The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-11-14
Unnecessary Fear of
The Comets Approach.

The American astronomer, Father
SearIe, after a series of calculations
tells us that May 18th Halley's comet
will pass directly between the earth
and the sun. Now there is a singular
thing in connection with comets tail.
In fact it is questionable whether this
luminous appendage ought to be called
a tail as the word is ordinarily under
stood. It does not bring up the rear
end of the comet unless the visitor be
travelling toward the sun, for it ex-
tends in a line away from the orb of
day and, so, when the comet is NOV
ing away from that great central
body it travels with its tail before it.
For this reason it is possible that
the tail of the comet may sweep the
face of the earth-a disagreeable
thought, no doubt, but the event
would not be fraught with danger.
In fact, it is doubtful whether the
inhabitants of our globe would
even be conscious of this addi-
would even be conscious of this addi-
ton to it's ordinary atmosphere, 1t is
believed that in 1919 comets tail
actually did reach the earth, the cal
culation of the position of the comet
that year and the length of its caudal
appendage making that fact theOreti-
cal certainty. But no one was the
wiser through evidence of the senses.
The tails of these mysterious visit
ors are composed of a E'Ost dttenuat-
ed gas. Stars may easily be distin-
guished through them. Many Journal
readers will no doubt remember hav-
ing observed this phenomenon during
the period of the comet Of 1SS2-1SS3-
comet with magnificent spreading
tail. brilliant itself yet of not suffi-
cient density to shield from view the
brighter stellar bodies beyond it.
The composition even of the head
or nucleus OF a comet is not generally
regarded as being compact body,
and it is considered doubtful whether
its collision with planet would
seriously hurt anything except the
comet itself This should be reassUr-
ing to those whose nerves have been
set on edge by certain recent prophe-
sizes of alarn1ists that the HALEY
comet would come in collision with
the earth. Regarding this The New
York Tribune says:
There is reason TO think that the
| nucleus is a loose aggregation of solid
| fragments resembling meteOric stones,
from which, under the infleunce OF
solar heat, an enormous volume Of
| luminous vapor is emitted, Yet Her
| schel reported seeing faint stars
through the head of a comet which
measured 10000 miles through. A
| collision between the densest portion
/ of a comet and the earth might slight
! ly disarrange the material in the
| comet, but 1t may be questioned
whether anything would happen 10
the earth besides an unusually bril-
| liant meteoric shower.
So let us await with calm minds
but with delightful anticipation of an
inspiring sight this brilliant wanderer
which will so soon add its glory to
the sparkling depths of the heavens,
Its past record, traced back for over
two thousand years, is most impress
| i've. Its visits have caused consteT-
| nation to our forefathers-the mighty
sweep of its resplendent tail stretch
| ing from zenith to horizon. And al
though it is said to have lost some
| what in grandeur in it's more recent
visits, it Will doubtless still call forth