Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-20
NOT IN THE EAST TONIGHT
Puzzle May Be Solved Within
Twenty-Four Hours.
CLOUDS HINDER SCIENTISTS
Prof. Snyder Says Earth Has Not
Passed Through Appendage and
Probably Never Will.

of the scientists the comet will be
| visible in the western sky just after
sunset on the first clear evening. Its
position will be north of west, and
between the suns setting point and
the west compass point. The tail will
stream upward toward the zenith and
toward the southeast 1t should ap-
pear bright enough to be seen with
the unaided eye, despite the brilliant
moonlight, and it is practically Ger
tain that the tail will seem to lay
observers to involve the moon, al
though the streaming light from the
comet will be many millions of miles
beyond the earth's satellite.
Further than that a halo round the
moon, which is practically certain to
appear if the atmospheric conditions
are right, will seem to be shot
through and through by rays of light
of varying intensity. the converging
point of which will be the coma
sphere, or head Of the comet.
Probably the greatest celestial spec
tacle of the next week will occur
Monday during the eclipse of the
moon This will continue from about
IL o'clock in the evening until l IN
the morning, and, while the moon
face is dimmed. 1t is expected the
coma rays will be brilliantly visible
and the comasphere, with its bright
focal point of nucleus, appear with
startling distinctness.
WILLIAMS BAY. Wis, May 20.-Prof
e. B. Frost, in charge of the Yerkes OBJ
servatory here. expects to make an OBJ
servation of Halley's comet in the west
some time shortly before night.
Although cloudy skies prevented the
making of any positive observations early
todav. Prof. Frost and Prof f. E. Bar
uard, the comet expert. agree that there
will be no display of the comets tail IN
the east tonight. The scientists say that
the earth has either passed through tne
tail while clouds obscured the sky or
that the tail curved to such an extent as
to miss the earth entirely.
The puzzle of the failure of the comet
tail to follow the head to the west has
not been cleared up by any S onservatlohs
made here. Prof. Barnard thinks moth
ing, de..nite on this point will be discov-
cred for another twenty-four hours.
Despite an apparent lack of any posi-
tive data or direct information bearing
upon the action of the comets tail. the
scientists say they will be able to de-
termine that point beyond any doubt
within comparatively short time.
Tail Seems Fainter.
CARNEGIE OBSERVATORY, MOUNT
WILSON, Cal, May 2o-"It is not i'm
probable that we will pass through the
tail of Halley's comet and our calcula-
tions not show it," said Prof. w. 5.
Adams at $50 o'clock this morning, Pa
cific time. When the tail disappeared
below the eastern horizon 1t was long,
but much fainter than yesterday morn
ing We NAV have passed through
portion of it, but that can only be deter
mined by calculations.
No unusual phenomena was observed
during the night.
PRINCETON, n. j., May 2o-\p oo
seryations Of the comet were possible at
Princeton University during the night.
prof. H. ~ Russell of the astronomical
department finding the atmosphere 700
thick He expressed the Dehet tnat
the earth had by this time undoubtedly
passed through the tail of the comet.
Never Will Pass Through.
PHILADELPHIA. May oO.-That the
earth did not pass through the tail Of
HalIey's comet Wednesday night. and
probably never will, was the positive as
tertion made last night by Prof Monroe
Benjamin Snyder. director Of the Phila-
delphia Observatory and professor of
mathematics at the central high school.
Prof Snyder was confirmed In his as
sertion by Prof. Campbell of the Lick
Observatory i'm California, who sent
dav announcing that the earth had
missed the tail by millions of miles. This
Information was forwarded here and II
corresponds exactly with the observa-
tions of Prof. Snyder.
The professor again searched the skies
last night, but again he was disappointed.
Although unreliable reports of the tail
being seen were circulated freely. ne
placed no credence in them, saying that
the best authorities are now coming to
hot ha tail has missed th0
earth completely.
According to Prof. Snyder the reason
that the tail did not touch the earth was
because it is curved. Had the tai been
straight it would have swept over the
surface Of the earth at the time when
the comet was directly between the earth
and the sum- But the tail has been
noticed TO have decided oeho. Ihere-
fore il NAV have curved under or over
or to either side OF the eartn at us
tance Of 100000 miles
Prof.. snyder's Explanation.
Prof Snyder said:
"Au calculations show that the comet
certa;nlv crossed in front of the sun yes
terday passing somewhat north OF the
sun's center AS in the case or the
comet of 1852, it has not, as the capie
grams inform us. been seen as dark
hody projected against the suns olsc.
."Tbis NAV be due to either one OF two
causes-either the suns light shone
straight through the comets head or the
comet was of the same brightness as the
sun and appeared as a part of its sur
face.
.'The transit Of the comet meant that
he conoat was in a straight line drawn
from the earth to the sun. The tail.
however. was not in this line as many
supposed it should be. on the hypothesis
that the material Of the tail is repelled
straight away from the sun. The COM
cts tail having been seen in the sky this
morning at the Lick Observatory as ex-
tending 14O degrees in length In the same
way that it had been seen before the
transit of its head, 1t becomes plain that
the tail swept backward in a long curve
and was not in the line drawn from the
comets head to the sun"