The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-05-17
A GREAT COMET COMING.
Astronomers Preparing For 1t Now,
Despite Its Vast Distance Away.

HaIley's Comet Is $500 ,O0O, 900 Miles Away
At Present-Due Here Again In 1911.
Halley's comet is coming back-the
comet which in the year 1866 shed &C.
lestial splendor over the Norman con-
quest. and whose terror-inspiring visit
was COMMUNICATED by the hand of
Queen Matilda in the Bayeux Tapestry;
the comet that in 1456, the year of the
battle OF Belgrade, scared Turk and
Christian alike, and was mathematical
by bull from the Pope; the comet
whose strange scimitar form still chilled
the marrow of the ignorant and supersti-
tious at it's latest return in 1885. 1t is
yet far away, but the eye of science
sees it, already within the orbit of Nep-
tune, rushing sunward and earthward
with constantly increasing velocity as
it falls along the steep curve of it's orbit.
And call to arms, call for prepare
ton, has just been issued from one of
the chief watch towers of astronomy:
Prof Glasenapp announces that the
computing bureau established by the
Russian Astronomical Society has under
taken the calculation of the true path
OF Halley's comet, with view to pre-
dieting the exact date of the next return.
He hopes that astronomers acquainted
with published observations of the
comet will communicate the information
to the society,"
Halley's comet is not one of the in
significant crowd of little comets. SO
many of which are discovered by indus
trious star-gazers every year, and which
nobody outside the observatories ever
sees. On the contrary it furnishes, or at
least, has done SO hitherto. splendid
spectacle in the sky. OF course, In
speaking of ordinary telescope comets
as Insignificant, Irefer only to their ap-
parent size and brilliancy; in scientific
sense they frequently possess the highest
interest and significance. But Halley's
comet is one that, when favorably stu
ated, commands every eye, and does not
need to be looked for. During at least
eighteen centuries it has periodically
astonished the Inhabitants of the earth.
In 1856 it's tail was 60 degrees long. In
1885 it had tail 20 degrees in length.
AZ WOo d1tO1 1bS etPpCdEduCO III bu6 UlllS
of Newton, in 1852, that the fact came
to be recognized that this comet is a
regular visitor to the neigh borhood of
the sun; in other words, that it travels
in long elliptical orbit When nearest,
it is about 5000, 900 miles. from the sun
and far inside the orbit of the earth;
when most distant, it is about 8. $40, 000,-
900 miles from the sun and beyond the
know limits of the planetary system.
Edmund HALEY discovered the peri
odical character of the comet. 1t had
made its appearance in the year of his
marriage, and it powerfully excited his
interest. Upon calculating the elements
of It's orbit he noticed that they resem-
bled those pertaining to comets which
Perhaps they are all the same comet'
he thought Finally, after celebrating
his calculations. he 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 accomplishments Of his predic-
tion. But he besought his countrymen.
n case the comet did come back, not to
allow the world to forget that it was an
Englishman who predicted it's return.
His countrymen, however, have never
allowed the world to forget fact of that
kind. 1t almost seemed as if nature in
tended to assist HALEY IN the fulfill
ment of what could not but have been
longing wish OF his, to see. the return
of the cometgwith his own eyes, for he
lived to the ripe age of eighJy-six years,
dying in 1742, only seventeen years before
his comet reappeared, and when it had
reached the same point on it's return
journey which it occupies today.
When the time grew near for the reap
pearance of the comet, if Halley's bold
prediction was to be fulfilled, the astrono-
mers of Europe began to watch for it,
They knew that the attraction of the
large planets must disturb the comets
motion, and they calculated, as accurate
ly as they were able, what the effect of
such disturbance would be upon the
period of it's return to perihelion, or
nearest approach to the sun. Two cele-
brated French mathematicians. Clairault
and Lalande, labored continually for six
months, hardly stopping for their meals,
to complete the calulations, 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 it.
Lalande never recovered from the strain