Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-08

is now rapidly diminishing, but as that dis
tanco lessons the intensity OF the solar at
traction Increases, and, consequently, the
pace at which the object is urged onward
becomes greater and greater From moving
at the rate of a mile in a second the little
object would gradually attain q speed not
less than that OF the earth in its orbit
namely, about eighteen miles second. Still
the body presses onward until pace could
be reached of 100 or 200 miles a second
Finally, when the vapor would be about to
make the terrific plunge into the glowing
sun, It's speed would be upwards OF 400 miles
a second. The vastness of this speed may
be realized from the fact that a body ami
mated by so great velocity would accom-
pish complete circuit of the earth in about
a minute.
The case which have supposed Is, how
ever. not exactly that of a comet. The
movement would hardly take place in the
way just described, in which the sun ard
the wisp of vapor were both originally at
rest. Such a state OF things could hardly
be possible in nature. We may, no doubt,
suppose The sun to have been at rest, for
1t Is only the relative movements OF the
two bodies which concern us. But we
can hardly imagine that the wisp OF vapor
could have been so delicately placed as to
have had absolutely no motion whatever
except, Indeed, in the direct line toward
the sun. II, at the moment OF starting,
would carry 1t in the course of time out of
the direct line TO the sun, then a totally
different condition of motion would result.
MISSES THE SUN AFTER ALL.
All the time the sun was drawing this
wisp of vapOr toward II the transverse move
ment would be gradually moving the wlsp
out of the direct line. Now. though the
speed of that movement may be very small,
yet in the lapse of those millions of years
hat mr. Ia draw nj ha
sun, this transverse movement will have
increased to such an extent that the object
Will miss the sun instead OF hitting 1t. In
fact, after its stupendous voyage from the
indefinitely remote depths of space, during
which II has acquired its vast speed of scores
or hundreds OF miles a second, the comet
will be found not plunging into the sun but
passing TO one side of 1t. While the two
objects are in such close proximity their
mutual attraction is OF course of tremendous
vehemence. In virtue of this attraction the
rapidly moving comet is whirled round the
sun. and consequently begins to retreat
again toward the same side from which II
has come. In this majestic sweep the comet
describes a graceful curve. Coming in from
ininity 1t approaches the sun, wheels round
the sun and then again retires to the depths
OF space.
hs the comet has swept in toward the
sun, in consequence of the attraction of
that body, II may seem difficult to under
stand why it should then retreat outward
again, Notwithstanding the attraction
which now seeks to draw II back This
may, however. be illustrated by a very
simple contrlvancc, Let a weight be hung
from the ceiling by a string. Let that
weight be drawn aside and then released
II will, of course, swing down to the lowest
point and then, having passed through the
| lowest point, the weight will begin to as
cend. The attraction OF the earth pulls the
body down, but as 1t descends II acquires
speed, and in virtue Of this speed 1t is
enabled to pass the lowest point and to
ascend in opposition to gravity on the other
side. In the same way. the speed acquired
by the comet In Its long voyage toward the
sun from the depths OF space, enables 1t
! to sweep round the sun without being cap
tured, and then to pass away. perhaps, never
moro 20 return. The nearer the comet is to
the solar surface, the greater Is the speed
with which II moves, and consequently the
more brief Is its sojourn In the vicinity OF
the sun, comet has, In fact, been known
to Craze the sun so closely that II passed
within one-scvonth part OF the suns radius.
In this case period OF two hours suficed
for the comet 20 completely turn round the
sun and commence Its retreat into space.
COUNTER ATTRACTIONS AT WORK.
The actual circumstances presented In
assumed thar; the sun and the comet were
| course, this condition is not fulfilled. There
are the planets surrounding the sun, and
there are the countless host OF stars. Some