The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-06-28
Professor winston and the Gonna,

gan.
Professor Winston and the Comet.
Editors Dispatch: We were all both sur.
prised and delighted to find on SUNDAY
evening last that the comet, which had been
seen on Friday morning, but had been OBJ.
scured by clouds on both Saturday and Sun.
day mornings, had so far moved as to be
easily visible Just after sunset. 1t was
splendid object to look upon, with its long
and brilliant tail, and il was such a comfort
to have it where it could be seen 10 the
pleasant eventide rather than in the early
morning and at the expense OF our matuti.
nal nap.
This magnificent comet. whose first dis
coverer do not yet know, seems to have
carried out to the full one OF the Characters
tic features OF such bodies-nameIy, it burst
upon us wholly without notice. Nobody
not the most skilled astronomer-knows
when such comet is coming, nor in what
part OF the heavens it will show itself. II
is true that some few comets-say, ten in
all-are OF so short a period, and move ia
orbits that have been so accurately calcu-
lated, that their return to view can be pre-
dicted; but these are generally very small,
telescope bodies, that make no impression
on the public, and are not to be compared
with the really glorious one that now catches
every eye as 1t blazes athwart the northern
heavens.
AS this new vistant is likely to attract
much attention, | cheerfuly comply with
your request, Messrs. Editors, and jot
down few particulars, almost at ran.
dom and in very unsceutific phrase, in
relation to comets in general, and, as far as
can, to this one in particular. | adopt, for
brevty, the pedagogical device Of question
and answer:
"Was this comet ever here before, or is
it new one!" The probability is that it
was never seen before. "HOw can astrono-
mers tel2 They surely cannot recognize a
comet by its appearance" No, they can
not, for, as rule, the same comet is con-
stantly changing its appearance even during
the time that it is visible. The only way
they can recognize comet is by calculating
the path 1t is moving in (Which they can do
after carefully watching it for two or three
nights and then consulting their records 10
see il any other comet was ever found to be
moving 10 the s1me path.
"Why do they change their appearance
so much?" Well, lrhen nee see them they
are coming close to the sun, making their
grand tour rapidly around him and hurry
ing away again; and this near approach TO
the sun (sometlmes very close 10 it) OF
course powerfully affects their condition,
developing the tail, increasing their bril-
lancy. &c.
"What is the tailf" That is hard
question. 1t Is always turned aWdy from
the sun, as we see in this one, and it must
be very thin, for stars can be seen through
It. 1t is also very long, as one could easily
calculate from its apparent length. The
tail OF our present comet must be millions
OF miles in breadth and billions in length:
and yet, they tell Us, il may have less mat
ter In il than would furnish a load for
one-horse cart. II matter at all, it is pro-
baby matter OF inconceivable thnness, and
is "bOiled away" from the comet, and,
like the smoke column from moving
steamer, never returns TO it.
"How is it that this comet Is visible at
night now when only few days ago 1t
could be seen only in the morning?" When
first seen it was further south and SET before
sunset; but IL has now moved so far north
that like the Dipper and other stars near
the North starr it does not set ut all, but ap-
pears all night.
:" Does the coming OF a comet mean any
thing particularly, such as war, or bad
crops, or disasters OF some kind!" Nothing
At all, SO far as we know.
"Is there any danger in them? Might
not one in its rapid motion strike the earth
and set it on fire, or knock 1t into atoms 7"
There is practically no danger OF anything
,f the sort. The chance Of hitting the |
earth is not one in a million; and II it |
should bit, it might only be rs the stroke OF |
/ feather upon rock, or at most it might |
reat us TO pretty display OF meteors.
"Is there any connection between comets |
md meteors?" Yes, il is probable that |
neteors-at least those that occur regu- |
arly in August and November-are the |
f<bris OF comets that have passed in the |
'ame orbit.
"How many comets have ever been |
een:n Counting all. including those visi- |
Die only in the telescope, about 700 have |
,een noted since the Christian era leaving |
mt these small ones, the number would be |
bout 500, or say one in four years on the |
verage.
"When was the last conspicuous one?"
N 1874, think. Then there was one in
s62, another in 1861, and famous one in |
S5S. There have been about twenty visi.
,le to the naked eye during this century.
"What are comets, anyhow 7" The head,
md particularly the condensed central por-
ion OF the head, called the nucleus, seems |
o be mass Of matter, either gaseous, like |
be air, or composed Of small separate parti-
les, say like a cloud OF large dust. This
nass OF matter obeys the laws OF gravity and |
moves round the sun-n0t in nearly cir
.ular path, as the planets do, but In path |
hat brings il close 10 the sun at one time,
md then takes it far, far way, so far, in-
Iced, that it may never come back again.
"Do they shine with their own light, or,
ike the planets, with reflected lichty What |
loes the spectroscope say about them 2"
They give some bright lines in the spec.
rum-that is, they seem TO have In part
light OF their own, but the indications are |
'et rather uncertain as to the substances |
hat compose them.
"Do you mean to say that comets are |
thoroughly understood, and there is no
pystery about tbem," Not at all. There |
mystery everywhere, and there are sari-
us points about comets not yet fully ex.
,laIned, such as their origin, the nature OF
be force that generates their tails and re-
els them from the sun, &c. But the inves.
gations OF science have largely rescued
hem from the domain OF superstition and
laced them side by side with other mem
n