The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1910-04-07
WATCH FOR
HALEY COMET
Residents of Pacific Coast to
Witness Fiery Traveller
on May Is.

the visit of Halley's comet and par
ticularly applying to the people of
the Pacific coast is here published:
Nobody on earth today has ever
beheld such a spectacle as will be
visible on the Pacific coast on May
IS. 1t is not probable that any being
among the hundreds of billions that
have lived since the dawn of HUI
man life ever made an intelligent OBJ
servation OF such a spectacle as the
transit of Halley's comet, which will
reach It's most brilliant position
shortly after the middle of the last
month of spring this year.
Considering our enlightened knowl-
edge Of the heavenly bodies, the
unique opportunity of all time will
present itself to those who chance
to be on the Pacific coast toward
sunset of the day when the great
historic body will present itself be-
tween us and the sun, then low In
the western sky. No more awe-in-
spring spectacle has ever been pre-
sented to- the human eye.
The mysterious wanderer will be
in direct line between the orbits
of the earth and the sun, and will
be visible about Z p. m. from Spok-
ane and contiguous territority. With
in an hour of that time it will ap-
pear as tremendous blaze in the
heavens. From Sitka to San Diego
the illumination will be so brilliant
as to suggest that the skies are
aflame.
AS the sun sinks the fiery travel
er, rushing through the infinite
reaches of interstellar space will
cross the glowing path of vanishing
light, and it's luminous tail will look
like crimson ocean whose pulsing
tides flood the gates of the West
Just how long this hitherto unseen
brilliancy will beat back the gloom
OF night is conjectural, but from the
fact that the tail of the pilgrim will
project into our atmosphere, 1t is
possible that night will have little
or no chance for some hours.
Those east of the Rocky mount
aims will not have an opportunity to
behold this marvellous transit, for
the sun will set before the heav-
emily visitant intersects the line be-
tween the orbits of the earth and
the sun.
The year 1909 was remarkable by
reason the return of Halley's COM
ct to the range of telescope vision,
but 1910 will be memorable for its
presence within range of the unaided
eye. Astronomers tell us that this
gypsy of the skies will be the most
awe-inspiring vision that has ever
been presented to the human sight.
1t is worth recalling that on Sep
TENDER IL last DIR. Max Wolf of Held
elberg discovered the famous vag.
rant, which was developed to his de-
light on one of his stellar photograph
ic plates. Marvelously. it was In al
most the exact position which the
Crommelin called fora feat which
scientists regard as a signal tri
umph of mathematical astronomy, re.
flecting credit upon those two ex
perts of the Royal Observatory al
Greenwich.
Those interested in the appearance
of this giant of the heavens-anC
the entire world should be interest
ed in an event that portends sc
much-should remember that the
comet will pass perihelion, its near
est distance to the sun, on April 20
after which 1t will rapidly become
more visible, growing apparently
large in its terrifying rush through
space. After sunset about the mid
die of May it will be the wonder OF
the ages in its brilliant appearance
At this time the earth will pass
through portion of the comets tail
and the fiery racer will cross the
disk of the sun. When 1t is remem
bered that the earth will be running
around It's orbit at the rate of al
most nineteen miles a second, oil
one million and six hundred thous
and miles a day. 1t becomes appar
ent that this collision with the tai
of the comet will be of some momen
to the globe. The result of the i'm
pact is problematical, but as tn,
theory of the scientists is that tn,
tail of comet is rarer than ether