The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-05-06


Is at hand, very closely approaching
an eclipse In character.
Mass of Meteorites In It's Head.
So 1t would be If the comets head
were solid. like the moon; but. though
we are convinced that there Is solid
matter in it, being probably made up
of mass of meteorites held together
by their mutual attraction, still we
know it to be much more largely gas
eous In it's nature and shall have to
wait and see whether 1t be sufficiently
opaque to darken the sun or whether
1t is so transparent that the sun can
shine right through it as though a
thin cloud.
With telescope having an object
glass of fifteen inches in diameter a
body of seventy miles in diameter at
the distance of the comet would show
black against the sun, and with high
er power one Of ten miles diameter
would do the same. But it may be
that those most favorably situated
geographically will see just nothing at
all. In all history there is but one re-
corded case of a comet transiting
the suns face, that Of the great comet
of 1882. When it reached the sun it
disappeared entirely. And it seems
likely, therefore, that in the present in
stance the sun will be darkened but
little, If at all. Yet all comets are not
alike, and some spectacle altogether
unsupported may present itself to the
admiring gaze Of all beholders.
Earth, comet and sun being in one
perfectly straight line at the time of
transit, were the comets tail straight
the earth would be involved in 1t at
the same moment since 1t sweeps back
from the sun into space, no matter
which way the comet is travelling.
But the tail is curved so that 1t will
come sweeping upon the earth posi-
bly, a few hours later, and by that
time the relations of the two bodies
will so have changed by reason of
their swift passing that we shall not
pass through the middle of the tail,
where it would measure at least 1.O00,-
OOO uNlOoS, Oul thiouSh a pm
ton where a smaller distance must
be traversed in order to make our exit.
The Question of Danger.
The first question is. of course, that
Of danger. VIII the earth and all
things therein be destroyed, as the 80
900 inhabitants of st. Pierre were laid
low in three minutes by the poisonous
fumes of Mount Pelee? Our answer
is that If the earth should Craze the
comets head possibly its vapors would
so fill our atmosphere that nothing
could thereafter live. But at a point
in the tail 100000 miles from that
head we are perfectly safe, as we
should be indeed half or one-fourth
that distance. The comets tail is lit
orally next to nothing. The little that
it is will not affect our atmosphere in
any unpleasant or harmful way. There
Is as much danger in a searchlight or
q rainbow and infinitely more in the
fumes Of the chimneys and automo-
biles of city. 1t is true that it is Of
that the faintest stars can be seen
through a million miles of its volume.
The next question pertains to the
spectacle. If the transit may prove
Invisible, will the plunge through the
tail prove equally so? 1t may. for in
1919 the earth went through a comets
tail without any one knowing it, and
in 1861 it did the same, though it was
remembered afterward that a strange
aurora-like appearance had been OBJ
ness of sky, which was even thought
worthy Of record. though its connec-
ton with the comet had not been sus-
pected. 1t is not unlikely that we
shall have an experience somewhat
like that. In the morning Of May Is,
before sunrise, the tail is likely to be
seen extending from the eastern to-
ward the western horizon. In the
evening Of the 10th, after sunset, the
tail is likely to be seen extending from
the western toward the eastern hori-
zon, but late during the night of the
18th the entire heavens are likely to
be seen carrying a faint and peculiar
radiance, due to the fact that we are
immersed hundreds Of thousands of
miles in the comets tail. The chief
thing to initiate against the spectacle
will be the moon, which that night Is
ten days old and will not set till 2:45
in the morning. But inasmuch as the
peculiar sky radiance in 1861 was seen
even in the daytime we may hope that
fair Luna will be good enough, since
she Is generously granted half the
nights Of each month. not to spoil the
marvels Of so extraordinary an occa-
sion as this.
When this great day Of the comet
has passed 1t will be seen for some
time, night after night, in the western
sky after sunset-frst at about its lar
gest, then rapidly growing smaller as
1t retreats into the depths of space
and becomes once more invisible, not
again to charm the eye, awaken the
wonder and stir the awe of mankind
until most of us have been long for
gotten in our humble graves.