Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-29
The Coming Great Comet.
From the New York Sun.

II the comet that was discovered by young
astronomer in Albany week ago fulfils half OF
the promises made for it, we may expect to be-
hold, in May or June, celestial spectacle such
az has not been equalled since 1853 or 1871
This comet, although some 2OO, OOO, 600 miles
from it's perihelion, which it win not reach for
three months, shows q bright tail and star
like nucleus The inference is fair that the
comet is very large one, and that when 1t gets
into our neighborhood It will present magnif-
cent appearance. Moreover, Prof Chambers
figures show that the comet is plunging almost
straight at the sun, which it will probably ap-
proach within 100000 miles, The oniy
other comets, in the long list OF
those bodies whose orbits have beer
calculated, which approached anything ike as
near to the sun as this are the cor.1s Of 370 R
c., the comet of 1868, the Genet of 1850 often
called Newton's coEact, the comet of 1s43. and
the comet Ct 1880: The last named was OBJ
seryed only in South America and Australia and
at the Cape Of Good Hope. Concerning the
comet of $40 B. c., Of which frightful things
are related, and which is said to have split in
two, not much is known, but the measurements
made in the other cases are generally to be de-
pended upon. In fact, twas the nearness of the
approach Of the comet Of 1880 which led New
ton to anticipate possible peril to the earth from
the fall of great comet into the SUM- This is
the fear usually being that they may strike the
earth. or produce pestience by mingling the
substance Of their tails with our atmosphere.
or late, the other view has been made more con-
spicuous, especially since Mr.. Proctor's recent
article on what he calls the menacing comet of
1880, which he anticipates may retnrn In 1897
The appearance of this new comet on the heels
OF the discussion awakened by Mr.. Proctors
suggestion gives the subject renewed interest,
especially in view of the announcement that the
nrVnin fo <rnfnn A1~ -
Unless the calculat0rs have made very great
biunder it will pass through the corona. and ii
large enough, may Craze the luminous surface.
1t should be noticed that there is discrepancy
between the estimates of the periheIion dis
tance made by Prof Chandler. of Harvard uni
versity, and Prof. Boss, of the Dudley Observa-
tory, the latter making the distance consider
ably greater than that above given Both agree.
however. that the approach will be close one
The question whether the earth may not at some
time be in danger from great comet is all the
more interesting because men Of science are not
exactly in accord upon it. Mr.. Proctor is not
the only astronomer who thinks that If ever the
world ID to be destroyed with heat 1t will be
when great comet plunges into the sun.
Even those who think Mr.. Proctor is mis-
taken In his conclusions admit that, given q
comet big enough and massive enough, un-
doubleday its fall upon the sun would prove dis
astrOus to the earth. But they say 1t would
require body having mass something like
that Of Jupiter to produce such effects. and COM
pared with Jupiter the most massive comets
ever seen are mere pigmies. Besides, there
seems good reason to believe that comet
would, on approaching close enough to the sun,
be pulled to pieces and so drop piecemeai into
the great orb. the fall being prolonged perhaps
through many revolutions, so that the accession
OF heat caused by the conversion Of the comets
motion would be distributed over considerable
period Of time. Besides, as Prof Young has
pointed out, II comet fell into the sun the in
crease Of heat would be mainly used ND in pro-
ducing expansion Of the suns orb, and would
afterward be radiated out again through a long
space Of years, Another very interesting OBJ
lection has been raised to Mr.. Proctor's theory.
namely, that as three-quarters of the surface
which the earth presents to the sun Ia covered
deep with water, such an increase Of the suns
heat as the fall Of o comet might produce would
cause great increase Of evaporation, which
would use up the extra heat, and 30 protect the
earth from harm. According to this view we
are reasonably safe 30 long as the oceans last
and the sun does not get too hot.
or course the reply may be made to these OBJ
jectfons that, although no known comet is great
enough to cause US harm by it's downfall upon
the earth. yet we do not know but that comets
exist thousands OF times more massive than any
that human eyes have ever seen, and that such q
we have had . rather distant view Of one comet
that really seemed to belong to an order of mag
nitude different from that Of ordinary comets-a
sort OF celestial whale among fishes. This was
the famous comet Of 1911, which had head
almost ~ big q the sun itself hut Il kept fsr
million mileA u such comet g that should
ruth upon the sun, Mr.. Proctor thinks, Il would
Boon show "a what Il could do. But his Oppo-
uente say that even the downfall Of the comet
o. 1871, although It might make tha weather
nncomfortably not fer %, would not dissolve