Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-02-24
ABOUT COMETS.
A Brilliant Celestial Visitor shortly
to Make Its Appearance.

kfTOm tue NDftH Anerlcan.l
DR.. Gould, the well-known astronomer,
whose post Of observation is at Cordova, in
| the Argentine Confederation, announce
the appearance in the heavens of a great
! comet passing the sun northward, and
which may shortly be expected to flash
upon the vision of this hemisphere. This
is news which will cause no small sensation
among the astronomers. and their first
impulse will be to question the accuracy
of DIR. Gould's observations. They are not
ON the outlook for any such celestial visitor
as that whose advent is reported. No
comet Of any importance is due this year,
nor many years to come. Third and fourth
rate specimens sire common enough. They
are to be seen nearly every year, but as
they are only sisa5ie by the aid Of strong
glasses, they have no interest to the gem
eral public, and their minuteness ~precludes
them from serving any useful scientific
purposes.
The last great comet which famed above
an admiring world was that Of 1861, which
most of our readers will remember; but
according 10 the programme arranged for
1t by the astronomers, this visitor will not
return until the year 200. Donati's comet
one OF the most magnificent of modern
times, which Illuminated the western sky
in lS5S-is not expected until some time
in the thirty-eighth century-3S0s being
the most probable year. The comet which
suddenly appeared in proximity to the sun
in February. 1913, and which passed nearer
to that luminary than any other known
body, traverses an orbit which cannot be
completed in less than $50 years, SO that
its r~eappearanee Is not nearly due. The
famous comet Of HALEY, which disappeared
from the telescope range on May ii. 1886,
has an orbit which extends beyond the cir
Gle of Neptune. 1t turned the corner, so
to speak, in 1874, and is now rushing with
ever increasing velocity toward the sun;
but the distance to be crossed is so great
that 1t will not have approached near
enough TO be visable from the earth until
some time In 1911. Another great comet
known to be on its travels is that which
startled the world in 1850, and enabled
Newton to demonstrate for the first time
that comets move under the influence ex-
erted by the attractive power Of the sun. |
The first recorded appearance OF this body
was in the month Of September immedi- |
ately after the assassination of JuIius
Cesar. 1t was observed in 531 and again
in HOG. which gives a period Of SIS years
and indicates a fifth return in 2255.
One brilliant body, known as Biels's
comet. Is mysteriously missing. It's time
OF revolution was six years and eight
months. When it was seen in 1s45 the
astronomers discovered that il had met |
with a serions accident. 1t had in some
unexplained way been broken in two. The
parts were at first Of unequal brightness,
but the smallest subsequently famed up.
burned with a brillisncy equal to the other
half, and then disappeared. Both portions
came up to time in 1852, but since passing
out OF view in the September OF that year.
they have not since been seen. They were
due in 1889, 1865, 1872 and 1879, and the
astronomers have reached the conclusion
that they have gone to pieces. 1t follows
what has been said that DIR. Gould's
comet must be an entirely new body, aud
If it fulflls the promise Of its discoTerer il !
will be joyfully welcomed. The spectre
has been perfected since 1861, and
are anxious to bring it to bear
upon a comet Of sufficient magnitude to
reward observation, in order that the phys
zeal constitution Of these cratic bodies
be. determined. Comets are, however.
such extremely uncertain objects, that
II DIR. Gould has seen correctly, il is
by no means sure that the hopes he has
raised will be gratifed.