The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-05-02
COMET SURE IS
GOING SOME
Makes a Speed Record of is
Miles a Second and No
One to Hinder.
STAR SHOWER PREDICTED
WANDERER KNOWN TO THE CHI
NESE CENTURIES AGO.
STAR SHOWER PREDICTED

Those who are able to find the little
wanderer would now be disappointed
due to the lack of tail with which
the appearance of a comet is always
associated. This lack is only apparent.
for with the large telescope at the
Yerkes Observatory in Wisconsin, Z.
E Bernard has measured this appen-
dage for distance of several degrees,
calculating that it is 100000 miles
long at this time.
Judging from this calculation 1t is
thought that the comets tall Will
surely be 100000 miles long on May
Is, and that the earth will pass
through 1t. This encounter has caused
no little speculation on the part of
sensational writers, but conservative
scientists are little worried Scientists
are watching 1T with much interest,
as an excellent opportunity is afforded
to determine of what comet is made
The earth will enter the tail at
about o'clock on the afternoon OF
and will take about three hours to
pass through 1t, a distance OF several
hundred thousand miles The inhabi-
tants of the eastern part of the United
States will be unable to witness the
interesting phenomenon, while those
in this part OF the country Will only
be able to see the first portion Of it
The general opinion held by astrono-
mers now is that the only noticeable
effect will be brilliant sky glare
and sunset, with the possibility OF
brilliant star shower, much as was
witnessed in November, 1856, when
shooting stars were counted by the
millions on three consecutive nights.
The resultant velocity of the earth
and the comet will be close to 80 or
So miles a second, and this plus the
velocity of the surface OF the earth
turning on its axis, some IL or 10 miles
a minute, will give some idea OF the
speed with which the particles or the
comet will encounter the earths at
al oa4rx
probably consume even the largest
particles composing the largest COM
cts ever seen.
Weight Comparatively Slight.
This hypothesis rests on the opinions
and proofs represented as to the size
of a comet. 1t has been FOUND from
negative results that a comet weighs
comparatively nothing as compared
with the earth, but even then weight
of 100000 tons would be taken as notn-
ing. 1t is hoped that the near APP
proach of Halley'S comet to the earth
will afford a method of weighing the
wanderer, such as has not been al
forded on the appearance or any OF the
larger comets known since the applca-
ton of modern mathematics to astron-
omy.
The application of mathematics to
astronomy brings up another interest
ing phase of comet study with the
aid of higher mathematics, known as
celestial mechanics, it is possible from
three known positions of a comet in its
orbit to compute the orbit and deter
mine whether the comet ever pe1ore
visited the solar system, and whether II
will return With the aid of mathe-
mates it is possible to trace a comet
through its entire orbit, even Wnen IL
is beyond the gaze of the largest Wis
ual or Photographic Telescope
Known by Early Chinese.
From a historical standpoint Hal
hA
known. 1t has been traced back since
the discovery of it's periodicity in 1852
by Edmund HALEY, Tor centuries ahu
notes of 1t have been iouno IN tne
Chinese annals before the time OF
Christ In the Bayeux tapestry OF the
hattie of Hastings in 1866 the comet
appears as an omen OF good luck 10
the Norman conquerors.
At other times this celebrated wan
derer has been under the bans OF the
bulls issued by the popes at Rome
If il could tell its own history ana
relate that which has happened on the
earth it would be able to recount ali
of the great events for many hundreds
of wears According to the most thor
ough research mathemaucalIy INTO us
orbit It has been connected with the
solar system for an indefinite PERIOD,
and there is little doubt entertained
hut that at one time II Shone with
much greater splendor than II now
Possesses, for IT seems likely that the
material Indl CUES " h1ahO NP IN
leaves the comet never to return
In its 75-year trip the comet passes
from the bright rays of the sun ou1
into space beyond the orbit OF Nep-
tune the farthest known member of
the solar system, a distance OF nearly
400. OOO, 900 miles, and again returns 10
the heat of the Sun-a heat far more
intense than that known on the eartn'
for it passes much closer the great
luminary, and in all that distance ev-
cry mile of it's outward journey and OF
its return to the ken of man can be
accounted for by mathematics