National Republican., 1881-07-19
OUR STAR -GAZER
TALKS ABOUT THAT NEW COMET.
Professor Asnph Hall Tells Him Few Astronomical
Facts Relative to Comets and Other Plane
tary Bodlcs-Four Comets Dis.
covered This Year.

covered This Year.
The new comet said to have been discov-
cred by Mr. Schactberle at Ann Arbor, Mich is be.
ing looked for in this vicinity with eager gaze but
thus far 1t has failed TO put in All appearance. The
scientist of THE REPUBLICAN who was detailed to
interview Professor Eastman on Sunday evening,
! being yesterday engaged in making observations
| in the Criminal Court and working items out of
the District Commissioners Offices, the old man
| thought he would take q hand In the
| observatory business himself and so he wandered
mn town until he got within the beautiful nclosurc
in which is located the buildings used fer star.
| gazing purposes Professor Eastman being absent,
he took Professor Asaph Hall by the car para.
gorically. as II were, II must be understood. for
Professor Hall is man Of decidedly more muscle
| than the particular fragment of THE REPUBLICAN
welding this pcn) and proceeded to lnterrogate
him as to comets IN general, and this particular
ono especially.
"wcll" said the Professor. e so far as this one
said to have been discovered by Professor schoer.
bcrlc is concerned, we have seen nothing Of 1t rs
yet, and have only the data that he gives to go
upon, which Is that the supposed comet is In five
hours and thirty eight minutes right ascension
and 40 north dcclinatlon, few degrees southeast
OF Capclla"
81 notice YOU sny supposed comet Professor
eNlu ltt eNIlOc. DO YOU nuNt NnA uOuDt lnul u
comet has been discovercdg
awe have always n doubt until we have seen II
ourselves replied the Professor. 1T frequently
| the case that nebula Is mistaken for n comet.
Now In this case, &c It is comet, It is probably a
telescope comet; that Is. only visible through the
telescope We shall look for II tomorrow mori-
ing about halfpast two o'clock"
| "Can you guess whether 1t Is a comet that has
| been seen bcfOrcT'
| No until Nyp have discovered iis orbit
That requires at least three separate observations
| to determine"
1.-THE other comet, THE REPUBLICAN comet, as
call It," said The REPUBLICAN, representative, with
n conscious pride in the ownership Of o comet
with such q brilliant caudNl appendage, "still
| shows up we'll"
"Yos" said the Professor smiling, "that still
holds out, and will for sometime. By the way, |
see That you claim the discovery of that comet
| Now, why dontyOu put in a claim for the reward. u
| The young man fastened TO assure the learned
| pundit that In n matter of discovering comet he
was above so base an act as to claim a reward
and especially from a patent medicine man,
too. "Why," said he, "don't you know / have
been expecting that the patent dealer who offered
the reward would write to you gentlemen at the
Observatory to know II there wasn't some way in
which he could lasten n proprietary stamp upon
the tail OF the comet? BY the way, speaking of
comets, how many have been discovered alto.
| gether?"
about three hundred I think" said the Pro.
fessor. If this that we shall look for might is
n comet 1t will make four that have been discov-
| cred this year-no not four actual comets for one
was n ghost, but three comets"
"What are they?" asked THE REPUBLICAN.
/" In the first place, Professor Swift discovered
| telescope comet; next there was man in Ten.
nessee who claimed to have found comet but II
proved to be ghost or nebula; then there is the
well, I'll call it THE REPUBLICAN comet, and now
| this one of Professor Schaerberle."
"Bcen pretty fair year for comets, hasn't 1t ?
| said THE REPUBLICAN,.
"Well, yes, very fair. Some years six have been
found"
"Of these three hundred comets that have been
discovered, the most of them are telescope comets
are they not?"
"Oh yes said Professor Hall, "there are very
few visible comets, and at least ninth tenths OF
those known are telescope"
| "Then you think" said THE REPUBLICAN,, that
by tomorrow you may have seen the new comet ?"
81 can't say" replied the Professor, whether II
will have been seen or not. It may not be visible
here for some days; but We shall look for It,"
"Shall you look yourself for It, Professor" said
THE REPUBLICAN, ns lie rose to leave.
mo; probably not" said he. Professor Rock
will make the observation tonight"
| Thanking the Professor for his courtesy. TIL
REPUBLICAN bowed himself out md sought Pro-
fessor Rock, who was engaged In whirling the big
telescope which moved rs easily MS Tobe Hudson'
spinning jenny. He finally got 1t into almost O
perpendicular position, and just as the young mar
| of the newspaper persuasion was wondering
| whether he was going TO climb up and load down
from the top the Professor threw himself ON his
back on q sort ofa lounge, which rolled along on
track, and then by n screw contrivance he raised
the upper part until his eye was directly under
the lens. He only remained looking for a few
seconds, when he whrled himself out from under
| the telescope, jumped to his feet, and rushed tC
| the desk TO note the details.
"Did you sec it?' asked one of the attaches o
| the Observatory
mo, ! did not" said the Professor.
"What were you looking for?" curiously asked
THE REPumcAN.
For a star but there were clouds passing and
| / failed to see It,
81 didn't know II required so much muscula
eXerton to be an astronomer" said THE REPuBII
CAN, referring to the gymnastics he had seen Ia,
Professor perform in taking the observation.
oh. yes said the Professor; land you ma!
readily imagine that in these warm nights | hay,
had about AS much exercise rs wanted"
IL should say so,' rejoined the young man. "Ar,
you going to hunt for the new comet to. nightg"
YES shall probably look for it. shall no
look for 1t though until about hall.past two 0
three O'Clock tomorrow morning"
"If you hnd the comet may talk TO you abou
II altcrward, may not?" asked THE REPUBLICAN
"Oh, certainly" said Professor Rock land
shall be happy to give you any information in IN.
power"
Thinking that he had got comet enough for on
day, the young man of THE REPUBLICAN, sale
GOOD morning" and hicd him hence.
| NE,uc CoaM rauCpu1n curauroD