm 1879, ii was so attacked by
the same planet that its orbit was changed
into one of 'l6 years, with a peribelion, or
nearest to the sun. distance OF zoo, 900 900
miles ; and ii has never since come to our
view. The period Of revolution of Encke's
comet has diminished by about three
days, in 80 years, that is, in about % rev.
olutiOns
The great discovery that led to a com
prehension Of the nature of the orbits of
comets was made by Dr. Haley, that emf
nent astronomer asserting that the great
comet of the year 1852 was identical with
those of 1907, 1881, and 1856, and fore
telling its temperance in 1859. 1t was
retarded, however, between one and two
years, and reappeared in 1885 Its next
visitation will be in the year 1912, or there
abouts History mentions appearances of
this comet as far back as the year IL 3. c.
There is little reason to doubt that the
earth passed through the tail of the comet
Of 1861. Mr. J. X Hind, the British
Astronomer Royal, predicted that the
transit would take place on Sunday, June
30, of that year, and Mr.. Lowe another Enc
lish astronomer, reports that, on the even
ing of that day. the sky had a yellow
auroral, glare-like look and the sun.
though shining, gave but feeble light
The comet was plainly visible at 7:45 p
m, during sunshine, while on subsequent
evenings it was not seen till an hour later.
In the parish church, the vicar had the
pulpit candles lighted at o'clock, which
proves that sensation of darkness was
felt even while the sun was shining. The
comet itself had much more hazv an
pearance than at any time after that even
ing. "-[Scientific American.