The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-10-30

The solar system, In which the earth
holds a part, Is a most interesting
study and those star-tramps. the com
cts. are perhaps its most extraordinary
feature.
All the planets and satellites and as
teroids move IN solemn and stately
grandeur around the sun from the west
10 east, keeping always within a few
degrees Of the plane Of the Elliptic,
while comets rush wildly from east 10
west. or west TO east from the north
castle southwest and from southwest
to northeast. some OF them actually
moving In course perpendicular TO
the plane Of the Elliptic.
All the other members OF our solar
retinue move In well defined orbits.
nicely balanced. that they may neither
lall into nor be driven away from the
sun, while comets make a Wild. head
long rush for the sun. apparently fall
Ing through billions Of miles 10 reach
that luminary.
They plunge IN a vortex heated a
thousand times hotter than melted
iron, and when az last their terrific
speed and consequently centrifugal
force sweep them around the sun. IN
stead OF into the sun. they rush cut
again into their dreary circuit. u may
DO Tor five years and II may be for 500
years. IN the cold ether. 80 many bill
Hons Of miles away that the SUMS light
and the suns heat are az the light and
heat OF O minute star twlnkllng In the
nllly way.
Sir Isaac Newton az one time serious
ly considered o. probable that frag-
monis Of comets made the fuel by
which the suns fires are fed While
this hypothesis Is not considered ten
able nov, yet there lies no reason TO
dispute the occasional loss OF a comet
by falling into the suns fires.
This view Is especially borne out by
the fact that several comets whose or
bits we're known and who should have
been OF regular and frequent occur
ence, have failed TO keep their engage
ment0.
And Il Is not 10 be expected that
any substance Of any kind can continue
20 experience the extreme viclssitudes
OF heat and cold and not be gradually
and surely wasted away.
The Intensity OF the heat near the
surface OF the sun exceeds the posslbil.
ity OF our Imagination. and the cold
ness Of the stellar depths equally
eludes all conception.
Il is. therefore. only reasonable to ex-
poet that gradually all known comets
VIII. In the coming ages. be wasted
away. while wandering here and there
In the wide realms OF space other CON-
cts will take their places
The comet in question tthe special
one now approaching us) Is most prob
ably r. new one. Its two companions
and itself are reminders OF the three
most remarkable comets OF recent
years These were the comets Of 1911.
1913. and 1855.
The comet OF 1871 was the finest that.
up 10 the time OF lts appearance. had
adorned the heavens since the days
Of Newton.
Il was noted for lis intense bril-.
liancy. and was visible to the naked
eye Il was comet OF the frst class
In point Of magnitude and luminosity.
Its brilliant tail At its greatest elonga-
tion. has an extent OF 1913 million
miles. and a breadth Of Is million
miles.
Al It's nearest approach to us The
comet was yet distant III million
miles so that had even It's tail pointed
In the direction Of the earth. the ex-
iremi,y Of the tail would have been Is
million miles away from the earth's
surface.
Its appearance was dazzllngly bril-
liant In the evening sky. and for three
months the celestial novelty was an
object OF the greatest admiration.
But the comet OF lSls IL REGARDED
as the most marvellous OF the present
age. SO luminous was this comet that
Il was observed In the daytime. even
before Il was visible at night. Il
startled the world by appearing In the
spring, In the western heavens. like A
streak OF aurora streaming from the
region Of the sun below the constella-
ton OF Orion. Il was n come; OF the
biggest class.
The nearest approach Of lts head 10
the earth was about 0.OO0. 900 miles
The absolute diameter Of the nebuloslty
surrounding the head was about Sc 1000
miles. The length Of its tail was pro-
diglous On the eth OF February Il
was los million miles In length. The
stars were plainly visible through rs
tail.
IL Is certain that the comet almost
grgzed the sun, perhaps some portion
OF as nebuloslty may have come Into
direct collision With a. The heat li re-
ooivcd, according to the computation
NJ Sir John Herschcl. must have been
1900 times that received by the
earth from a vertical sun. Such a TEN.
peraturo would have converted into va
9or almost every substance on the
earth's surface. and n anything had re-
tanned the solid form Il would be IN
state Of Intense ignition.
The comet OF February Is was red
hot, and for some days after Il re-
1ained a peculiar aery appearance. In
the equatorial regions the tail was de-
scribed as resembling a stream OF FIRE
from furnace.
This comet was visible Ia Bologna.
Italy. at noon. being then only $1,000
miles distant from the sun and trav-
cling AZ a speed OF s66 miles per sec-
ond. II fellows therefore. that In
twelve minutes Il must have passed
over a space equal 10 the distance be-
tween the earth and the moon.