Fig. 335.
Fig. 336.
Fig. 337.
302. The Comet of 1861.—The great comet of 1861 is remarkable for its great brilliancy, for its peculiar fan-shaped tail, and for the probable passage of the earth through its tail. Sir John Herschel declared that it far exceeded in brilliancy any comet he had ever seen, not excepting those of 1811 and 1858. Secchi found its tail to be a hundred and eighteen degrees in length, the largest but one on record. Fig. 338 shows this comet as it appeared at one time. Fig. 339 shows the position of the earth at E, in the tail of this comet, on the 30th of June, 1861. Fig. 340 shows the probable passage of the earth through the tail of the comet on that date. As the tail of a comet doubtless consists of something much less dense than our atmosphere, it is not surprising that no noticeable effect was produced upon us by the encounter, if it occurred.
Fig. 338.
Fig. 339.