The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-07-03
CHARACTER OF THE COMET.
Views of Professors Eastman, Of the Ma
tiOnal Observatory, and Henry, of the
Smithsonian Institution-A Nameless
Gaseous Ball Without Influence Upon
the Earth or Its Atmosphere.

tiOnAA observatory, una kkehFy, Oh the
Smithsonian Institution-A Nameless
Gaseous Ball without Influence Upon
the Earth or Its Atmosphere.
WASHINGTON. July 2, 1874.
In a visit to the National Observatory this morn
ing in reference to the comet, your correspond
ent, alter introducing himself to Admiral DAVIS.
turned over to Professor Eastman with the
remark that
"rne Professor will cheerfully give you all the
information on the subject IN his possession"
He diI so, first, IN the following statement
''This Is known as Coggia's comet OF 1874. twas
discovered at Marsees by M Coygia on the l7th
OF April last. At that time the nucleus rather
faint but there were evidences OF an appendage,
which has since developed into well marked tai
The nucleus has steadily increased in brightness
and now presents the appearance OF patch OF
PURE WHITE LIGHT
of about the size of "a star OF the second magni-
tude. This is surrounded with nebulous haze OF
about twenty five seconds OF an arc which dlsap-
pears When the field OF the telescope is illum-
mated Outside OF this Is what is known as the tal
which stretches away from the nu cleus in the dl-
rectiol from the SUM-
seThe comet will reach that point tits perihelion>,
in its path the sun, about the Sth OF July,
but will be nearest the earth and brightest about
the Goth OF July It's least distance from the earth
will be about that Of Venus"
sUPERsTITIOUs ALARMS
The reports about the disasters which will occur
should the comets tail come in contact with the
earth purely sensational since 1t IS well known
that stars as small as the ninth magnitude have
been distinctly observed through the densest por-
ton of the nucleus of comets. No influence what
ever on the weather, the climate or the health OF
the inhabitants OF our planet from comets has ever
Deen determined.
Next in the course OF the conversation were the
following questions and answers
.Can you give the distance OF TINS comet rom
the earth at the present time and the speed ut
which he is travelling reduced to miles ~
co,c"jat,ons reauired 70 determine these points,
and you know that IN the progress OF comets tow
ards the sun their speed Is so rapidly increased
and to such astonishing velocity III turning the
sun that In determining their movements from day
to day nightly calculations are necessary, We take
our observations now and make our calculations
more deliberately"
A HARMLESS TAI.
'YOu have no idea that the tail or this comet can
possibly brush the earth our moon and cause
thereby important atmospheric cnangesr
"on, no! It is surprising that intelligent men
can indulge In such absurdties. do not believe
that this comet, for instance, IN lis nearest APP
proach to the earth, Will have IS much efect upon
thunder shower on our Atlantic coast has upon the
atmosphere over san Francisco"
chow much longer to us Will this comet be vsl-
ble2"
well down to the horizon at Wright about the l2h
Of this month. On the Pacific Slope. particularly
down towards Mazatlan II Will De visible for some
days longer, and a month hence they Will probably
be able to see 1t in Australia. But u month hence
this comet Will have swept over milIions OF miles
III its retirement or repuslon rom the SUM-"
THE INFLUENCE OF THE SUN.
"But how is 1t that these comets are drawn to
the sun from SUCH Uncomfortable distances outside
our solar system. ana then. when rushing as II to
plunge into mis- fiery furnace. how Is 1t That they
are swept round him, and often so near that the
heat in which they are enveoped would be SUM-
Gent to reduce our globe to gas, and how is 1t that
emerging from this tremendous heat unframed,
these comets are repealed from the sun into the
vacuum beyond our solar system to return again
in their circuits OF Ave. ten, fifteen, fifty or nun
81 must refer you to Professor Proctor's lectures
for the answer which would give you to these
questions. But how such al attenuated gaseous
body as a comet can pass within the heat of the
sun, as you suggest, without being consumed, Is u
most interesting problem still unsettled"
ATTENUATION OF THE GAS
"And are come Is never anything but attenuated
"Never anything more, so far as they have been
carefully observed. Through the nucleus OF the
comet OF 1851 saw stars OF tue nlnth magnitude,
and the nucleus OF this appears quite as trans
parent. lnaeed, this Is but 4 Iourtn class comet,
reduced TO ball SOLID matter, you could prob
PROFESSOR HENRY's VIEWS.
Professor Joseph Henry. Secretary OF the Smith
sonian Institution, says he has not yet made obser
vatlons OF the Coggia comet, and does not believe
Il will be visible long enough to ASTRONOMERS, In
this country az least, to make any extended OOser
yations Its rapid movement toward the earth,
he says, can be compared to the approach OF an
engine with O head light. But nothing can be seen
USE OF THE sPEcTRosCoPE.
That winch Is likely TO be most valuable to the
scientific world is the use OF the spectroscope, to
ascertain the composition OF the cometary
has lever been ter ted upon a comet and 1t is ex.
pected that there viii now be given to scientists
an opportunity Of applying 1t to this luminous
THE STORM PREVENTS OBSERVATIONS
From the Observatory there are tonight
Indications all around the sky OF neighboring
thunder storms, and the heavens are gl0Omy over.
cast. All astronomical observations are rendered
impossible as the comet canno. be seen through
the dense clouds. The party OF scientists and
journalists left the observatory at halipast nine
O'Clock.
What the Yale Professors Say Concern
ing the Comet.
NEW HAVEN, July 9, 1874.
Considering the great interest felt at the present
time in everything pertaining to the comet your
correspondent called yesterday on Professor New
ton and Professor Lyman, OF Yale College, to get
their views scientists. The comet has been the
subject Of much speculation for several weeks
past among the college professors, and the pro-
lessons above named give their views In succinct
form in the following statements:-
PROFESSOR NEwToN's VIEWS.
This comet, so far as he can Judge is going to
travel directly south, away from the North STAR
1t will grow in brightness for some ten days. After
that the nucleus will get SO near the sun as prob
ably to be invisible In the strong twilight.
1t will pass almost directly between US
and the sun, about the 10Th or 20th oil
july Az that time the tail, If long enough,
may stretch out across our heavens, though II
short or too diIuse 1t may not be at all visible. IL
! Is airiy within the possibilities that the eartn VIII
strike through the tail but the result would De TO-
/ tally mappreclaole either IN the si9hb OF III any
! effect on our weather Aiter passing the sun the
comet can be seen by persons only IN the Southern
Hemisphere. IL will be nearest 10 us about the
2lst OF july being then 20, 100000 OF miles from us
This motion and these distances are obtained IRON
computations made by DR.. Tetjen, OF Berlin IL Il
possible that the observations which DR.. Tietler
! yas all IN ma suflCeut