The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-07-11
Vie Comet.


he heavens is creating quite a lively
interest among scientific people as we'll .
As the un scientific Many, especially +
the ignorant aud superstitious, believe
that the appearance Of comets fore
bode numberless evils, among which
may be enumerated "war, pestilence
aud famine :" and also exhibit a ner-
as to the possibility Of their
coming in contact with the earth or
some other planet OF satellite Of our
solar system producing wreck of
matter aud crush of worlds. To allay
all such fears as the latter we clip the
following interview of Cincinnati
Commercial reporter with Professor
Vaughan of that city, a man of rare
scientific attainments, aud held in the
highest esteem both in this country
and Europe
Rcporter-This comet has a tail.
Professor Faughan-Ie e., and il will
enloge in proportion as the comet APP
proachcs the sun.
Rep 81 notice that some one pre-
dicted that this comet will collide with
our earth
Prof. V-Such fears have been en-
tcrtained upon the appearance OF every
remarkable comet, but they are with
out foundation, and arise principally
from ignorance Of the laws Of celestial
movements As to this comet, there
is as little possibility of aseollision as
! there ia betwcen two steanfc Rs % ne
/ plying on the Hudson aud the other
on the Mississippi.
/ Rep.-Has ever any cometary mat
/ ter fallen to the earth
4 Prof VA recent Italian astrono-
mer contends that the November me-
! teors come from n comet. For the
essay in which this theory was advan.
ced he obt&iued the Copley medal from
the Roya! Society in London.
Rep.-Was ever that medal received
in this country?
Prof. V.-Frauklin received it foi
the discovery of electricity in light
ming.
Rep-W here do comets come from
Prot V.-Muny of them are per
maneut members of our system. Ac
cordiug to some astronomers comet:
travel from one solar system from ez
ternal space, aud 90 of never 60 &c
turn.
Rep.-Has this comet ever visite.
our system before?
Prof N.-The fact can not be state,
with precision until further observa
ton. In the case Of comets which
depart very far into space calculation
based on observations are not very re
liable, and therefore nothing positive
can be stated at the present time re
speeding its former or future visits Il
our domain of the solar system.
Rep.-lias the earth ever been strucl
by cOmet(
Prof. VI we limit the age of tn
earth to six thousand years, we ma,
answer the question in the negative
because the. Indications Of such a col
li-ion would be preserved by the eartl
at the present time but it, according
to some biologists, our globe has ex
isted for many millions of years, it i
not wholly improbable that collision
might have occurred in that vast perio,
OF time.
Rep-You speak of indications.
What would they be?
Prof. VT the comet had an,
considerable mass, the earth woult
change lis Rxes of rotation. Tb
change, however. would not be per
~ ~ -st ~ 4 = fh biffft of to nan ne
centuries places on the globe woul,
change their latitude. After million
Of years these changes would dis
appear.
Rep.-What Is accurately known
about comets
Prof Y.-Thoy move like all bodies
obedicut to the laws of gravity an,
motion, but their orbits, instead 0
being nearly circular, deviate yer,
widely from circles. They Gescrib
very nearly paraboles in their circuit
There are = few exceptions, however
to the rule. OF The numerous comet
whish have appeared, only Il lew hay
been recognized as periodically return
ing to our part of the solar system
OF these Halley's comet is the mos
remarkable This is the comet tina
produced such CONSERVATION IN Europ
In 1851, when the Turks had take
Constantinople, and the appearance O
the comet was regarded as forebodiu
far greater calamities to the huma
race. 1t appeared again in 1881, j
1907 and 1852, Huiley, at that time
predicted its next return in 1859,
, prediction which was fulfilled. It
last appearance was in the year 1885,
1t should appear again about the yea
! 1ofJ