The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-12
THE INFLUENCE or COMETS
Their Supposed Relation to Floods,
Droughts. and Disasters.
The SuperstitiOus FILLED with Fore
boiling when One OF Them APP
pcars-ConnictinglT Theories of A.
tronomcrs About the Wanderers.

The announcement week or so ago
by the press of the country that a new
comet had come to visit our planetary
system has aroused an interest in these
astronomical freaks of varying intensity.
according as the interested mind is prone
to superstition or to ratiocination. 1t is
reported that this celestial traveller is
visible at Cape Town. and TO vari-
GUS other parts of the world. which
means that the chances are the comet
will not be visible from any part of the
United States. Nevertheless. comets
have been seen by Americans still youth
full. and once seen are never forgotten.
and are always objects of more than
passing interest to everyone.
The stars and planets have ever exer. ed
universal fascination. Their immensely
as to distance, velocity, and volume has
always appealed rresistibly to our sense
Of wonderment. which increases in pro-
portion to our ignorance. No phenomena
of the heavens have appealed so strongly
to our imagination and curiosity as
comets, and there is no heavenly body
which has received careful study which
has yielded so little knowledge as to its
nature. purpose, and composition.
The history of the comet is practically
history of what the ancients thought
about it, a mass of useless irrational
superstition and myth, which the inven-
ton of the telescope has scarcely been
able to entirely destroy. It is a pity that
anything so interesting as a comet should
offer nothing. or next to nothing, of
positive knowledge. leaving curious man
TO satisfy himself as best he can with
theorizing. One astronomical savant hobs
up and tells lis all about his theory.
which other starry experts proceed to pick
to pieces. while the ever-patient and long
suffering public keeps on hoping that
before death comes its curiosity concern
ing these celestial visitors will be salts
fed.
The telescope has. however. revealed
the fact that comets are constructed
practically alike: that is, that they have
a nucleus, a coma, and may or may not
have tail. When they do not appear to
have tail it is because the brilliancy
of the comet is so faint, or because the
comet is so far off that the tail is not
visible to the telescope. This is the ex-
PLANTATION offered
There are various theories as to the
composition of the comet Some astrono-
mers regard it as sort of disarticulated
not having density enough to hold its
own. becomes the sport of livery compact
body into whose orbit II happens to whirI
Even its nebulous hypothesis is open to
theorizing 1t is not known whether a
comet is solid. of EXCEEDING density but
of small volume, or whether it is a solid
mass of extremely light and airy COM
FACTION, so light. in fact, as to be unable
to produce any disturbance in a planet
into whose orbit or vicinity it may chance
to come. Still other authorities regard
the comet as small nasS of matter in
a state of transformation, in which the
nebula is the most condensed part, but
still diaphanous. and surrounded by
cloud of matter of tho s9ree composition
as the nebula: that is. the coma; but be-
tween the particles Of which there is con-
siderable space. This is the latest and
perhaps the best explanation offered as
to the physical character of the comet.
Because the tail of the comet is always
directed in a line opposite to the sun 1t
is argued that it is simply the light of
the sun shining through the nebulous nu-
cleus and coma upon a train of exceed
ingly fine cometary matter which trails
along after the head for millions of miles
in space.
The appearance of a comet has ever
filled men with foreboding. In ancient
times it was regarded as an omen of evil.
a harbinger of disaster and death. either
to the nation or 20 some iliustrious per
sonage as the king or ruler. II never was
a welcomed visitor, except to the astrono-
mer. AS recent as 1913 the great comet
of that year brooded like an evil spirit
over the minds of Europeans. This comet
was, perhaps, the largest one that had
been seen since the dawn of history. 1t
was of great brilliancy and its tail extend
ed almost from horizon 20 horizon.
Every description of influence has been
attributed to comets. Droughts. epdem-
les, weather conditions, dry fogs, etc,
have been laid to the charge of a comet
In lIS3 there was what was called a dry
fog, which settied upon a vast area of
the earth s-Surface and which presented
some curious manifestations. 1t came all
At once. and on the same day. 1t lasted
a month and was apparently not due to
the action of winds which might have
carried ii to these places. 1t was so dense |
hat objects only a few yards away could |
not be seen at all. There was a blush |
color to the haze and a faint luminosity. |
1t was as dense on the top of the Alps |
as at the sea level, and succeeded in in |
spring awe md terror TO pretty much |
everyone in Europe. Wise men and as |
tronomers were appealed to for an expla- |
nation of this strange phenomenon. |
Finally it was explained that the earth |
vas passing through a portion of the tail |
If a comet and that the dry dust which |
lung motionless over the land was COM |
POSED of particles of comet matter which |
became luminous when the sun shone |
ipon IL. Vegetation shriveled and died. |