Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-22

What Course Through the Heavens II
Will Take.

What Course Through the Heavens 1t
VIII Take.
The discovery Of the new comet has
air adv been announced. II viii he Visi-
bic to the naked eye for few weeks about
Christmas time. An ephemeris was pub
lished a year ago 10 assist in the search
for this comet, which was founded
upon computations made Of its orbit;
but Professor Brooks has found it at a
greater distance. from the sun than the
greatest distan3Nin the ephemeris. Encke
had found period OF 70.7 years, which
would have brought it back in the spring
81 this year Others obtained from elab-
crate investigation eTiOd Of I3.lS years.
and found that the pertuTbatiOns Of the
larger planets would accelerate its return
by 44j days. Accordingly its return to
the perihelIOn on September 3. 1884, was
predicted subject 10 an uncertainty Of -
years. The actual return will not vary
much from January -. lSS4-less than
eight months from the predicted time.
For the three revolutions prior to l8l2
the comet was not seen, probably because
il is in favorable position for ObseTya-
tiOn only when IL passes its peTiheliOn be-
tween August and February. 1t Is in the
most favorable position about De
cember 20. and fortunately, it
varies only about a month from
that time at this return. Passing its
periheliOn in September it was barely
visible to the naked eye for a short time
with tail two degrees IN length. 1t is
likely to be much more conspicuous this
time. although il is unlikely that the tail
will exceed five degrees in length.
This comet belongs to a group, Of which
Halley's, Oilers, De Nico's, Brorsen's
and Westphal's are members: all Of which
have "A period Of about seventy years,
only departing from the sun about to the
distance of the planet Neptune, and which
may have been brought into their present
orbits by the influence Of that planet
KirkwOOd has called attention to the re-
maTkable resemblance between the orbit
Of this comet and that Of DE SicO, the
principal difference being the transpOsi-
ton Of the nodes, from which be con-
cludes that they had common origin.
The course Of this comet through the
heavens will be as follows: II j. now
very near Eta DTacOnis, and has reached
the limit Of its westerly motion. 1t VIII
move slowly toward the south. curving
toward the east, toward the head Of ORA
60. through which il will pass during the
fore part of November By that time 1t
Will be easily visible in a small telescope.
Thence passing sOutheasterly it will be
north Of LyTd early III DtctMbtE. EIoHi
December Il to the I'D it Will be passing
along the arms Of the cross in
Cvgnus. In January it will
enter Pegasus, and before the
end Of January il will finally sink below
our horizon in the tail Of Cetus. Its
greatest brilliancy will be early in Janu-
airy. During it's whole course it will be
visible in the evening: first IN the north
west. AT about the elevation of the pole
star. gradually sinking toward the hori-
zOn as it moves southwark, and finally
sinking below the southwestern horizon.
The orbit will soon be more exactly COM
puted, and ephemerIdes prepared for the
use of astronomers; but the above, de-
rived from the orbit in 1872, will not vary
materially from the truth.
Platshek's Grand Fall Opening takes
place on Monday and Tuesday, October
22d and 2A.-Adr.