The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-05-18
NO DANGER ANTICIPATED
FROM EARTA'S CONTACT
Scientist Expects to See
MeteoTs, But Declares None
viii Strike

Chicago, ILL.,. May 49, Halley's com.
ct will fling its tail from the western
horizon to the zenith this evening, ac-
cording to Plof Edwin b. Frost of
Yorkes observatory. The tail, which
Is now 20000,000 miles long and eX-
tends over so degrees Of arc, will ap-
pear tonight as If doubled in length,
ard under good conditions may be
seen from its brightest point near
The head then invisible to us, to the
faint mist at the end, where the tail
fades into space.
1t may be seen to extend to the
zenith, spreading at the end twelve
times as broad as the full moon.
Though the comets head will pass
across the sun in the space of an
nour, the earth may remain in the
tail nearly two days. The effect OF
the tails presence will not be notice
able, except at night. In order to
utilize the time when something may
lie seen all of the cameras of the
yeskes observatory will be brought
into focus on the heavens, looking out
for possible meteors and whatever
else may appear out of the ordinary.
We are prepared for allroecurrene-
es, said Prof Frost yesterday.
We don't know what will happen,
especially as we have not seen the
comet recently. Prof Barnard got a
glimpse of the tail Sunday morning
and found that it was about 80 de-
grees in length, or about 20,000,0OO
miles. He could not see the head.
There was no chance to get a spec
togram OF it, and so we do not know
what is in the tail at present. Prob.
ably there is not much except hydro
carbon gases.
AS the comet comes nearer to us
il will increase in size and brightness.
The tail will increase in size, but 1t
will be DINNER. 1t will probably be
so degrees long though it may be too
faint at the end to be seen.
"At the place where we pass
through 1t the tail is about 9 degrees,
or more than 100000 miles wide. If
the tail Is straight we may get through
N in comparatively short time. II
II is curved we may stay in it two
days.
I'VE shall not be able to see any
thing Of the tail with the telescopes
Wednesday night. The camera at.
tachmenis on the Snow and Bruce in
struments will be used for detecting
meteors and getting their spectra. We
may also get some information about
the gas in the direct rays of the moon.
We are prepared for everything
that may happen, but there may be
little TO see. We expect to see me
tcors, but we are not sure of seeing
them None of them will strike the
earth, at any rate"
At De Paul university Father Hugh
said there was every reason to be.
lieye that the tail of the comet would
not be long enough to reach the earth.
Edmund Haley, son Of London
soap boiler, afterwards listed as the
worlds greatest astronomer, was born
IL a London suburb October 20, 1856
died January IA, 1742. He was grad
uated from st. Paul and oxford and
went to ST. Helena, prison island later
Tor Napoleon Bonaparte. to study the
stars of the Southern skies
Halleys great discoveries were.
1916, the spot on the sun and proof
that II reyolyed on It's axis.
1919. published his "Catalogus Stel
larum Australian"
1870 made member of Royal SO
ciety first plebian to have such hon
or conferred) and sent to Danzig e
settle controversy between Hook anf
Hclyetius respecting proper glasses
for astronomical observations.
1850, while studying with Cassini a
Paris, discovered the great comet w
are TO pass through tonight
Halley's observations on route o
comet caused Newton to discover VI
orbit (Generally understood Halle,
discovered its orbit)
1853, discovered difference in thu
apex pole and the magnetic pole.
1105 publication of researches 0
comet orbits--first declaration the,
are not celestial wanderers.
HALEY also discovered the inequall
ties OF Jupiter and Saturn, and sloy
acceleratlon of the moons means mc
ton.
He predicted the return Of come
which bears his name. and four small
eT ones, each historically correct a
Ito return.
4 Halieys writings declare comet
\ have their own solar systems an
4 disappearance is due to the wide di
terence In revolutions.