The San Francisco call., 1910-05-16
SCIENTISTS
Will GREET
HALEY 5
Comet
Earth Will Bristle With Great
Battery of Telescopes
and Rapid Fire
Lenses
ASTRONOMERS DIFFER AS
TO EFFECT OF WANDERER
Prof. Hall Talks OF Shower of
MeteOrites as Though II
Was Merely a Rain
storm
TAIL SAID TO BE ONLY A
CELESTIAL SEARCHLIGHT

WASHINGTON. May 15-HaIIey's
comet will be greeted wednesday on
its closest approach to the earth by a
bristling battery of telescopes. fanked
by rapid fire lenses in the celestial
cameras OF the naval observatory.
Elaborate calculations have been made
as to the minute and second the comet
will be at a given place In the heavens.
where 1t will be observed and photo
graphed-
Among the scientists there is some
difference of opinion as to the effect
the great star will have on the earth,
but the differences are minor. Pro
fessor Asaph Hall OF the naval OBJ
servatory would not be surprised il
there were a shower of meteorites. He
advanced his theory with the same
ealmness he would prophesy a shower
of rain.
No Disturbance Expected
Others. and they appear to be in the
majority, expect no disturbances. Ed
win F. Naulty of New York. takes is
sue with Professor Hall and contends
the tail of the comet is composed nei-
ther of gas nor of meteoric bodies, and
that such shower as Professor Hall
deems possible could not follow.
The tail of HaIIey's comet. to all
intents and purposes, is a celestial
searchlisht," said Naulty today The
tail is nothing more than sunlight
condensed from radiant solar energy
and processed through the solar sys-
tenn, precisely as lens focuses, con-
denses and transmits light"
He says the tail of the comet is not
composed Of gas OF of minute particles
of matter or of meteoric bodies.
The entire solar system, Naulty says,
is filed with gases in varying states of
density. All these gases. poisonous and
nonpoisonous, are present in the
earth's atmosphere in dense form. The
changing spectrum of Halley's comet
according to Naulty's theory. Is due TO
the fact that as the comets great tail
of light sweeps through various parts
of the solar system II lights up differ
ent layers OF gases. conveying the i'm
preston the tail itself is gaseous.
Naulty says the spectrum of reflected
sunlight is always present in the head
and tail Of the comet, thus proving that
both parts of it are made visible BY
sunlight alone.
Earth'S Effort Causes Trem0r
The sweeping OF this cometary cone
Of solar force does cause disturbance In
earth and all the planets are Affected.
not only when they come within the
actual cone, as the earth will do on
wedn ssday, but also By the ethereal
waves set in motion by the comets tall
1t is the constant attempt OF the earth's
mass and it's atmosphere to adjust
themselves to this disturbance that has
caused the prevalent earth tremors,
storms and other phenomena.
THE climax will be reached this
week There will be no collision OF the
earth and comet. nor will the earth be
enveIoped in poisonous gases. The ef-
feet of the passage may be to cause
pors, so that automatically the earth
will be provided with a sort OF shield
which will act like lead screen used
TO protect X-ray operators.
Comet Nearest May Is
When the comet approaches near
est the earth on May Is the moon will
be full and the. conflict of her rays will
make observations OF the comet more
difficult than IL there were no opposi-
tion.
AT the naval observatory the scien-
fists have been watching the comet
through powerful telescopes every
morning just before sunrise. when il
is brightest. The observers each dav
can note the broadening of the tail and
the enlargement of the head. The
heavenly body will increase in apparent
size and brilliancy until Wednesday.
when it will begin to decrease and In
few weeks will disappear into space.
not to be seen again for nearly a CEN
tury."
Luminous Display Expected
BOSTON. May 15.-Agreeins that no
harmful effect Is to be experienced on