The Sunday Oregonian., November 21, 1909, SECTION SIX, Page 3, Image 63

H ALLEY'S COMET FROM B. G. 240 TO; FRESE
TKit V-roAwif f a t-rft-11 Sv President of the Deoartment of Astronomy, Brooklyn Institute.
How Comets Are Tracked; This One Captured by Neptune; When and Where to Look for It.
NT
HISTORY
(Copyright. 19"9. by Frederick Campbell.)
IT Is one of the many triumphs of
modern astronomy, that it can track
a comet, when out of sight, almost as
well as when "biasing its way" among
the stars before our very eyes. A comet
is always found following one of the
three kinds of orbits, and three observa
tions, on as many nights, are all that are
usually needed to determine. In the as
tronomers mind, which orbit It is pur
suing. It is supposed that all comets come
from a distance and were originally vis
um s. Where they came from and how
they came to be no one knows. Coursing
through space, a comet comes within the
yphcre of our sun's attraction, turns out
of Its course to salute the sovereign of
the solar system, swings about that body
and flies back Into space. Commonly its
path is found to be either an hyperbola
or a pirabola, each an open curve, the
two aides, in tho case of the former,
constantly diverging; in the case of the
latter constantly approaching parallel
lines, but in neither case completing the
curve. Such a comet will never return,
But a comet, entering the solar system
on such a curve, must "step lively" or
have its curve altered. ,If, at the earth's
distance of S3.P0O.0CO miles from the sun
the. comet be coursing more swiftly thin
2S miles a second, it will keep to its hy
perbola or parabola, and never return.
But, if It drop below that speed, under
the Influence of the new 'forces encoun
tered in our solar system it will be tied
up in an ellipse. This latter path may
be described as a compressed or elongated
circle.
rrlsoners of Onr Planets.
It !s In this way that comets' are
actually made prisoners by our planets,
and made to conform to the unending
.treadmill of the eclipse. Instead of roam-
ing the universe in the broad liberty of
the hyperbola or parabola. Drawn In
by the attracting power of the sun. they
not Infrequently have to pass near one
or more of the planets en route. The at
traction of the planet then slows down
the comet's speed below the fatal mark of
36 miles a second at the earth's distance,
and henceforth the comet is ours. The
closed path of the ellipse will bring It
back periodically whether, like Eneke's
comet, it be In 3V4 years; like the present
visitor. Halley'a comet. In 75 years, or,
like Donatl's .comet of 1858, in 2000 years.
Neptune, our most distant planet, is be
lieved thus to have captured Halley's
and five others, Uranus three, Saturn two
and Jupiter about 30. because of its great
aise and power and the greater nearness
of the comets" orbits to its own.
But there Is every probability that a
comet will lay Its orbit In a plane differ
ent from that of our earth. So it Is with
Halley's comet, whose orbit is inclined
IS degrees to the ecliptic. Only as it
draws near the earth and the sun does it
cut our plane. Backward In space the
paths constantly diverge, until, where
the comet may be said to be passing
Neptune, it is no less than 750,000.000 miles
from that planet so far that It would
fee! its attraction less than that of Mara
and the earth In passing them. On this
account it Is with difficulty that we be
lieve that Neptune captured it, unless
Its path has been subsequently altered.
It Is on this theory, however, that so
great an authority as M. Flammarlon, the
French astronomer, bases his argument
for another planet beyond Neptune, Inas
much as the course of the comet of 1SS2
seems to demand such a planet to ac
count for Its presence in the solar system
as a periodical comet.
Could we ride the comet, then, ap
proaching the sun nearer than Venus,
the orb of day would appear four tiroes
its size as seen in the earth's sky; but.
retreating to a distance 500,000,000 miles
farther than that of the most remote
planet of our system, it would appear
only as an inconsiderable star, whose
light would require five' hours to travel
the intervening space. Instead of the
minutes required to reach the earth.
With sunrise, then, at 6 A. M., we should
not enjoy its light till 1 In the morning;
but with sunset at 6 P. M. we should
still see the sun-star shining on till 11
at night. An electric message between
the comet and the earth would at the
same time require about as many hours
for Its transmission, regardless of the
usual delays in office and delivery.
Nearer Than the Stars.
Whe'n the comet Is sighted it is seen
in the direction of certain stars, and ap
pears to be actually among them. It Is,
however, countless millions of miles near
er than they. Thus the comet's light
now comes in only about half an hour
because of its proximity; but Sirius,
brightest of all the stars, seen In that
same quarter of the heavens, requires SV4
years for its light to travel to the earth.
At present, at about 1 In the morning,
and each month about two hours earlier,
rises in the east the brilliant Winter
constellation Orion. Ready to compete for
brilliancy with its two first-magnitude
stars, Kigel and Betelgeuse, and the ad- (
jacent orbs of like glory. Sirlus. Aldeha-
4 -
i
slance at the map of the' Willamette- Valley will show why the term
Railroads radiate from six different
vsllevs from Albany. The city has
,,n,hla of auDDortinar 2.000.000 people
Albany are of great extent and of
ran and Procyon, there is the comet. In
the northern part of the constellation,
about two degrees west of the star Nu
Orionle. there it Is. ' Note the row of
three conspicuous stars In Orion's belt.
From the middle of these draw a line
northerly to the bright red star Betel
geuse; then continue it about as far
again, and you have found, if not the
comet, at least the spot where the comet
i i ii
I
i
' t
1
& : !
Halley's Comet as It
is. Its course will be westward, through
that great letter V laid on its side and
marked by bright red Aldebaran; that is
the Hyades group of the constellation
Taurus. It will then pass along the
south part of Aries and thence into
Pisces.
The camera and telescope have already
found it; In December every good eye
will make it out, and in May it will be
sweeping its broad tail nightly across
the heavens, grand and awe-inspiring.
Halley's comet spends a very small
fraction of Its .time within human view.
If It be one of the triumphs of modern
astronomy that it has accurately traced
Its course throughout its complete round
of 75 years, it is little less of an achieve
ment to follow it back through the cen
turies to the times before the Christian
era.
It must not be thought, from the name
that it bears, that Sir Edmund Halley
was the first ever to see this stupendous
object, much less that it canu. Into being
or first visited this part of tho universe
in his day. Halley saw the comet in 16S2,
and he died in 1742, 60 years later, and 16
years before the comet's next appear
ance. But the comet was an old affair
when he looked upon It; and when he
successfully solved the problem of its I
identity with a number of historical com
ets, and the periodical character of Its
returns to our sky, it had been making
its round of space for ages.
Probably Captured by Neptune.
That the comet originally entered our
solar system from distant regions of the
universe is practically certain. - Once
within our confines It was captured, as is
supposed, by Neptune, our most distant
known planet, and Its 6peed became so
reduced that It was compelled to adopt
the elliptical form of orbit which it now
travels. Now. when this happened no
one can know or guess. It may have
been within the history of mankind, or
ages before. All we know is that the
comet, like the moon. Is here, and that
it has been here for a long time.
Some of the greatest discoveries have
grown out of what. are cailed "lucky
guesses." Halley had a strong suspicion
that the great comet of 1682 was no
stranger. He was familiar with the fact
that remarkable comets had been seen in
1531 and 1607; and here were two intervals
of so nearly 75 years each that he won
dered whether these three were not one
and the same comet returning with a
certain regularity. His suspicion was
converted to conviction, when he exam
ined the courses of these three and found
them to fit into each other so nicely that
it was impossible any longer to believe
that they were three; they were really
one and the same.
It Is strange that he did not go back
still further to 1456. whose comet so shook
Europe with terror and dismay, for here
was the same Interval, and he could not
be ignorant of that vlfltation. " He might
Mc . .
.. i- --;
1 y-
.runts' n fy r v....a-wAuj
directions, and it owes its pre-era
a present population of about 1OOO.
(some say 5.000,000.) Whenever the
wonderful richness. Trade in thl state,
Batara, One of tbe Flaneta Affecting the
Comet. '
also easily have Included the famous
comet of 106S In his survey; but it seems
that he did not. But In the three dates
of 1531, 1607 and 16S2 he felt that he had
sufficient data to warrant a prediction.
And this be now ventured upon namely,
that In the year 1Z8 there would be a
fresh visit of a comet already seen at
least three times; and so Interested was
he In the result of his prophecy, and so
Will Soon Appear.
confident that he could not live to wit
ness it, that be frankly expressed a hope
that the world would recognize that It
was an Englishman who made the pre
diction. -
Fixing the Date.
. Halley had been resting In his grave
for 16 years, and astronomers all over
Europe were watching for the return of
the. comet, when a Saxony farmer,
George Palltsch by name, having a love
of the stars and a Email telescope, be-
The Sun. as It Would Appear from Halley's Comet, flrt on tbe left, at Perlhelkm or aeareet approach; then at distances of Venus,
Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune; Finally, on Blent, at Aphelion or Greatest Distance. Drawn by anthor.)
cum the Dr. Cook to steal the prize from
the toinng pearys of his day, and sighted
the monster on its return trip. It was on
Christmas night of the year 176S. and
henceforth this was Halley's comet; for
he had made himself and the visitant fa
mous by a first successful prediction of
the return of a periodical comet.
We have mentioned the fact that Hal
ley strangely overlooked other dates that
he might have Included In his series, and
that the comet has been traced back to
the times before Christ. The gaps are
not all filled in the earlier dates; but
this Is doubtless due to ' tlfe want of
records in an unscientific age. Beginning,
however, with "A. D. 10S6, not a date is
missing, although, owing to the disturb
ing influences of the planets passed by
the comet in coming and going, the In
tervals differ from to 79 years.
The earliest date which we possess is
B. C. 240. Our next date is 600 years
later, namely, A. D. 451. Then comes 760.
Now we come to an unbroken series, be
ginning with 1066. the date of the Nor
man invasion of England under William
the Conqueror, when the comet was sup
posed to be the symbol of his all-conquering
sword, and people stood aghast at
the celestial spectacle. The comet re
peated Its visits in 1145, 1222, 1301, 137S
and 1456.
It probably never produced such con
sternation as in the latter year. No one
Imagined that this was merely the re
turn of an old visitor, absolutely no more
Comparative Magnitudes of the Earth and
Jupiter.
(Jupiter is credited with capturing more
comets than all the other planets pnt to
gether.) v
. J- -V-
ill
3 sv
...
fAKORAMIO VIEW OF ALBANY, OBEGO.V, "THE HUB OP THE WILLASlETTB VALLEY.
"The Hub of the Willamette-Valley" has
inence as a railroad cnter both to the fact of the very large production of the surrounding country, and to the very Important fact that a water grade can be secured into all Jheso rich tributary
It has grown rapidly during the past few years, and has, since its beginning, kept pace with the growth of the valley, as it must always do. A conservative estimate makes Uk- il!amettc Va.ley
the valley contain, such a population as this, the City of Albany, which must grow as the valley grows, will be very large, its citizens think second only to Portland. Tne valleys which are tributary to
valley
as
m all others.
follows the water levels.
strange than the return of new moon
each month or of the planet Mars to ap
position every two years. The popular
mind was already in a ferment. The
Turks had taken Constantinople, and
were threatening to overrun Europe, and
everything seemed ripe for destruction,
when the comet put in an appearance,
confirming all fears, and seemingly de
priving men of what little wit they had
left. It was then that, according to tra
dition. Pope Callxtus Issued his famous
bull against the Turk, th devil and the
comet. He at least ordered special pray
ers to be said and the church bells to be
rung at noon, which practice continue to
this day. Terrified by the nightly ap
parition which endured for months, the
people poured their wealth at the feet of
the church, imploring petitions that heav
en might save the world from its doom.
In 1531 the comet, almost forgotten,
was again on exhibition. Following that
it was seen In the years 1607, 1682, when
Halley viewed -It; 17119, when it returned
according to Halley's prediction, and
1S35. when it was last seen, and by some
few who survive and are about straining
their old eyes to see it again. Now, in
this year 1909. it haa Just been freshly
sighted, and, before the year expires we
shall all hope to see It with the naked
eye. But the months of its glory and
splendor will be in the year 1910, now
close at hand.
Such is the history of this famous
comet. We . may say that It will next
appear about IMS, and some few chil
dren who see It now will again see It in
rthat year. So far as we know, at Inter
vals or about 75 years, Halley's comet
will continue to be the wonder of earthly
spectators till time shall be no more.
FREDERIC CAMPBEUj.
SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT COMET
Belief That It Caused Plagues, Fam
ines and Inundations. .
In his lecture before the British As
tronomical Association in 1907, Mr. A.
C. D. Crommelln, F. R. A. S.; the emi
nent astronomer said: "It is not strange
that they (comets should be looked upon
O O
as bringing us evil, and considered to be
associated with plague, pestilence, and
all sorts of horrors."
Milton wrote:
lake a comet burn'd,
That tires the length of opbiuchus huge
In the arctic sky. and from his horrid hair
Shakes nestilence and war. t
In the London Times of October 12, 1832,
John . Herapath's letter appeared, . from
which the following two paragraphs are
extracted:
"On this point namely, the Influence of
comet to affect the temperature M.
Arago has made some researches, the re
sult of which is,' that comets have no
effect in altering the mean annual tem
perature of the earth. Granting to M.
Arago the full benefit of Iris inference, it
by no means follows that they may not
have a powerful influence on the season,
separately considered, although tbey may
have none on the temperature of the
year. For example, let us suppose that
one was by any means rendered either
uncommonly clear or uncommonly cloudy,
.for a whole year, what would be the con
sequences? Weuld not the Summer tem
perature In the former case be consid
erably elevated, and the Winter as much
depressed, and the contrary In the latter
case; yet the mean temperature in both
instances might be the same?
"History furnishes .us with numberless
Instances of tbe great atmospheric
changes which have accompanied or suc
ceeded the apparition of large and no
torious comets; and unless we reject alto
gether its often Iterated testimonies, I
do not see how we can refuse our assent
to influences so manifest, and yet so sim
ple and perfectly philosophical."
Commenting on this valuable letter,
Zadkiel. I., In his Almanac for 1833, wrote:
"This gentleman declares that 'our best
philosophers admit that comets may pro
duce very sensible effects in the way al
luded to.' It is to be hoped, after such
an assertion by one of the first astron
omers in Europe, we shall see less of
positive assertion to the contrary in fu
ture. Mr. Herapath's letter has demol
ished the aneruments. while destroying the
theory of M. Arago, the celebrated French
astronemer."
Zadkiel's Almanac then proceeded to
place on record the following sketch of
dlfri4: a
tr
been applied to Albany.
Albanv is
It is not a coincidence that there a re
m mm h
m (Qffir'fSSy i' fit
Sir Edmund Halley, Whose IMscovery of the
28, Revolutionized This
the history of Halley's comet during the
past six centuries:
"1231. Halley's comet was in perihelion
on January 30. The whole period of Its
being in our system, about four years,
was remarkable. Dr. Forster says that
'devastating pestilence broke out in Italy,
Denmark and France at once, and con
tinued nearly the whole three years, from
O 4
iMsWi "Si MlTHtY'
1230 to 1233. There was a famine in Eng
land, and 20,001) persons are recorded to
have been starved! The Summer and Au
tumn of 1230 were intensely hot; inunda
tions in Rome followed, and pestilence
raged the whole time; while a severe frost
eventually succeeded In the last Winter,
and the plagues ceased.'
"1306. It's period being 75 years, it
Diagram showing paths of planets about the
comets, namely, outer. Hyperbola; middle,
closed, resulting- In periodical return of a
should have appeared at the end of this
year; but we have no account of it. But
in 1312 a comet is mentioned, and an
eruption of Hecla, famine in Bohemia and
Poland. In England it prevailed in 1314.
I suspect this date Is wrongly given, as
Dr. Goad, mentions a comet In 1307.
"1381. Dr. Forster says again: 'As It
Great Comet
of 1680, Two
Halley's.
Year Before
situated in the geographical center
in the world, with few exceptions, n o
I i
, -.' "Vvis... 3
i-. ,-, ,n.nri'r. " " -nt. tl- v.- , . . n s-,,, .rf .. aft.fcA A fcr i- 1
Periodicity of Comets at the Early Ace of
Branch of Astronomy.
approached our system epidemics began
to prevail, and at length the plague suc
ceeded and visited parts of Germany. In
13S1 Aetna was on Are; and in 13S2 a dead
calm prevailed all the year.'
"1456. It passed the sun the 8th of June.
The same year a tremendous earthquake
in Italy destroyed 40,000 persons.
"153L At Cabagua the sea rose four
fathoms above Its ordinary height, on
September 1, 1530. It was preceded by
spotted fever all over Europe at once,
and followed by plague. Etna on fire
again. Dire inundations about BaBtl, 1529.
Rome In 1530, Antwerp in 1533.
"1607 This year there were great
Atmnsnhprln commotions and .swell of
the oceans and rivers a Winter Vf tin
common severity over the whole world,
"in an earthauake at Lima, an
eruption of Aetna, and the plague. In
107, January 10. a vast Inundation in
Somersetshire, in some places 20 miles
in length. Many earthquakes recorded.
1609. April 2. near Teraltas, in the East
Indies, 'a rock burning in the sea, al
ways smoking,' said Purchas, biographer
of Captain Cook.
"1682. Dr. Forster says that 'the
plague was actually sporadic in Europe.'
August 15. the Loyal Mercury stated that
deaths were 300 dally at Halle, of plague,
which also raged in Algiers and Spain.
On March 22 the tides at London bridge
flowed thrice in 12 hours. In 1683 a frost
for 13 weeks. .
"1759. From 1757, influenza in America,
son, and three possible curves taken by
Farabota; inner. Ellipse; the latter alone
Comet.
pestilence in Europe and plague In Asia
are recorded until 1762, the year of the
great frost, which lasted 94 days. Earth
quakes were very prevalent, particularly
at the Azore Isles, where 10,000 persons
were buried In the ruins, and the Island
divided Into two, July 9. 1757. At Tripoli,
in Syria, an earthquake which extended
lj,000 miles, when Bamas lost 6000 In
habitants; and several other cities were
destroyed between October and Decem
ber, 1759. Truxillo, in Peru, was swal
lowed up in November of the same year,
and Syria' suffered again October 30,
1760.
"Those who think that comets derange
our system are of opinion .that this
great body will again be attended with
some very serious effects at its approach
ing return. I have paid some attention
to their history, and my opinion 19 that
their effects are never very considerable
of the Willamette Valley. It is at
cities of Importance not located upon navigable water.
unless they are accompanied by con
Junctions or oppositions of the large
planets. And as it fortunately lfHppens
that 1834, 1833 and 1SS6 are free from
such phenomena, I do not apprehend any
very great evil of a physical nature from
the return of Halley's comet. 1 believe
that these bodies excite the electric fluid
on their first appearance, and that this
causes heat and destroys all cold dis
eases; and I conceive that alter a time,
if they remain Jong, a reaction fanes
place in the system, and severe frosts
ensue, as in 1762 and at other times. I
do not know of any great frost com
mencing at the first appearance of a
great comet, but frosts often follow."
J. A. Johnson's
Bookshelf
St. Paul Dispatch.
A LETTER written by the late Gov
ernor John A. Johnso.i to a youns"
man living in Northern Jviinnota in
response to an inquiry as to what books
had influenced the Governor's career, was
made public at the State Capitol recent
ly. It is thoroughly characteristic of the
man who began life as a dniir clerk and
ended it as Governor of Minnesota.
It follows in full:
"Dear Sir: I have your letter and as
I am just Jeavintr for another tour will
try to answer it, although the answer
must of .necessity be brief. As to books
which intluunccd my life when a hoy I
started to do some reading Hint is of
such books as generally come to boys of
the age I was. A benefactor friend
started me on a course. of reading. Intro
ducing as the first work Prcscott s "Con
quest of Mexico." The book In itself in
fluenced vnc only to tiie estent of encour
aging nie along tlii line of better litera
ture. This was followed by "Ivanhoe"
and all of Scott's books, both poetry and
prose. This was followed by Dickens,
Thackeray and other masters in the realm
of fiction.
"Then came Shakespeare. 1 read all of
his plays, re-reading many. I presume the
great dramatist exerted a better influence
than any other one writer, because of the
delineation of so many-sided characters.
Out of him came the inspiration to lead
more. His historical dramas directed me
to the history of England, and Hume and
Macaulay naturally followed. Then I
went to France to study her romantic
history; from there to Germany, back to
Rome, Greece and tile Egyptian ami
Aryan regions. , It would be impossible
to say whether any one sinsle book has
been prominent In its inlluence.
"The tendency of the above and kindred
books Interested me In the literature and
history of my own country, and the
growth of the appetite for this food tur
thought doubtless created & general de
sire to know more of the institutions of
government here and abroad. All of my
work in this direction must have from
time to time fired me with ambition and
exalted my spirit of patriotic dory. In
other words, my Increased knowledge of
the world and the men who made its his
tory and affairs fitted me In some meas
ure for the duties of life. I do not know
that any one book or set of bonks could
be chosen which would mean for more
opportunity or greater succesn. It is the
collection of books which make for more
general knowledge, and for this one must
simply cultivate tho reading habit and
confine reading to the best books written.
"Tho book shelves groan beneath the
volumes which have survived the decades
and centuries, and It would be well to
spend as little time as possible on the
current literature, but confine yourself to
that which ha.o stood tho test of years,
when the wheat was winnowed from Hie
chaff. I would not discourage light read
ing or denounce all literature because it
was new, because you must know about
tho things of which men are thinking and
doing today.
"Tes. cultivate the reading habit, and
cultivate the art of communicating wiiat
you know to others. With the genius of
hard work, directness of purpose, success
will come. Very truly,
"JOHN A. JOHNSON."
Hail to the Winter Vnderu-tar!
Chanute (Kan.) Tribune.
Hail to the Winter underwear, most
blessed of life's real pleasures and most
satisfying ot life's real necessities. The
high standing of this humble existence
is not fully realized until this time of
year rolls around, and then there, are
none so skeptical who will retuse to
pay due homage. You wake up some
morning after months of balmy days
and gauze covering your shapely limbs
and teeth chateritif? and shanks blue
v.-ith cold because of the frosty- nortli
wind pourinff in your window, out of
which you have hung your perspirfng
head during weeks of steaming nights,
and it is then that your thoughts turn
to this jewel of the dressing room, this
endless delight of Icicle times, and
peace and content give warmth to your
anxious soul. There are, of course,
some vexatious moments before your
blissful feelings come, and sumo domes
tic asperities are likely to echo through
the household atmosphere, for shelves
and drawers and bid moth-ball scented
trunks must be overhauled before your
thin-blooded frame ran bo safely
housed within tho protecting recesses
of this Winter friend. lut .lfter the
haste, ot your agonizing nightgown
search through the frosty air. ami yi.iir
thin blood begins to bark in the genial
warmth of this modest, retiring gar
ment, then the world taljes on a rosy
hue, and joy supreme fills the universe
for you. Hail to Winter underwear,
man's closest and dearest friend.
J
the "cross roads" of tiir valley.
A