Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-06-25

'As coAhT Skfkkk' BROUGHT 10 BRAR-Rg-
Suits cF iHr OBSERVATION so rAR-sIzR AND
NOTION OF THE csLRsTTAL vIsrroR-rs IT THE
BRILLIANT COMET OF lsess
The comet continues 10 be the reicn,nO se,
sation. The sky being clear this morning. the
stranger was observed by many lsymen besides
'ne professional astronomers az the Naval
Observatory. 1t first became visible about A
quarter to two O'Clock and remained 80 until
most OF the stars had disappeared In Daylight.
though during that time IL was occasionally par
tally ooscured by passing clouds Onserya
tons were made at the Naval Observatory nv
Professors Eastman and Skinner, who used the
small telescope called.
THE "coMRr sxrKKRr
In their work. This instrument is a s,rt or
howitzer In telescope artillery, having proat;
nelc ard being easy to work. The official as
tronomers are to day enjoying the delights O,
being extensively interviewed by representa-
tives OF enterprising journals
PROF. SPINNER DESCRIBES rHK COMET.
When THE STAR reporter called this morning
Prof. Skinner was engaged In trying TO explain
by word and diagram the peculiarities OF the
comet There" said the professor 20 THs
STAR reporter, showing little drawing repre-
sentlng q fan. shaped object with q rounded
point, THAT'S about the way it looked The
little I,a 80. DOT near near the point is the nucleus.
Ing no from the horizon like thst,' con-
tibued the Professor, placing the diagram so
that the point was down. 1.-The tail is curved
and the Professor made slightly curves line
on the tablet before him. 1.-THE concaye side is
toward the left hand. When observed W the
nucleus looked very ruddy. but whether TINS
haze or the normal color OF the body could not
say. The nucleus was very brilliant but the
tail, as usual, was nebulous and transparent.
away from the head, making cusp point"
LENGTH or rHE TAIL
did you measure the taiI?" inquired THE
STAR man.
"The length is about degrees" responded
the professor. "a great many people want to
know how far away 1t is ana how long II Is In
miles TO determine this, however, we have 20
know what is slled the elements OF the orbit
Five different quantities when calculated will
give os the distance from the earth. To get
this we have TO get three observations OF It's
position with reference TO stars at as nearly as
possible, equi distant times. Then we can
readily measure the diameter and size in circu-
lar measure. IL we know the distance we can
get the size. 1t Is q simple problem In trigo-
nometry."
Did you measure the notion" asked THz
STAR.
Yes; In 20 minutes 1t moved minutes In
the arc. and In an hour minutes. giving ft a
daily rate OF travel northward OF ABOUT de-
grees and &c minutes We cannot now give the
exact position OF the comet That win require
a series OF computation. can tell think,
how far IL has moved since ft was discovered IN
Paris. The professor. referring TO copy OF the
dispatch from Paris. continued:-'Wnen dis
covered In Paris it was IL degrees north. That
was on the Esd or June. or 22d, speaking OF &c
as an astronomical day. IL has moved then
ten degrees in about days and a quarter"
asked TIE STAR.
1T WILL NOT sKr TONIGHT.
''To- night IT will scarcely sink below the
horizon. IL may be seen after sunset, but ft Is
doubtful Even If the sky is clouoless, the
atmosphere near the horizon is not very trans
what time did you see It this mornlng2 ?,
1--WE cid not see II distinctly and eurefy till
eDcut quarter OF two. Then we observed it
TIL daylight, and we could see Il till the sun
had aad put all = the stars out except Venus. The
q query from brother astronom mer,- Is almost
exactly 81 degrees"
WHAT COMET Ia rrf
Have you liked the Identity or the comet
yeti"
"WeIl, hardly. 1t is probable that It is the
same comet discovered by DR.. Gould on the lst
How does this comet compare with past
comets?"
"It is q much finer comet than Cogyias
comet Ia 1874. In fact II Is the most brilliant
is so bright-the nucleus so ointerestins-that is
will probably be carefully examined by the
spectroscopists l should think II is
BRIGHT ENOUGH TO PHOTOGRAPH"
at is said, ;" suggested tbs STAR, that this
comet is going TO run into the sun. Can you
say anything about it,"
"Well, that is all conjecture. We can't tell
whether IL is leaving the sun or going towards
IL TIL We determine Its orbit"
How high was the comet when you saw TT"
1t was about twenty degrees at day break.
You Will notice that the tail is on the side OF
the case with comets"
THE STAR man promised to notice ft, aud bid
ding adieu to the astronomer left the region OF
telescopes, Quadrants and Iogarithma
THE MUTILATED SOUTH AMERICAN pIsPArCa.
The dispatch from DR.. Gould. In South Amer
lea, on the 1st OF June, announcing the dlscov-
cry OF q comet Is on fle at the Observatory.
1t reads as follows:
"BUENosAIREs-June first - Eighteen hun
dred Koen comet d hours south thirty degrees.
GOULD.
ITS INTERPRETATION.
The mutilation OF the words In transmitting
the message by cable perplexed all the astron-
omers In the world. Ralph Copeland, OF LORD
Crawford's observatory, at Dun Echt, Scot
Land, translates the "koen" as meaning
''seven, " and reads DR.. Gould's dispatch as
the return OF the great comet OF
deg. approximately.
YAcTs ABOUT THE COMET OF 1901.
The comet OF 1907 was discovered by an ItaI-
ian monk on September 9, 1907. and was
observed until March Is, 1908. II was OF great
brilliaLcy. The diameter of its nucleus as meas-
ured by Sir William Herschel, was 53S miles.
BesSel, German astronomer, gave that comet
a perfodiclty OF }, 600 years. and thought that it
could not have one OF over q 100 nor less than
], 400. II he was correct, this cannot be the
same, but 1t is near the situation and moving ia
near the direction that would be, Il now vls1-
ble.
Prof. Stone, OF the Cincinnati Observatory.
hss given the opinion that the present visitor
Is not the comet discovered by Pons In 1914, and
states that II Is possibly that OF 1897.
THE FIRST pIsCovERgR.
new claimant for the honor OF having first
seen the present comet has appeared In the per-
son OF John II. P1aum. German astronomer OF
Dayton, Ohio. who says that he discovered &c
last Tuesday, az 3:20 Am, which would give
him priority OF about twenty four hours above
all others A careful computation OF time will
be necessary, and IL is likely that the matter
viii be referred to Astronomers Hall, OF this
c1ty, AMI Young, OF Princeton, for decision.
The following are the views OF q gentleman
who does not claim TO be an expert 10 astrono-
my, but who has had good deal OF experience:
RRckpTEG FROM rHH Sun.
''The beautiful comet now seen 10 the north
ern heavens is probably receding from the sun
Instead OF approaching It has passed. fts per1he-
ion, and Is rapidly receding into space toward
It's apheiiop. Probably the reason that oo5erv-
ers on the earth failed to note It's arrival Is be-
.ouoo fts tne pf anpvoarh IN tho ral affuo 70