Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-26
AGAIN THE COMET.

4 correspondent a short time aS'
wrote to the News sasking In wha
particular constellation Halley's como
may now be seen with an opera glass ol
telescope.
It is row. we think, in the constella.
ton Pisces. travelling towards Aquarl.
US. Since twas discovered In Septem-
Der last 1t must have first passed
through Taurus, between Orion and the
Ple.S6cS. then midway between An
dromeda and Erdanus. then between
Pegasus and Cctus in Pisces.
Prof Servlss states that as the comet
begins to be visible with small tele-
scopes and the naked eye. 1t shows eN-
lraordinary phenomena, sometimes
hrl3hten.ng TO an astonishing degree
and entirely unexpectedly. and then,
equally unexpectedly, becoming dim
nei again. In one week in November 1t
gained quite suddenly moro than six
times its former brightness and then
lost 1t so quickly that the watcher could
hardly believe his eyes.
In this respect. says the astronomer,
st resembles It's far less formidable
predecessor, Warehouses; comet of 1908,
which iluctuated like fire that is hav-
ne fresh fuel shoveled upon II. 1t IS
uosslble that there is something in
space around us at the present time
which produces these extraordinary ef-
fccts upon comets passing through II.
and II so Halley's may make much
H. aStT
mers have hoped"
Were 1t not for clouds. the comet
yould probably be visible now to the
lnaided eye. II is the approach to the
sun, that causes its Frightening, and
wllG produce the appearance of the
'aiiy' through the repellant action OF
.he solar radiation upon the gas that ls
evolved from the comets head as Its
temperature increases"
While the ultimate splendor of its ap-
pearance cannot be predicted, its con-
iuct hitherto has been such as to give
good reason to hope for a magnificent
spectacle. especially after the perihelion
passage, when 1t Will swing round be-
-Ween us ana the sun.
Some have surmised that Halley's
,omet may have been the famous "Star
If Bethlehem which the Magi fol-
owed on their way from the eastern
lesert 10 the cradle OF Christ in PaIes-
line. That strange phenomenon has
also been alphabetically identified with
other extraordinary celestial objects
such as Venus In her brightest phase,
and the wonderfully new star in Cassi-
opeia, which appeared the last time in
le7a
In the opinion of Prof Serviss. "a
somet would certainly appear to fill
he bill better than either OF these.
Seen i'll the western sky. with it's tail
stretched forth like the hand of a
heavenly augur. 1t might be taken by
persons travelling from the east amid
me low horizons and clear skies OF the
sesert, as superhuman sign sent for
heir guidance"
AS to the supposed danger from the
.arth's possible collding with the
- '''iNi PuScihh llllOuHH lle
his astronomer reiterateS the scientific
view that the gases of which it con-
sists arc so rare that. in any event, no
ianger is apprehendcd from their
introduction Into the atmosphere. 1t
mas been said by some that there Will
De a display OF meteors produced by
The comets tail, but Professor Scrviss
declares this to be Inconsistent with
what we know about these phenomena
Meteors are solid bodies innamed by
their, swift rush through the atmos-
phere. and all observations unite to
show that there is nothing solid In the
tail of comet The most that could
reasonably be expected would be a
phosphoresccnt glow in the sky"
His clear explanation "of the coming
phenomenon is as follows:
The part of the sky through which
The comets path lies Is lined with
some OF the greatest and most beautl-
tul constellations-Orlon, Taurus, with
the Hypdes and the Pleiadcs. Aries
.nd PISCES: Moreover. the great planets
Mars and Saturn arc now In that part
Of the heavens. and the comet Will pass
close by them on It's westward four
ney. IL VIII be very close to Mars
only about degree south of it-on
January To- and on January IS. ii will
pass Saturn, about four degrees on the
north. If by that time il has devel-
opco TAN visible to the naked eye
the spectacle will be an interesting one.
After the perihellon on April 10, the
comet Will gradually emerge from the
sunlight In the morning sky. and then
Its way back into the distant region of
space, where It's aphelion point lies
tSSoo. 100000 miles from the SUM, Will
lead 1t much nearer the earth than 1t
vas during Its approach.
For two months II will approach tho
earth, gradually swinging round be-
tween II and the sun, until on the
morning OF May 10, IL will cross tho
plane of the earth's orbit Just at the
instant when the Garth is In n line
with II and the sun. and its tail Will
possibly sweep over us"
AT that time the distance of the
head of the comet from the earth will
be l4.0cO.0OO miles. but the comets tail
should then be much longer than II.
100000 miles, so that It can miss us
only in case II happens to be directed
little to one side, The latest calcu-
latlons Indicate that IL may miss us I'm
that way"
The Los Angeles Examiner remarks
about this interesting but no longer
exciting or fear-causing phenomenon.
that We know something of the truth
about comets and. in tho beautifur
words of the Bible. the truth has made
US free from superstitIons and from
foolish breads.
Universal education has freed the