The astronomer will believe that the most erratic comet will yet accomplish its journey and revisit our sphere; but we give up those for lost who have not wandered one-half the distance from the centre of light and life.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I have worn myself thin trying to find out about this comet, and I know very little now in the matter.
So far as hypotheses are concerned, let no one expect anything certain from astronomy, which cannot furnish it, lest he accept as the truth ideas conceived for another purpose, and depart from this study a greater fool than when he entered it.
Similarly, many a young man, hearing for the first time of the refraction of stellar light, has thought that doubt was cast on the whole of astronomy, whereas nothing is required but an easily effected and unimportant correction to put everything right again.
Astronomers are greatly disappointed when, having traveled halfway around the world to see an eclipse, clouds prevent a sight of it; and yet a sense of relief accompanies the disappointment.
The mission of NASA's Kepler telescope is to lift the scales from our eyes and reveal to us just how typical our home world is. Kepler operates by measuring the dimming of stars as planets pass ('transit') in front of them. It has found thousands of previously unknown worlds.
Like a blazing comet, I've traversed infinite nights, interstellar spaces of the imagination, voluptuousness and fear.
We are probably nearing the limit of all we can know about astronomy.
Human folly does not impede the turning of the stars.
We sail within a vast sphere, ever drifting in uncertainty, driven from end to end.
Madam: If you discover any more comets, can you not wait until they are announced by the proper authorities?