Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1910-03-16
ABOUT HALLEY'S COMET.
Interesting Celestial Visitor viii Become
Visible to the Eye About April |,

Prof. J. F. Lanneau, of
Wake Forest College, an as
tronomer of note, writes the
following about Halley's
comet due shortly:
Halley's comet, the most
interesting of all comets and
the one that always filled the
hearts Of the people of the
middle ages with terror will
become visible to the naked
eye about the first of April
Du1ing April and the first
half of May, it will be visible
in the east just before sunrise
and after that time will be
seen in the western skies Just
after sunset, and will make a
fine display.
Halley's comet is a periodic
comet, making it's appearance
every 76 years. It derived it's
name from the great astrono>
mer, Sir Edmund HALEY,
who observed it when it ap>
peared in 1852 and had the
courage to predict it's reap
pearance, fixing 1853 as the
date. Sure enough in 1853 it
appeared, being visible for
some time, and again in 1885
Already it can again be seen
by the astronomers, and is
moving rapidly toward the
earth.
Is Halley's- comet an i'll
omen? Does it have anything
to do with the happenings on
earth? This is a question that
has puzzled the minds Of men
for two thousand years. Hall
ley's comet not so named un~
til 1882 has appeared % times
during the past 2,150 years,
and according to tradition,
many notable events have
transpired. It is stated that
it was visible in the year 70
A. D. when Jerusalem was
destroyed by Titus. 1t was
visible in 1856, three years
after the Turks conquered
Constantinople, and when
they were again about to ter>
roriz6 Christendom. Its ap>
pearance has never since
equaled that of 1855, but it is
supposed that it will do SO
this time.
This comet is the one that
was visible in 1866 A. D.,
during the Norman conquest
and at that time it was called
"the comet of William the
Conquerer" for the want of a
better name. It was visible
when the French lost Canada
to England in the first half
of 1859.
Coming nearer home, it is
said that Halley's comet was
visible in 1907, when James,
town was settled by John
Smith, and in 1885, not long
after the notification act was
passed by South Carolina.
The tail of this immense
comet will envelop the earth
about May Is, when the star
will pass between the earth
and the sun. The result Of
this immersion remains to be
seen. 1t may be that the peo~
pie will witness a brilliant
metoric display or it may be
that the aurora borealis will
be seen in the northern skies,
but the comets tail will have
no effect whatever on the
earth or it's Inhabitants.
DThe head Of a comet, says
Prof. Lanneau, cannot OBJ
scure the sun, as it is not
solid. The solid matter in
the head of the largest comet
that ever appeared, be says,
would not, if condensed
amount to as much as one
one hundred thousandth part
of the matter of earth.
The approaching comet will
form a brilliant spectacle and
its tail will sweep half way
across the heavens. The
nearest approach to the ea1tl
will be 5000, 900 miles, there.
fore a collision would be inn
possible. The relative posi-
tion of the earth, the sun and
the comet are the same as in
1856, when the comet show1
with unusual brilliance.