Evening journal., 1909-08-25
BIG COMET IS
DUE NEXT SPRING
"iiaIey's" will Light up the
Entire Heavens Next
Year
STAR LAST SEEN IN 1885

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25-"If youslive
until next spring you are going to Wit
ness one of the most magnificent sights
the heavens have ever disclosed before
your eyes said well-known member
OF the astronomical force at the United
States Naval Observatory "Hauey's
comet comes only once in a lifetime. and
many persons are born, live and die
without ever catching a glimpse of ITS
marvellous dash of fire across the skies.
II was last seen In 1855. and few per-
sons now alive can say they have even
witnessed it,"
The astronomical world Is now on the
watch, and hge refracting and reflect
ing telescopes are trained upon the heav-
ems from many points on the earth in
a common effort to locate the comet,
which is approaching the earth at ter
rife rate. There is friendly rivalry to
see which will be the first to pick UP the
comet with their mirrors.
The comet in its full refulgence is not
due until 1910, but by spring It viii prob
ably be near enough to he visible by
naked eve. In the past II has spanned
the heavens almost from horizon to hori-
zon covering as much as 100 degrees of
celestial territory, and standing out like
great living thing Of FIRE II Is now
somewhere off in space, but not yet visi-
bic to astronomers. They confidently ex-
pect someone 10 pick It up before the end
OF 1902 and after that It will increase
in splendor and size until It reaches its
nearest approach to the earth. some time
next spring. after which IT will disap-
pear, not TO be seen again in IS years.
"Halley's comet has been visiting the
vicinity Of the earth ever since 500 or 500
years before Christ" said the astrono-
mer. HALEY was an Englishmsn. whose
name was given to the comet because he
was the first to announce that. this par
ticuiar comet came near the earth AZ
regular periods once every IS years. He
went over the records. and by series
Of computations found that what had
previously been regarded as a series OF
different comets. was nothing more than
the same comet, and that this. the most
magnificent OF them all. came around
regularly once every 75 years. That was
during the latter part Of the eighteenth
century. and HALEY announced that his
ocmet would next appear in 1895 He
never lived to see II come, but his Sue
cessors found that his prediction came
true.
THE comets seventy-hve-year journey
will bring II toward us near enough for
II TO be seen early in 1910. II has never
before been photographed, because pho
Biography was invented after 1896 Meth.
er has the spectroscope been used upor
this comet, this being another new In.
vention. The telegraph Is another IA.
cilty not available IN 1885. and there
we're at that time nothing like the greai
telescope lenses Of today or the grea'
4o-inch refractive telescope at the Yerkei
Observatory, so miles northwest OF Chi
cago.
with all these facilities astronomer
will this time work in harmony. and
committee on comets was some time ag
formed for the purpose OF reporting
plan for observing Halleys comet Thl
committee reported yesterday at the ina
session Of the Astronomical and Astrc
physical Society OF America, at tn
Yerles Observatory. on Lake Geneva
, wis.