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The London Globe says that this year quite a bevy of comets are timed toappear in English COMETS. shies. The Pona Winnecke comet should open the list in April, after an absence of about five and a half years. In May the celebrated Eneke comet Is due, This has a period of only three and a-quarfcer years, and its frequent reappearance has been the means of astronomers discovering a great deal about comets and their wanderings through space* In June we should have two of these cqsmieal visitors— Swift’s and Wolfe’s comets—the former after an absence of six years, and the latter a trifle longer, Temple’s comet completes the visitors’ list by arriv-ing in September. These are all regular visitors, whose periods are so well known that their arrivals may be timed almost to the hour. Others no doubt will come, but they will doubtless be casuals, of whose ante-* cedents nothing is known, and most of them such small fry as to catch the attention of only the most assiduous observers. One other ecmet’a visit falls duo in November, 1898, but this poor body went to pieces 50 years ago. This i? known a BleWs and has not been seen since 1852, although it ought to have returned half a dozen times since then. It began to divide in 1846, and on its next and last appearance1.250.000 miles separated its pirts. It was this comet which an astronomer predicted would approach within20.000 miles of the earth1* p^h on its visit in 183'2, and so accurately was this prediction made that its fulfilment was conaummiti d w.ttdu twelve hours of the time foretold* The nsar approach of this comet to the earth’s orbit caused consternation throughout' the country, nor walt;s the excitement greatly allayed by the assurance that the earth would not reach that pardon of its course which the comet approached so cloaely for at least a month after,... . , I . * JL If? 7_. 4.^
Newspaper Details
Ashburton Guardian
Ashburton, Canterbury, NZ
Thu, Mar 24, 1898
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USA 06 Jul 2024
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