AST-ROXO31Y AXD METEOROLOGY. o!3 



of the ecliptic, and intersects it in the two zodiacal constellations, Leo 

 and Capricorn. It is extremely elongated, the outermost part lying 

 away in space, on the southerly side of the ecliptic, nearly as far beyond 

 the orbit of the planet Neptune as Neptune himself is from the sun. 

 When in perihelion, or nearest the solar orb, the comet is just within 

 the orbit of the earth. It passed through its perihelion August 22d, 

 1862, and will not return there again before the year A. D. 1994. 

 This comet, although periodical, has never before been recognized, 

 which is partly due to the unfavorable position for observation which 

 it had at former approaches to the sun. 



Two other comets were discovered in November and December, 

 1862, by Dr. Brulms, of the Observatory of Leipsic, but little has yet 

 been made known concerning them. 



Encke's Comet. This little periodical comet again made its ap- 

 pearance after a lapse of four years at the close of the year 1861, 

 quite near its predicted place, and, according to Mr. Bond, exhibited 

 the same physical phenomena as it has presented on former occasions. 

 Mr. Bond says : At first it was quite destitute of any central con- 

 densation more so in fact than is common with even the faintest 

 telescopic comets. This is its usual aspect when far distant from the 

 sun. It soon acquired greater consistency, and even exhibited an 

 almost sparkling nucleus. It was for some time visible to the naked 

 eye, and showed a respectable tail one degree in length. 



Its most interesting peculiarity was a very decided disposition of its 

 nebulosity on the side towards the sun, constituting a faint tail, as it 

 were, opposed to the normal direction. This was formed a long time 

 before the true tail made its appearance. It is by no means a new 

 feature, as it is mentioned in its preceding apparitions by Struve, 

 Schwabe, Wichman, and others. In 1S48, and again in 1852, it was 

 particularly evident. The fact of its repetition in so many instances 

 gives a kind of individuality to this comet, distinguishing it from most 

 bodies of its class, and is interesting from its associations with its 

 otherwise very remarkable character. 



Did the Earth pass through the Tail of the Great Comet oflSQl ? 

 A review of all the phenomena of the great comet of June, 1861, has 

 led astronomers very generally to the belief that on the 3d of June 

 our planet actually passed through, or came in contact with, the ex- 

 tremity of its tail, with no other effect than an auroral glare, noticed 

 by various observers. Admitting the probability of this conclusion, 

 it cannot be thought surprising that there should have been at the 

 time so little sensible indication of its presence. Whatever may be 

 the nature of that wholly unknown material, there can be no ques- 

 tion of its extreme and almost inconceivable attenuation. The air 

 we breathe may be as dense in comparison with it as water or even 

 earth in comparison with air. The minutest stars have been fre- 

 quently seen through thousands of miles of it, and it even ceases to 

 be amenable to the all-controlling force of gravitation ; so that New- 

 ton considered that the tail of a great comet might be compressed into 

 the bulk of a single cubic inch before it would equal the density of 

 our atmosphere, and Sir J. Herschel supposes that it may not con- 

 tain more than a few pounds or even oundes of matter. It would, 

 therefore, be highly improbable that there should be a sufficient 

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