Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-07-03
THE COM H.T.
STARTLING srATEMENTs RELATIVE or OUR
CoXINo VISITOR.

STARTLING sTATEMENTs RELATIVE oS OUR
CoMINo VISITOR.
MIR. Henry NJ. Psi khurst, who has made
careful observations. as he laims, OF the
sppto aching comet, writes 10 the New York
Tribune:
From my own estimate of its length on
the morning of the 18th, after the moon
had set, l determ mined its actual lsngtb at
that time to lie certainly over 900 900
miles. then assumed an increase OF length
OF one-te0th each day, and reached Ihs
startling result that upon Jaly 20 its tail
would actually strike our earth.
On Tuesday evening, June 80, aud On the
following evening. the neon will rise before
thetwilight fairly ends; but on Thursday
evening July =, at half. past nine O'Clock
the comet will be easily seen by tho naked
eye In the northwest, Ono other description
Will be needed) with a tail about five degrees
In length On succeeding evenings the nucleus
will move towards the south, while the tait
Will increase in length, so as to bring the ex-
tremiiy gradually northward. On the l4tn
OF July the head OF the comet Will have
feacaed the horison in the horth west at the
end OF twilight, so that It will not easily DO
Visible alter that date; but the tail will hsvs
extend nearly To the p p1larstar.
Donatis comet had retrogade motion
ahd when the earth met IL, and the tsit
WAS most brilliant, IL was placed nearly ct
right angles with the line OF vision. Ol the
distance is very little greater, coming lust
within the orbit of Venus, moves In tbs
Same direction with the earth, aud nearly
with the same velocity (reduced To the
plane OF the eqnstor), in conssqu enca OF
which ihe tai, whlch is nearly ht right
sBgEs with tho limo OF vision, w III grad 1al-
~ turn towards us, siIli apparently point
ing nearly IN the same direction. IL viii
be reuleul bered that Donatrs comet was
curved likes soldiers plume; but CO ggiss
Is now and will remain nearly straight, he
cause the curvature will he directly from
Us, aud therefore impercsptible. Another
striking difference from the tails OF The
comets generally Is tLa. 1t Will bs so fore
shortened as 10 remark ably Wide at ihs
end.
Ga July H. tae tail will extend far beyond
the pole and develop new Characteristic, tap
erug of raIilly toward the end. Within three
or fur days after the l6lh, the tail will have
become 80 expanded in the neighboihood Of the
pole as TO til large part Of he northern heaS-
Gus. Yet il will not bs q coBspiCious object, be-
cause il will be faint 10 look rather like su
immense cloud. or new mi.ky-way, than What
il really Is. by this time We shall have solved
the question whether the tail is hollow or hiss
a fadiated structure, or what is its constitution
OF the way in which this will end il is n II
safe yet to speak with defnitnsss: for slthougb,
il the iail we're straight. we shG uld lie almost
certainly near the miuuie OF IL On July ~, YET
its curvature will probably delay il two or three
days, and even until the earth has passed hey ond
its path. Taking the best value can from the
records Of previous comets. / should expect the
earth On Jaly 222 TO be wholly within the eastern
edge Of the comets tail. and will assume lhi.
to be the case. The comet will then disappear
TO us; but then, the inhabitants OF the Southern
Hemisphere. who may be igDorsn, of The cause
of the luminosity OF the evening sky. will see il
gradually rise aud pas, away, and will be amsE-
ed by the sudden appaIiiion Of comet of extra
ordinary size and usual brilliarcy, which will
burst upon their vision as unfor-een as the great
comet Of 1861. The gradual dimiuuticn and 6l.
al disappearance of the comet will be so nearly
the converse Of what We shall have witnessed
here that il needs no description.
What will be the effect upon the earth
dare not predict the effect upon the minds OF
men; especially Of the ignorant; bot do not sp-
tcipate any appreciable physical effect farther
than possible electrical phenomena like the au-
rora 1t will, OF course, leave ns portion OF
its atmosphere when il departs. but probably,
net enough 10 affect the barometer. or 10 come
within the cogaiz .nce even Of scientists,