Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-05-16
NO HARM FROM
HALLEY'S COMET
superstitiousIy Inclined Mag Quies
Their Nerves a. the Earth win
Pass safely Through Its Tail.

II
much sleep in studying Halley's COM
ct since its appearance this year. do
not expect its influence viii In any
way be manifest on the earth.
There can be but little doubt that
the tail Of the colossal visitor being
some 100000 miles wide. viii sweep
over the earth. but We win not even
feel It, said DR. D. ]. McHagh, ID.
tronomer at Depauw university.
None OF the gases of the comet
will come closer than say As miles
to the earth's surface. AT that dis
lance the earth's atmosphere IA Enuch
more dense than the tail bit the comet.
Friction with the atmosphere would
destroy It at that altitude. AID for
cyanogen gas, that is mostly around
the head OF the comet, although the
suns repulsion and the speed Of the
heavenly traveller may have forced
some OF It into the tail. e
No Harm, Says New Astronomer.
BOSTON. May lis Agreeing that
no harmful effect is to be expected
on next Wednesday from the passage
Of the earth through the tall of Hal
ley's comet, New England astronom
ers appear not to concur as to the
possibility Of luminous display sim
liar to northern lights. Professor pa
vid P Todd OF Amherst college thinks
the aurora effect probable. Profess
sor Robert w. Wilson of the Har-
ward college observatory said today
that there may be darkening Of the
atmosphere, while Professor Edward
c. Pickering, head OF the Harvard
observatory, said n doubt il there.
would be any effect at all
Professor Wilson said further that
there may be shower OF charged
particles. very small, but numerous,
which may effect wireless biography.
There Is no cause for alarm or fear.
Cyanogen exists only near the comets
head, and the tail is good vacuum.
Professor Todd declares that there
will be no more sensation than that
caused by the rays of light from a
distant candle on persons hand. A
proportionate amount of cyanogen gas
is radiated from each, he says.
Professor Campbell, another OF
Harvard's astronomers, thinks a lu-
minous display probable.
The increasing brilliancy OF the
comet as 1t approaches the earth was
shown today. when Harvard astron-
omers found that the body OF the
comet or envelope. had reached pro-
portions nearly zero magnitude, the
highest stage OF stellar brilliancy.
The rate of increase In brillianey is
indicated by two photometric meas
urements taken at Harvard OBSERVE
tory. The first, May 8. showed the
nucleus to be 7.06 magnitude. An
other on Friday, Just week later,
showed the magnitude to be AL, an
increase in apparent size of 2.65 de-
grees.
Causes Some Disturbance.
The sweeping of this cometary
cone of solar force does cause dis
turbance in the solar system. said
Mr.. Naulty. The earth and all the
planets are affected, not only when
they come within the actual cone.
as the earth viii do on Wednesday.
but also by the ethereal waves set In
motion by the comets tail It is the
constant attempt of the earth's mass
and its atmosphere to adjust them
selves to this disturbance that has
caused the prevalent earth tremors,
storms and other phenomena
Sort of Shield for the Earth.
The climax viii be reached this
week. There win be no collision Of
the earth and comet. nor viii the
earth be enyeloped in poisonous gas
es. The effect Of the passage may be
TO cause great condensation Of atmos-
pheric vapors. so that automatically
he earth viii be provided With sort
pf shield which win be like a lead
Green used to protect x-ray OPP
rators.
When the comet approaches near
st TO earth on May 30 the moon VIII
nearing full and the conflict Of her
Tvs win make observations OF the
emet more difacult than IL there
ere no opposition.
At the naval observatory the sell
ntists have been watching the comet
hrough powerful telescopes every
corning. Just before sunrise. when il
brightest. The observers each day
p notice the broadening Of the tail
q the enlargement Of the head. The
eavenly body win Increase in APP