Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-05-01
VALLEYS COMET HEADELC-AR7YWAR

What with earthquakes from within
and comets threatening from above,
surely these are days of uncertainty
and anxiety for the inhabitants of this
mundane sphere. Astronomical calcu-
lation tells us that four big comets are
headed for the earth coming with that
awful speed which only those cratic
tramps Of the heavens can attain.
Three are due this year, and the
fourth, which is the one which is
causing the greatest speculation, will
come into view in 1910. This last is
known as Halley's comet. At present
it is not far from the orbit of Jupiter,
and by the time the year has waned
it will be speeding through the belt of
the asteroids-a group of miniature
planets revolving in orbits just out
side of that of Mars
Assuming that the gigantic star-like
nucleus and its mighty nebulous tail
succeed in passing without disaster
through this maze of little worlds
none of which is more than 100 miles
in diameter-it will cut across the
orbit of Mars and touch upon that of
the earth. That the comet will not
come in contact with one or more of
these planetoids is not at all an as
sured fact, but this does not concern
us nearly as much as the possibility of
its coming into collision with the
earth.
When the bright-tailed orb is near
est the sun it will be many millions of
miles inside the earths orbit and
hence there will be two occasions
when it and the>earth might meet,
namely, when the former passes into
and out of the latter's path. If such a
celestial collision should take place,
the comet would probably be burned
up in the earths atmosphere, and the
earth be still left intact, though the
binding light and intense heat would
destroy all life on that side of the
world.
Oilers, a German astronomer living
in the interval between 175S and 1910,
pointed out that Bielas comet would,
in 1882, pass within 10000 miles Of the
earth's orbit. though the earth would
not reach the same point until a
month later While astronomers saw
no danger, great many people who
feared the verify of the deductions
looked forward to the time with con-
siderable apprehension They were
greatly relieved, however, for as pre-
dicted the comet came on the day
the mathemaIicians named, and all
danger had passed.
Halley's comet. which is now ap-
preaching, is of extraordinary inter
est. 1t was the first to be suspected
of returning periodically. as we'll as
the first whose period Of revolution
was calculated.
1t will be its thirteenth visit which
the comet will make three years
hence, but who can tell what scene it
will look down upon? Many authori.
ties believe it will come very close to
: the earth, though it may not be as
brilliant or as conspicuous as in its
earlier returns. Arago suggested that
comets in traversing their gigantic
orbits might throw off into space
nearly all the matter of which they
were composed when at point near
est the SUM-
Under these conditions, then, it is
evident that some Of the more at.
tenuated ones may, in the course OF
time, pass entirely out of existence
though they may, on the other hand
attract particles floating in space
along their paths and so equalize their
losses. This would account for the
varying intensity of the same comet