The sun., 1894-05-06

prize By HIS calculations. which fixed the re-
turn to porihelion for Nov 4. 1896. Ponte-
coulant predicted that the return would occur
= week later than the time set By Damoiseau
But Prot Rosenberger OF Halle made the most
elaborate calculations OF all. and hls predie-
tlon named Nov. IL NJ the critical cate. Be-
sides allowing for tho In fluenee Of all the great
outer planets. except Neptune. which had not
then been discovered. RosenberRer found that
the attraction Of the earth would shorten the
comets inbound journey 1915 days; that OF
Venus 5k days. and the combined attraction
OF Mars and Mercury day. An outlook was be-
gun for the approaching comet nearly aJearin
advance OF the predicted time Of it's perihellon
passage Sir John Ilerschei. then at the Cape
OF Good Hone with his huge telescope. Joined
In the watch. But the comet did not come into
view until the 9th Of August 1895. when twas
seen from the observatory at Rome It be-
came visible to the naked eye late in septen-
ber; then n tail was developed. and during
October IL was watched slowly sweeping. with
constantly increasing splendor. across Ursa
Major. Hercules. and Ophiuchue. down to its
perihellon meeting with the sun. The peri
helion passage occurred on Nov. 10. i've days
later than the time predicted by Prof. Rosen-
berger. The appearance OF the head OF the
comet In october excited tho astonishment OF
all observers On Oct. II Prof Struve de-
which issues from the cannon's mouth after
discharge. when the sparks are driven back
ward by a violent wind" Some drawings that
were made Of the tail show that 1t assumed. at
times. the m ost extraordinary forms
After it's perihelion the comet was watched
retreating out into space until May 1895, when
It was finally swallowed from sight 1t will be
In perihelion again about 1911. but with the
great telescopes now in existence. and the
a.
structed. It is probable that the comet will be
detected coming sunward year or more ear
ller than that The fact that the labor OF COM
putting the precise time Of it's return is already
about to begin gives assurance that ths next
time It will not be question OF how many
days but rather Of how many hours or even
minutes the calculations will be In error.
A glance at the diagram above will show. as
indicated by the arrows. that Halley's comet
travels around the sun In direction con-
trary to that In which all OF tho planets move.
We can hardly suppose. thcn. that 1t origin
ated out OF the same nebulous mass from
which the sun and the planets were created.
We are rather led toSbelieve that II must have
come into our system from outer space. and
that the influence OF Neptune. perhaps. has
been effective in making 1t n permanent
member OF the retinue OF the sun. but still
only an adopted member. whose foreign origin
is Indicated by its Independence OF tho great
law Of revolution that no planet disobeyS
Now that astronomers have undertaken the
prediction OF the exact period OF its return it
will be interesting to see who will first COM
plete his calculations and who will hit nearest
to the mark. And those OF us who actually SEQ
the great comet on its return will surely find
1t doubly interesting, because 1t Ia like slow
ly revolving hand upon the dial OF history. 1t
passed across the sky twelve years before the
birth OF Christ 1t passed again when Nero
was Emperor; again when the fret OF the An
TONNES had Just begun his pacific reign;
again when the Goths were preparing to at
tack Rome. and yet again in tho days Of Dio-
cletian The advancing Huns beheld its transit
in the year 373; and 1t was blazing in tho sky
when their great King Attila was defeated at
Chalons in 45l. Beisarius may have watched
II MS It swung across the heavens Just
after he had begun his victorious career in
$50. II passed again while Mohnmmed was
still worshipplng the idols OF his fathers in
COS. The world saw the great index in tho
ornament again in OSi. in 760. in 1897. In
012. and in $50. 1t was on the noon mark for
William the Conqueror in 1903 It returned
In 1145; in 1923 1t was thought to have pre-
dicted the death OF Philip Augustus; in 1901
II was watched with astonishment from Ice
land to China; in 1873 Chinese and Europeans
once more recorded its transit in their annals.
We havo seen how Islam and Christendom
were terrified by 1t In 145G. 1t was back again
in 1881 and 1907. and when. in lDS2. 1t shone
once moro In the sky. the man had come who
was to read its riddle and solve its mystery.
Is It possible to look forward to the return Of
a comet having such history as this without
feeling that the proper field OF human interest
is not limited by the narrow round Of this
earth? GARRETT T. SERyIss.