, 1874-07-06
PROF. SAFEQRD.

tAe comet Ii IN Cerkal0 position, III 10 DO uearly
OH line botweon tic sun and tho eartll--tha,
tho earth viii pass through tho tail, and tint
thoro will 10, as n consequence. an acorction to
tic oartl,s atmosphere, aud probably also tho
Of similar atmosphere around tho
moon, as aho also will pass through tho tail Of
tho comet.
NO DANGER.
Prof, Safford-I do not thiut there ia any DIM
gor Of that.
Reporter-Can you eivo mo your reason for
surprising that 1t will not otcur2 III the irHt
place, will tho oarti, and tho comet, aud the sun
during its present passage from the poriholiopi
Prof. SaGord-Tnoy will 0e pretty nearly in
lino but not exactly. So fur nj we know. al
understand it, sheie would bo no senslple ple-
notnena,-nollo that We Bhoutd know anything
about II We were to paHs through tho tail.
B1u FIGURES.
Roporter-About What will bo tho distance In
milcs Of the comet from the ear.l at tho tim.
the comot III bntween the Garth and the sun
Prof. SaTofd-SomoShora from 1000, ,0U0 to
q. .00O, 0UO miles,
Neportor--About wbnt will be tho probable
length ot the Tail at that tine3
Prof. 8Atford-f should say 100000 miles,
that is au outside Limit.
Weporter-Ihat would mike the distance Of
the eartL from tile old Of tho tail what2
Prof. Safford---About 21,0ou.000 ulilos unde,
the most favorable circumstances, aupposing Il,
earth aud tue comet to he directly In line.
Reporter-TAo tail OF tho comet. then, won.
not qxton1 to tho eartn il tile Gomez snoul.
havn the snne longitude ~ tho earth st tha time
it passed the plane Of tbs echpticf
I'rof. Sanord-1t would not reach the earth.
Roporter-Whlle thoro is some doubt about
tue Three bodies being IN llno2
Prof. Safford-Yes, good deal Of doubt.
Reporter-ln winch ease thosa could be no
conjunction at ALP
rrof. salrord-I think tho porihellon paasaga
is likely to ba later, rather tllau sooner.
GRATIFYING 1HTELLtoENoE.
Noporter-Wlat will 6s tho stfeut upon the.
projection Of the tail in that case with reference
to tlls oArlh?
Psut. saWord--1t gata tue Garth out Of line
with the comet.
naportcr--.ls there any established relation
betyyoeu tue tsLauco OF u coluet from tile SUI at
thu tiao Of poritoliun aud tho Iongth Of it's tui?
Pruf. 6afford-I know Of no fixed relation, but
know that tho nearer It gets to the Huu the tail
grows more rapidly.
Reoortcr-1s not tho tait thrown out to d
grantor distance when tho poriholiun distance OF
the eonlet ls least?
prof. satgorl-Conleta that got very naar tho
sun have very long tnlts. The comet Of '43 gos
very near the Sun. almost touched lts sui taco,
and it had d very long tail.
Keporter-Do you remember the porihalion
distance Of the comet Of '58!
Prof, 8atford-Ahout 81, ,000,1 miles.
SIZE OF THE COMET.
Renorter-1g Coggia's comet q largo or q small
one az compared With those tlat have giyo,.
h1i!!!ant exhibitions Of tails III tue aky z
Prof, sanord-1t ia snnuor than the comets of
'58 and I'll.
length and bsilliancy Of its tail under like coll-
dtions Of position with the comets OF 1858 and
tSGl2
tail.
Ropo.tsr- Suppose the tail OF tho present
comet should extend 80 fur as tho earth, have
you any idea as to the luiount OF tenuty-aay
wuy iu which to oxpross tho deaaty OF tue tail,
or an approximation to IL?
Prot. SafuId-Thore ia nothing fxod about it.
Tho trouble is, they sometimes consolidate them.
selves into shuoting-starB aud we might haYe
| faw mu1e Of thom than lBuai.
sI1oOTiAU-sTANS.
Roportor-,Havo you any roason Tor Thinking
| tint Ihs tail Of comet propcr gives shooting
| Btars7 or, III not tho weight or H.
tronomical authority In favor u tue doe.
! tEins Of invisible metooss following III
tho wako Of the comet proper, a,,d taat ;' to
regard to tho snn without reference to tue posi-
ton Of tho motsorlc matter that sollows IN the
| orbit?
orr are formed. They must 10 formod from tho
substance Of tho comet Ill Bomo way, but We DO
| not know how. It is FUR to presume that tho
| tail Of tile comet will not reach the Garth, anl
| that II 1t did we should not o1porieuoe any per.
supposed to have reaclod tho earth, but no of-
| feets arc known.
Koporter--Was It not reported that = peculiar
| phosphoreEcent dlsplay was notod III some parts
| Of Europe and Asia ut tho time ?
Prof. HAffos4-l remember soa,e reports df all
effect resulting from tho tatl OF tho comet, but
| aa they proved to bo OF no consequence, they
wore not scientifically investigated.
| WHAT THE TAIL Is MADE or.
| Roportor-Is much known about the oouBtltu-
tion of cosnoi's :ni'.-if 20, What
Prof. Saiford-DosHel, Of koulgaburg, inyeat-
! gated Ha!oy's con,et in 1856, and caplo to tho
conclusion that tho tail possossod vbratory
motion. That dnos not SOON to bo nov, eot..
| Asmed. Prof, 1'eirco'a invcstlgatiou was bssed
| upon Hessals, but nayor completed.
| on, 1B IT uoNolp?
| Roportor- What do you think Of tue hypar-
bolio tLeosy,-the theory Of the tail belas =
Prot. saford-1ta outline has mora the shepo
Of = catuuary.
Reporter In that cane, then, the position Of
tho aail could scarcely depend upon thu position
have Written about tls oomet-that tue sua Ii III
tue oppos!to focus Of the hyporbuia7
Prof. sallor4-Of colrso hot.
Neportar-1H thoro any known relation between
tue fungtl OF the lait and itB uiam0lor1
Pref. satloy4-1 do not know Of auy.
1eporlor--1n other words, can se oquate t14o
longl at tue tail against its breadth ~ any ega"
toln OF co.ordinates2
Prof. Safforl- Certainly not IN ai cases. +
In eomo o.ia cs4e tho ru!o aeenB TO lold good, IT
IL purely acotluntali It !a not 'Aw; IMP tA'l u
certainly very attenlatcd tho head Ia !n 81! caHea
transparent. Tho fa1nteat ktats caa W aeeA
through It uear ils cehtrG.
Reaurtor-It haa been stated by some aAtrono-
mors that sta1s Of tho sixth HaEn!sndo can ha
soon right III tho centro Of tl!e uuuIsua. Ii that
10 10 the cayo Of all coMats2
| Pref. Ha1or1--l have aaon st1rs Of tho ninth
magnitude with untlImlnlsAsa light through lhs
4sad within QUO or Two ninnten NJ Tho nslutsns.
Napoftss-Yhsn lls constitution Of lis Assd