The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-08-12
SET on FIRE ~ Tng sUS.
Prsf. DrApeFs Thesry OF uS~ tAe BIg
Genet was Formed.

If the comet looked always the same,
those who gaze at il through telescopes
would be apt TO tire Of their occupa-
ton very quickly. There are many
celestial objects that present far more
imposing and brilliant appearance in
the telescope. In fact, for a popular
observation Of the comet, n pair Of good
opera or field glasses would probably
prove more satisfactory than the most
powerful telescope This is because
the magnifying power Of such glasses
icing slight, and their Frightening
effect very great, they show the whole
comet, eid and tail, at one view with
greatly increased brilliarcy. In a
telescope, on the other hand, only the
head and little of the tail can bs seen
at once. The great magnifyiug power
brings out the details of the heads such
an the nucleus, the coma, and the va
rious envelopes, but the corresponding
Smallness of the lield of view and the
losa of light cause disappointment TO
those who, being told that such and
such powers are used, expect 20 see "a
spectacle grand in proportion. The
practised eye Of the astronomer quickly
detects peculiarities of appearance that
an observer unaccustomed TO telescopes
can barely make out when his atten-
tion IL specially called TO them. II
these appearances remained always the
same, even professional star gazers
would not care to look at them very
many times. But they change in the
most wonderful way from day TO day,
and so the comet remains an object of
unfsgging interest. It is doubtful
whether the head Of this comet has
presented precisely the same appearance
for two consecutive hours since it first
blazed out in our sky. To theunassist-
ed eye it resembles always bright
star, without, however, showing any OF
the Aickering that distinguishes the
stars from the planets. BGt in the
telescope the only thing about it that
does not appear to change much is the
bright dot, or nucleus, in the centre.
All the luminous material surround
ing this dot is in motion. One night
it seems banked up in froRs in two or
three rows or burrows, like sIrging
waves. The next night it appears like
a plume shot out in front and blown
aside by the wind. Again it forms al
most a circle about the nucleus, with
which it scenes connected by spokes OF
light. Yesterday morning the thickest
part Of the coma seemed to have been
pushed around to one side of the nu-
cleus, which it almost embraced in its
circlet, leaving, however, distinct
gap in one direstion. From the nu
cleus, which on Wednesday morning
was as round as the disk Of planet
shot out one or two short bright beams
like tongues of6ame, piercing the nebu
lous envelope behind. ALI the feature,
of the head are becoming more dis
tinctly visible as the comet rises highe
in the sky, and 80 escapes more anc
more from The smoke of the city.
"The comet is now in the constella
ton Camelus," said Prof. Henry Drape
in Dobb's Ferry yesterday, sand j
rushing along at the pace of half
million miles day. Rapil change
are going on both in the coma and i
the nucleus. When i first saw th
comet week ago the coma curved ou
and on each side Of the nucleus in til
attitude of a flying bird. But las
night the wings had Topped forward
or rather backward, toward the sur
Another remarkable phenomenon wa
that large part of the coma mas settle
upon the uncleus. This is account
ed for easily. You would naturall
and truthfully presume that as tn
comet retreats from the sun it woul
| lose its heat originally given to it b
the sun. The coma is undoubtedl
volatile, and as the heat of the nucleu
decreases / should expect that til
coma would become less in volume an
fainter in appearance. Such is tf
fact
!, "Another curious fact. As / locke
at the nucleus it flashed out to an in
mense distance on the side toward Il
sun. Then remembered thpt Il
, great Donati comehin 1868 did Il
same thing, and thas comet also gave
thrill or shake all along its tail at Il
j instant when the nucleus burst out t,
: ward the sun. | looked anxiously f
} q similar thrill in this comets tail, b
saw none. The nucleus is sphere !
| longer, but is more oblong."
- "Have you obtained another phot