El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-04-02

I nosing its way into the solar system.
! happens to approach quite close to the
/ giant planet, without actually falling
/ foul, IL viii have its velocity either in
/ creased OF decreased by the attraction
Of Jupiter according as II chances to
be ahead OF or behind him. and the
curvature OF its track will be changed.
both by the increase or decrease of We
locity and BY the direction in which
Jupiter draws upon the comet.
Thus comet coming on visit TO
our system and intending 70 swing
round the sun, at a respectful distance,
IN parabolic or hyperbolic orbit
both Of which are perfectly safe
courses. since they are open curves
unhappily passes near TO Jupiters
orbit at q moment when he happens
TO be trekking in that neigh borhOod.
and presto. the poor comet finds a
lariat dropped upon its neck, and IS
flung out Of its safe curve into the
treadmin round OF an ellipse. Hence
torth II is a prisoner. compelled alter
nately to swing round the sun at one
end OF its tether and to return to the
impossible fence OF Jupiter's orbit at
che other end. That is the way in
which previously Independent comet
IS captured by Jupiter
But having captured a comet, or
having dragged of to his own lair
one captured by Uranus or Saturn. the
big brute often plays with his victim
IKE a cat with a mouse The tragedy .
OF Lexells comet. now probably iden- /
tined with one of Brookss comet is a
wonderful story OF Jupiter's ways with
comets that fall. so to speak. under his
displeasure 1t Is timely. too. because
this very comet this year makes one
II its pepitsAs4.-i swings around the
sln tS-go back ,Sgain TO encounter
Jupiter. under Circumstances which
Yr1sy lead its merciless r.ist3. - s-iv
No. lie tbe traeical story 70 tbrief:
In T7-0 a comet. afterw.txd named
IexelTs passed very near ~ earth
on its way round the sun us aSpear-
a1ce waS q great surprise, becaalse IL
Tss found 10 be travelling IN an ~
30 short as to bring II back every
and one-half years, and yet nooooy NJ
ever seen II before. Inc mysrery n,ss
offered bv the French Institute. ana
the explanation was found 70 De ma
the comet had been wandering aoout .
the outer part OF the solar system, y
too fer arev 70 be visible. until in thef
wear 1867 II fell into Jupiter's net he
iror7adia+e1y- confined Il in short
eIlipse. the circuit Of which required
five and one-half years In IT'S loIpner
path II had been comparatively free.
since II took IS years 10 MAKE tne
Having discovered these fscts. the
astronomers rubbed their hands and
said: Now every time this little comet
comes round me viii study u at our
leisure" But the comet never came
round, The very FIRST time Il went
hack to Jupiter, after he had flung
II into its new orbit. II approached him
on the inner side/of his orbital fence
He yanked II outward With such force
that it fell into a lame gait. following
now q path so much longer than before
that IT would take p years TO 60
around the sun. meantime keeping Tar
away from the karth. When the as
tronomers had brought out these facts
by their calculations they dismissed
Lexelrs comet from their minds They
never expected to see it again.
More than a hundred years passed
By. when. in June. 1889. Brooks. OF
Geneva. Y Y. discovered what he took
for a new comAt Calculation showed
that il was ira Yelling in an ellipse Of
seven years length and within easy
eve range from, the earth. Il was an
other mystery. FOR why had il not been
seen before The answer was given
BY one OF Americas greatest astrOnom-
ical geniuses. c. Chandler. and that
answer, thought expressed in mathe-
mates. is an unparalleled romance
Chandler reco isnized in Brooks's sup
posed new cou,aet OF Lexell He found
that after beifsg thrown far away by
Jupiter in 17fI. the poor slave had
once more beef caught up by the great
In 1885 It. {tupidly as It were. ven
tUred so close Ito its tormentor that for
eight monthsi IL was virtually in
chains. and " las drawn in so deep into
the Jovian t3.ils that for one critical
instant. IL was closer to Jupiter than
his outer NOON.
Yet fortunef favored II again. fer its
course was sc, altered by Jupiters own
Fat like maTf euvers. that IL got away
In a seven tear ellipse. and while il
was making FITS first circuit in this new
path Brooksi caught sight OF il.
But its adventures are not yet end
I'd Now, however, they can be pre-
dicted. at fast the next one can. Since
Brooks discovered the comet il has
been maxi ing its rounds regularly
every seven years. But after this years
circuit IL twill. in 1921. fall once more
into Jupiter hands. and what he viii
DO with II this time nobody can tell. J
The last : time he tore IL into five !
pieces, the next time he may finish IL. J
HOROSCOPE.