Ragnarok : the age of fire and gravel

88 THE COMET.

from the earth only 0°28 of the distance of the sun from the earth.

Now, it is to be remembered that great attention has been paid during the past few years to searching for comets, and some of the results are here given. As many as five were discovered during the year 1881. But not

a few of the greatest of these strange orbs require thousands of years to complete their orbits. The period of the comet of July, 1844, has been estimated at not less than one hundred thousand years !

Some of those that have flashed into sight recently have been comparatively small, and their contact with