Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-02-03
PLANETS IN PERIHELIA.
NO DANGER FROM THEIR CLOSER
APPROACH TO THE SUN.

X No DANGER FROM THEIR CLOSEl
APPROACH TO THE sun.
Visionary Enthusiasts Who Have Pre-
dicted Terrible Calamities, the VIC
Tins of fDeIusion---Scientific
Views OfPrOf. Lewis Swift.
ROCHESTER, January 9.-In response
the subject of absorbing interest now unde
: discussion by scientists as to the simultaneou
arrival of all the major planets to their peri
helia, infiicting dire results and bringing
about the most fearful calamities known t
history and resulting in the most devastatin,
disasters to men and beasts, Prot. Lewis Swift
has written letter to the Rochester Herald
in which he says:
For the last two years the popular mint
has been excited to an unusual degree owe
the statements made by few visionary en-
thusiasts, who, with great flourish of ap
parent WISDOM have spread before the worlC
the prediction that owing to the simultaneous
arrival of all the major planets on their peri
hella during the present year, the most
dreadful calamities ever recorded in history
are to occur, such as earthquakes on vast
and destructive scale, devastating tornadoes
widespread pestilences, great loss of life by
|
other things too fearful to contemplate In
all communities there is a certain class who
will give a listening ear to anything, no mat
ter how absurd, that partakes largely of
marvelOusness hence this belief, which has
not a particle of evidence to support it, is
widespread in all civilized countries.
l am constantly receiving letters asking
when the planets will severally be in perihe-
lion (nearest the sum and when we are to
look for q fulfillment Of these predictions
that will make the year 1881 famous for all
coming time. These questions convince me
that the delusiOn still exists and has sunk
deep in the minds Of men, and that perhaps
it would be advisable to prepare abatement
setting forth the facts as they existgand with
slight variations, will continue toAexist as
long as time lasts ~
All the planets move in orbits or paths
more or less elliptical, the sun Occupying the
common focus of them all. 1t therefore nee
essarily follows that a planet is sometimes
nearer the sun than at Others In our age
(but it will not always be sol the earth is |
about 100000 miles nearer the sun on the
lst day of January than it is on the I'd day
OF July. On January LIST, therefore, the
Earth is in perihelion, and, of eourS, is in
that condition once a year. Eyerys planet
is in perihelion once during its yearN
Mercury, the planet nearest the sun, has a
smaller orbit than ours and hence it's year is
shorter, being only eighty
eight OF our days, and must therefore be in
DerIhellon once every eighty-eight DAYS.
On the contrary, Neptune the most distant
planet known, has year equal in length to
[645 OF ours and consequently only once in
during that time 1t follows that
he time must come when all the eight plan ,
It's must be in perihelion at once. 1t is only +
question in simple arithmetic how often I
his will happen. ,
1t has been stated anG insisted upon that ,,
his rare event, which probably has not oc- f
urred slnce,the Mosaic Creation, would take +
lace during the present year. That this is 8
ot the case the following table will show: =
Iercury. Feb 81, May 20 Aug. Is. Nov. r. 1881 ;
enus March Oct. Is, 1881
MAY 26 1881 5
March 25 1882 L
25 1882 ~
23 1882 -
aturn.. Aug 20 1885
1t is not denied that this is close agree s.
tent, when it is considered how long some c
the periods OF revolution are But what II
1t Who has ever proved or presented O
7ldence that has any semblance of proof q
lat planets arriving at their perihelion v
omts have the least perceptible influence
either the sun or earth or any of the other
anets?
Each planet, even the giant Jupiter is
gmy compared to the sun; in fact he will al
ltWelgh all of them combined by more than 50
" times. What effect then can the simple %
ference in distance of any single planet. IS
OF Jupiter, have on the heat, and light. ST
"a spots etc, On the sun, almost SOC, 900, 900 G'
lies distant? L
The planet Mercury is comparatively near C? CO
sun, and almost as dense as lead, and the VI
centricity of his orbit is so great that he is v,
er y, 100000 miles nearer the sun at peri NJ
lion than at aphelion, but has any one ever an
rcelved any changes on the sun once in pr
'hty-elght days?. Has any recurrence of re-
'gnetlc storms, earthquakes plauges, or ,py
excess of calamities Of any kind ever been lal
hced during his perihelion passages If gr'
then 1T is safe to say none exists and the co. GO
lect may be classed with the thousand Ce
Ter delusions which exists in the minds of tht
n, and for which no remedy is known Is Is
e thorough and universal education of q
classes of society. pei
ms