Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-05-20
MANY FREAkIsH n,scovERIEs.
Astronomers Busy Trying to Expiair
Phenomena Of Comet.

Astronomers Busy Trying to Explain
Phenomena Of Comet.
Chicago. May 2o.-Passage OF the
earth thru the tail Of Halley's comet
scheduled by astronomers to require
FIVE hours time. but which calculations
were turned topsy turvy by observa-
tions Yesterday probably was COM
pleted last night.
That the earth entered the tail some
time after the beginning Of the transit
Of the comet head across the suns disk
Wednesday night. continued on its way
thru the tail all next day and probably
was we'll out this morning on the fur
ther side. is the opinion OF the astrom-
omers at the great observatory at Will
liams bay.
Instead of requiring five hours In
whichtt to traverse the tail of the comet,
thirty hours, and possibly more were
needed
Curvature Of the tall is given by the
astronomers as responsible for the
series Of surprises as the terrestrial
visitor swung close to the sun and then
departed on It's journey to outer space
Bewldered at first over the unusual
phenomenon, after mature considera-
tion other similar instances were re-
called, and the freakish conduct on the
part of Halley's sky tramp was said
by the astronomers to have had fire.
quent duplicates in the astronomical
history Of past years.
Other Comets Do Likewise.
'It will be remem bered that the
Moorehouse comet in 1908 behaved in
much the same manner" said Prot.
Philip Fox of the Dearborn observa-
tory I'm two days IT switched the
angle of it's tail from one position 45
degrees away. This has been true
of other comets. why the tails change
their direction thus has not been ex-
planned fully, but it is generally seen
to be true when the comets are ap-
preaching either the earth or the sun.
'It was not a case of nisbehaVlng on
the part of the comet" said Prof. Elias
Colbert. THE tail lags behind In such
way that 1t is impossible to tell mad
vance just, when the earth would go
thru it. The comet, on the other side,
is hazv. and this uncertainty of outline
makes calculations impossible.
1--WE took the word of German ana
English astronomer for the hour when
the earth would go thru the tail Of the
comet. They made their observations
and calculations some weeks ago,
which was too early. believe II we hao
based our figures on observations madc
a night or two ago we would not nave
had the same results as were given
out. If, instead of being curved. the
tail was straight should have been
mildly astonished at our great miscal-
culations."
The streak Of light representing the
tail which was seen close to the east
err horizon when Il was believed the
tail had passed over the earth to the
western horizon Is explained by a
theory that the tall curved back as II
approached the earth, spreading out
and making the diameter much great
er.. This is what the comets tail did
when II visited this solar system IN
1885.
savants Baffled by Curve.
Computation for the earth's transit
of, the tall were made on the assump-
ton that the tail was straight. II the
tail is curved back the curvature Is
directly in the plane OF vision and II
is impossible to estimate the amount
of curvature that may exist.
The entire stan at the Yerkes obser-
yatory adhered to the opinion that the
tail was forked as well as curved. Pro-
lessor Mitchell stated that it was quite
possible for the tall 10 be curved In
Auch manner as to miss the earth.
S,a.nmarixfnR the results OF the OBJ
servations Of the night rroi-sso| Fs0s:
said:
sThe display OF sun halos and spec
trail effects this noon was one OF the