Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-09-15
ScHAEBERLE,S GOMEZ.
The Travelling Luminary Fast Re-
ceding from View.

ceding from View.
New York Tines.
The year 1881 will probably be dis
tinguished in the astronomical annals
OF the present century not only for the
remarkable series Of physical researches
occasioned by the advent of the large
comet that appeared early in the sum-
mer, but also for those 'gypsies of the
universe" whose elements and ephem-
erides have been computed. The van
lshing phantom of the larger body pho
tographed by Prof. Draper had scarcely
faded from view when a new and less
magnificent one appeared in the nor
thern heavens, and is now distinctly
visible to the naked eye. This state
ment, however, is only correct in rela-
ton to the proximately solid centre and
the Immediately surrounding sphere of
light, the tail being but family discern
ible in the absence of lenses-so family
so, indeed, that the testimony of op-
tical instruments is required to con-
! vince the observer that its indistinct
fan-shaped flame is not illusory. The
position of the new comet is directly
beneath the bowl of the great dipper,
and it may be readily identified by p +
sons of feeble vision Ito whose eyes the
tail would be invisible) from this fact
alone. The tail points nearly perpen-
dicularly upward, and hence away
from the sun, instead of toward the so
lar orb, as was the case with its prede-
cessor; and when examined with good
lenses seems like luminous haze of
nearly uniform brightness throughout
its whole extent, clearly defined at the
edges, but fading gradually at the top
into the star.lit azure of the evening
sky. 1t Is now at the period of its
greatest brightness, and will slowly
fade with increasing distance during
the present week until it becomes in
visible to the naked eye. During the
last three or four evenings a good op-
era-glass has been sufficient to furnish
accurate studies of its leading features.
The centre, when thus examined with
low magnifying power, appears ex-
ceedingly uniform in its constitution,
and the surrounding sphere of light is
beautifully defined and exact in its out
lines, the tail springing upward from
the luminous central mass with sheaf-
like distinctness at the base. Neither
the central mass nor the light-sphere
presents any OF those extraordinary as
poets and alterations of form which
rendered the June comet body of sur
passing optical as well as physical in
terest-now like blazing bird sus-
pended in the heavens, now divided by
sharply defined band into two bodies.
apparently, and more nearly an exact
representation Of Donati's comet with
its varied and shifting phases.
The new comet, which will be de-
scribed in the annals of astronomy rs
Schaeberle's, passed its perihelion some
days ago and attained its highest
brightness on Saturday and Sunday
last, two or three days after beginning
its journey into the distant spaces of
the universe. Within the next two or
three days there will be perceptible
diminution of its light, and within the
next six or seven days its disappear
ance, save with the assistance of the
telescope, will probably be complete to
the average eye. Those who wish to
obtain glimpse of it, therefore, with
out the aid of more powerful instru-
ments than an ordinary opera or field
glass, must avail themselves of the
first clear evening. Its perihelion hav-
ing been passed Aug. Is, Alp Washing
ton mean time, and the climax OF
brightness, according to Harvard col.
lege computation, following the pas
sage of the perihilion by two or three
days, it may readily be inferred that
while, to the ordinary vision there has
as yet been no perceptible diminution
Of its light, the Schaeberle comet is
now travelling away from the solar
system with amazing rapidity, and will
soon be lost to human gaze. 1t was
actually nearest the earth on Aug. 20,
now four days ago, and will soon be
sensibly receding. From circular is
sued from the Harvard observatory, it
appears that on Aug. II the new comet
was twenty-five times as brilliant as
when first detected. The elements and
ephemeris have been calculated by Mr..
S. G. Chandler, Of that observatory,
and forwarded by cable to the leading
observatories abroad. The observa-
tions from which the orbit was COM
puted were made by Mr.. o. c. Wen
dell, of Harvard, and Prof. NJ. w. Har-
rington, of Ann Arbor observatory, the
latter furnishing two only of the num-
Der necessary to accurate cal
culation. These observations cover
three evenings only, and are far less
full and extensive than those submit
ted to the Academy Of Sciences, France,
in relation to the small comet that
appeared in the northern hemisphere
in May last, and to southern observers
in June. When Gould first announced
his discovery in June of the great CON-
ct whose phases and physical constitu-
ton have commanded such universal
attention, it was supposed from the
vague terms in which his telegram TO
the academy was expressed that he had
merely caught an initial glimpse of the
smaller body which had just vanished
from northern eyes. But subsequent
fuller information dissipated this view,
and established his claims as an orig
inal discoverer, and the May comet
has not yet been noticed, apparently,
by southern observers. The tbserva-
tions from which Mr.. Chandler made
his computation were taken on July
IL, Is, and Is, and when the bright
ness Of the comet during the present
week is spoken of as twenty-five times
that presented at the date of its dis
coyery, the estimate Of July Is, by
Prof. Harrington, is taken as unity.
The ephemeris embraces a table of the
right ascension and declination from
July % to Sept. 4, inclusive-the right
ascension being 6 hours minute IA
seconds on the former date, and Is
hours So minutes 45 seconds for the
latter.
Prof. Henry Draper made an expe-
dition to his observatory at Hastings