Book contents
- Frontmatter
- EDITOR'S PREFACE
- PREFACE
- Contents
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- CHAPTER I BELIEFS AND SUPERSTITIONS RELATIVE TO COMETS
- CHAPTER II COMETARY ASTRONOMY UP TO THE TIME OF NEWTON
- CHAPTER III THE MOTIONS AND ORBITS OF COMETS
- CHAPTER IV PERIODICAL COMETS
- CHAPTER V PERIODICAL COMETS
- CHAPTER VI THE WORLD OF COMETS AND COMETARY SYSTEMS
- CHAPTER VII PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CONSTITUTION OF COMETS
- CHAPTER VIII PHYSICAL TRANSFORMATIONS OF COMETS
- CHAPTER IX MASS AND DENSITY OF COMETS
- CHAPTER X THE LIGHT OF COMETS
- CHAPTER XI THEORY OF COMETARY PHENOMENA
- SECTION I WHAT IS A COMET?
- SECTION II CARDAN'S HYPOTHESIS
- SECTION III THEORY OF THE IMPULSION OF THE SOLAR BAYS
- SECTION IV HYPOTHESIS OF AN APPARENT REPULSION
- SECTION V THEORY OF OLBERS AND BESSEL
- SECTION VI THEORY OF COMETARY PHENOMENA
- SECTION VII THE REPULSIVE FORCE A REAL PHYSICAL FORCE
- SECTION VIII THEORY OF THE ACTINIC ACTION OF THE SOLAR RAYS
- SECTION IX COMETS AND THE RESISTANCE OF THE ETHER
- CHAPTER XII COMETS AND SHOOTING STARS
- CHAPTER XIII COMETS AND THE EARTH
- CHAPTER XIV PHYSICAL INFLUENCES OF COMETS
- CHAPTER XV SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT COMETS
- I ELLIPTIC ELEMENTS OF THE RECOGNISED PERIODICAL COMETS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
- II GENERAL CATALOGUE OF THE ORBITS OF COMETS
- Plate section
SECTION V - THEORY OF OLBERS AND BESSEL
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2012
- Frontmatter
- EDITOR'S PREFACE
- PREFACE
- Contents
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- CHAPTER I BELIEFS AND SUPERSTITIONS RELATIVE TO COMETS
- CHAPTER II COMETARY ASTRONOMY UP TO THE TIME OF NEWTON
- CHAPTER III THE MOTIONS AND ORBITS OF COMETS
- CHAPTER IV PERIODICAL COMETS
- CHAPTER V PERIODICAL COMETS
- CHAPTER VI THE WORLD OF COMETS AND COMETARY SYSTEMS
- CHAPTER VII PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CONSTITUTION OF COMETS
- CHAPTER VIII PHYSICAL TRANSFORMATIONS OF COMETS
- CHAPTER IX MASS AND DENSITY OF COMETS
- CHAPTER X THE LIGHT OF COMETS
- CHAPTER XI THEORY OF COMETARY PHENOMENA
- SECTION I WHAT IS A COMET?
- SECTION II CARDAN'S HYPOTHESIS
- SECTION III THEORY OF THE IMPULSION OF THE SOLAR BAYS
- SECTION IV HYPOTHESIS OF AN APPARENT REPULSION
- SECTION V THEORY OF OLBERS AND BESSEL
- SECTION VI THEORY OF COMETARY PHENOMENA
- SECTION VII THE REPULSIVE FORCE A REAL PHYSICAL FORCE
- SECTION VIII THEORY OF THE ACTINIC ACTION OF THE SOLAR RAYS
- SECTION IX COMETS AND THE RESISTANCE OF THE ETHER
- CHAPTER XII COMETS AND SHOOTING STARS
- CHAPTER XIII COMETS AND THE EARTH
- CHAPTER XIV PHYSICAL INFLUENCES OF COMETS
- CHAPTER XV SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT COMETS
- I ELLIPTIC ELEMENTS OF THE RECOGNISED PERIODICAL COMETS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
- II GENERAL CATALOGUE OF THE ORBITS OF COMETS
- Plate section
Summary
Hypothesis of an electric or magnetic action in the formation of tails–Eepulsive action of the sun upon the cometary matter, and of the nucleus upon the nebulosity –Views of Sir John Herschel and-M. Liais–Theory of Bessel–Oscillations of luminous sectors–Magnetic polar force.
Whether the cause which determines the production of cometary tails and their development, at once so immense and so rapid, be a force sui generis, or only an apparent force, it is none the less true that it has all the features of a repulsive action or force. Heat, the impulsion of the solar rays, gravitation, have all been variously combined in order to furnish the desired explanation; it evidently remained to try the intervention of the electric and magnetic forces.
From this point of view Olbers, Herschel, and Bessel have in turn applied themselves to the problem. We will give a brief analysis of the opinions held by these illustrious astronomers.
The comet of 1811 first drew the attention of Olbers to the subject. ‘ This astronomer, ’ says M. Roche, ‘ attributes to the proximity of the comet and the sun a development of electricity in both these bodies; hence arises a repulsive action of the sun and another repulsive action of the comet upon the nebulosity which surrounds it. ’
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- The World of Comets , pp. 372 - 379Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1877