West-Jersey pioneer., 1881-07-07
From the Philddd. Enquirer
THE COMET OF 1881.

~NSN
so well advertised, popular interest in the
comet has been worked up to high pitch,
and this interest bids fair to increase daily
during the remainder of the celestial visi-
tors stay within sight of people on this por-
tion of the earth.
The comet is receding from the sun and
moves northward, with its tail ahead as
usual when comets recede from the sun. 1t
was nearest to the earth about the 1st of
July, after which it will grow fainter, and
finally disappear.
This is evidently the comet discovered by
DR.. Gould, at the Cordova Observatory,
difference of longitude between the earth
and the comet at that time was over 30
degrees, and it would, therefore, be seen
then and there before sunrise. The earth,
as seen from the comet on the 1st of June,
looked like the moon when about twelve
days DID,
The observations recorded by DR.. Gould,
and carried forward, correspond with the
plOoCdG pOoitlOu VI tuO COlACt, WAiCh 10,
therefore, entitled to the name of "Gould's
comet"
DR.. Gould maintains that the comet dis
covered by him was the comet of 1907, and
Professor Boss, of the Dudley University, at
Albany, concurs in this opinion; but the
famous mathematician, Bessel, who was
regarded as the greatest astronomer of mod
ern times, calculated the period of the comet
of 1907 to be 1900 years, SO that would not
be due here again until the year 3507. If,
then, the present comet should prove to be
that of 1907, the only conclusion possible is
that it must have swerved from its orbit by
coming within the centripetal attraction of
some other heavenly body, and has launched
eff through an entirely new course in space.
Professor Newcomb, of Washington, adheres
to the Bessel theory. and says this cannot
be the comet of 1907. Professor Peters, of
Hamilton University, Utica, insists that is
neither the comet of 1907 nor that of 1912.
Professor Draper, of this city, stoutly con-
tends against the 1907 theory. Professor
Sharpless, of Haverford College, this city,
maintains firmly his first conclusion in favor
of the 1907 theory, and Levi Edwards, a
student Of the same college, who lays claim
to the discovery of the comet, holds similar
opinion.
The comet of 1907 was discovered by
Poas, in Marseilles, September 81, 1902, and
was followed for more than six months.
The scientists of that time made some very
careful observations of it and calculated that
it's orbit was so immense as to cover period
of 100 years. In that calculation all astron-
omers have since concurred. How, then, it
could have returned after period of sew
enty-four years is problem which many
astronomers seem unable to solve. . 1t is
argued, by those who maintain that the
comet of 1907 and that discovered by DR..
Gould four weeks ago are identical with the
present one, that the comet of 1907 might
have passed in the vicinity of two larger
planets, but this assumption is open to
grave objections. When DR.. William Her.
schel made careful examination of it or
October 18th, he fonnd that the tail was
three degrees and three-quarters long, but
it rapidly diminished, till by December 10th
it was very short. There is now one way Of
solving the question as to the identity o.
these comets. 1t can be ascertained, if the
observations in progress prove successful
whether they are in the same orbit. DR.
4 Gould, in his first despatch announcing hi
discovery, made statment that it was yer!
near the orbit of that of 1907, and the EN-
peror of Brazil mentioned that point in hi
telegram to the French Academy. Certain
it is, however, that from all the facts thu
far collected the resemblance between tn
two comets is very slight indeed. It ma.
turn out that with the admitted fact that
distance of five degrees existed between tn
orbit of the present comet when discovered
and that of 1907 may after all be case o
two comets travelling in nearly the sam
orbit rather than return of the same comet
At SO remote a period as 81 B. c., &C
cording to Diordorus Siculus, there was
comet presaging the destruction of the cite
of Helix and Buris In the year 1874 B. G.
there appeared another ten times create
) than the sun. Then there were others i
, the years A. D. 1106, 1854, 140s, 1456, 153
and 1877. The seventeenth century was
great time for the comets. Large one
we're seen in 1907, 1918, 1852, 1868, 1886
1899 and 1889. The comet of 1852 was,
is said, as bright as the half-moon, while th
great comet Of 1880, with tail nipety-si
million miles long, enabled Sir Isaac New
ton to demonstrate that comets are guide'
by the same principle that control the cours
of the nlanets. To the comet of 1852 tb
astronomer HALEY gave his own name, afte
he had proved it to be identical with tn
GREAT comets Of 1881 and 1907, and predicte