Morning journal and courier., 1882-10-28

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The Wonderful Comet of 1882.
From the Providence Journal
The 18th of September will be memorable
day comet suddenly blazed forth like gi-
gantic meteor from the skies. 1t was close
to the sum- three degrees west of it, and a
little to the south. when first discovered, and
large enough and bright enough to be dis
tinctly visible in near proximity to tha glo-
r1ous luminary whose all-powerful influence
swayed the movements of this erratic intru-
der on his domains by the same inexorable
laws that rule his own staid family of worlds
The observers were few who CHANGED to look
upward in the right place on the day of the
comets advent, but there were enough of
them to spread the news over the civilized
world. Lord Crawford telegraphed the dis
covery by European observers to Harvard
College observatory, and at almost precisely
the same time the news came that Mr.. Miller,
of Leon, Kan, had seen the celestial visitor
A nuTber of other observers, scientific and
unscientifc. were fortunate enough to catch
glimpse of the new conner on its first ap
pearance. A comet visible in the full blaze of
sunlight had not been seen since 1913, and in
the whole course of astronomical observation
only five or SIX members of the cometic fra
ternity had designed to make call in the
daytime. Astronomers eagerly attacked the
wonder of the sky with telescope, spectre
scope and practiced eye. The grand aim was
to obtain the three positions from which the
elements could be calculated and the orbit
deduced. For only in this way could they
find out if the new conner were making it's
first visit to solar domains, or if it were an
old friend, repeating it's visit after the lapse
of many years. If the comet moved in par
abola, an bit that never closes, this was its
first appearance, and when it disappeared it
would depart to return no more. If it moved
an elipse unless turned from its course by
the attraction of ono of the giant planafs IL
would be sure to renew its visit when its rev.
olution was completed. But the chances were
against the mathematicians. The imposing
rover of the skies rebelled against the efforts
to imprison it in terrestrial chains. 1t made
friends with the clouds, and, during a pro.
tracted equinoctial, revealed its presence only
in occasional glimpses. The jealous men of
science were not baffied by the difficulties in
the path. They watched the comet through
the cloud-openings, eagerly seized occasional
snatches OF clear sky, and scored points
through the thin clouds that yelled but did
not hide the presence of the beamiag day
star
In few days the leading cometic observ
ers had computed the comets elements and
marked the orbit in which it was travelling
There was a general agreement on some i'm
portant points. These were, that the comet
had passed perihelion when first seen, unless
it were identical with Crule's comet discov-
cred at Rio Janeiro on the 10th of Ssptem-
ber, that it had passed very near the sun, alb
solutely grazing the solar atmosphere, that 1t
was ono of the largest comets on record, that
it was receding from the sun and the earth,
and that there was surprising similarity be-
tween the orbit of the present comet and the
orbits of the comets of 1880 and 1843. A
startling theory is founded on the correspon,
dence of orbits A prominent cometic OBJ
server announced his bslief that in the new
conner we behold return of the comets OF
Dha ,h1rt fnI -
accounted for by the theory that at the two
previous returns the comet. passed so near the
sun as to brush against the corona, thus
tarding it's flight and shortening its period
The next period will be still shorter, and the
comets return may be expected in 1884, if
not sooner. It will thus keep on approach
Ing the sun at every perihelion, until meeting
with some obstacle it will plunge headlong
into the SUMS fiery mass and is seen no more
forever. Untenable as a theory is that re-
duces single cometic revolution from thirty
seven years to less than three years, such a
collision bS tween sun and comet, instead of
being DREADED, is greatly desired by those
best acquainted with astronomy. We shall
not have long to wait to test the truth of
this theory. There will be eager eyes to
watch for the comets return in year or
two, and if it take headlong plunge into the
sun there will be great rejoicing in astro.
nomical headquarters.
Another cometic astronomer thinks the
new comet travels in a track similar to the
track of the comets of 1880 and 1S43. But
| he docs not think that it is identical with
them, or that its period has been 80 suddenly
cartailed, or that it will return in 1884, or
that it will fall into the sun. In his view the
comet is independent of every other member
| of the cometic family, simply travelling in the
| wake of the superb southern comet Of 1880,
and making its first appearance in full day
| light as the great comet of 1882, without so
nv
It was announced that, about the 30th of
September, erratic visitor would cease to
| be an object of interest in northern Skies
| though its course might be followed in south
! ern chimes. But the comet bid defiance to
| the calculations of mathematicians. Nearly
| at that time the storm ended, and, ON the
| morning of the Both, the eastern sky was
| aglow with the most superb and glorious
| specimen of cometic splendor that has occur
red during the comets reign. On the 9th of
| October our gossamer tailed visitor got up a
| new excitement. The nucleus as seen in the
telescope seemed to break into three pieces,
though still maintaining its unity to the I'M
| aided eye Again, there was war of opinion,
but the prevailing theory ascribed the appear
| ance to the condensation of the nebulous mat.
ter in the head into concentric layers, and the
| threatened catastrophe of a great comet
! splitting into three parts ceased to be a
cause OF alarm Those who remember when
| Biela's comet divided into twin comets that
| reappeared at it's next return, travelled harm
lessly side by side, and have since disap-
| peared forever, did not borrow trouble on
this occasion, and would like nothing better
than the splitting apart of the strange visitor.
On the Sth Schmidt, of Athens, discovered a
small comet following in the exact track of
the more brilliant member of the same fami-
ly. Some fanciful theorist quickly advanced
the opinion that it was piece of the great
comet broken off by the brush with the suns
| corona and starting on independent exist
| ence. But neither the little comet nor the
! theory have attracted much attention