The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-03-03
LOOK OUT FOR THE COMET.
perrine's Discovery Ssems to be Coming
Straight Towards tho Earth.

Perrine's comet is advancing toward
the earth at the prodigious pace of
100000 miles a day and unless it
some time during, Saturday, March
IA. Professor Lenschuer, of the State
University of California, has just COM
pleted his calculations Of the orbit of
the new comet, which was discovered
by Astronomer Perrine, of the Lick
University. His calculation convince
him that the comet will take a new
course on March and sheer away from
the earth. If, however, the professor
has made mistake OF a millionth part
OF unit in his figures the comet may
strike us.
Professor Pickering, of the Harvard
Observatory, was seen by a Sun re-
porter and asked if it were possible for
the comet and the earth to meet ia
collision. His reply was that such q
thing was certainly possible. SEQ
NETS" he said, have no special rela-
tion to the earth, and if the earth hap
pened to be in the path Of one it would
OF course be struck. l am not prepared
to say what would happen. No one
knows. You see we have no record OF
any such experience. The only man
who dares to say much on the subject
is Professor G. A. Young, of Princeton,
and I'll give you his opinion on the
more attention than l have.
Professor Young's opinion IL that
comet is nothing but a sand BANK
that is, it io swarm of solid particles
of unknown size and widely separate,
say pin heads, several hundred feet
apart, each particle carrying with it
an envelope of gas largely hydrocarbon,
in which gaslight is produced, either
by electrical discharges between the
particles or by some other light, tho
evolving action due to the suns in
fluence. This hypothesis derives It's
chief plausibility from the modern dis
covery Of the close relationship be-
tween meteors and comets.
Professor Young says that comets
may hurt US in two ways, either by
actually striking the earth, or by fall
ing into the sun, and thus producing
such an increase Of solar heat as to
burn us up"
In regard to the possibility Of a col
lision with comet, Professor Picker
ing said that it was to be admitted
that such an event was possible. "In
fact he continued, if the earth lasts
long enough such a thing is practically
| sure to happen, for thOre are several
comets orbits which pass near to the
| eartb's orbit, than the semi-diameter
of the comets head, and at some time
the earth and comet will certainly
come together. Such encounters will,
however, be rare. II we accept the
estimaSe of Babinet they will occur
once in fifteen millions OF years in tho
long run"
AS to the consequence Of such col
lision, Professor Pickering said 1T was
impossible TO estimate for want of
sure knowledge Of the state OF aggre-
cation OF the matter composing O
comet "Ifw we accept the modern the
ory," he said. land if this theory be
true, everything depends on the size
of the separate solid particles which
form the main part Of the comets mass.
II they weigh tons the ombardment
would be very serious, but IL, as seems
more likely, the PARTICLES are smaller
than pin heads, the result would be
simply grand metcoric shower.
"Now," continued the professor,
although the possibility OF that comet
striking the earth Is real, still the
probability is not 80 great. So far a;
we know the probability is not much
greater than that OF some other comet:
striking us. At the Harvard Observa
tory here we have not yet had the three
good observations which are required
befor We can make any computation.
"This is for the reason that so many
other Observatories are watching
!, comets that we devote our time h
things which they cannot do so well a
D we can. OF course, IL the time come
B when we are in position where ou
: observations will count for much W
shall devote our energies to them."-
!, New York Sun.
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