Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-10-11
The Comets of 1852

From the frequency with which
dispatches announcing the discovery
OF another comet have followed
each oiLer OF late, tie unlntisfed
might be led 10 inter that the crop
OF comets this year is 10 be 50 large
as to glul popular curiosity and
scientific interest. This might PEI
haps, be true, had each ofthe many
announcements marked the appear
ance oil Il distinct comet. In PLAN
fact, there has been but Jour comets
seen thus tar in 1882. The firsi
celestial yagrant OF the year. was
discovered by Mr.. Wells, OF the
Dudley Observatory, March II, and
for a long time it monopOllzed the
the atte ntlon oil astronomers in both
the Old and the New World, owing
to its unique features. Although
the period Of the Wells comet has
not yet been July calculated, enough
known TO show that the comet
Twill not return 10 view under one
thousand years. The second comet
Of the year was that seen but once
and then for only a very short time
by the astronomers who were o.
serving the suns ecllps flom Egypt
last spring 1t was described III
Orlef dispatch which noted the sue
cess Of the observation Of the eclipse
as "a fine, bright comet close 10
the sum-" and astronomers for a
long time watched for its appear
ance, on the supposiiion that it
would be visable Oh its rcturR from
perhellon, but without SUCCESS.
The third comet OF the year was
discovered on the morning OF SIP.
lember 18th, and duly chronicled
by Prot Barnard, OF Nashville,
Tenn. At first, owl e t. The pace
of its discovery, in the constellation
of the Twins it was presumed by
some to be the temperance Of the
famous Pons comet OF 1912. but
this was subsequently shown TO be
an erroneous supposition, owing to
It's direction OF motion. The Bar.
nard comet, which was at the time
Of discovery a faint telescope object
about one and one-half seconds OF
OF arc in diameter, is now approach
ing perihelion, which it will attain
about November Z. AT the brigh-
test it will &c bu: about three times
as large as When first seen, an
though 1t may possess features Oh
great interest 10 The scientific obscr-
Yer, 1t viii never cause ripple
upon the surface OF tie unscientIfic
world. Without lcieIence 10 any
theories advanced as to its identity, |
ETC., it may be stated that the
Cruls comet, 80 called, will take the !
front rank as \ popular object. The
many alleged naked-eye discoveries
OF late have simply Teen gllmpses
of this grand object Ivy ole or anoth
er person III Que or another locality
wheie the sky, at morning, was
nomenlanly freed from The heavy
LIQUIDS which have curtained the
heavens SO long of late. One may
zee it with the unaided vision any
lear morning now from 4 o'clock
until near sunrise. 1t rises about
oriy minutes in advance of the
peat lumlnary, little 10 the south
1 the laIters point OF appearance.
ike II long harrow, luminous cloud
ucilnIng southwark, its tail first
Onies ~ view, contracting with
crlccl regularly as the nucleus
Tie line oi The horizon.
ne TAI Oh yesterday morning was
early outlined Tor distance OF at
asst tnlr'eer degrees from The nue. P
,us, aid from that point a faint Oh
iurcation could be traced for Sc