Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-16

The latest computations prove thai
Coggia' : comet Is the most extraordi
nary body of the kind that has ever
visited the solar system, and that prob.
ably by the 10th Of July the earth will
be passing through the tail. Already
the tail Is about three millions of miles
long, but, as ike Douati's comet the
tail Of this one Is curved (thouch from
/ the position OF the earth we cannot
perceive the curvature), the real Is
much greater than the apparent length.
Mr. Henry II Parkhurst, who has been
making calculations in regard both ia
the orbit Of the comet AID the gradual
elongation Of the tail, sstimatss that
the perihelion distance of the coxet
from the sun lies just within the orbit
! Of Venus, and that
THE TAIL INCREASES ONE TENTH
each day. lie further makes number
Of predictions in regard TO this won
dertul visitor which are Cf so interest
ing a character that We quote them in
full!
"On Tuesday evening, june 30th.
and on the following evening the moon
will rise before the twilight fairly
ends; but on Thursday, July Cd, at
haIfpast nine clock, the comet will
be easily seen by the naked eye IN the
northwestern sky Ono o.her description
viii be nea1ed) with tail about five
degrees In length. On succeeding
even;ns the nucleus will move to-
wards rhc south, while the tail will in
crease ia ien9th, SO as to bring its ex-
trer..y gradually northward On the
1t5o IT july the head Of the comet will
have reached the horizon in the north
west at the end Of twilight. so that it
will not easily be visible after that
date; but the tail will extend nearly to
the pole STAR Donati's comet had a
retroga}a mutton, and when the earth
met it, and the tail was most brilliant.
it was placed nearly at right angles
with the jiae Of vision On the other
hand f'tjs comet. whose perihelion dis
tancc is very little greater, coming iast
within the orhit Of Venus, moves in the
r.,,, .,,.u,.,, ....
go - g -, " ! ! = Z i1Ai' l.
ana nearly win the same velocity re
auceu t' the plane OF the aquator(, IN
consequence of which the tail, which
is now nearly at right angles with the
limo of vision, ~ ~, ,,,.lH,r +.,..,, -
lihe % N'9'o"' viii gradually turn TO-
"@'uS US Sun apparently pointing
bo c,ao,,bor,I tb.l w. .ll'a l., " u,
was curved ike soldiers nju,nc. hnt
Coouia's j. now and Will remain n.a,.Iy
STRAIGHT lfecause fbo c9ryafnr, will h.
directly from rs and therefore i'm
perceptib}e. Another strikipp 5;Far.
e9ce from the tails of comet. generally
is that it viii be 50 faraSbortene3 >. t.
be remarkably wiaa at the end On
July Is the Tail viii extend far bevonf
the pole. and develop a new character
isfic tanerinr off rapidIv towards the
end within three or fonr davs aftn,
rhc 10th the tail will have becoae :,
expanded in the neighborhood Of tho
! nole as to ill large part Of the north
arn heavens. Yet it viii not he a con
>pcuous object. because it will be 81
amt as to look rather Ike an immense
cloud or milky way than what i
really is. BY this time we shall hay,
solved the question whether the tail i.
.oIIow. or has = rajiated structu,e. o,
what j. ;,+ canstif ,tlon. Of tine
w,vrv vrr,cu ,gurs VIII rxD
I Is h". Sale g 20 SPEAK win oGah''e
: ~ ,'',Iu,',i la,II - - I4 VIC ya,L . "e',
...,.. tLa ..;5.IIa r. go, I,I, On r.a4; =,
.urvatare will probably delay It two o.
t. rec days, and even until the earth
has passed beyond It's path. Taking
the best value | can from the record,
Of previous comets, should expect
he earth on July - to be wholly
i-hin the eastern edge Of the comet S
all, anI viii, assume this to be the
ease. The comet will then disappear
70 as; bat then the inhabitants Of the
! Southern Hemisphere, who may be
| .noraut Of the cause of the luminosity
| Of the evening sky, will see it gradually
rise and pass away, and will be amazed
| by the sudden apparition Of a comet OF
extraordinary size and unusual bril-
liancy, which will burst upon their
vision as unforeseen as the great comet