The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1903-07-20
. The Brightest Comet for Twelve Years
nj Now Plainly
Visible.
WILL BEGIN GETTING DIM

In a few days its tail will probably be
visible.
Borrelly, a Frenchman, first saw it
floating into the view Of the telescope
at Marseilles, France, on June 2l.
Since then it has been travelling at a
terrific pace toward the sun, until now
it is seventeen times as bright as when
first seen. On August 90 it will pass
the sun and begin to grow DINNER
and DINNER until it disappears again.
1t is not like most stars, but has
milky, cloudy look instead of being a
point. An astronomer thus tells the
residents Of Paducsh how they can see
the comet between 9 and 10 o'clock.
STANDING in position exactly fac
ing the north, find the point directly
over your head. Then let your gaze
travel from that point directly north
for about one-fourth Of the distance
from this point to the horizon. The
comet can be readily recognized by its
distinctly cloudy appearance. In case
the sky is obscured, it can be seen the
succeeding night in place little
northwest of this point. as that is the
direction it is travelling. 1t Is hard to
say whether the comet will ever again
come into view of this world"
This new visitor of the solar system
will be found, according to the Lick
observatory astronomers, about six de-
grees southwest Of the bright star AL
pha Cygni-the brightest and most
northern member of this constellation,
and star of the first magnitude.
The constellation popularity known
rs the Swan lies not far to the east of
Vega, also first magnitude star. and
almost twice as far almost directly
south of the familiar and conspicuous
Pole Star.
As il is speeding on its parabolic
path with enormous velocity toward
the sun, under whose fierce radiation
of heat its two prominent tails are
very rapidly swelling in size, the &C.
lestial wanderer ought to be easily rec
ognized, and it may very soon become,
rs Prof. Campbell expects, the bright
est comet of the past ten years.
The two prominent tails already
observable in the comet will, no doubt
grow possibly into startling proper
tions before the comet reaches perihel-
ion, which 1t will do next month. but
when it leaves the solar system and
plunges again into the cold depths Of
space these striking appendages will
contract upon the central mass or be
largely lost to the retreating comet.
According to the measurements of
the new comet based on photographs
taken by the Yale observers, the tail
of the comet is at least 5000, 900 miles
long. Prof. william l. Elkin, direc-
tor of the Yale observatory. said:
"The comet is the only important
one seen in the past Gig hit years, when
the Rordame was discovered. 1t is
the brightest comet since Smiths,
about IL years ago. AT Yale We have
done nothing about il except within
the last two nights, when we have
taken photographs Of it. 1t will be
at its brightest from now until July
81, when 1t will begin to grow dim as
il gets nearer to the sun. 1t will pro-
baby b. visible for the next couple Of
weeks. and just now is just about as
bright as the pole star. Its situation
is between the constellation Laura of
Signus and the north pole, quite near
the Milky Way. 1t passes the sun on
August 81. when it will DO about 3D.
600, 900 miles distant from that body.
"The photographs taken last night
show a long tail to the comet, which
is not visi BILE to the eye The mega
tive shows this tail to be divided in
the middle. really making two tails.
According to the observations Of peo-
pie who have made special study OF
this comet, it is about 10000, 900
miles from the earth, at present, and
rapidly travelling away. On July III
it will be about 80, 900, 600 miles away
1t Is travelling by the earth at about
25 miles a second. The negative we
have shows the nebulous portion of
the comet to be about degree in di-
aiDeter. OF 400, 900 miles. The tail Is
2 OF eight degrees in length. at least
3.0o0, 900 miles in length. We cannot
tell accurately how much longer the
tail NAV he bacausa WA can mot tall