The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-04-21
Some Timely Facts About the Comet

April 2O.-Comet is 111,OOO, 900
miles away from the earth.
April 24.-Comet rises at 800 a.
IN. Distance from the earth $780,
900 miles.
May comets head is seen close
to Venus. Still distant from the earth
62,310,OOO miles.
May 6.-Comet appears at 2:37 a.
M; 41,070,0O0 miles from the earth.
May Comet may be located in
the constellation of Pegasus, five de-
grees from the star Gamma.
May S.-Comet rises at 2:46 in the
morning.
May 9.-Comet swings across the
orbit of Venus. 1t is distant from the
earth 33,410,0OO miles
May 10.-Comet rises at 1882 a. m.
May 12.-Comet appears at 2:37
a. m.
May 14.-Comet rises at 2:40 a.
from the line of the earth's orbit.
May 15.-Comet rises at 2:49 a.
m. Distant from the earth but A.
$4,000 miles.
May 16.-Comet appears at sos
d. LII. DlSlduCG lIOl1 Tile odTIn l. =
$50, 900 miles.
May l7.-Comet appears at 1882
a. IN. Only 100000 miles from the
earth.
May 1s.-Nearest approach to the
earth, being distant 12,090,000 miles
Comet passes across the face of the
sun between $3.50 and 8 D. m. Cen
trail time.
May 19.-Comet appears in the
| evening sky, each night rising higher
| in the west
May 20.-Comet will be an enorm-
Gus monster and will set at S:11 D.
/, May 23-Comet sets at 1890 p.
May 26-Comet crosses the path
of the earth.
May 30.-Comet sets at 1880 y.
m. Is growing fainter.
| June 5.-Passes out of range Of
the naked eye.
All the world is preparing to clint,
upon the housetops now within a few
days and watch for the appearance of
the great comet of HALEY in the
morning sky. Astronomers have been
| figuring on the time of it's certain re-
! turn since its last appearance in1S35.
| 1t is now becoming visible to the
naked eye shortly before daybrea,:.
Its return is one of the events of a
life time. Seventy-five years have
elapsed since it has been seen by
earthly eyes.
During the late mornings of April
the comet becomes visible t.. the
naked eye. 1t will still be an almost
infinite distance away from the earth
but rapidly falling toward the sun.
1t will grow steadily brighter as the
time nears when it's path will cross
the earth's orbit. 1t will continue to
rise earlier and earlier each day and
on the 18th of May will pass be-
tween the earth and the sun,
transit that will be closely watched
by all the astronomers on the other
side of the world AS the transit
takes place while Leon is wrapped in
the gloom of midnight the local as
tronomers are not actively interested.
Careful figuring develops the fact
that the closest approach we will
make to the comet will be on the 18th
of May. We will then be within a
matter of less than 100000 miles
of the hurrying monster. But the
actual distance when we pass the
next day will be more nearly 15.000,-
600 miles. 1t is estimated that the
tail will be about 81 to 80 degrees
in length on or about that date.
The return of this wandering body
from its path in space, has caused
worldwide interest All the nations
are requesting their scientific men
astronomers and ship captains to
give it's movements the closest at
tention at the time of it's predicted
transit across the suns face. There
has been twenty-five verified appear
ances of this one comet in history
It's return in 1866 is probably the
most famous. In England it wa:
looked upon as forerunner of the
! Norman invasion. On it's return il
1856, it developed a tail recorded a:
60 degrees long. In the return o.
| 1853 the tail was AZ degrees long
and in 1885 the comet was visible tt
the eye during the entire month OF
October and the streaming tail was
from 20 to 80 degrees in length. The
recent return is the first in which
a photograph has been made of the
comet or an opportunity presented
to study it's composition. In the in
terval between it's last and it's pres.
ent appearance the art of celestial
photography and the spectroscope
have been perfected.