Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 October 1882 — IS THE EARTH IN PERIL? [ARTICLE]

IS THE EARTH IN PERIL?

Views of Eminent Scientists Regarding the Comet A Washington dispatch says that Prof. Skinner, of the Naval Observatory, was interviewed in relation to the opinion of Prof. Proctor and other eminent European scientists, that the present comet is that of 184:5 and 1880, and it will again return in 188;] and fall into the sun, causing terrible disaster to the earth. He said that, while Mr. Procter llad a reputation among astronomers for making rash announcements, there was no use in ridiculing his idea. The comet now visible, he said, was certainly a very remarkable one, and in some of its features was an extraordinary phenomenon. As to the possibility of a meeting between the comet and the sun, at some time in the near future, he said, such an event was by no means improbable. He did not think it would be safe at this time to hazard a definite opinion on Prof. Proctor’s prophecy: “The comet will be visible fora montfe yet, and we hope," he said, “to bo able, with the aid of a telescope, to follow it a month and a hair We have not made a sufficient number of observations yet, nor has it been visible long enough, to determine its subsequent course. We don’t know as yet, nor Will we be able for some time to And out, whether the track of the comet be that of a parabola or ari elliptic, If it be the latter, there is some reason to expect serious consequences. The great comet now visible travels in a path practically coincident with the comets of 1813 and 1880. Hubbard found the period of revolution of the comet of 1843 to be ovef 500 years. The period of revolution of the comet of 1880 was over thirty years. The period of tho great comet how visible is not yet calculated with certainty, owing to the limited time of observation. These three comets at the time of the nearest approach to the sun iiitlst traverse the solar atmosphere, thus experiencing a great degree of resistance. The facts, as far as known, are that these comets are observed to travel in the same path. If they are the same comet, that comet’s path must have been violently changed by some outside force. If they fixe ndt the same comet, then the hypothesis of Prof. Saft'ord that they are pieces of the 1843 comet may be held as probable. ” Prof. Skinner concluded by saying that it was idle to make any positive predictions of the future movements of this comet until it has been observed through a longer arc. He said that even if Prof. Proctor’s prediction should be borne out it wouldn’t necessarily follow that tho destruction of the earth Would result. It was all owing to what the comet might be made of. He did not believe it to be m> very ponderable an affair, and in tlie face of Kj coming in contact wit a the sun the sun may be able to take care of it, without any difficulty. * Prof. Pickering, of Harvard University, was interviewed by a reporter and said: “You may say that the scientists of Cambridge Observatory hold no such views. They httve no fears of the earth s destruction through any such a collision between the sun and the comdt. " Prof. Chandler, of Harvard, lias computed that the comet of 188> will not return until after a period of thirty or forty years, nor do the Cambridge professors believe that the present Comet will return in 1884 Prof Frisbie, of the Washington Observatory, says the comet’s nucleus is constantly changing in color, size and saapfl. and that great internal disturbances arc taking place. He estimates the length of the tail at 50,000,000 miles. Ti e NeW York Vun savs: “Tho nucleus of the grout comet hiiS broken into i hroe i arts. The combined length of tho three frag- ! ments, which are a'ranged in a row, is estimated at about 35,0 0 miles, while their width is only 31K0 miles. No change in tho a peilrUileo of the comet is perceptible to the naked eye. The nucleus of the comet of 1881 also broke in twd. In both cases the breaki g up occurred after tile comet had passed the point or nearest approach to the Run. The same is true of Biela’s comet, Which in 1840 not only split up, but developed into two separate comets, cachpos-se-sed of a head and tail of its own. This seems to indicate that a comet encounters some disintegrating force in making it« perihelion passage, and recalls the stifle* mens, of the late Prof. Pierce, based upon a long mathematical investigation, that the tenacity Of tho nucleus of a comet approaching as close to the sun as the comet of 1843 did not equal that of steel, else it would he torn to piece's. The present comet went about as close to the sun ns the one in 184 i, and, according to appearances, was unable to bear tile strain. “It is now a recognized fact that some meteors, at least, and particularly certain ones which appear in periodic showeffl, arc the fragments of comets. If the great comet, which is now mcciting so much interest and attracting air eyes to the morning sky should crumble into pieces it is not beyond the range of possibility that Some of our descendants may have in their cabinets black, flre-incrusted fragments of this celestial body which is making such a glorious spectacle in ill: sky for us.” The astronomers have discovered that tho comet now visible in the eastern heavens splits Into sections every four days, and that the fragments revolve about a common center of gravity, alternately closing and separating. The Smithson-an Institute, at Washing'on, has received from the Academy of V orria the announcement of the discovery by Schmidt at Athens, on the. Bth o'' October. of a comet four degrees southeast of the great com't. Prof. Swift of hochestc", says this is unquestionably a fragment of the great comet, broken off at its perihelion passage. This proves that the great comet must have grazed the sun. and hence passed through the terrib e crisis This is the se owl instance on record where o c enet has ben disrupted, the first one being liiehu's comet of 184(5.