The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-23
AN7lCS OF The COMET.
Tho Renewed and Unaccountable
Brightness Noticed in the Re-
III ceding Body.
As IT'S Soon Through the Big
Glass OF tho Lick OBJ
servatory.
h visitor Found by Holmes Assume % =
=..r.zike Aspect and Dons Its
fiery TAFT.

BAN JOSE, Jan. 22.-Prof. Barnard. Of the
Lick observatory, was interviewed this eve.
ming in regard ~ the recent activity visible
in the Holmes comet, which has practically
dropped out Of sight since the memorable
storm which followed close upon the heels
of the November meteogs. The phenoms-
non, news OF which was oabled from Eu.
rope, had mot escaped the observation OF
the Mount Hamilton comet expert. who
last night declared that his recent observa-
tions Of the comet had exhibited ths
most wonderful transformation he had ever
noticed In the career OF one Of those cratic
bodies.
The comet was originally discovered BY
Edwin Holmes, an English observer, on tho
evening Of Nov. 6. It was seen by Barnard
1t the Lick On the evening Of the 9Th. at
which time IL was visible TO the naked eye
- q small hazy star quite clsse to the No.
blla Of Andromeda. For some weeks II re-
NAMED In nearly the same position among
the stars and with little change In bright
ness. and very soon the astronomer be-
came greatly worked up over its singular
behavior. Some thought it was approach
ina the earth. and WAS really identical with
the lost Bisla comet. while others asserted
positively that the comet was ressding.
Popular interest. in the stranger was
greatly augmented by the nrss suggestion.
this planet. In fact, : species Of panic en-
sued In some sonmanitiss, which was mot
materially Ieassnsds by the grand mstsorio
display on November q. Bat the q psctsd
day Of collision passed quietly by without
any harm being done, and IL became svi.
AnNk hhaA Aha H0vnAa AnFnnk Gas mt. N0n.
neoted with the Biela fragments, although
the msteors undoubtedly were. All this
time the path Of the comet WAS suoh ~ to
aim est defy computation. II was clearly
moving In : straight line away from The
sasse; :nd 'na 1:..%,ag (. d is'nsss: although
After the heavy storms of December
nothing singular was reported about the
comet. and mp 10 the presant time IL had
become steadily fainter, until last week II
was exceedingly difficult to sse IL even in
the hns l2.ineh refractor of the Lick OBJ
servatory. Az Prof. Barnard said. IL was
merely . vast and freely luminous mist on
the face of the sky"
On the night Of january 18th. after a
spell Of cloudy weather. Barnard pointed
his telescope toward the place Of the comet
hoping TO obtain : final observation before
in the held a small bright star-liks body.
A little study showed that this must be the
Holmes comet, since the position and move
ment exactly conceded. The comet appear
cd round and strongly condensed. but with
trace Of . tail. Al times an aotive nu-
cleus or star-like central point was clearly
made out. Most wonderful of all was the
enormous increase in brightness. From
being . faint hazy patch, almost invisible
in the large twelve-inch telescope. the
had changed suddenly to a bright
equal to a seventh or eighth magnt-
tude star and easily visible in ths little
tn, ee-inch finder.
Prof. Barnard said that he examined tho
comet in both the twelvs-inoh and thirty
six inch rsfraotors. II even seemsd to
brighten p~erceptibly under observation.
He commenced observing at eight O'Clock,
two hours later he was aure that the
sonnet was getting brighter and tho nucleus
In the giant Lick refraotor the comet was
and sharp. with a bright stellar nu-
cleus. TIL disk of light was preenish blue
and the nucleus yellowish. It was a per-
Eeot miniature of the appearance IL pre-
yented with tho smaller telescope when
Barnard first saw 1t on Nov. g.. His meas
nren,ents indicated that the comet was
expanding in diameter during tho
The Lick astronomer is greatly inter-
ested in the strange behavior Of this comet,
Il 10 the first instance on record whore a
,omet has revived in brightness after re-
'eding to this distance from yerihelion.