The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-10-25
The Great Comet Of 1882.

On the 18th of September a comet of ex-
traordinary b%rilliancy suddenly flashed from
the sky 20 the amaZement and delight of the
few fortunate observers whose gaze CHANGED
to be directed toward the heavens on the
~eventful day. The comet was close to the
sun, three degrees west and q little south
when first visible. The near proximity of
his ovcrpowering light had no power to pre-
vent it from being readily seen by observers
possessed of ordinary visual powers. 1t was
a superb object in the full daylight, when the
stars were hidden in the star depths, develop
ing q we'll defined nucleus, and a tail n
minute long, and giving proof of its wondrous
proportions by daring to assert itself in the
near presence of tho powerful king of day.
Lord Crawford tciegraphed its discovery
by European observers to tho Harvard Uni
yersity observatory, and, almost simultane-
Ously, tho news came that Mr.. Miller, of
Leon, Kansas, had seen the celestial stranger.
Other observers were equally fortunate.
There was intense excitement in astronomi-
cal circles. The men of science went eagerly
to work to find out where the cratic visitor
came from, whittier it was bound, when it
would come back again, and ifitwcre n new
conner or an old friend returning to take a
peep Mt the sun and his family Of worlds.
Meantime, tho comet Travelled on its
restless course, q million miles a day, lit
tic needing the commotion it had caused
among tho dwcllers OIL this small planet.
Daily the distance increased between it and
tho sun, daily it grew moro dim to mortal
view, and almost daily in this vicinity was its
bcaming face hidden by the clouds born of
the protracted equinoctial storm. 1t has now
had its day in our view and has passed on
where the telescope in southern attitudes
may dimly discern its retreating steps.
The men of science who make conlctic as
tronomy n specially have exhausted their re-
sources in attempting TO learn its history.
They have followed it's every footstep with
scientific scrutiny and mathematical lrecls-
ion, and, as is often the case, have reached
results which are Numerically opposed to
each other. They agree, however, on two
points, that tho comet is receding from the
sun and also from the earth.
The startling theory advanced by Professor
Boss, of the Dudley observatory, Albany, has
excited much interest. In his view the comet
discovered on tho 10th of September by
Cruls, of Rio Janeiro, is identical with the
new comet, and was then near perihelion,
which it passed on the 18th. The professor
believes that in this comet we behold q re-
turn of the famous comets of 1913 and 1880.
He accounts for the present short period by
the theory that mt the Two previous returns
it passed 80 near tho sun rs to Craze the
solar atmosphere, thus retarding its light and
SllOl lClk1llE u ISlAoS&s w b'' - l.
position the next period will be still shorter,
and we may expect the comets return i'll
1884, if not sooner. It will thus keep on,
drawing nearer and nearer to the sun until,
meeting with some obstacle, it plungcs head
long into his incandescent mass and is seen
no NOR forever. This fine theory has the
essential drawback that it diminishes IL
cometic period of thirty-three years into one
of less than three years. 1t will not be very
..4.1 Iha ,,aa 1904 ,.NIIa
round and shows the Same bright comet in
full daylight, or until proof Of its actual
plunge into the sun brings confirmation
strong TO support the hypothesis.
Professor Chandler, of the Harvard Uni
versity observatory, an authority also in mat
tors cometic, takes q different view of our
cossamer-tailed visitor. Ho does not think
that the new comet is identical with that of
1880, or that it will return in 1884, or that it
will fall into tho sun. The Cambridge as
tronomer believes that the new comet travels
in track similar to the one of 1850. and
that the superb visitor to Southern chimes
during that year is far on its way throughput
known depths of space, not to return during
the present century. In his view, the present
comet is entirely Independent of every other
member of the cometic family, simply taking
the liberty of travelling behind the great
comet of 1880 in nearly the same track, and
without herald or harbinger, making its first
appearance in full daylight rs the great
comet of 1882. e.
What can ordinary observers do when doc
tors disagree? A wise philosophy teaches
that the work of the astronomers of the pres
emit generation is to observe and Gait. Il is
only observation piled upon observation that
will solve the simplest problems that now
vex the minds of the students of astronomy.
Nothing is more uncertain and unsatisfac-
tory than the attempt to unravel the history
of these cratic members of the material
universe that suddenly dart upon our vision
and as suddenly disappear from view. 1t is
none the less certain that they have a mission
to fulfill in the grand economy of the uni
verse. One of these days some one will find
out what this mission is, and II o observa-
lions made on every comet that sweeps the
skies will help to bring about this much de-
sired result Scientific American.