New-York tribune., 1910-02-13
PREDICTION OF HALEY.

HALEY was fifty years old when he made
HI. famous prediction that the comet of
1882 would reappear. and. knowing that he
could not i've 10 see its fulhlInenJ. he ad-
vised the younger generation of astronomers
- keen a careful lookout for II as the
time drew near. In the astronomical tables
which acre published four years after his
death HALEY shows that he had reassured
himself Of the accuracy Of his calculations,
and he concludes with the following appeal.
Wherefore. II. according 70 what we have
s:rea dv said. II should return again about
the year 1855. candid posterity will not re-
fuse - acknowledge that this was first
discovered by an Englishman." Englishuen
have with just pride acknowledged Halley's
clainl ard science has honored his memory
h7- giving his name TO the comet which an
universal interest ranks first among the
celestial wanderers that pay US periodical
visits
Strange 10 relate. the first person to ca tCll
sight Of the returning Nanderer vas i
Saxon farmer named George Palitzch, living
a ProbliS, near Dresden An amateur as
-rononaer. possessed Of keen eye and an
eisht-foot telescope, he was a diligent oh
server Of the heavens. and on the Christ
mas night Of 175s when scanning the quar-
Ter Of The sky where the comet was eX
rected 70 appear, he noticed q white speck
on the blue canopE- This aroused his sus-
picior He kept watch. and 10 his great
soy saw that il enlarged into q, hay, nebu-
1o1s body. Onward il came, increasing IN
size night by night, and soon proclaimed
itself 10 he none ether than Haley S
comet. bearing testimony 10 the prescient
eve Of the mathematician.
That 2 Saxon peasant should have been
fhe first to detect the comet when all the
astronomers Of Europe were looking for II
without success could not be tolerated; it
was ridiculed. doubted. and al last ad-
rnitted.
The comets periodicity being now estab-
1ished. curiosity prompted inquiry into its
past career Haley had with more or less
of probability traced il back 10 the year
1856. and PIngre. whose "Cometographie"
IS Z lasting monument TO his historical
genius. found IN Chinese astronomical an
nails evidence converting the conjecture into
q certainty.
With the aid Of their trustworthy records
J Russell Hind has traced it back TO
stiu earlier date. and identified it with the
comet Of S37 4. d. II appeared in the
s3,rire OF that year, aod 20 disturbed Louis
i. Debonuaire that he summoned a council
OF wise men TO consider its aspect and
tighten hirn 10 its signifcance. The
court astronomer. indeed, found IL more
than he could well do TO keep pace with
his nlajesty's eager inquiries. He says:
During The celebration OF the holy days
OF Easter an appautiCn, always OF gloomy
import presented itself ia The Sky, and
As soGn as the Emperor heard of 1t he
give himself neither peace nor rest until
he hzG called certain learned men and
myself before him AS soon as I
,5yed he anxiously asked me what I
thought OF such sign-what Il imported
II er r1e have but . little time, i asked
of tfT1 THAT I may consider its aspect
and gather from the stars the true mean
sng OF the portent" promising him that
I would acquaiat him on the morrow
sys:erfjnE HAT l only wished to gain
finad (Which vas true. Il The hope ! might
not be obliged 10 say anything fatai TO
ksr,a hrs Tnates-z- - il. GO on the terra &c
IF ffe palace and return -t once and lei
me- know whaf you have seer, fer / old
Eai see this StAc I2St evening. aha 5ou