The times., 1899-08-13
THE YEARS COMET CROP.
Three Reported Within the Las
Four Months.

keeps up. thersfore 1899 VIII make as good
a showing as did Ises which beat the rec
ord IN this branch OF astronomical research
No fewer than ten comets were sighted last
year, three OF them being repeaters whose
return had been anticipated. aad seven be-
ing aew onss. Two OF the latter were dis
covered b. accident on photographs plates.
Hunting for comats is a good deal Ike
fishing. The luck varies from season to
season The planets formed cut OF the same
material as the sun. and separated from the
parental mass ages ago. always attend the
primary orbit OF the system as Il whirls
swiftly through space-off toward the star
Vega, 1t IS thought But the comets are
adopted vagrants. not children AS the sun
invades new regions il passes near some OF
these strays every year Its own attraction
or that OF some big planet draws the wan
derer into new path. and perhaps attach
es IL to the family for centuries. There
| after. although the comet may pursue a
course that Will take it away for FIVE or
six or even thirty or forty years. II is likely
to come back again and again 10 the i'm
! mediate vicinity of the sun
But it is also likely to fall. Something
may happen to dsmage or divert it, Hence
comets which have returned several times
in succession, and whose period has been
carefully computed. VIII every now and
then disappoint the astronomer. At least
three comets neglected to keep their ap-
pointments last year anyhow they were
not seem Whether their love has gr0wn
cold or whether they have been wrecked
on some celestial reef 1t is impossible TO
say.
| OF the three comets reported since Janu-
airy 1 last, the one discovered by Swift
was an utter stranger; the next, seen about
| month ago, was an old acquaintance
Tuttle's comet OF 1S5s, and the latest find
was also well known. Tempel first OBJ
served it in 1873. and il was the second
one seen that year Therefore the comet
Is labeled Tempei 1913 ii, TO distinguish
/ it from others
Although the second Of these bears Tut
/ ties name. it Is now believed that the
comet is identical with the one found by
Maehatn in 1880. IL comes back to the sun
once in thirteen and hve-sixths years The
outer loop In its elliptical orbit lies near
the path OF Saturn and II is thought that
that planet has shaped the destiny OF the
comet TO certain extent Several other
comets have been picked UP by Saturn
while the whole planetary system was
moving through space. So that Saturn Is
said TO have little family Of comets"
Just as Jupiter and Uranus have Soma
doubts were entertained about the pos5i-
fbility OF seeing Tuttles comet this year.
inasmneh as it was expected to appear in a
part OF the heavens where 1t would not
be readily detected. There is no reason 10
question its identity, however.
Tempel 1913 III belongs TO Jupiter's flock
It's period is about 90 years. II was last
seen In 1894, and its nearest approach to
the sun on this trip IS expected to occur
in July The comet is right on time. ap-
parently, and seems TO have keen sense
Of its obligations to society This object
made its second appearance In 1873. but in
1893 and 1889 It escaped observation Fears
were then expressed that il had gone the
way or all bad comets so that the return
In 1894 gave the astronomers fresh cause
to renew their confidence IN the visitor.
The particular spot IN which it ought TO
appear had been computed so accurately
by DR.. Schulhof, OF Paris. that the differ
ence between the prediction and reaIiza-
tion was almost imperceptfbIe Last week
the comet reappeared within few seconds
OF the position assigned to it by the same
expert
This comet has been eOnfounded With an
other which Tenpel discovered He saw
il first in 1851, and It came back In 1879
The period OF this other wanderer vas
however. failed to return on the next four
occasions when 1t would If II had been gift
cd with a proper moral sense and a high
degree OF executive ability It's Iast En-
gagement was for September, 1855. Inas-
much as it did not come TO time then. IL
has now been crossed OF the books OF
comet seekers
Besides the two repeaters which have
come back this year, more or less hope has
hckaF oh harfcN cNta1
One which bears Denning's name was look
ed for in January Thus far it has failed
TO report. and 1t is now too late for it to
redeem its reputation Barnard 1892
was expected in April. Up to date it has
not been heard from, and il Is now likely
to disappoint its friends. Then there was a
comet OF Holmes that was billed to appear
in May No one has yet sighted it, But
perhaps il has only missed a train Il Is
too soon TO give up entirely
To the fourth Of the Fepeaters concern
ing which expectation has been excited this
year peculiar interest attaches Shortly
after the famous showers of meteOrs IN
1896 two independent communications were
made by famous astronomers Leverrier
calculated the track and period OF the
swarm of bodies that produced the mete-
orie display. and oppolzer did the same
for comet which passed near the sun in
January. 1856, and which was first seen by
Tempel When the results were published
1t was noticed that the two paths were al
most Identical This, taken ~zth one or
two similar condolences, imk-zt>seiy 81
gested the probability OF a closer rslx.-
tiOnship between comets and meteors THAI
had previously been suspected
1t is now believed that the meteor show
er that emanates from the constellation Of
Perseus in August is due 10 the wreckage
of comet OF Tuttle'S- The meteors that
are seen some years at the very close OF
November. proceeding from Androneia-
are believed TO be shattered fragments OF a
part OF Bioia's comet and the dfspEav
which attains its chief briIIianey every
thirty three years. and has Leo for its ra-
diant point. is strangely associated with
the Tempsl comet OF 1867, the only one
seen that year. This fourth comet. whose
time schedule excited hopes that il mfzht
be seen again this year, was due in March
A return in the spring places II less advaa-
tageously for observation than one in the
fall. tits period is a fraction over thirty
three years.) Hence no surprise win he
felt by the initiated at the failure OF the
star gazers TO glimpse it this time. Sous
doubts are entertained as 20 the conditions
that will prevail in 1892: but the pubic
has been solemnly assured that the chance
OF a fine view OF TempeI 1867 in .es5-'ss
viii be exeelient--New York Tribune.
American OvereatfDr