The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-07-28

grees day; this will of course, diminish
and after July be less than one degree
a day, After Monday next it will be
visible all night. How long it will have
q visible tail it is impossible to say, but
probably for not more than two weeks.
1t will, however, be visible in the tele-
scope for long unexpectedly for
several months.
The interesting questions connected
with its motion cannot be settled until
we receive the accurate observations from
the Southern Hemisphere. These OBJ
servations, combined with our own, will
show whether it is moving in an ellipse
or parabola if it is found to be NOV
ing in an ellipse of about twenty four
years, the result will be most astonish-
ing. 1t will lead 10 the suspicion that
the comet since its return in 1907 has
fallen in with some unknown celestial
body which has sent il back again. If,
however, it is found to be moving in a
parabola we shall have to consider that
it is an entirely new comet, having no
connection with that of 1867, except that
it is moving in an orbit somewhere
near it.
''This comet must rot be COMPOUNDED
with that of 1912, the return of which
may be expected this year or next. The
comet of 1912 does not appear to have
been an especially bright one, and would
not excite attention at the present time
but that the observations show it to be
moving in an ellipse with period of
about seventy years. It does not appear
that the present comet is moving in the
same orbit, although the two orbits GER
tainly do agree very closely. The I'M
certainty of the period is such that we
cannot tell within limit of several years
when the comet of 1912 will really return
to perihelion, but we may confidently
expect it before great while"
The comets on record exceed 800.
What are called "short period" comets
are: Encke's, whose time of revolution
is 81 years; De Vicos, 81; Winnecke's,
81; Brorson's, 81; Bida's, 6T; Darn.
est's, 6h; Faye's, II; Mechain's, 1917;
Halley's, 1917.
The ''long period" comets are those of
years; that of 1744, 122, 6S3 years; of
1870, 1874 years; of 1911, 5000; of 1910,
1884 years. of 1874, 1922 $50 years; of
1S47, 1898 years; of 1858, 1000 years;
of 1860, Is. S64 years.
Biela's comet divided into two parts in
1916, and in 1852 those parts were $780,
600, 900 miles apart, and had entirely
disappeared by 1866.
Coggia's comet was discovered in 1874.
1t is non-periodlcal, and was 133, 900 900
miles from the sun when discovered. In
July of that year it was within 50 900 900
miles of both earth and sun, and its tail
was computed to be 10000, 900 miles in
length.
Donati's comet, discovered in 1858, had
tail 4O, 900 miles long, and its main
body very nearly collided with Venus
Although supposed to be vaporous, this
comet was calculated by NJ Faye to have
the weight of a sea 1927 feet deep and
40, 900 so uare miles in artent.
Halleys comet has been Identified as
identical with the comets of 1881, 1907,
1866 and 1923. Its temperance is prog
uosticated for 1912.
Gucke's comet possesses no tail,
usually. In 1913, however, it presented
two tails, one toward and one from the
sun.
Lexell's, or "the lost comet" was
caught or entangled among the satellites
of Jupiter in ITO, reappeared in 1779,
again became entangled, and has not
been seen since.
The superstitious of all times and ma
tions have regarded the appearance OF
comets with dread, as being omens of
disaster. The spectroscope fails to show
their chemical composition. 1t was
shown by Shiapavilli, in 1872, that
comets are sometimes connected with
meteoric showers, and his discovery has
been Endorsed by roted astronomers.
Tycho Brahe discovered that comets
are extraneous to our atmosphere, and
Newton that they are subjected to the
same principle which guides the planets.