The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-04-08
COMET BEST SEEN FROM THESE
ISLANDS AND NOW IN SIGHT

Haeys continual observation chiefly by
Astronomer Curtis with the CrOsy rejecting telescope from its
redscovey September the time In this interval the
comets distance from the has decreased from than three
hundred million miles to about eighty million miles The brightness
e a % o from an G S fainter x than could be
During the past days the head of the comet has been very
ect in the telescope The comet is the present time really
large body but it is far the other side of the sun and because
distance relatively small
photographs recorded usually consisting
der steamers adang from the head to be about degree
asmuch the tail pointing from and consequently
forehorened it's actual length in about eleven million
On March 2G it's direction will be degrees
north OF the sun Thereafter and until May 18th it will be morn
utes before SUNRISE and while safe predict how bright
perhaps little of the tail viii be visible to the naked eye On or
shortly following that date Its position slightly above the
The comet will reach its closest approach to the April
18TH with distance of ffyour million miles separating the
this distance will rapidly decrease until May 18th the will
directly between the earth and the at distance of but
fourteen million miles from the earth Late in April early
May the comet should be fairly conspicuous in the low eastern sky
The passage of directly the
event. and astronomers taking great interest in the pe
though unfortunately passage
and the have for all European observers all
Mathematical astronomers have predicted that the head of the
will the space exactly between the earth
minutes Pacific standard time evening of May
18th and pass out of this space at o'clock % minutes of the
The phenomenon it is feared be observed advantage
from California because the sun at that time will be close to the
horizon and observations must be made through great extent of
terrestrial atmosphere Observers in the Hawaiian Islands, Aus
1t is possible that the nucleus of the will be
ected upon the bright disk of the and transit the
disk Observers with the specroscOpe observe absorption
of the suns light by the and in the head of the
Inasmuch the tail of points approximately
away the the earth pass through the
May 18th distance 143OOOOO miles
of the comet 1t certain that the tail will be this
but have considerable confidence that it will be- this
the will be human
teres nasmuch comets TAIL especially at such dis
the head atenuated the
chance of deeteTiOuS effects terrestrial life
This of the question be dismissed without further
thought Statements the be attributed the
Of their authors purposes difficult to atOm Never
tee astronomers situated favored regions will be kenly alive
to note phenomena expected unexpected
Following May 18th the will be evening object
because of its the earth should be
brightness be safely predicted
brightness about the inverse square of their distances
from the whereas for others the brightness appears
about the inverse sixth power of the solar distance Again
ngy faint at the The materials in constantly
scattered The tail materials
this involves constant loss from the head
To what the well considered programmes of
be successful will largely depend upon the brightness by
the comet in the period from April 18th to May Both.
The lack of ObevatOrs the Pacific has led the
lean Astronomical Society send Photographic expedition
island of Oahu The of the University of California
authorized the Lick Observatory to loan six and half inch
the society for this and the observatory the
nege institution Mount Wilson has loaned the
Eerman the observations The expedition
San Francisco the latter of this weekly Professor W.
Campbell of Lick Observatory, in 5. F. Examiner.