The San Francisco call., 1909-11-28
@ ID

be looked at without dazzling the eyes at MONDAY
A singular circumstance mentioned by Arago in con-
nection with this fog the fact that it seemed to
possess certain phosphoric property, light of its
Il fnd at least in the accounts of some
observers, he remarks. that it diffused, at
midnight, light which they compared to that of the
moon at its full and which suffeed to make objects
distinctly visible at a distance of than 200
yards"
The Dust and Ashes
Was the earth plunged in the tail of comet or
had it met with the fragments of cometary
appendage abandoned in space' But why, then, was
the comet itself not visble' Could the dust and
ashes projected to distance and scattered far and
wide have been the cause of this phenomenon? Some
scientists assumed, in order to explain the dry fog
of 1885, that it caused by the diffusion of vol
canc cinders as in the more recent of the
eruption of Krakatoa in August 1888. The descrip-
tions of extraordinary optical phenomena, such as
wonderful ruddy glows at sunset and sunrise, or
strange hues in which the and the moon were
occasionally tinted, were. collected from numerous
places all the world
Everywhere remarkable appearances were noted in
the sky that winter from Lake Superior to TERRA
del Fuego from the gulf of Guinea to China, from
Panama to Australia Strange halos often
seen, occasionally blue green moons, and the sun
was gloried by that had its origin in
atmosphere. Wherever there were inhabitants with
sufficient intelligence to note the unusual reports
were received of extraordinary mantle stations wit
messed in the heavens
When we reflect that an explosion on an insignh-
cant slet in the straits of Sunda has suced adorn
the sunsets of every country earth, what may
not expect at result of our passage for short
period through the train of Halleys comet? Will it
be in the nature of peculiar glow in the sky as in
the year 1861, rain of fire, celestial fireworks
outrivang the marvels recorded at the magnificent
display of meteors in the year l833 when the shoot
ing said to have fallen thickly
flakes?
According to the ephemeries OF Hal1eys comet, as
calculated by A. D. c. Crommelin and d. Smart
the position of the May 1o will be
right ascension hours 80 minutes 10 seconds and
declinaton 13 degrees SO minutes The comet will
then be in the neighborhood of the constellation
Gemini and as the sets at IA minutes after
o'clock and the between $50 and o'clock the
probability is that the spendor of the comet will fade
in the twilight There will be. however. fine oppor-
tunity to observe the comet under the most favorable
conditions possible the total eclipse of the sun,
which takes place May 8, 1910 On that occasion,
when the binding glare of the is hidden for few
moments by the dark globe of the moon coming
between the and the earth. it may be possible to
see Halley's comet during totaity. If so it should
provide magnificent spectacle, for this is the most
favorable of all conditions for seeinga comet.
View of the Comet
What is the of the doubt about this event!
1t is due simply to the fact that the track of eclipse
runs the ocean and only touches the north
eastern extremity of Tasmania
"A hardy mariner to quote Prof. III. H. Turner's
remarks on the subject in an address given before
the British Association for the Advancement OF
Science at its meeting at Dublin Friday. Sep
.ss -
able position on May 8, 1910, and was favored with
cloudiess sky would be sure OF a magnificent view
OF the comet during tcfality But who
wishes TO set up instrument terra hrma must
be in Tasmania and there it possible that the
comet may have set beoz his horizon before totality
is reec'.ed.'-
less the prospect is SO fascinating that