The sun., 1894-05-06

| liancy; In n scientific sense they frequently
| possess the highest interest and Significance.
| But Halley's comet is one that, when favora-
bly, situated. commands every eve. and does
not need to DO looked for During at least
eighteen centuries It has periodically aston
ished the inhabitants OF the earth. In 1886
it's tail was 90 degrees long. In 1885 1t had a
| tail 20 degrees in length.
twas after it's appearance In tho time OF
Newton. In 1852. that the fact came to be rec
ognized that this comet Is regular visitor to
the neighborhood OF the sun. in other words.
that It travels In a long eiptical orbit. as
shown In the accompanying diagram. When
nearest. It is about SO. 600. 900 miles from tho
sun. and far inside the orbit OF the earth;
when most distant, 1t is about 1870 o0O.0 600
miles from the sun and beyond the known
limits OF the planetary system.
Edmund HALEY discovered the periodical
character Of the comet. 1t had made its ap-
pearnncs in the year OF his marriage. and IL
powerfully excited his interest. Upon calcu-
lating the elements OF its orbit he noticed tina.
they resembled those pertaining to comets
which had heen seen In the years 1907 and
1881. Perhaps they are all the same comet"
he thought Finally. after celebrating
his calculations. no gathered confidence
and ventured to predict that the comet would
return In 1859. HALEY had been born In 1856
and. in the course OF nature. he could hardly
hope himself to see the accom- plis ment OF his
prediction. But ho besought his countrymen.
In case the comet did come back. not TO allow
the world to forget that 1t was an Englishman
who had predicted its return. His country
men. however. have never allowed the world
TO forget fact OF that kind. 1t almost seemed
as II nature intended to assist HALEY In the
fulnlment OF what could not but have been a
longing wish OF his. to see the return OF the
comet with his own eyes. for he lived to the
ripe age OF 81 years. dying in l742. only seven
teen years before his comet reappearsd. and
when 1t had reached nearly the same point on
its return journey which it occupies to-day.
When the time grew near for the reappear-
anee OF the comet. II IIalley's bold prediction
was 10 be fulfilled. the astronomers OF Europe
began to watch for 1t. They knew that the at
traction OF the large planets must disturb the
comets motion, and they calculated. as ac-
curately as they were able what the effect OF
such disturbance would be upon the period OF
it's return to Derihelion. or nearest approach to
the sun. Two celebrated French mathemA-
ticians. Clairault and Lnlande labored con-
tinually for six months. hardly stopping
for their meals. TO complete the calcu-
lations and they were so effectively assisted
by woman astronomer. Nine. Lepaute
that without her aid they would probably have
been unable to finish their work before the
comet itself came TO interrupt II. Lalande
never recovered from the strain OF the labor
he then performed. The result Of their calcu-
lation was that. having been delayed 5le days
by Jupiter and 100 by Saturn. the comet would
return TO periheiion on the 18th OF April 1854,
and thatit might at any moment be detected
on Its way to perihelion. Immediately the
astronomers OF Europe began to search for
the comet but, singularly enough. they were
all beaten by a farmer John Paitseh. living
DFAa1an who haVinp
with small telescope. was eultivaiing astron-
omy on his own account. and Obsying the In
junction Of Virgil;
Nor must the plnughmaR less observe the sEie.
When the Klcs Dragon and Areturus rise.
Palitseh discovered the comet on the night
OF Dec. %. 1853. The professional astrono-
mers followed more than three weeks later.
and even after they had fouad the comet at tho
observatory Of Paris on the 2lst OF January.
1850. they kept the fact a secret not knowing
that the unpTstsntious farmeT-astTonomer
had SO completely distaneed them that they
were no longer In the race. II may be said In
Justice to ths astronomers that those at Paris.
at any rate. were much troubled by cloudy
weather In their search tor the comet The PERI
heliOn passage occurred on the 18th Of March.
one month earlier than the time predicted. But
in announcing the result OF the calculations
made by LAlande. Nine. LepAute. aud himself
ClaiTault had remarked that the comet might
come TO psrihelion a month earlier. or month
later than the predicted time. because they
had unayOidebly neglected in their calcula-
tl0Rs certain sources Of disturbance that would
affect the comets motion. After its psrlhelion
the comet presented a fns appearance
The next return was due Ia 1855. As early
as 1917 the astronomers began to bsstir them
selves in onsr that the moment OF psriheliOn
passage might be more accurately fOFetold than
II had bssa In 1850. Baron DaROiSsAu WOR