Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-12-14
DECEMBER SKIES.
A Compilation of Comet Lore for the
Curious Reader.

truSty little earth OF ours Will peacefully
continue this month on the undisturbed
course which it has pursued every
December since it's creation. And as
we have not been knocked into smither-
Gems by Holmes comet or Biella's
comet or Jones' comet or Smiths comet
or Browns comet, nor yet by any comet
belonging to any other gentlemen who
carelessly leave their property running
around lose where it is liable to bump
into us, why 1 suppose our readers
may still be interested in the celestial
sights which will present the mselves to
our gaze this month.
But before we take a look at the skies
for December let us see what we know
about these wonderful things called
comets. What is a comet, anyhow?
The name is derived from the Greek
word "kometes" Qong-haired), and
comet may be defined as nebulous
body revolving around the sun. Comets,
then, are bona fde members of our
solar system, and, like the earth, Mars
and other planets, they are held in their
orbits by the suns attraction. This
fact. however, only became known after
Newton's wonderful discoveries, in
which he affirmed the universally Of
the laws of gravitation. Previous to
this comets were looked upon as an
Omalous bodies whose motions it was
impossible to understand. The sudden
ness with which they bazed forth, their
immense size, their great velocity. their
eccentric motions, sweeping toward the
sun from all regions and ali directions,
made them objects of superstItlOu5
dread and terror, until finally the
Irresistible hand Of science swept away
these mysteries and put the strange
bodies in their proper category Of solar
satellites.
The senseless and unreasonable ter
ror which seems to have been caused in
some localities by recent comets is only
a relic of the superstition of the Dark
Ages. Authorities agree on this, at any
rate, that there was no danger. Even If
we had struck the comet, the shock
would probably not have been noticed.
About the best thing that was said in
regard to the recent scare was IN yester-
days dispatch, where Prof. Jacoby is
quoted He said: 81 think great
deal too much was said and written about
the Holmes comet" But since so much
was said and written, it is we'll to have a
clear idea of what we are talking and
reading about. To continue, then,
planets do, but their orbits are exceed
ingly eccentric. For instance, Encke's
comet approaches to within $4,000, 900
miles OF the sun, and its aphelion or
greatest distance from the sun Is about
400. 200, ZOO miles. Yet Encke's comet is
one of the least eccentric. Some comets
approach even nearer the sun and then
retreat to a much greater distance, the
orbits of many of them extending far
beyond that Of Neptune, the most dis
tant planet. A comet approaching the
sun from great distance comes more
and more under its influence, and SO
moves faster and faster. and soon dashes
past the attracting body with the most
tremendous velocity. When it once
starts moving away, however, the sun
brings it up with short turn, and the
comet turns sharply around, passes the
sun on the other side, and whirls away
in almost the same direction from which
it comes, but with its speed constantly
diminishing as it recedes from the sun s
attraction.
The comet of 1850 had q very eccen-
trio orbit. 1t came within less than
100,0 600 miles of the sun, and swept
around it at the fearful rate of 600, 600
miles an hour. 1t has never been seen
since, and probably has a period of
revolution of about 600 years. Such a
comet would, of course, retreat to vast
distance from the sun, and near its
aphelion would move with a velocity as
remarkably small as its velocity when
near the sun was remarkably great. 1t
is likely there are dozens of comets
floating along away outside of Neptune
at regular snaiPs pace Of not more
| than mile minute. But their turn
| will come in time TO be again the ex-
press trains of the solar system.
In regard to the tails of comets it
! would take several columns to tell what
is not known about them. They are
merely the prolongation of the nebulous
envelope surrounding the nucleus, and
but very little is known Of their char
acter. 1t is the tail, though, that makes
tail, as many are, is of little interest to
the amateur observer. The tails some
| times reach enormous size. One at
tanned length Of l20, 100000 miles, or
was considerably longer than from here
to the sun. There are six comets re-
corded whose tails extended go, or
from horizon to zenith. Most readers
Of the Dispatch will remember the
magnificent comet of 1882, whose tail
was 2O0 or 800 long.
The periods of comets naturally vary
greatly. Encke'S roVOlVeS around the
the sun in about three years, while an
other has period estimated at about
5000 years. One of the greatest and
most remarkable comets is Hoilev's.
In the years 24S. 1924, 399, 1905, 1856,
1881, 1907 and 1852, remarkable comets
are reported to have appeared, but
Holley was the first to suspect them to
be one and the same body with period
of IS years. He calculated it's orbit
and predicted Its return in 1853. In
that year, long alter Holley's death the
comet punctually appeared, and also
showed up on time in 1885. 1t is con-
sequently due again in Is years, and it
is about as sure as death and taxes that
the y ear 1910 will again witness the re-
turn Of this magnificent sight. May we
be there to see
The planets visible in December are
Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Venus. At
o'clock this evening Jupiter is high up
in the south, far the most conspicuous
object in the sky, though not quite SO
bright as six weeks ago, when he was in
opposition. Mars day is past and he
now shines scarcely brighter than an