The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-05-17
COMET BETWEEN
EARTH And SUN
Strange Phenomenon will be Wis
ible to Inhabitants Of Earth
Tomorrow
TO PASS THROUGH COMET GAS
Scientists Anticipate No Danger
Proximity of Comet May Give Sun
a Reddish Tinge But There is
No Reason for Alarm.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., May 1.-THE
passing tomorrow, of Halley's comet
between the sun and the earth Is an
event awaited with unusuad interest
not alone by astronomers in all parts
of the world, but by the lay fold as
well. While the men behind the tel
escopes look forward to the transit of
the comet merely with the intense in
terest evoked by any rare scientiiical-
" important phenomenon in the
sphere of astronomy, the interest of
the "unscientihc" masses in not al
together free from more or less fear
of the possible consequences of the
coming event. The authoritative
statement that on May Is the earth
would pass through the tail of the
comet, together with the fact that the
divergent theories of the astronomers
concerning the nature of the comets
tail confused the masses and led them
To lend a certain amount of credencc
To the most absurd and alarming va
gares of ignorant and superstitious
sersational'sts. is responsible for the
Gread with which some persons anti
cipate tomorrow's phenomenon.
IIalley's comet, the transit of which
will be observed tomorrow moves in
an eccentric and elliptical orbit around
the sun. At the tremendous speed
with which the comet travels II re-
quircs about seventy-five years TO
complete it's course. This Is not the
first time that Halleys comet has been
visible to the inhaibitants Of the earth
but, what makes its visit this year of
special interest to astronomical science
IS the fact that tomorrow the erratic
wanderer Of the skies will present it,
self under conditions which have never
been Observed before. The comet will
pass between the sun and tho earth
ard II will be possible to make obser-
vations that may give a clue to the
composition of the comet The orbit
Of the comet apparently intersects
that of the earth at two points. The
first point of intersection was bassed
Nv the comet some Lllnc ago tnc Sccpllu
will be reached in a few days. Having
passed it's perihelion the comet Is now
approaching the earth's orbit at a
speed of about 1000 miles a minute.
Tomorrow it will reach not only the
point Of greatest proximity to the
earth but also position which brings
H. i'm a direct line with the earth and
the sun. As the comets tail, whatever
may be it's composition. is pointing
away from the sun, II rs quite prob
able that the earth will pass through
the rari1ed portions of 1t. Astrono-
mors and physicists have advanced
many divergent theories as TO the ef-
ect which the passing through the
comets tail may have upon the earth
hut there is absolutely no reason to
expect more than perhaps some slight
modification of the atmosphere con-
ditons, as result of whic'' he sun
at the time of the comets tr" it, may
appear yelled I'm a mist or 20 OF 2
reddish or yollow tinge. Twice before
this. i'm comparatively recent times, Tho
earth passed through the tails Of com
cts and the only phenomenon which
indicated the fact was a similar haze
through Which the sun appeared of {
reddish tingc.