Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-17
HITS US TOMORROW
Or, to Be Exact, Old Earth
Will Hit the Comet.
NEITHER WILL GET HURT
Globe Will Pass Through Tail Like
Base Ball Through Smoke.
NOTHING BUT A SKY GHOST
Maybe You'll See It and Maybe You
Won't at the Scheduled Time
Wednesday Night.

About 1890 O'Clock tomorrow evening
the earth is expected to plunge into the
tail Of Haley's comet. That tail is some
where between 15OOO,OOO and 2O.OO0.OOO
miles long, and as the earth will be
within 100000 miles of the comet at the
nearest this globe ought to be we'll up in
the area Of the tail.
According to authorities. such as Prof.
Asaph Hall of the naval observatory and
Director Campbell of the Lick observa-
tory, the comets tail is about the most
tenuous thing that ever happened. here
Is about a molecule Of gas to the cubic
yard, and compared in point Of density
the earth's atmosphere is about like a
stone wall opposed to stream Of water.
The chances are, therefore. that the en-
velope of the earth's atmosphere will
push the comets tail away, much like
base ball going through cloud Of smoke.
May Be Nothing to See.
Some of the astronomers who are look
ing for the phenomenon may know when
1t is happening, but the man on the
house top probably will not know that
there is anything doing at all. There Is
a chance that there may be some sort or
a radiance In the sky approximately IKE
me uisUlay of the nortnern IA nus, Out
even this is by no means certain.
There is one class of workers on the
earth who may be able to notice little
I. oublc. They are the telegrapneis. ~ Is
thought that there will be invisible cleo
trio phenomena. and this may make bad
telegraph wires for a few hours.
One thing that will tend to make the tail
of the comet seem a little denser than
it really Is, is tnat the comet IS travel
ing about forty-five miles q second, while
the earth is whirling around like a base
ball. with an inshoOt at the rate of about
175 miles minute. so that the comet 8
.a,l will sideswipe the earth with little
more effect than its tenuOsity at first
would seem to warrant.
Sort of a "Sky Ghost
The astronomers here wish there was
more chance OF distinctive phenomena.
They are curious to know just what a
comet ia made of. anyhow. As near as
can be figured out 1t is sort Of q sky
ghost and there is hardly enough sub
stance to it to furnish any data by OBJ
servation.
Prof Birkeland Of the University Of
Christiania, Norway. has gone to north
ern Norway to study the effect of the
passage on the magnetic needle. He
thinks that there is more chance of the
phenomena being observable In the polar
regions than further south.
There will be observations OF the transit
of the comet across the face OF the sun
made tomorrow at points from the Pa
cific coast westward. The Naval Observa-
tory would have sent an expedition to
Hawaii to watch the transit. as that will
be about the best place on the globe To
see it. but there was no money available
for the expedition.
There will be observations made, how
ever. and some will be taken from the
Mount Wilson observatory on the Pacific
coast The Naval Observatory has sent
out also a map and circular to shipmas-
ters asking them to observe the transit
if possible while they are in Pacific wa
ters.