The Red Cloud chief., 1881-08-18

Prof. benjamin PIercc's T~heory-FaI.
brothers Of Planets aud Ieteos--T The
ssaes.r.o Of ir..ioiIe and seneca The Flee
rrIGed TraIn-TaiIi-ss How They
Are W~etghcd-Thc.r OTbIts-The seb ular
UrPothesi--
In the Lowell lectures of the late
Prof. BENJAMIN Pierce. ol Harvard Col
lee, published in book form under the
lille of '.ideaiity in the Physical
Sciences is a chapter treating of the
natuic of comets, from which the fol-
loaing extracts are made Is being OF
SPECIAL interest at the present time:
). The final stage OF the nebulaT history
is the concealed star, of which planet,
satellite. comet and meteor are special
forms. and which j. destined to become
a"ain. al last, q chaotic mass. They
are simultaneous in existence, and not
belonging TO success W STAGES of the
} history. Starting from a common orr
gin. they have passed through a process
OF differentiation, and are lifted for dit
fcrcnt funCt ons. They may all be
REGARDED aS bolides; and they til the
celestial spaces with every conceivable
variety of magnitude, motion and ply
steal aspect.
The comet. from the strangeness OF
iis appearance In the inaccessible iirma-
mrnt. has been the immemorial wonder
AMI dread Of mankind. IL has been the
beard or tail OF some invisible monster.
Il has been the sword of some angry
cd. Ii has been the pen OF the furieS.
writing in the book OF fate the death of
Kings. the TALL of empires, the speedy
coming o. famineS AMI pcssilenccs and
destructive wars. II has been a
light which has filled the souls
ol philosophers with dara ness. Even
The great Aristotle, with his clear
belief in nature aud his contempt
ior superstition, could propose no
theory which was not \ tissue of gra-
tuItous and inconsequcnt hvpotheses.
he thought the comet, with its regular
motions. to be Il phenomenon like the
fitting and uncertain 'gHiS Ja!Hus. IN
cXhalai on from the earth.
Nevertheless. even in c~orletology.
where modern progress has been SO
essentially aided by the discovery OF
-grayIation and the invention of the
telescope, the instinct OF the ancient
Nhnkcrs achieved some memorable re,
SUITS. Passing 10y the researches of The
y ktEagorean-, we need only reIerto the
WRITINGS of Seneca in the first century
q. the Christian era, IL know writes
S.acea, .no noblef research, nor q
bore useful science, 'Gan that which
undertakes the study Of the stars; but
f. perfect this science is it not cXpcdi.
, cat TO examine whether the nature OF
comets differs from that of the Other
!, celestial bodies? If we reflect On thcil
motions. or their vicissitudcs of rising
aYd setting. on their light and bril-
liAncv. We shall be struck with Tho
analogy which we perceive between
them and these other bodies. We neeC
IN exact history of the comets which
Higavc hitherto appeared; for il is then
IHrity of appearance which prevents ON
deciding upon the regularity OF then
movement. We are ignorant whether
describing fixed orbits, they do not re
appear AT periodic and determinatt
intervals ofiime.n This was the pre-
diction of thoughtful genius. Moderr
astronomy, protiting by the ancient sug
= scst;on. has demonstrated this, lik,
many other truths. The dwarf of Il
day who stands on the shoulders of tn,
giant OF Yesterday can see a create
distance than the giant.
The perfect comet combines nucleu
and train. The beauty belongs TO tn,
train, which Is unSub>tantial and TEN
pr.arv; while the mass and density re
side IN the almost invisible but perma
ncnt nucleus. The solid nucleus move
about the sun in a nearly paraboli
orbit. obc3icnt 10 the same law of at
traction which governs the motions O
= any Il OF the planets: whereas eacl
particle OF the train moves in its owl
hyperbolic orbit, in consequence of
repUiSion from The Il often two O
three times as great IS the ordinary
solar attraction. These particles O
the train are electrified bodies. and hay,
the same electricity rs that of the sun
the PARTICLES which are most hight
electrified advance 10 the front edge O
the tail. while those that are the leaS
, electrified fall hack 10 tbeyear. SOM
OF The particles are eTt.sified jus
enough TO balance the solar gravitation
50 that, after separating from thr
nucleus, they become neutral to tn,
suns action and move uniformly il
Straight lines. but without ceasing 10 b.
part of the tail. The particles whicl
~are less highly electrified remain at
tracted by the sum-. but move in hvper
ho!lc orbits in the opposite branch O
The hyperhola, however. TO that il
which tie repealed particles move.
This theory. in an imperfect state
was rudely applied by Bessei to the tai
oi Haiicy'S comet. IN 1885. But III
' comet discovered by Donati, in 1865
offered as fine an opportunity as can b,
desired for lis full ~veriiication. How
grand was the beauty OF that comet
All the world stopped in the street
WHEN II became visible after twilight
and wondered at il with bated breath
\ few centuries ago it would hav
caused universal dismay, and me-
wonld have paled at the frightful por
tent. But the Christian of to-day be
: holds il Is the lovelieSt messenger @
divine wisdom. 4 multitude of oh
%seryations were made upon the trail
as well as the head. in all civilize,
countries, and the theory of the trai
WAS sustained in every detail. The ele
L gance of the shape strictly conforme
10 the ideal constructions of the gcom
eer.
Ii the nucleus of a comet were take
away, the train would continue to NOV
OF through space. undisturbed by III
loss of its head. Singular as this phe
nomenon may seem. it has been actu
aiy observed. At midday on the 2St
, OF February. 1913, groups of people j
many of the towns of New England
especially at Portland. collected at th
n of the streets, gazing up to
ward the sun. Protecting their eve
In the shadows of the houses, the
saw a brilliant object a few degree
from the sun. Such a marvellous spec
tacle had never before been beheld. !
few days later a wonderfully brilliau
tail of a comet was seer skirting tn
horizon soon after sunset, and reach
nsr more than one-third of the wa
rcs Van s s,Am r