Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-05-19

-,-.rf.r,e BAY WIS., May ~ -Si"'
- md scientific calculations and
.,istoiy puzzlmg astronomers the
..rinr tail Of Hancy's comet appeared
me eastern sky today at time
~, Che worlds comet authorities
,sd agreed il would be in the west.
=, eminent astronomers as Prof
Mitchell Of Columbia university.
v., York. Prof Edwin p. Frost, head
~ tbe yorkes observatory staff ana
p-os Edward Barnard OF the Univar-
.ity Of Chicago. an asree that the light
he, saw IN the east was the comets
t1 40 adequate explanation how
ever BE- forthcoming.
Prof Mitchell Prof Frost and Prof
barnard say that any OF the following
three explanations may be right
Firet the curvature Of the comets
t,l first discovered and noted by Prof.
Barnard on Tuesday night may have
developed 20 81 wholly unexpected de-
gree while the head OF the comet has
rassed the earth on schedule.
Second. IKE Borcurs comet of 1903.
rtleys comet may have ceased its
t,1.making activity cutting on the
glowing IAN that is now puzziins the
scientists
Third. il is possible that am calcuia-
tons are wrong and that the comet has
not yet passed the earth
feriod of the appearance Of tho conf
ELS tail in tho east extended from 1880
o'clock Wednesday night 90. 1920 O'Clock
This morning. II was still plainly WIS.,
ible al a time when the astronomers
were confident the earth would have
PASSED completely through the tail.
After leaving his telescope nj day
break Prof Frost issued the following
statement.
Greater than an theories ana the
computations are the facts. And tho
fact Is that the tail OF Halley's comet
has been appearing in the east I'm
practically the same position as n APP
reared yesterday morning There b. no
question about that The tail which
glowed nom the horizon close - the
milky way from before midnight until
dawn has not yet passed across the
earth That Is "a certainty In addi-
ton. 10 is also certain that there f. no
material diminution in the size Of this
tail as compared with the tail Of the
day before
we are confident that the calcuia-
lions Tor the passage OF the head OF
the comet between the sun ana the
earth are correct. Unquestionod ustro-
n0mcal authorities, working indie
rendently Of each other in all parts
81. sf "a lHf
tons. which have been corrected IN
detail ever since the comet passed
Venus on May g.
we are also confident that tie head
Of the comet made the transit as per
schedule. But the mystery Of the ep-
ptamnce OF the tail In the east TINS
morning rs the great puzzle. II cam
not be explained satisfactorily az this
time"
FROM LICK OBSERVATORY.
San Jose, cal, May ls-Director W
w Campbell OF Lick observatory this
morning furnished the following state
ment 20 the Associated Press:
Lick Observatory Mount Hamilton,
May i9-The earth did not pass
through the tail Of Haleys comet up
70 daylight today on the contrary,
even before the moon had quite set
he tail was visible en- the eastern sky
% least 40 degrees i'm length and per-
Aals 100 degrees The doubt as 20 its
length arises from the fact that bright
background of the milky way interfered
with observations OF its extremity In
appearance q was very much the same
as Wednesday morning except that 10
was nearly twice as wide this morning.
due. no doubt. 10 lis closer proximity
90 the earth
As predicted In my message OF Wed
nesday evening. the tail Jagged behind
ne straight line drawn from the sun
through The head OF the comet This
aggng al the point through which the
earih was expected 90 pass amounts
certainly 90 several million miles The
diameter OF the tail az the point iu
winch we are specially interested, IA
""W miles from the head. was about
,sgst degrees n n the tain at daylight
Haa been almost I'm contact with tn
EARN we should have expected the an
guar diameter 90 be much greater
lhan u was The tain was Therefore
PROBABLY several million miles away.
POI which case the earth and tail did not
meet thls morning
-u tnis meeting Is delayed until
tuesday afternoon or Thursday hcht |
To-Day May lq-thon there can be lit !
y, uouht that the earth win not pass
through the tell at am but viii PASS
-'Nlh side ut a. Tho reason
~, lhls is simple one. The tain lags
nnl ln The plane Of the comets rr-
'' the comets orbital plane makes /
ause of is degrees with tho earth's |
.mN,t pane; the retardatiOn ~ tho /
KY therefore. draws Il away from the
lne ln which the earth IS moving. and |
M e,itn VIII pass to the south " q. /
observed position OF the tail this |
,ung was apprcc.ablv further north |
' KY Ilat Of yesterday morning
nus lagginE Of The tain produces nn |
.t'.''Hllhg situation. n we could have /
w.. 'od the entire comet this MORN
~ fn'uld have seen the head ~ /
& ''n't Woll below the sun and tho /
wv extending far nbovo the sun we /
'' ueen so nearly I'm the pIano Of tho /
NV orbit during the past fortnight /
a- I, h.s been impossible 90 observe /
m, wy tne tagging of the tail. FOR
s-, uIF'ture has been exactlv away
.i US 10 the observer were situat-
s guy IN space FAR 90 the north or 10
T.. SCUM OF the earth and the comet.
T., u'o undoubtedly have 90 IA able
No. tne tan strongly curved hack
Or r',,t." teie'en'a 'o tho direction
h'llon az the comet
li conclusions Yesterday i,,, u..
~. p. tagging were based ON mo sct
s,Y we angular diameter OF tho ten
~ os increase go ppldly a. u oh,uig
800, uone had tha tail been p1lrtin-
'Neolly away from the sum
". ". CAMPBELL,
Director
DISAPPOINTMENT AT YERKEs
wis Ne W Observatory. Williams ~.