The Lamar register., 1907-05-01
lHALLEYS COI7E-T HfADEI C-ARTHWAR


this may be. it must be remembered
that appearances of comets in the
early days were much more mysteri-
GUS, and proportionately impressive.
than in the more enlightened ages and
that the extraordinary brilliancy re-
corded in some Instances was, quite
likely, due more to Imagination than
to the actual state of the comet.
When the great comet comes on
the scene in 1910, its nucleus or beard
will appear like a star of the first
magnitude, but having a mighty tail
trailing after 1t and pointing away
from the sun. Different from many
of the smaller comets which are tall
less, the one named for HALEY Is
formed of three distinct parts, namely
the nucleus. coma and tail. The
nucleus is the concentrated part and
shines by the reflected light of the
sun, while the tail gives out light of
its own, due chiefly to the glowing
carbon vapor which is not unlike that
of an ordinary gas Jet.
Though shining as brightly as Jup-
tier. and sometimes visible even in the
daytime. the comet is very light in
weight, being not more than one one
millionth as heavy as the planet
named. That this is true is known
from the slight attraction 1t exerts
on the plents. while the latter fire.
quently pull the comet out OF its
course. The tail Is so fiimsy that
should 1t brush the earth 1t would
hardly be noticeable.
When Halley's comet Is first seen
by the comet seekers as It rushes
headlong toward the sun. 1t will mp
pear like round. dim ball of hay
light AS IT comes nearer the earth.
its tail will gradually appear and
lengthen. 1t may increase or decrease
from night to night, varying from %
TO. $4,000 miles in "a hours. though
should IL do this, II would be an ex-
ception rather than the rule. AS the
great celestial messenger swings
round the sun. its tail will apparently
grow smaller. and finally disappear.
the ball OF haZy light alone being left
to tell of its flight to Neptune. After
little this will be gone to be seen
no more until the year 1885.
The composition of comets inter
estel men even before their periods
were calculated. and Halley's will be
examined as II never was before. for
we have instruments now that were
unknown when 1t was visible in 1885.
The spectroscope has shown what
other and smaller comets were made
Of The nucleus is solid mass
formed of different substances. and
this is an envelope of dense gaseous
matter that is in perpetual motion.
This portion is called the coma. and
to its activity is probably due the
tail. attracting and repelling the
gaseous particles of waste material.
There are many small periodic COM
cts that have been discovered in re-
cent years. but Halley's is the only
great comet that appears at regular
intervals.
In spite of the comforting assur.
ance of astronomers that the ap-
preaching comet will be harmless, SO
far as its general effects upon the
earth are concerned. and providing.
of course, that the comet ever
reaches us. Nine. de Thebes. the
Mother Shipton of Paris, has predict
ed that the comet is going to make
great deal of trouble for the earth.
Nine. de Thebes predicted the Boer
war. the great Charity Bazaar fire in
Paris. the Servian massacre, the San
Francisco and Kingston disasters and
the discovery of radium.