Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1885-05-28
MICH
The Starry Heavens.

The Pons Brooks comet, first dis
covered in 1912 by Pons, and calculat-
ed to have period of seventy-one
years, was first seen this time by w.
r. Brooks, at Phelps, N. Y, on the 1st
of September, 1888, far in the north
west. 1t became visible to the naked
eye in December, was quite easily seen
in January, 1884, when it was in the
northwest with tail two or three de-
grees long Several persons on seeing
it then aud there thought they had
found new comet, and were surprised
to learn that it was the old one discOv-
cred several months before. 1t soon
after disappeared to the naked eye,
but was reported to have been seen
through the twelve-inch telescope at
Cincinnati as late as April 3. Three
comets were discovered in 1884, the
first on Jan. u, at Melbourne, Aus
tralia; but it was little and did not
ppount to much. The second one
Comet b, 18S4) was discovered by
Edward Barnard at Nashville, Tenn.
1t was far in the south and not seen
with the naked eye; hence not of much
general interest. But Mr. b. himself
was intensely interested with it. His
love of science would prompt this.
And the fact of his getting 5000 for the
discovery must also have been mat
ter of interest to him. It's period of
revolution around the sun is calculated
to be about five and one-half years.
The third--comet G., 1884-was dis
covered Sept. II, by DR.. Wolfe, Eur
ich, Germany. 1t was just west of the
constellation Pegasus, and moved
southeasterly across the constellation.
1t hardly attained naked eye bright
ness. 1t is expected to return in six
and two-thirds years.
Ten asteroids of small planets have
been discovered within year past.
The first one, No. $50, was found on
the Goth of April, byJ. Palisa, Vienna.
About two months later he discovered
No. 237, which made him equal to the
old veteran Peters, in the number of
miner planets dlscovered-forty each.
Of the remaining eight Palisa discov-
cred four, and it took three or four
different observers to find the other
four.
The total eclipse of the moon, Oct.
4. 1884, visible in the eastern hemis-
phere, was phenomenon of consid-
cradle interest. Commonly when the
moon is eclipsed 1t presents a reddish,
copper .colored glow, even when totally
buried in the earth's shadow. On this
occasion the moon was not only inn
mersed in the shadow of the earth, but
was nearly or quite entirely hid, ma
king what is called black eclipse.
Such an occurance is very seldom. One
was observed May 8. ITO, and few
since then, last one (before the
late one) being on June 9, 1916. The
cause is attributed to peculiarly
dense condition of our atmosphere,
which prevents the suns rays from
passing through and lighting up the
lunar surface. 1t is possible that the
Krakatoa dust could have anything to
do with ftp believe it is still the pre-
vailing opinion among astronomers
that something of the kind volcanic
dusD causes the red sunsets, or af-
terglows. which have excited so much
interest for a year or two past. A
brilliant fireglow was observed just
before moonrisef on December 5. 1884,
by w. r. Brooks, Phelps, n. Y. 1t
was said to equal any of the sunglows
he had witnessed. 1t was rare and
singular Observation-Disclosures
NelOS.