The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-08-18
Danger From Comets.

or to the solar system. I also learn
somewhat to my surprise, that l have
somewhere expressed the opinion thai
our system is threatened in yer,
serious manner by the comet which ap
peared in the southern skies in Febru-
airy, 1880, and find myself earnestly
called upon to explain what are the
dangers to which we are thus exposed
1t is hardly necessary to explain,
perhaps, that the idea of danger to the
earth from comets arose originally from
entirely incorrect ideas respecting the
movements of comets and their po-
sitions in space. Men saw what looked
like blazing star, followed by long,
luminous appendage apparently in the
air over their heads. What could be
more natural than to suppose that the
presence of such a body in the air not
only portended mischief, but actually
caused mischief? If plague or pesti-
lence CHANGED to follow soon after the
appearance of such an object it was
natural to suppose that the comet had
distributed the seeds of disease through
the atmosphere. If great contiagrations
occurred, then the comet had scattered
so suffered, or had so dried the air
as to render any fires which
might occur more disastrous. And it
was even more natural to suppose, if a
warm summer followed the appearance
OF comet, that the exceptional warmth
was caused by the presence of that body
in the air. So soon, however, as men
learned the true movements of comets
all such ideas were seen to be absurd.
The comet which seemed to be in the
air was seen to be millions of miles be-
yond the EXTREMIST limits of the atmos-
phere. The path which seemed to
carry the comet over the cities and
countries of the world was found to be
path in interplanetary space, having
no more special relation to one terres-
tial region than to another. Neither by
its mass nor by it's intrinsic heat or
lustre could comet in any way affect
the earth; while instead of pursuing a
special path in the heavens to warn men
Especially Kings and Princes) of dan
ger, comet obeyed throughout it's
entire course the same simple law of
gravitation which guides the planets
land among them the earth itself in
their courses.
'sFhat the comets dis covered this year
or any other comets should portend ex-
ceptionable weather to the earth simply
because they are seen in our skies
appears then to the astronomer an idea
altogether absurd and scarcely worth
the trouble of refuting. 70 the student
OF science, accustomed to ask when par
ticular effects are concerned, the cues
ton how and swhv' such effects are to
be produced. it is sufficient to Note that
in no way known to science can comets
bring dangers of the kind considered.
''But it is otherw Use when the general
question is to be asked, Can comets in
any way bring danger to the earthp
Science cannot in this case answer posi-
lively that there is no danger. The fall
OF comet on the earth, utterly unlike
W though such an occurrence may be,
might bring danger of e very serious
kind. For instance, we know that some
comets of comparatively small dimen-
sions are followed by billions of billions
OF meteoric bodies, and when the
earth passes through such train
thousands of falling stars-tha. is,
Of meteoric bodies rendered in
candescent during their flight through
our air--are seen. Larger com
cts may be, for aught we know-nay.
probably are followed by similar trains
OF larger bodies-of bodies, therefore.
which might penetrate the soft vet
strong aerial armor of the earth and
reach her surface as dangerous, death |
dealn g missiles. II the earth passed
through, denser portion of the meteoric
train of such comet as that of 1911 it
IS probable that many would be killed
by the @rolithic masses rushing with
planetary velocity through our air. But
II, instead of the train, the earth encount-
cred the head of such a comet, where |
probably the meteors are more densely |
strewn, the mischief would probably be |
more serious still. 1t is by no means
that if the earth rushed |
through the head and nucleus of such a |
comet as that of 1911 tens of thousands |
would be killed by meteoric downfall. |
Fortunately the danger of such an en-
counter is SO small that it may be esti-
mated almost as naked nothing
:" The real danger to which the earth |
'snu Gne otheF planeIS are exposed is of |
q different kind. No astronomer, so |
far as | know, before the time of Sir
Isaac Newton. recognized the danger.
He pointed out. when discussing the
movements of the comet which bears
his name (the comet of 16sO), that ii the
course OF the comet should be directly |
toward the sun the heat of that lum-
mary might for a time be SO enormously
increased by the comets downfall as to
destroy every living thing on the face
OF the earth and of whatever other plan
cts may be the abode. of life. 1t is true
he did not rightly apprehend the way
IN which the SUMS heat might so be in
In his day the sun was regard
ed as great mass of burning matter,
and he regarded comet which should
TALL upon the sun as bringing his orb a
supply OF SO much fuel. We now know
that the sun is not mass of burning
matter. We do what Hamlet seems to
have regarded as impossible-we doubt
The stars Gncluding our sun) are fire. I
lust as we doubt that the sun doth
move But what we have learned about
he suns heat and about the nature
md movements OF comets shows that
NewtOn's idea was in essential respeets
correct The Sun,s haat ;e due - ~. |