Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1874-07-12
THE COMET.
Ot1riIiu. Developments Head
Of tl.e Comet to be as Scar as
venuS Ever - to the Earth -
Stron- Probability si,nt the Fail
Of the Comet will Enwrap the
Earth an the N5oH.

Earth an the MJess.
fCorresponience Of thu y. Y. Tribune.
Sir: Permit me again to congratulate
Professor Swift upon the discovery OF
what now promises to he the most
wonderful and iu>t ructive comet i'll
the history of the world. Having as
certaincd that the nucleus of tn"
comet WAS moving in satisfactory ac-
cordance with the orbit had comput-
ed, | proceeded on the 10Th instant To
compute the position and probable ap.
Uarent magnitude of the tail. i'll order
to learn whether ii Would he long
enough to extend beyond the
carths orbit. so as to be visible At all
after the head of the comet disap-
pears in the west. From my OWN e>-
Innate of its length on tie morning of
the 18th, at er the moon had set, de
termincd its actual length at that time
to be certainly over 5,ooo,o1o miles. |
then assumed an increase OF length OF
Onc-tenth cach day, AMI reached the
startling result that upon July 2oth its
tail would actually Stitte oa1' egTth.
But knowing that if the tail should not
be long enough to reach Onr orbit. II
would fade away, in the twilight with
out making any unusual display, 1
would not venture to publish my re-
suits wi hout further examination.
With la cr observation of greater ac-
curacv. ! have repeated and extended
my coinpu' a iuiiS, AMI am convinced
in NY opinion that We shall be either
So near the tail of the comet, aS il
sweeps across the celipiic, that 1t VIII
fill large portion oi. the heavens, or.
il the curva ure * not too great. shall
be completely enyelopei within il;
MI nn t,ila hp
i'm the northern hemisphere. although
il is too ear.N We; to determine whether
il NAV not be between the hours Of
dav light III this country. Al the risk
of having erred i'll my Judgment, that
the brightness and con5 5len~a ion of the
nucleus and attendant coma indicate
the formation OF a tail equal to that OF
Donati's comet, which | watched
with so much care, | will Ven
tare some predictions trusting that
they may be received with inorr con
fid.nee than my early predlctIoli>
OF the future of Bona'i'S comet. ami
that they may he as fully confirmed.
On the nth of July tie head Of he
comet will have reached the ioy/en in
the northwest at the end ot twilight,
40 that 1t will not easily he visible after
thai date: but the tan VIII extend
nearly 10 the polar star.
Dona'i'S comet had Il rc'ro|rldc mo-
ton, and when the earth met il, anC:
the tail WAS most brilliant. it was
placed nearly at RIGHT anglsS with the
line of Vision. ON The Other hand. his
come, whose r"rih"llon distance i
very little greater. coming llI>t vi h!n
the Orbit of Venus, moves III the same
dire ion With the earth. and nearly
with the same veloci,y fe lacel 10 the
~,l
of " ic.l the taii, which i HOW nearly
at right aii"icS with the line of vision,
will gradually turn toward u~, >till
apptrcu lN pointing nearly III the same
direction. 1t wili he rcnurrhcr that
bonl,l'S comet WaS curved like Il sol
dier'S plume; hut tog9ia'S comet is
NOW and Will remain nearly straight,
because the curvature Viii be directly
from Us. and therefore impcrcep.ihle.
Another striking difference from the
tails oI con!c,s generally. is that II viii
be 81 tprr,hor enc rs To lic rcnarha
bly, Wid II tht. en- |.
ON Julv l6.h the tail will eXtcnl far
beyond the pole, and develop Il nets
Characteristic, taper.n! OF rapidly
toward The cul Nithin three OF four
day al er the l6,lI. the tail Will have
becplI" 81 expanded in the iLhhor-
hood OF the pole A. 10 fill u large p:ilt
Of the northern heavens. e. il will
no, be Il conspicuous ohiec., because il
will hc 50 faint a> To- lpul, IA h"r like
an immense cloud. OF 4 u..FI 'nilkN-
Way" than what il r. allN i. BN this
time We shall have solved The question
wlie:hrr the tail is hollow. or has 4
rad.a' ed strueturc, or What is its con
situ ion.
OF the w;,y in which this Will end,
it Is uo; safe ye, to speak with definite
ness; for a, hCugh, if the tail We're
strai. lIt, we should be calmost certainly
near il on July .Oth, Vet lis curNa urc
Will probably delay it two OF thrIc
DAYS, and even until the carsh has
passed beyond its path. Taking the
best value | can from the records OF
prey iou> comets. | should cNpec; the
earth. on July 22d, to he " holly within
the eastern edge OF the comet : tail; and
l " iii assume this to be the ease. The
Comet ~itl ,.cA disappear To rs; but
then the inhab.tantS of the >out hcrn
htmi ,ilhere. who may lie ignorant OF
the ciiI>e OF the lunino-i Y o: the eve
ming sky. Will see il gradually rise and
Ia>> away. and viii he amazed 10y the
sudden appari,ion of IA comet of ezra
ordinary size and usual bri.liancN
which Will burst upon their Vision as
unforeseen us the great comet OF 1851.
The gradual dlminut;on and final dis
appearance of the comet will be 50
nearly the converse OF What we shall
have Witnessed here that 1t needs 10
/ description.
What will bc the effect nran the
'ar;h: | dare not predict the effect
upon the minds of men, especially OF
the ignorant but | do not anticipate
any further appreciablc physical effect
further than possibly electrical phc-
nomcna like The aurora. 1t will. of
course. lea, Z lis some OF its almost here
Mhcn ii departs, but. probably not
enough - affect the barometer, or to
come within the Coen iZalco even oi
scientists. Elit there may b., hy pos
sihi'nN, one permanent effect ot scicn-
iciiitcrest and curiosity. ifthe earth
should not entirely escape, the moon
vii also rroh.thty he Involved, and il
wiilal>o rc.ain = portion OF Evcoinrt-
AIRY >lIb>.;in " the amount of the
a:nn~ phere upon the moon surface is
noH - small. If, iideJd, there i amy
a all, that i, !, unreCugnlI1tlc 10y thc
incest astronomical scrutiny. perhaps
aiter the passage ot the comet Ne shall
lind that nerceiogth HE moon Nit, isaNc
an atmosphere, of greater OF less dcii>i-
~, which will materially m0ttifv the
phenomena of occuita, ions ami solar
cclip>es. | Will add that Venus j.
safely on of In" way. 80 that the tran
sit expedition viii nut he n:erterel
with Icy the great come. ot ISL.
In GuH3fS iSfroltslRtcTi .i,uYHri.
Professor Pierce has developed means
"i computing With q "a, accuracy, from
observed phenomena. the form ot the
tan al Il comet. | intend, ~ soon ~
stall have the necessary nlatcri... to