The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-04-19

comet of 1881 gave spectrum Of reflect
ed sunlight in addition to the regular
gaseous specimens derived from It's talL
Since it was the presence of cyanogeh
gas in the comets spectrum that gave
certain European astronomers OF senSa-
tional tendency a basis for the prophecy
that the earth would be destroyed IN
passing through the tail, Professor
Frosts discovery is held reassuring.
The view is generally accepted among
scientists that the head of a comet con-
sists of a swarm of meteorites, which
may vary in size from fine dust to bodies
several miles in Diameter. They consist
largely of iron, with a small percentage
of nickel.
Kant advanced the theory that comets
were formed by cOndensing solid nebula.
He considered them planets forced out OF
their normal orbits.
Laplace believed comets had different
origin. He held that they came from IN
terstellar space and were composed Of
nebulous matter which was left free after
the shrinking of the central nebula IN It's
pro cess of cooling and condensation. He
thought comets passed from one solar
system to another
Schiaparelli was the first astronomer TO
suggest that there was a community OF
origin between comets and meteors. Ac-
cording to him, comets and meteOrs may
be elections from other suns. Our own
sun has frequently expelled matter at a
velocity of $50 miles a second. and giant
planets would behave in similar fashion.
Theory is Confirmed.
SehiapareIPs theory has been confirmed
by the fact that the spectrOscOpe has
shown that all self-luminous bodies in
space are composed of meteOrites.
The changes observed in Halley's comet
probably are due to the disintegrating in
fluence of the sun, which may be reduc-
ing the head to meteoric dust. 1nts head
is composed of a multitude of small, in
dependent, solid bodies, bathed in evolved
gases and glowing with heat due to ar
rested motion. Most comets shine alto
gether from an electric illumination of
the gaseous constituents of their own at
mOsphere, and for this reason the spec
troscopic revelation that reflected sun
light is now the predominant element IN
the head of Hailey's comet is of decided
Importance in the scientific world.
Prof Gibson of the University Of Utah
said yesterday: II do not think that as
yet the comet has been seen with the
naked eye by anyone in Salt Lake 1910
think however, that it has been seen or
could have been seen with the aid or a
telescope According to the calculations
made six months ago, the comet should
have come into view to the naked eye IN
Salt Lake about April l. The comet
passed the sun about the last OF March
and began to move away from the sun
AT this time 1t should have become visible,
although it would not have appeared very
bright on account of it being in the d.
rect light of the sun. Sunday morning
surveyed the entire field with a telescope
from 2 o'clock in the morning until day
light, but l was unable to locate the
comet. 1 do think, however, that another
attempt would prove SUCCESSFUL, as the
field is now we'll surveyed.
'eThe comet will again return on its path
toward the sun on about May and its
maximum brightness will be about May
IT, At that time 1t may be seen in the
early morning but 1t will be somewhat
difficult on account of it again being in
the direct light Of the sun. After May
Is il will again move away from the sun
and will appear in the evening. l think
this will be the best time for it to be seen,
although at that time there will be an
other difficulty, in that the moon VIII De
full and the comet will again be somewhat
obscured by the bright light. The fact
that the comet will be at its brightness
on Nav IS does not mean that II VIII tnen
be the largest that it has been, but tnat
ii Will then be passing directly over the
toward the sun on about May l ana It's
the largest and one of the earliest known
comets we have At times its tail Is fitty
degrees long and its brightness Is I'M
mense. .,, -.
'.'The appearance Of the comet this year
will be its first appearance for seventy
five wears as its path only comes into
the view of the earth every seventy-fiVe
wears Anyone searching for the conner
with telescope or with the naked eye
would be most apt TO see it between the
hours of 2:3O and daylight.