Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-06-01
ON COMETS
Interesting Facts That Were Un-
earthed by Bill Nye.
HIS STUDY OF SKY SCIENCE.
The Humorist's Researches Shed .
Flood of Brilliant Light Upon the
Peculiar Traits Of tina ~ -tronomical
Parodies on tho Planets"

Peculiar Traits Of tina ~ Economical
Parodies on tho Planets"
The famous American humorlst. Bill
Nye. wrote the following article on the
traits OF comets for the san Francisco
Argonnut, In which II was published
q number OF years ago:
The comet Is kind OF astronomical
parody on the planet. Comets look
some like planets. but they are thin
ner and do not hurt so hard when they \
hit anybody as planet does. The /
comet was so called because IL had |
hair on It. I believe. but OF late years |
the baldheaded comet is giving just
as good satisfaction everywhere.
The characteristic features OF the
comet are a nucleus. a nebulous light
or coma and usually a luminous train
or tail worn high. Sometimes several
tails are observed on one comet. but
this occurs only in flush times.
When was young used to think
I would like to be n comet in the sky.
up above the world so high. with
nothing to do but foaf around and play
with the little new laid planets and
have a good time. but now ! can see
where ! was wrong. Comets also
have their troubles. their perihelions,
their hyperbolas and their paraboia \
little over 800 years ago Tycho Brahe
discovered that comets were extrane-
Gus to our atmosphere. and since then
times have improved. | can see that
trade is steadier and potatoes run less
to tops than they did before.
Soon after that they discovered that
comets all had more or less periodici-
~. Nobody knows how they get 1t
All the astronomers had been watch
ing them day and night and didn't
know when they were exposed. but
there was no time 10 talk and argue
over the question. There were 200 or
500 comets all down with II at once.
1t was an exciting time.
Comets sometimes live TO great
age. This shows that the night air Is
not so injurious to the health as many
people would have us bc&pve. The
great comet OF 1850 Is supposed 10
have been the one that was noticed
about the time of Caesars death. A
B. O., and still when II appeared In
Newton's time. LOO years after Its
first grand farewell tour. Ike said that
IL was very well preserved indeed ano
seemed to have retained all It's facu!
ties In good shape.
A late writer on astronomy said tina
the substance of the nebuiOsity anC
the tail is OF almost incOnceivnbit
tenuity He said this. and then dealt
came TO his relief.
Another writer says of the comet anC
its tail that 1.-The curvature OF the lat
ter and the acceleration OF the periodic
time in the case OF Encke's comet in
dictate their being affected by resist
ing medium which has never been ob
served TO have the slightest intiuenc
on the planetary periods"
do not fully agree with the EN-
nent authority, though he may b
right Much fear has been the reSul
of the comets appearance ever sine
the world began. and IL il rs good
thing to worry about as anything
know of. II we could get close TO
= comet without frightening IL away W
would find that we could walk throug
IL anywhere as we could through ID
glare of a torchlight procession. W
should SO live that We Will not /
ashamed to look a comet in the ey
however. Let us pay up our newsp
per subscription and lead such live
that when the comet strikes we will
ready.
Some worry a good deal about Il
chances for a big comet 10 plow In
the sun some dark. rainy night OIL
thus bust up the whole universe.
wish that was all | had to worl
about-the comets crashing into Il
sun and knocking its daylights out.
There IS much In the great field
astronomy that Is discoura ging to Z
savant who hasn't the time or mea
to rummage through the heavens.
times l am almost hopeless and fe
like saying to the great. yearnful. hu
cry world:
"Grope on forever. DO not ask 1
A for another scientific fact. Find it O
- yourself. Hunt up your own new Ia
planets and let me have rest. New
ask me again to sit up all night Il
w take care of the newborn world VIII
you lie In bed and reck not"