Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-07-08
The Comet.

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of ownership, though not of possession
follows discovery in these matters, the
strange vi>itant grows bright and brighter
under the name of Coggia's comet. Boil
the astronomer and his long haired star .
were unknown to fame but their time ha,
cone. and each is hcnceforth a celebrity
Though we may err in saying that the
comet is a stranger and unknown, us yet ii
certainly has not been recognized by the
astronomers. There is, it is true, a comet
due. Flamsteed's comet of 1850 has .
period of 1913 years and should be along
about now, but if this had been it of course
the announcement would have been made
long ago by the knowing ones. We can
not even say whether Flamsteeds was the
great comet of 1850 or 2 lesser fellow
which the English astronomer found while
tie rest of the world was gazing at the
big one.
There Is evidently Il great dead more
written concerning comets than is known
about them, and we are conscious that, not
having private astronomer ut hand, we
are decidedly liable to 90 astrAy in at
tempting to tell anything relating to these
Bohemians of the sky. There are two
kinds of them. One kind goes off and
comes back, and the other kind come sand
goes off In other words there are comets
that make their trips regularly about the
sun, many of them having periods of rev
olution that have been accurately deter
mined, while there are others that drawn
in their wanderings through space by the
sun, sweep around it and are away again
never to return The orbits of such as
make regular revolutions are ellipses, and
it is sometimes difficult to determine
whether Il new comet belongs to the one
class, or the other as it may need close OBJ
servations to determine whether the line
on which it moves is an ellipse OIL para
bola. If the latter, the comet is a stranger
that comes but once.
There are twenty or more comets whose
time of revolution has been quite accurate
" determined. Two or three, Encke's and
Bielas are frequent visitors to the sun, the
former having period of 1908 days and
the latter Of 2400. The most famous OF
the periodical comets as yet is that OF
HALEY, who in 1862 determined that a
great comet Of that year was identical with
one that had appeared in 1881 and 1907
Halleys comet returned in 1859 and again
in 1885, and is Il very brilliant one. The
great comet of 1850 WAS Il remarkable one
but rs we have stated we have no means Ill
hand of telling whether it is the same rs
Flamstecd's whose period of revolution i,
1913 years in length. The comet of Charles
Y. in 1876 is supposed to have been I
periodical one and TO have been the SAME
that came in 1864, but in that case it i,
already several years overdue.
The comets that came in olden times
frightened people wonderfully, and were
considered us prcsaging dire events. War
famine and the plague were the horror,
that followed in their train according tC
the belief Of the beholders. and they
brought more light than cheer to the PEG
pies of the mid,lle ages. But in theS,
days they are welcome, especially to rs
troncmers and those who delight to SEE
some new thing.
The present century has proved, 50 far
quite famous for its big comets, and so nc
ceptable to astronomers and the curious
The two largest comets were those of 1871
and 1913, the tails Of these two stretchn!
over the vast distances of 80 and $50 mil
lions of miles respectively. Halley's come
also apPcaredin 1885 after 1G years absence
and was Il prominent object in the heaven
for several months. June =. 1858, Donat
discovered Il new comet which grew il
brilliancy for several months. and in the fil
of that year was magnificent object. Tn
last of September Donati's comet wa
some fifty millions of miles from the earth
and its tlil had stretched to like distance
This comet proved one of the most inter
e>,ing that has appeared, but the "men o
the present generation " need not expec
to see it again. rs it will not return fo
about two thousand years.
The last of June, 1861, a brilliant come
appeared suddenly in the skies of TIN
northern hemisphere. 1t had been 70
several weeks visible to jewellers in tn
southern hemisphere is Coggia's comet i
now to Us, and ut the last of June sudden
ly appeared to us in full splendor, as COG
gia's comet will to them in Il few weeks
The comet of 1861 was, from its near an
proach to the earth, one of the most bril-
liant spectacles of its kind ever witnessed
Its tail, though but fifteen millions mile
in length, stretched over an are Of 11S de
grees. much longer one than that occu
pied by Donati's comet The comet c
1861 approached within thirteen million
of miles of the earth; nearer than it vii
come again. for it was not regular visi
tant of the solar system, and is now nc
only on its way to realms far distant bu
left no indications Of any intention to re
turn. 1t left the month after it appeare
to us, and was the last comet of imposin,
views till the present one of Coggias.
This last named is now visible in th
northern skies, and for the next ten day
will grow in brilliancy and approach tn
earth. 1t is easily found now in clea
evening ut some distance below and to tn
right of the 4" dipper." Its tail is assum
ing goodly proportions, being now severa
millions of miles in length and CROWN.
fast. This appendage is to be Haunted al
most in the face of the venerable plane
on which we have or being, and in fac
there is some hope " that we may be hi
by it. At any rate the tail of comet is S,
very thin that we may still be happy. 1t i
= l. ~