The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-07-08
ABOUT COMETS.

Professor Parkhurst, Of New York, who ha
been suddenly brought into prominence i
visitor now visible every evening in the north
ern sky, has been publishing some rather sen
sational statements He estimates that on tn
35th June the tail of the comet was 5000, OO'
miles long; that it was increasing one-tentl
every twenty-four hours, and that it would o
certainty actually strike the earth about tn,
I'D Of this month We have no doubt it viii
all happen, and will not attempt to contradic
the Professors statements, but we will supply
what they do not-an Ineligible and definite
explanation, which will set at rest any appre
hension that may exist in the minds of timid
persons. Having consulted the best author.
ties, we will cite the circumstances of the
visi Is of great comets heretofore.
The ancients regarded them with terror,
and even in modern times-in fact, almost up
to the present century superstition and ig-
norance have associated them with various
great calamities that have contemporaneously
or subsequently been visited upon mankind
But science has done so much to unravel the
mysteries Of the universe and dispel the pop
ular fctions concerning them, and astronomy,
Particularly during the present century, has
made such rapid strides, that at this late day
We can look upon these eccentric wanderers
through space with feeling of curiosity only
a I'd without the slightest fear
long time ago it was thought that comets
did not belong to the planetary system, but
that they were meteors, or Of meteoric origin
no more, in fact, than what are popularity
known as shooting stars But the telescope
and other inventions for the assistance OF
astronomers have enabled them to make such
careful and accurate observations as to COM
pletely overturn this theory, and their motions
have proven SO regular as to render it possible |
TO predict their course with as much certainty |
Is those Of other heavenly bodies "This
and constancy evidently indicate ]
durable bodies, and it is safe to conclude that I
subject to different movement"
"They resemble ordinarily mass of vapor at
he center of which is commonly seen nu-
leus more or less distinctly terminated
some, however, consist merely to ali appear
nee OF light vapor, other stars being dis
inctly visible through it.
During their revolution, they experience va
iations in their brightness which appear to
,,po,, kho;r Ioko uoo Ero,,, a,x,, ,,,, |
IDLY because the sun inhames them by its
eat" They are consequently brightest when
t the perihelion or nearest the sun, and then
adually pale until impercephble.
The tail is not, always an accompaniment {
great many have had none whatever, while
'me have had such slight evidence Of them !,
J to render the appendage almost invisible. t
hat of 1885 had none, and the comet of 1868
rs without it, while the comet of 1852 was de-
ribed as being as round and bright as Jupi- T
r. Some have had numerous tails. One t
hich appeared in 1744, having sir, spread C
Re fan to distance Of 30 degrees. u
The comet which appeared in 1856 had
il 60 degrees long. That of 1913 was 100 Il
grees long, so that when the head reached :
e middle of the heavens the tail had not "
zen above the horizon In 1880 a great CT
met appeared with tail 20 degrees long. "
lie comet set after the sun while its i'm = =,
,nse tail continued visible all night. st
The comet of 1859 had a tail s. degrees W
lg, that of 1863 more than 80 degrees that u
Al,,A |
e. s
speaking. these were all 10
nners as the reader will readily admit al
Their movements have been computed so as
rs that a few instances may not prove un- ia
resting. o. on
The great astronomer, DR.. HALEY, OBJ ri.
we'd that the comets of 1881, 1907 and 1882 Nj
about the same elements, and concluded by
y belonged to the same comet which in ~
years made two revolutions, its period NJ
ng about 76 years. It actually appeared in tai
3, proving the correctness Of his observa- ap
IS. The intervals of its return were not
stantly the same; between 1881 and 1907 ~
as three months longer than between 1907 ris
1882 and this last was eighteen months ae'
rter than between 1852 and 1859, clearly Pr'
wing that the motions of comets are sub lilS
to perturbations, like those of the planets, 'ne
more sensibly. oilf
passing near and among the planets 'ol
cts are drawn away from their course, and 're'
etimes have their orbits entirely changed. mr.,
is remarkably the case with Jupiter, which -