The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1910-01-29
THAT
HAZY STAR
The One You See Now Is
Not It. Look In the West
Along About Feb. Is.

II Is only n little while now until
Halley's comet will round the corner
and show itself to the star. gazing
world, aud all those who have to be
out after night. The last comet worth
while was in 1851, and this one will
not be M bright and altogether con.
spieuous. However, It Is some comet.
and right here Is the place to unload
some miscellaneous information in re-
gard to IL and comets in general.
The name comet is derived from the
Greek word "Komo' and means lit.
orally "hazy star"
The appearance Of one Of these
bodies is that Of u luminous fog with
the star shining through it, often ac
companied by a an.shaped tail OF
hazy light. They present themselves
from time to time in the heavens, re.
main visible for some weeks, or even
months, then fade out and vanish in
the distance. The larger class are
magnificent objects sometimes so
bright that they may be readily seen
by day, with a head as large as the
moon and a tail extending from zenith
TO horizon.
One appeared in the year i54 u. c.,
which was said to have a disk ninety
times as large as the sun and which
surpassed him in splendor.
In the year 479 A. d. a comet visited
our system reputed TO have had a disk
Of such magnitude that is was supposed
10 have occasioncd the extraordinary
eclipse Of the sun which took place at
that time.
Halley's comet, which will be visi.
BILE to the naked eye in the latter part
Of January or the first of February, was
first observed in the year 1906, when
William the C~onqueror invaded Eng.
land. II then appeared four times the
size Of Jupiter and shown with a
light equal to n fourth Of the moon
The three succeeding visits have not
been recorded, but in the year 1856 il
came so near the earth that many To-
c~alities were panic striker at 10
menacing aspect. Its train extended
over so degrees Of the heavens and
had the form of a gigantic sword
Again IL appeared in 1891 and 1907
On its next return 10 the pcrehelion In
1889, Edmond HALEY, who was after
wards made Astronomer Royal OF
Great Britain, noted that IL had tn,
same orbit as the comets Of 1891 ans
1907. He, therefore, concluded thai
il was the same comet and that IL,
periodic time is about 20 years. Halle,
predicted a return Of the comet in l75,
and IL made its appearance as was ex
pected. II has since been observed il
1888 and from. every observatory ii
the world, astronomers are now watch
ing It's approach with consuming in
terest.
There has been much speculation a
70 the probable consequence II n come
should strike the earth or fall into tn
sun.
Many Of these bodies have orbit
which pass nearer to the earth's or
bit that the semi diameter Of IN,
comets head, hence, a collision Of thi
kind is practically sure to happen, 1
the earth lasts long enough. As to IN,
result Of such a collision II is impos
sible to determine because no persoI
knows the composition Of a comet
II the particles Of which the comet /
composed are no larger than grains o
sand the result would be a mere trifle
but II one the other hand, they are mas
save boulders, the bombardment woul,