Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-07-03
THE COMET
The Fiery and Un' am, d Visitor with
Long Tail.
Cincinnati Commercial.

Clnclnnatl commercial.
There is an inclination to poke fun at
the astronomers for not heralding the ap-
proach of the present comet. But comets
are SO uncertain in their movements that
they cann't be pred icted with absolute
certainty. Some of them never return.
Others come from no one knows where,
but Fl -shing around the sun are upon US in
a tWigAling Others of short orbits can be
reasonably calculated upon. But when
they get down to regular orbits they are
pretty much played out as comets, and be-
come little more than star dust, of which
we get a sprinkling. The August and
November meteors are thought to be no
more than this cometary Gust. through
which the earth plunges in Ifs annual or
bits. But it is only in periods of about
thirty-three years that 1t seems to hit these
cometary rings where there is the most sub
stance, and then when it is set on fire by
friction with her atmosphere there is
a display which reminds people of the
vivid figure of the Apocalypse. 1t will be
we'll on to he end of this century before
there will be a repetition of the great me-
teoric showers of 1898 and 1866.
Cincinnati Gazette.
The comet has an uncommon long tail,
say 4t00, 600 miles. The mind does not
q .ickly take in millions Of miles. To aid it
By liked points, it is sal that the length of
int comets tail is more than sixteen times
the distance from the earth to the moon,
and 100 times the distance around the
earth. The distance around the earth is
called 5000 miles. General Grant went
around it OIL ce, eating and drinking, and
it was esteemed d great thing; but this
fiery tale, broader than from pole to pole
could wind around the earth 100 tim IS.
And even once would do for the earth.
The comet mas passed its nearest point.
and is now flying from the earth with a
speed of &c, 900 miles day. 1t is difficult
| to conceive of this velocity. Even if per-
son were fired out of a fifteen inch gun, it
would give him no adequate idea. Ihis
velocity, and its going through an
atmosphere, like a fire bal! thrown through
| the air, makes he long tail, How SO light
matter can get up such velocity against
| such resistance of the atmosphere, is hard
to fad out, or what is the object. But Lord
Dundreary, speaking of the peacock, ex-
pressed his doubt OF the intellectual capac.
| ity Of bird which is all tail ana no head.
| The velocity a. which the astronomers
are sending the comet off does not appea-
to diminish its visibility, and they say that
| although diminishing, it will continue for
several months a notable object. If the
| comet be as fiery as represented, we need
| not desi near acquaintance, although
| collision With the earth might damage the
| comet also. The diameter of the nucleus
or head is com uted to be 1000 miles, a d
of the fiery surrounding of the head H.
600 miles. Astronomers figure these things
out to dot. But this comet is very con-
spicuous object in the northern heavens
without glass, and the calculations of the
astronomers assure US + at We can view 1t
without Immediate appreh -nsion.