The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-12-23
COMET COMING
Astronomer Camille Flannariaa Says i
is Now travelling
WITH ENORMOUS SPEED

Hg919A klSSAsIAS w Ne
Just Now the Path OF tho Erratic
visitor is Directed Both Towards
tho Earth and the Sun, But It
wnl Soon Draw Away From ta+
Earth. -
Camille Flamarimon. the distia-
su,shed French astronomer. writes
Of Halley's comet to The New York
Herald as follows: Halley's comet
tss arrival Of which l was permit
re-, to witness by quite celesua!
favor on the Photographic plates
rf heidelberg University, on sep
tember IL, Is advancing rapidly to-
ward the earth. At that time 1t was
5s2 million kilometers from US; TINS
instance has been reduced 70 zzo
million. which Is about the distance
of the orbit OF Mars to the sun.
The comet then has come about three
bundred million kilometers closer 70
Ms in seyenty-six days, which gives
It an average speed Of 3,8So,Ooo
kilometers, or very nearly four mil
lion kilometers day. Truly pref
ty fais speed! That speed. too VIII
go on increasing according as the
comet draws nearer to the sun.
. Just now the comets path Is di-
rected toward both the sun and the
earth. After the middle of Decem-
her. while still speeding onward
Inward the sun. It will draw away
from our planet. Later on, how
ever will again more toward the
earth through the combination OF
its elliptic orbit with the almost
circular path which the terrestrial
slobe describes every year around
the radiant heat center Of the solar
system.
AS pale nebula, invisible even
by means of the most powerful In
struments, percepdble only by the
ohotographic eye, the comet pass
ed. In the middle Of September. from
the tTth to the 18th magnitude. BY
!. the. middle Of October 1t had reach
ed the 18th. and at the beginning
of November the 18th. 1t has now
reached the 18th magnitude, and lts
movements are followed punctuauy
by the powerful instruments of the
.;stbsarxsssetes: Even Its .spectral
aaalysis already has been eommenc-
ed.
The comet should on April 90
reach the point OF its nearest ap-
Ssroaeh to the sun, its perihelion co.
100000 kilometers from the solar
sDhere, It's speed Is then $4,000
meters o second, 3.24o kilometers
minute, or '194,444 ktlometers an
hour. Bathing In the efiuvia OF tina
electric, calorific. luminous radia-
don ef the sun, 1t becomes impreg-
mated wtth-.its, .raysr undergoing in
its whole being fantastic transfor-
nations which lend 1t prodigious
glory. develop It by multiplying, ten
fines: a hundred times. It's volume
fengthening 1t to millions and MIL
aons OF kilometers by kind or
acknowledgements which always is ex-
tended away from the sun and gives
rise to the formidable tails which
flied with terror the souls OF our
ancestors.
Theuceforth the wanderers path
.iatas H. ewey from the ardent can
4er 10 siak into the deserts OF
immers!ty. gradually diminishing IN
size, becoming sort OF Invisible
bubble, and finally to find again the
night Of its -aphelion In. which for
gears and years L. is aest TO. the. eyes
Of astronomers' ON the earth.
goes away to distance OF i've thou-
sand million kilometers. into the
ultra Neptunian night, In which its
speed Is gradually decreased to lHss
than q kilometer per second Fhe
total duration OF it's circuit Is sixty
1--WE. years.
After leaving It's perlhelion thu
comet, travelling away from the sun
again approaches tho terrestrial or
bit. Up to the time it reaches is
Derihelion-that is,until April 90
Il will be morning star, visible N
the east before the sun rises. 1t
becomes an evening star after the
oeribelion and will be visible in the
west after sunset. Quite probably
it will be then very remarkable. as
1t was iD the spring OF 1866. at
the time of the Conquest OF Eag-
land. and N the spring Of 1856, a.
the period of the wars of the turks
and the Christians directed by Ma
homet II and Pope Caliztus III
Th.s time possibly 1t is to give
us surprise on the after effects
oe which it is difficult to theorize
According to the calculations of sew
eral astronomers who are now oc-
cupied by the special orbit Of the
comet during its present opposition,
it may pass before the sun about May
1S. Mr. Crommelin, in England.
and Mr.. Searle, in America. agree
with the calculations Of others on