The herald., 1898-02-27
petuosity into the heart of some other

petuosity into the heart of some other
stellar system.
OF the great comets that have flashed
in our skies during the present century,
the first very conspicuous one was that of
1911. 1t was magnificent object, with
flaming tail twenty-five degrees in length
(about the distance between Sirius and
Procyon) and of the extraordinary breadth
of six degrees. 1t was visible to the naked
eye for many months, and was followed
with the telescope for year and half.
1t will not return to us again until it has
accomplished q journey that will take it
out into space 10000 900, 600 of miles a dis
tance forty-one times greater than the
orbit of the outer planet Neptune, and that
will consume period of 1865 years. How
much space on the page of history will be
occupied by the careers of President Nc
Kinley, Candidate Bryan. Senator White,
Governor Budd or Mayor Snyder when the
great comet of 1911 again flashes into our
skies? How big will Greater New York be
then, and will Los Angeles stretch from
the mountains to the sea?
A long period of twenty-four years
elapsed before the next notable comet
that of 1S35-appeared. 1t was HALEY s
periodic comet, and it's advent had been
predicted. 1t exhibited a tail forty-seven
degrees in length, or half the distance
from the horizon to the zenith. It's period
look for it again in 1910 Astronomer Hind
has traced its previous appearances, from
historic illusions to it, as far back as the
year II =. c.
The next comet to attract universal at
tention was the brilliant object which
startled the world in 1843 eight years after
Halley's had disappeared. Its bright. slen
der tail was 40 degrees in visible length and
according to the computations of astron.
extended through 900 Oll0 O0l
miles, exceeding the diameter of the earth
orbit. Its daring nucleus ventured within
6OO,O 900 miles of the suns photosphere, ano
it's velocity at that point was $50 miles pei
second, quite sufficient to carry it away
again beyond the attractive power of the
sun. If it was headed that way. it would
pass across the border line into the sphere
of influence exerted by the nearest stellar
world-Alpha Centauri, four and one.
fourth light-years distant. Then rush
ing with unabated energy through that
brilliant system, it would perhaps, speed
next in the direction of the blazing double
suns, Sirius and his companion, nearly
| eight light-years distant, and so, in rest
less wanderings, it would visit star after
| star, till eventually, after the lapse OF
| some millions of cons of tireless fight, II
would at last get tangled up and lost amit
| the maZes of the 2300 worlds which com
| pose the miniature universe known to III
as the Pleiades. What journey of infinite
| surprises it would be if we could take pas
sage on board such a comet.
Fifteen years after the brilliant appari
tion of 1913 the splendid comet discovered
by Donati illumined the midnight sky. Il
was at it's brightestin in October, 1858, and il
doubtless well remembered by every on'
who has passed the half-century mile
| stone. When nearest the sun, its tai
| stretched over 40 degrees of the sky, and it
81 900 900 miles of gossamer light was curve,
like a Turkish cimeter. The mighty coma
or head, of this comet was $50, 600 miles il
| diameter, equal to ten times the circumfer
| ence of the earth. 1t will not come back l.
us again till about the middle of the TWEEN
ty-frst century.
A bunch of comets made their appearanc
suddenly and Unexpectedly in the year
1860, 1861 and 1862. respectively. That o
1861 was the most notable, from the fac
that on June 3Oth of that year it is believe