The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-23
A LONG TAILED COMET
u,,1 ne WEAR ENOUGH SUNDAY TO
prsEEN WITH THE NAKED EYE.
,ook directly Overhead About = O'clock
There IL no Danger from Its Near
Approach TO the Earth.

The sage and wise men OF these United
scales who year in and year out sweep
che heavens with their telescopes for
bodies CELESTIAL. predict that on rext Sun
5,v NIGHT comet with all the eftulgency
NJ a long tail will be near enough TO us
70 be perfectly apparent TO the naked
eve.
The comet was discovered by Holmes on
November 9Th about midnight. on the
SIN the men OF wisdom at Boston also
found the comet. and the professors at
the Lick Observatory saw the heavenly
body about the same time.
Professor c. A. Young. OF Prime aton.
saws that the comet IS still almost
stationary IN the heavens. showing that
fine real motion Is nearly head on
1,rectlv towards us 1t has Increased
considerably IN apparent size, its diameter
last Friday evening being nearly twelve
minutes. corresponding to a real diameter
~ between twenty-five and thirty thou
sand miles. ,-,
.,.r,e 70 have decreased rather than TO
I've increased as has been expected; at
80, f. IS now more difficulty to see Il
,.r the naked eye than IL was a week
view q sensational statements. which
- e-reorel in some Of the papers, 81
20, bo well 20 add that not the slightest
49, is 20 be apprehended from the
o@,,c,'s near approach to the earth. nor
s,y,blpg very serious even II It were to
.tr,ke rs sQuarey. which. 1t cannot do.
IRE Herald. OF New York, always an
excellent authority on matters scientific,
puhHshcs as follows:
TN, comet now in sight presents the
usual characteristics. According to Pro-
lessor Rees the coma, or nebulous en-
v.ropc surrounding the nucleus, is almost
rarfectly spherical. The nucleus is well
deval0pcd and elongated. At times It
seems 20 show signs Of separation. The
streaner Of light. the tail" usually ac-
companying a comet, is as yet Invisible,
but whether this is due to a lack OF that
member, or. as already explained to the
rosfion OF the body, cannot at present
Be determined.
Sharp eyes. II they knew exactly where
m look. might, without the aid Of glasses,
distinguish the comet as star seen
through a slight fog. It is apparently in
the constellation AndrOmeda, which is
almost directly overhead at o'clock p.
NJ OF course as the comet approaches
r. will become more conspicuous. How
bright Il Will be at the time Of nearest
proximity cannot be stated. It may equal
IN Glory the great comet of 1882, but this
IS doubtful.
Ever since the discovery Of Biela's
comet men have stood more or less In
dread Of the fiery visitor. The ignorant
tremble before it as presaging wars, IA
mine. pestilence, CONGREGATIONS and other
evils. while many well educated persons
are fearful that harm may be done either
hy a comet striking the earth and shoot
Ing IT 10 pieces or by falling into the sun
and producing such an increase OF solar
heat as 10 burn up our planet.
As TO the possibility of collision with
a comet. II is an event that is bound TO
come-if the earth last long enough. In
the course OF millions and millions or
years some comet must surely run INTO
us The chances Of such a collision, how
ever. at any given time are infnitesimal.
THE rife balls OF hunters In the same
woods are more likely to collide is the
way Professor Young puts 1t.
This. Of course refers only to the
nucleus. or denser part The earth has
more than once passed through the train
Of rneteors that attend comets. and 1t
also passed through the tenuous tail Of
the famous comet Of 1861 without injury.
THE mean density OF a comets tail is far
lower than that of the best air pump va
eulm so that Il Is not a hard thing 10
hit Even near the nucleus the density
f. not great Professor ,Itees told me that
ne had observed very faint stars in An
dromeda through the head Of this years
comet.
II a comet should strike the earth head
on no one can say exactly what the con-
sequence would be. on the generally ac-
cepted theory that the nucleus Of comets
IS composed Of small particles. the par
tfcies would be dissipated by friction
with the atmosphere long before they
passed through the nifty miles surround
ing the earth. IT, however, the nucleus
IS composed Of heavy masses, weighing
tCfs. but widely separated, the lombard
uent to which the earth would be sub
ieoted might result disastrOusly.
II comet fell into the sun-an extreme
" improbable Occurrence-it is not likely
that harm would be done. The mass of
the greatest comet is so small compared
with that Of the sun that, moving even
a. the rate OF 400 miles a second, 1t would
not generate enough heat to hurt the
earth.