Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-10-18
TIE COMET.
FOrths Raoisier,


tisl visitor that came unannounc ed,
and which heralded It's own appearance
about three weeks ago, and can be seen
in the southeastern portion of the
heavens any clear morning from four
o'clock to sun rise, -'-..' .'.
So stealthily did 1t come that astronO-
mers were surprised to see it making
its circuit ofthe sun in daylight by its
brightness IL was then found by ealcu-
latiOn 10 be passing around the sun at
the enormous velocity of over million
circuit in twenty-four hours. Just think
of il; had It come towards our earth It
would have struck aud demolished it in
a minute and half from the SUM- Ii
it were 3 passenger coach from our
planet to the sun it eOald 60 back and
forth hundreds OF times day. o..
When we consider that it is now re-
ceding from Us and the sun at the same
rate, and that il goes out into space per-
hans for hundreds of years, then to re-
this earth again at 3 given time, the
mind like the comet is lost in neOn-
ceivahle space.
and by what attractive force it is held
in its orbit, and to where it travels and
around what other sun it passes to be
seat again TO ours, to again go on its
rounds, are deep, unfathOmable mysteries
and belong to the Infinite. Certaia it
is that there Is another attractive power
far out into space, another sun perhaps,
that il visits, passes around, gathering
new power TO visit our sun again aud
so ON, performing some office in the
vast universe Of worlds that will ever
remain mystery to mortal man.
The present comet has tail 81, 0O0,0 900
miles in length, One-third the distance
from the earth TO the sun. Its nucleus
or head is many times larger than our
earth, and through telescope it can be
seen pushing the nebulOus matter be-
fore IL as a steamship banks up the
water at its bow when running with
great force.
The word comet is derived from the
Greek, KOmO, a hair, which had its
origin in the train or luminous tail.
The general features Of the comet are q
defininite point or nucleus, a nebulous
light Surrounding the nucleus and lu-
minOus train preceding or following the
nucleus
There are several points of difference
between planets and comets. Planets
move i'm the same direction from west
To east, but the movements Of comets
are from east to west, or retrograde. The
orbits of all planets are confined to q
zone of no great breadth on either side
of the ecliptic in every direction, but the
path of comets cut the ecliptic IN every
direction, some being even perpendlcu-
lar TO il. The orbits of all planets are
nearly circular. The orbits OF comets,
on the other hand, present every varie-
" Of eccentricity.
The discovery that planets are celes-
tial bodies, eXtraneOus to our atm0s-
phere. is due to Tycho Brahe, ih l507.
Newton demonstrated that they are
guided BY the same principle which
controls the planets in their orbits. Hal
" was the first BY determining the
narabOlic elements Of q number OF
comets from unaiCied observations, and
was enabled to determine the return of
the comet which bears his name which
has appeared in l602, 1852, 1853 and
1885, or near every II years. This same
comet can be traced back TO the 52d
wear of our era. The Encke comet has
3 short period of !, 204 days, and does
not extend so far as the orbit OF Jupiter:
Bella or Gambart comet has period
of six wears and nine months. During
| n visit of this comet in 1916 it was seen
| 10 serarate into two distinct comets,
! which kept moving side by side till
| they disappeared. On the return ofthe
comet, in 1852. the distance between the
| two nuclei had much increased. Since
then, though twice due, 1t has not again
been seen, and Is perhaps disrupted ana
| lost.
The present comet, like Bielis's, has
| separated or divided, and astronomers
will look with interest for its return ana
the effect of the separation.
Comets have been retarded IN their
return. and their orbits entirely changed
| by contact with the orbits of 3 planet.
| al ,yaIps lost eometn issuppOsed 70 nave
| been thrown from its course by the
| close contact of the planet Jupiter.
The celebrated comet of 1851, when
| furnished Newton with the occasion for
| proving that comets revolve around the
| snn. appears to have been about the
most remarkable for brilliancy OF any
which we have any account OF. This
| comet ia supposed to be Identical with
the one that appeared about the time OF
! IsPsar,s death "A b. c., and has been
seen once in about SO years. lie Is IN
| conceivable to mans mind for q comet
| to travel 575 wears at . million OF miles
! per minute into unknown space ior
snch time, but Encke calculated the
orbit of one that he thought had re-
turning period Of S,S1S years! What
| surmonsity! The comet OF looO APP
preached the sun within the l6Sd OF the
semi-dismeter of the earth orbit. Inc
present comet came as near. Inc tsAS
! az comets increase in length as they APP
proach the sun, but do not acquire the
greatest length till after passing tne
perihelion. These phenomena Hlsns
| be accounted for II we were @ resaru
the train IS Importation produeso oy
intense heat to which the comet - CA
posed In its approach to the sun.
Spectroscopie Investigations snow =
trace of sodium in the nucleus o. tne
present comet. Investigations SO IaL az
vet presented points to the coneiusion
The nucleus Of comets are el-Iuuanoas,
but that the tail shines Win renecSeu
light. 1t has been discovered receuty,
in determining the Tracks OF Iaoss
faoric shovers. that some of the track:
80 nssrlv with the oroits of well-known
comets. From this it Is inferred that
STAR showers and comets may De only
different manifestations OF the same
thing. What comets consist Of Is onhY
a subject for speculation. The COMPOSE
ton If the nucleusity and the tail Is, .
All events, something Of almost moon
eeivable tenuity, as stars seen tprous.
them suffer no diminution OF orignt
mess, though the light rom them mus
travel sometimes millions OF miles Q
the eometary atmosphere. 49,,
ro,,h kha rail Of q comet may D