The Detroit times., 1910-04-14


period OF - years
Il was discovered early IL the month
OF September ~ last year. when It's
distance from the sun vas more than
200 100000 miles. and it has been con
rtautly approaching the sun since the
cate OF ns discovery Il reached tn
orbit Of Venue about April !.
The come viii continue 10 APP
rroach the sun until April 10 when
Is distance VIII be about - 100000
miles II will then commence an
other revolution around the sun. anu
continue 20 recede from during -
years when its return Journey from
outer darkness TO the sun Viii begin
The comet is now 80 nearly IN con
junction with the sun that II - invis
isIe. or at least barely visible to the
best OF naked eyes II rises Just be
fore the sun now IL will continue 10
Use earlier each successive fRoFnins
until MAY e. when IL will abou; two
hours and thirty minutes before the
sun and present a Deautlsul .appeaL-
!. s;isSs - 40 y EASTERN sRy DfIU'fe tfIV
beginning or twilight II il is accom-
panied by a tail OF large dimension,
/, will produce a scene OF grandeur
and magnifcence such as nature
seldom presents for our contenpla
ton
Will Cross Suns Disk.
The comet viii. from May ., begin
10 rise later each successive morning
until Nay IS. when IL will become lost
n the sun rays. but II will emerge
from them 10 The eastward or the sun
on May 20. and WIFI afterward appeal
ia the western SKY after sunset.
During the interval from May is %
90 the comet head viii have crossed
the suns disk. but the time OF its oc-
curreEce viii be unfaNoraDle for OBJ
scrvation by civilized people a. u
takes place az apparent noon III the
PacifC ocean. which VIII be Ia the
very early hours ~ the morning ~ the
niteL States
Al the time OF the transit the comet
viii be directly between the earth
aud the sun, and its distance from the
earth viii be only about i4OOo.OOd
miles Should the comets tail al that
time exceed 100000 miles in length,
the earth would pass directly through
the tail u the comet
on Feb 3 the comets tail was es-
tmated al 100000 miles ia length.
end conditions are apparently iaVoT-
able for a prodigiOus Development o;
that appendage before the eighte enth
o. Nav Il would be- no occasion Tor
surprise or alarm If the comet should
have tail 30.o00.0OO miles in length
N that time Astronomers know very
little concerning the nature and
composition OF the tails OF comets
and IL Is believed that the present re-
turn OF HaHeys comet Will afford a.
more favorable Opportunity Tor IN
creasing our knowledge on this i'm
portant branch OF astronomy than has
ever before been afforded 10 modern
science.
Will pass Eastward.
After the transit OF the comet 81
will pass rapidly 10 the eastward. pre-
scutiug the same glorious appearance
in the western sky in the evening that
II previously afforded ia The morning.
before its-eeft junction Wtth-the stiff
As II recedes from the earth and sun
n will gradually become fainter its
tail will become shorter. being appar-
emily absorbed by ne nucleus or head
Of the comet until IL wholly disap.
pears and the comet has the appear.
tnce Of 2 hazy star-tJo faint 10
create any popular interest
II has already been remarked that
this is the third predicted return OF
this comet 70 the sun bat there are
several Wcllauthenticated accounts II
It's having visited the sun on many
previous occasions At the time Of Us
appearance III 1852 methods ~ com
putting their paths through the regions
OF space had been devised y astron-
omers. and HALEY ayailed himself of
these methods and applied them 20
the computation q the orbits o. com
ets which had previously been men.
toned ia history In this way ne founi
that comets which appeared in 1852
1907, 1881. 1876 and 1873 were one ana
the same comet. having q perioHc
time OF about 80 yndrs'Bnd then mad @
The prediction that ~ would again ap-
pear about tho wear l15S or 1853
prediction that was in due time con
hrmed by observation
Comet OF 1856
The appearance q Halley's comet