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

this may be, 1t 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 star of the first
magnitude. but having a mighty tail
trailing after it and pointing away
from the sun. Different from many
of the smaller comets which are tail
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 yapor 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 it exerts
on the plents, while the latter fire.
Quently pull the comet out of it's
course. The tail is so flimsy that
should it brush the earth it would
hardly be noticeable
When Halley's comet is first seen
by the comet seekers as it rushes
headlong toward the sun, it will ap-
pear like a round, dim ball OF hazy
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 25
to $4,000 miles in "a hours, though
should it do this. it 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 it never was before, for
we have instruments now that were
unknown when it 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 ep.
preaching comet will be harmless, 50
far as it's 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
a 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