The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-11-30

peen made, and in the spectrum a. the
ullshtest comet of 1881 physicists have
succeeded in detecting the dark lines
Vne so-calIed Fraunhofer lines) of the
sonar spectrum These lines have even
1ee, Photographed by DR.. Higgins (tbev
uoh snow In DIR. Fl. Draper's photo
graphS. } Now, failing to obtain or see
these dark lines means little or nothing.
seeing Them, however, and, still more.
pho,oSrapnlngt them. is decisive, maxine
IL aosolutey certain that part of the
comet shghtis reflected sunlight. There
| must be matter like meteoric dust in tho
mead and nucleus and probably in the
tail also of comet to enable if to shine
III lnis way by rejecting the light of the
| sun.
But the latest comet which has vet
peen observed with the spectroscope has
| brought fresh news, l refer to Wells,
Gomez, sometimes called, rather affect
eaiy, Comet Wells. The spectrum of
TINS comet did not at first show the car
bon bands to which have referred above.
Ihe cyanogen groups" says DR.. Hug
gins, 'are not seen;'' and he does not
seem to have looked for them later. But
IN May, 1881, Vogel found that the car
Don bands were present, though faint.
he noticed no other bright bands or
lines. Still later, however. an unex-
pected change took place. DR.. b. Has
seioerg. OF the Observatory of Pulkowa,
found that the nucleus. of the comet gave
a very strong and extended continuous
spectrum, with an excessively strong
bright line in the orange yellow, which
he was able to identify by microscopical
measurement with the well known d
line OF the solar spectrum-a line due to
the presence of sodium in the atmosphere
OF the sun. So soon as the news was an
nounced. Duner, Bredichim and Voeel
observed the spectrum of the comet. and
were able fully to confirm DIR. HasseI-
berg's observation. ...
MIR. Hind, Superintendent of the En-
gllsh Nautical Almanac, remarks on this
that 1T IS necessary to conclude that
during the last fortnight of May the
spectrum OF Wells comet changed in a
manner of which the history of science
furnishes no precedent Since he so
wrote it has been observed by DR.. Muller.
OF the Astrophysical Observatory at Pots
dam, that the light of Wells comet in
creased more rapidly during the second
half of May than had been predicted
indicating an unexpected development
OF proper or inherent light in the comet
Itself" This Increase he adds, sswas
most marked just about the very time
when the sodium line was first observed
In the spectrum; wherefore we must con-
ciude that important changes occurred
about that time in the physical condition
of the comet.''
1t appears to me that these observa-
tons are full of promise. Astronomers
mad begun to suppose that no comets
were likely to give more information
than had been already obtained from
Brorsen's and Winnecke' comets. But |
now 1t seems as though the appearance
OF the carbon bands belongs to one stage
of the comets progress through the
changes which occur as the comet ap-
proaches the sun. With nearer approach
sodium vapor is first formed and then
caused to glow with its own inherent
light. What further changes might be
observed in the case of comet observed
under such favorable conditions as exist
I'd In the case of Donati's comet 1S5S1
who shall say? 1t seems as though there
we're a chance that, after all, these mvs-
erious bodies will one day be interpreted.
For so soon as we have learned how the
physical changes which the spectroscope
nay detect are associated with the
'hanges of form, the development of en-
relopes, the outward sweep of the TAIL
he formation of secondary tails, etc.,
which still remain among the mysteries
IT cometio existence, we may believe that
cience will soon be able to decide be-
ween the various theories which have
'een advanced, or perhaps to show that
While none of these are sound some 9th
+ theory hitherto unthought of will
lone account for the obse Ved phenom-
ma. 1t seems not unlikely that the the
ry may be admitted to which many
american men of science, and Dr. Hug
ms In England, seem to have given to
heir adhesion-the theory that great
lectrical disturbances are set up by the
UNI S action in connection with the va
orization of some of the matter of the
omet's nucleus, and that the tail is
robably matter carried away with cleo
'ic discharges, under an electrical infiu-
nee Of repulsion exerted by the sun.
.t .-=..t.r RICHARD A PROCTER. at
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