Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1907-06-06
kALLEY0 COME-T HEADED EARTHNARD

HALLEHO COMET HkADE Z
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 erratic
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 earth's 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 earth's 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 1853 and 1910,
pointed out that Biela's comet would,
in 1882, pass within 10000 miles of the
carth's orbit, though the earth would
not reach the same point until a
month later. While astronomers saw
no danger, a 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 mathematicians named and all
danger had passed.
Halley's comet, which is now APP
preaching, is of extraordinary inter-
est. 1t was the first to be suspected
of returning periodically, as well 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 sun.
Under these conditions, then, 1t 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 50 equalize their
losses. This would account for the
varying intensity OF the same comet,
as for instance, Halley's. However
this may be. 1t must be remembered
that appearances of comets in the
early days we're 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. it's 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