The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-11-22
ctiIi. the Celestial Visitor Is Daily Plung'
ing E~arthward, and Much Monkey
Work by 1t Is Feared.

= ~ 49, "hNNy
of the eird comet visitor in the eastern
skies deepens. No astrOnOmer knows
what it is, where it is going or WHIT 1t
HiIl do when it arrives there. The the
ory adopted when the comet made It's
first appearance on November & hat it
was Biela's discovery of nearly half a
century ago, is weakening. BieIa's
comet has a record for freaks and pranks
that surpasscs anything ever before
kno &n by comet fanciers. But this one
is even more capricious.
Hiela's comet is due to cross the earth's
orbit eight hours after we have left the
81 and, if it we're travelling on schedule
time, there would be an exhibition that
would ~astOnish the world.
# was this coincidence Of time alone
that led men acquainted with the habits
Of lbcse celestial wanderers to pronounce
this one to be the Biela. Observations
taken since have been with the effect to
disabuse the astronomers mind of that
idea. The new comets orbit may be
computed at some one of the numerous
observatOries to day, and then the pub
lie will know exactly what to expect.
At its first appearance the comet APP
p3ared like a disk. clear and bright, with
well defined nucleus, slightly elongated.
On November II, five days after the dis
c0vcry, its bright outline was clearly
visible to the naked eye.
at was the most beautiful comet I had
ever seen in the field of a telescope" said
Professor Rees, of the Columbia college
observatory, yesterday. Since that time
the observations made by Professor Rees
and his staff, from night to night, have
developed the fact that the comet is grow
ing more and more distinct. On the
18TH it was noted that TIE nucleus had
become 50 Obscured that it was very diff
cult to locate it with the telescope. On
the 18th this had become quite impossi-
bic, 50 shadOwy had the nucleus become.
May stars were seen shining through
tie comet, which indicates that its gas
c@I envelope is quite transparent.
Al the same time the same indications
were noted at the Princeton college OBJ
sCryatOry. The staff of Professor Young,
VIII" are Observing the comet through the
70 il ch telescope, report that the bright
ness If the comet is decreasing. The
spcctroscopic experiments being made at
Princeton also indicate that the comet is
LOSING lis brightness as it approaches the
earth. The light from the comet is too
faint ~ make spectrum of great value to
the at Onomers Professor Serviss, of
Brooklyn, observed the diminished glory
oi the comet, and mentioned the fact.
The evidence that the comet is dimin-
ishing in brightness is not in the least
Inconsistent with the theory thai it is
approaching the earth. At its first posi-
ton its entire volume seemed condensed
ut0 Il small spot, and so it had the ap
pcarancc of Il solid ball of fire surrounded
by a layer Of dense vapOr. But as il
apprOaChed our planet the spot grew
larger, covering a greater area Of sky,
and So lost in density. When it comes
nearer its density may be so slight that
it viii become actually invisible. The
Disappearance of the nucleus is explained
i'll he same way. The center Of the nu,
bulUus Uall seems more solid, for the
ey" sees more particles of vapOr at that
point, bat as The ball gets closer and the
mass seems less compact, the optical il
fusion of a nucleus disappears.
lnesc discoveries of the astronomers
as to the condition of the great meteOric
visitor are reassuring. There is absO
Iutcly no danger whatever in the collision
should a cohesion occur. AS there is
little but gas in the comet, from center
to circumference, its impact with the
earth would be like striking the forehead
with a soap bubble.
Professor oerviss' last observation of
the comet was characterized by a start
ling meteoric demonstration. First a
pencil OF light flashed across the field of
vision, then another and another. MANY
OF these falling stars were noted Their
courses, according to hastily made calcu
Lotions, led back TO Andromeda, the di
rcCtion from which the comet was NOV.
ing.
several days ago Professor Rees also
observed a ball of fire cross the sky, but
a, -.