New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-21
TAIL SEEN IN THE EAST
Observed by Scientists Over the
Country.
SPECULATION AS TO PASSAGE
Theory That Earth Repealed
Caudal Appendage of
Halley's Comet.

San lose Cal. May 2o.-"Haleys comet
was observed at Lick Observatory TINS
morning in the eastern sky" said Director
". w Campbell. of Lick Observatory. to-
day 1.-THE tail extended from the horizon
up to the Milky Way. making its observed
length 80 degrees. II was only about one
third as intense as yesterday mornings
tail. from which, it is judged. we have
either passed through or passed by on
the south side fully two-thirds of the tail
TT is impossible to determine at this
time whether we passed through the south
ern side of the tail during the daylight
hours of yesterday or the early hours of
the evening, when the sky was bright
with moonlight or whether we missed it
altogether
Observations obtained on the first few
evenings in the western sky may supply
the data required for settling this interest
ing question. 1t seems probable that we
shall. have passed through the tail COM
pletely by tomorrow morning. and there
will thus be no trace of it in the eastern
sky, but this remains an open question.
Mexico City. May 20-Jose A. Bonilia,
director of the State Meteorological OBJ
servatory at Zacatecas, said to-day that IN
his opinion the tail of Halley's comet did
not touch the earth, but was diverted from
its course. or repealed by the earth
Meteors which have been observed the last
few nights bore no relation to the comet,
he declared. Professor Bonilla's opinion
was based on his own observations at the
Zacatecas observatory at an elevation OF
1900 feet, and on reports from various
meteorological stations throughout the
state.
Mount Wilson. Cal, May 20-'It is not
improbable that we will pass through the
tail of HaIley's comet and our calculations
not show it, said Professor w. s Adams
of Carnegie Observatory. this morning
when the tail disappeared below the east
ern horizon at $3.50 o'clock this morning
Pacifc time), it was long. but mucn FAINTER
than yesterday morning. We may have
passed through portion of It, but that can
only be determined by calculations.
Cambridge. Mass. May 0.-The as
tronomers at the Harvard Observatory this
morning saw a somewhat narrow line OF
light passing upward from the horizon
through the square of Pegasus, which was
thought not to be due to the comet The
same line of light was seen two mornings
ago In practically the same position.
Geneva. N Y, May 2O.-Dr. William r.
Brooks. director of Smith Observatory, be-
lieves that the beam of light seen in the
eastern sky this morning was branch or
the tail Of Halley's comet, that the eartn
had really passed through the preceding
norton of the tail and that 1t was then
actually immersed in the hollow part OF the
tail as indicated in the black streak pre-
viously observed, extending from ten mill
ion to twelve million miles back from the
nucleus The head of the comet DR..
Brooks saws. is moving forward undisturbed
in its orbit
Taunton Mass, May 2o--The tail OF Hal
ley's comet was barely visible in the east
ern sky early to-day. not far from the po-
sition where it was seen two days ago, ac-
cording TO the Rev. Joel Hastings Metcaf.
the CLERGYMAN astronomer of this city. The
tail had passed north of the ecliptic, Mr..
MetcaIf declared. indicating that the earth
did not pass through the tail, but had
nassed bv to the south Of it.
Denver. MAY 20-Dean H. A. Howe Of
the University of Denver. says he discov-
cred five new figures in the heavens in the
nath of HaIIey's comet to-day. They were
going swiftly and vanished so quickly
and were so small that he does not attempt
to explain them.