58 ONTOLOGY. 



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are aether condensed in the form of an orbitar ring. This 

 dissevered orbitar ring is the tail, which is only a more 

 gaseous aether, through which, or even through the nu- 

 cleus itself, the stars are seen, The tail follows the comet 

 not really but only ideally. Around the nucleus, so far 

 as it is prolonged, the light concentrates the aether. New 

 aether is constantly emitting light, while that which 

 was before illuminating as tail again becomes dark and 

 again sinks into a state of indifference. The tail is only 

 an optical spectrum. For how can the tail be really a 

 part of the comet, since it is always turned backwards 

 from the sun, since it therefore follows and precedes the 

 nucleus ? The nucleus is only the lamp which kindles 

 the aether surrounding it for some time. The light 

 suffers a modification through the nucleus ; it therefore 

 polarizes only the aether behind it. The tail is the 

 evident example of what is antecedent in the origin of 

 the heavenly bodies. It is the heavenly body conceived 

 in the act of becoming, but unto which polarization is 

 wanting ; it cannot therefore concentrate itself, but again 

 dissolves when the nucleus is gone. Every heavenly body 

 is a mass of aether in the world-space, which is mate- 

 rialized by light, and separated out of its indifference into 

 difference, into more solid masses. Finally, the tail 

 becomes dense aether, a nucleus. 



247. These comets are thus true meteors; as they 

 originate, so originate the globes of fire, by polarization 

 occurring in the atmosphere, or even too above the limits 

 of the atmosphere. 



248. Meteoric stones are terrestrial comets. The 

 opinion that they come from the moon has no foun- 

 dation. There is probably as little metal as water upon 

 the moon. 



249. Returning comets are probably polarized by two 

 suns. 



250. A comet can never come into collision with a 

 planet ; the fear of such an event is equally absurd with 

 the hypothesis, that a comet had produced the deluge or 

 displaced the earth's axis. 



