BY JOHN TEBBUTT, JUN. 145 



two days before the comet came down to it, and as a con- 

 sequence the distance separating the two bodies at the time 

 of the nodal passage was about fifty-two millions of miles. 

 It is of course utterly impossible to predict what would be the 

 result of a transit of the earth through the head of a comet. It 

 is commonly supposed that results of a disastrous character can- 

 not be produced by collision with a comet, because it is composed 

 of matter very highly rarified and diffused. We are, however, 

 acquainted with some natural agents which, though ethereal 

 in their constitution, are capable of producing very disastrous 

 effects. The earth passed through a very diffused part of the 

 tail of the last great comet, and the result was a universal mag- 

 netic storm. What might be the degree of electric disturbance 

 should the earth pass through the densest portion of a comet 

 may well form a subject for speculation. The earth has, however, 

 for ages past in its successive revolutions round the sun, escaped 

 entanglement with these wanderers of the skies. Considerations 

 such as these are not unprofitable. They teach us our utter de- 

 pendence on the power and goodness of the great Being who 

 " hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, meted out 

 heaven with the span, comprehended the dust of the earth in a 

 measure, weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a 

 balance." They serve to impress us with a sense of the wis- 

 dom and good providence of Him who has adjusted the 

 orbits of countless revolving worlds, and regulated their motions 

 therein. 



On the 20th ultimo the comet had increased its distance from 

 the earth to seventy-six millions of miles, and by the 2"th it had 

 become quite invisible to the naked eye. It has been traversing 

 the constellation Scorpio during the past three weeks, and is 

 now on the borders of the Milky Way. It will probably 

 continue visible in the telescope for some days to come. 



ELEMENTS OF THE COMET. 



Set I. Set II. 



Aug. 23. Aug. 23. 



Perihelion passage, 1862, G. M. T., '0530 -13478 



Perihelion distance 0'3fi2Gi 0-062905 



