The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-27
TO-DAY'S. COMET.
The Startling Visitor That win Pass Gu,
WAY Tonight,

5 The Startling Visitor That VIII Pass Our
: Way Tonight.
In the starry girdle of Andromeda, the
chained lady OF the sky. whose figure is
| directly overhead between eight and MIN
O'Clock in the evening at this season. there
is at present visible one of the most inter-
3 estinR objects that has ever made its ap,
p%earance within the boundaries of the solar
system. 1t is a comet and yet not a comet:
that is to say. it does not answer in its as
poet to the popular ideal of q comet, al
though it seems to furnish a remarkable
confirmation of the scientific conception of
what a comet really is. Yet it has awak-
ened public interest to an almost unprece-
dented degree, and even excited no small
alarm, for two reasons. First, because it
Is apparently approaching the earth Amos
in a straight line and with great swiftness,
and secondly because il may be a part of
the missing comet of Biela, whose orbit so
neatly intersects that of the earth that if
the two bodies should ever arrive stimuli
taneously at the point of nearest approach
a collision would be inevitable.
The opinion that this hazy ball, for such
is the comets present appearance. is really
Biela's comet returning to meet the earth
seems to prevail generally, although there
is as yet no complete proof OF the identity.
Still the probabilities are in favor of such
a view. The strange comet is in that part
of the sky where Biela's comet would be if
it were returning; this is precisely the time
when Biela's comet should be due if it were
yet travelling in its old orbit; the physical
aspect of the stranger agrees with that pre-
| 6apfaH hy Rtn1o5p 1Nr,o .-l-- -
lar visitor in our skies. If we accent the
opinion. then, that this is Biela's conceive
can form some idea of its size and distance,
and of what it is going to do. If we reject
that opinion and regard it as an entirely
new comet then all these things become
purely matter of speculation. The comet
is coming 30 directly toward the earth that
up to this time it has been impossible to
obtain the data by means of which its orbit
could be calculated. Its light is too faint
to permit of satisfactory observations of
Its spectrum. and SO we are prscluded
from that method of measuring
its rate of approach which is furnished BY
the shifting of the Fraunhofer lines.
But if it is Bie!a's comet then we possess
some light upon these questions through
our acquaintance with that comets orbit,
Upon this supposition it ought to be near
what we may call the meeting point of the
two paths in which the earth and the comet
respectively travel on the evening OF Nov.
%, when the earth itself will actually have
arrived at that point. The present indica-
tions are that the earth will pass the point
several hours. at least, before the comet
reaches it. Their nearest approach, then,
| will ba within sprpauhara about -s,:..
miles, OF four times the distance separating
the earth and the moon.
But that will be far nearer than any other
comet has ever been known to approach the
earth. Will any consequences ensue of mo.
mentous Importance to the Inhabitants of
our ~rlanet? 1t is perhaps worth while to
give a little consideration to that question,
especially since some rather alarming an
swers to it have already been offered.
will say then that it is my belief that if
this comet should meet the earth in n
square end-on collision-which il GER
talnly will not do-the only result would be-
a marveilously beautiful pectaele in the
heavens caused by the instantaneous ipni-
ton and dissipation of the metsorlc parti.
Giles composing the holy of the comet.
There is nothing in its telescope appear
ance to indicate that there is any LARGE
mass forming the nucleus of the comet. In
fact tho nucleus is very faint, and its 6uc-
tuating and uncertain light indicates that
it Is not a single mass and probably not
so!ld at all. The appearance of the whole
comet Is That OF q puff of steam. or n
family shining cloud of dust. Stars so
small that they look like Illuminated nee
die points shine through it with undimin-
ished lustre, and one minute ster
that | saw tue other night peer.
ing through. close to the nucleus
itself seemed to emphasize, with it's tinv
beam. the excessive tenuity of the comet
nry substance. Now how ia this related 70
the question of a collision and it's effects?
Many are perhaps naware how perfect a
shield the soft transparent air forms for
the earth. When one runs rapidly aoainst
the wind one begins to perceive the yipor-
Qua resistance that the atmosphere is cspa-
bic of interposlng against a moving BODY. |
bnt IL the motion becomes many miles
instead OF Il lew feet III a second the conse-
quences of atmospheric friction are trulv
astonishing. The particles of the comet
entering the atmo sphere would probably
have q velocity of not less than twenty
miles in a second. and even at a height of
sevsnty-ive or eighty miles above the earth
the friction of the air would almost in
simultaneously heat them to incandes-
cence. and. being small, they would
be dissipated in dust and va
poc long before they could
reach the surface of the earth. Have wa
any othef ground except the dim, hazy an
p%earance OF the comet for suppoainp that
the particles composing it are of minute
sizef Apparently we have. because, if this
Is indeed n part Of the old BieIa comet
then the earth has encountered meteoric
swarms emanatinR from the same source
before. That comet was first recognized as
a regular visitor i'll 1896. Records showed