Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-10-03
THE NEW COMET,
History OF the Latest Fiery Visitors TO
the Skies.

NctG FORK Times.
The comet which was discovered
three weeks ago by Professor Brooks
has been identified as the comet of 1872
returning to its sun. This comet was
originally discovered by Pons, at Mar
settles, in July, 1912. Its period was de-
termined TO be about seventy and one
half years, and, in accordance with this
calculation, it was predicted that it
would again be in perihelion in May,
1888. Either because it had been retard-
ed in its long journey through space,
or b, cause the dataused by the astronO-
mers of seventy years ago were not
sufficient for an absolutely accurate pre-
diction, it has not appeared "On sche-
dule time" Having come within the
range of the telescope on September 3,
it will not swing around the SUI until
the last days of next January. Two or
three days ago it was announced by
Professor Chandler that in all pIObabil-
ity the comet would become visible TO
the naked eye in January, and attain
its greatest brilliancy n little after the
middle of this month, but since the date
OF that statement extraordinary changes
have taken place in the condition of
tits wanderer of the skies, aud it may
equal in splendOr the great comets of
1881 and lSS2. On Saturday perhaps in
joyful anticipation of the great body
that controls its movements, it display
ed new life and vlgOr, began to extend
its tail, and glowed with suddenly in-
creased brilliancy that was almost star
like.
The appearance of this comet will
probably bring before the public once
more the opinions OF astronomers and
the warnings Of alarmists concerning
possible collisions between comets and
the sun or the earth. Professor Young,
whose views upon this subject command
respect, has recently said that, while it
is practically certain that such coils
ions mus" happen some time or other"
they must be very rare occurrences.
BabiHet, the French philosopher,
thought that q comet would strike the
earth about once in l5,000,OOO
years on an average, but Professor
Young shows that the paths of at least
three comets cut the earth's path 50
closely that collisions would OccIr if
the earth and one OF those
comets should chance to reach
the crossing at the same time.
AS to the effect of such a
cOllision-that is another matter. Last
years comet almost grazed the luniin-
Gus envelope of the sun, and apparent
~ resumed its journey in damaged
condition; but if another should fall
into the fiery globe it is probable, in the
opinion of Professor Young, that We
should know nothing of il, unless the
ABSORPTION Of the victim of its own in
discreet familiarity should cause intense
magnetic and aurOral disturbances
upon this planet. 1t is probable also,
i'm his opinion, that if comet should
strike the earth the meeting Of the two
bodies would be made known by moth
ing more alarming or dangerous than q
magnificent shower of shooting stars.
Certainly there would be no terrible
calamity If a comet IL, as many astron'
omers now think, nothing more than
smOke-wreath or q cloud of dust; but If
a comets nucleus is really composed of
meteOric iron or group of aerolites, q
blow from such body, moving with
almost incOnceivable swiftness, might
shatter and blister half the globe.
We need not become alarmed, how
ever, by the remote possibility that in
our time there may occur one or those
collisions which Babinet declared might
happen once in l5,0O0,000 years. Toe
sky is full of stars and mighty plani-
tary systems, yet there cannot be found
in all the astronomical records of the
human race any proof that collision
between heavenly bodies of considera-
bic SIZE has occurred, unless the sud len
blazing and subsequent paling of eight
stars in the last 1890 years were the out
ward signs of such meetings in space.