Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-17


Halley's comet does not realize what
sort of a station it is running into on
its present return to the earths orbit.
The comet has been visible from the earth
twenty-six times during recorded his
tory. but in the interval since its last APP
pearance and its present return the spec
troscope for the study of the composition
of celestial bodies has been invented and
the art of celestial photography has been
developed, so that there will be better
record kept of its visit and more will be
learned of it than ever before. The n.y.
geographic office of the Navy Department
has prepared a chart of its probable track
and the hours of its visibility and its po-
sition in the heavens.
This diagram and information will be
printed on the back of the Indian ocean
pilot chart for May. and request has
been sent to shipmasters in the Pacific
to note, if possible. the transit of the
comet across the face of the sun, with a
view to informing the photographic office.
Official Statement Issued.
The statement Of the photographic Of
fee in connection with the diagrams is as
follows:
The historic comet will become visible
to ordinary vision in the latter part of
April 1910. This comet is periodic one
and revolves around the sun in an inter-
val of seveDty-siX years. 1t receives It's
name from the second astronomer royal
of Great Britain. who proved its motion
was in the form of an ellipse. The fol-
lowing are the years that have been iden-
titled as those in which the comet re-
turned to be visible from the earth: II
b. c.. 66, 141. 21S. 295. 373, 451. $50, 6Os. 6S4,
760. S37. 81. $50, 1886. LAS. 1222. 1901,
1878. I4j6. 1881, 1907, 1852, 1859. 1885 and
1910 A. d.
The return in 1896 was famous, as it
created great alarm throughout Europe,
and in England il was looked upon as a
forerunner of the success of the Norman
invasion. In that return the comet Yves
visible to the eye for six weeks On its
return in 1856 il developed tail recorded
as 60 degrees long I'm the return in 1863
the tail was ~ degrees long. and in 1885
the comet was visible to the eve during
the entire month of October, and the tail
was from 20 degrees to 80 degrees in
length.
First Photograph.
The present return is the first in
which a photograph has been made OF
the comet or opportunity presented to
study its composition. for in the interval
since its last return the art of celestial
photograph and the use of the spectre
scope, an instrument with which to study
its composition. have been perfected.
There is probability that on May IS
the comet will pass between the earth
and the sun. producing transit Of 1t
across the suns disc. AS indicated by
the ephemeris the transit should occur
between fourteen and sixteen hours,
Greenwich mean time of that date. As
the transit of the comet across the suns
disc on May IS, 1910. will be visible in the
Pacific it is urgently requested that all
shipmasters favored with clear sky
make effort TO discern the comets image
on the suns disc
Estimated Distances.
The distance of the comet from the
earth this evening will be $4,000, 900
miles This distance will diminish
rapidly till May 20, when it will be 49,
100000 away. This Is the nearest ap-
proach IL will make to the earth. Its
recession will not be so rapid as its ap-
proach, but on May 30 it will be 1880,
OOo miles away.
The photographic Office furnishes a
table Showing the hours on different