The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-20


Prem Plane q sun and Comets Head
Our Planet IIkely % Pass south q
the Visitor and Net Toush % at An.
The tail Of the comet showed ITSELF in
the east early this morning. A ribbon %
light spread north and south for no de-
grees. almost parallel with the horizon.
Il wasn't where the predictions foretold
Il, nor was Il In the shape Of a streamsr
shooting up toward the zenith. Il was
like a long pennAnt streaming out Of tina
south, growing thin as II extended north
ward
Asyou looked al il you thought you saw
shimmers Of light playing through IL
Ths comets tail was first visi5ls nc
about s:2O O'Clock this morning from the
roof Of one Of the tall buildings aankins
city Hall Park. BY 40 O'Clock il was
about twelve degrees above the horizon.
The appearance Of It was that of th,
aurora bOrealis. save that there Ws-s
no streamers shooting ssnithward. Tho
, whole thin. vaporous tail. attached. ~
far a. one could zee. 10 nothing at al.
spread out in the eastern sky In varying
/ thicknssses like yelled slit four degree
wide IN the sky ITSELF
I Apparently the comets tail was LOOKED
az sidewise The illusion was made CON-
plete u the observer leaned hi- head 20
one side a. though he were trying 10 make
his line Of vision coincide with the line
Of the horizon.
BY $50 o'clock the appearance Of ths
comets tail had materially changed. .
The northern end Of Il was slender and
originated a few points north OF east.
possibly some three degrees north ol
where the sun rose a half hour later.
The tail spread out in increasing thickness
toward the south and seemed % divide
'lto two parts when the eye had traversed
half its length
The length Of il was full $50 degrees.
and observers could not judge whether
the two parts came together again or not
at the southern end
From Park row the light shone de-
tinctly a. far into the south a. Governors
Island. and az that extremity the tail
appeared 10 he a uniform glow some five
degrees in thickness.
YERKRs OBSERVATORY. WILLIAMS Bar.
Wis, May ~ Haley 3 comet has u curved
tail The scientists al the Yerkes Ohssr-
vAtory have thas sosOuntedf for ne comets
tail not sweeping the earth according
to schedule
The explanation ia simple. said Prof
Edwin B Frost The comst s like a
comma Il floats on plane between the
earth and the sun. Its tail IL nke the
commas tail Il is curved and the end
extends toward the Garth But the tai
approaches W. from the CONVEX sids
We are unable 70 tell how far or how near
the end may he because OF our position
in looking at the curve Il like standing
At a distance and looking az the how sids
Of a crescent on the line with the eyes
The comets head passed the disk
II the sun according TO calculations
II The tail had been extending straight
ont Il also would have brushed the earth
AZ the same moment. But the end 10
curved back-we don't know how much
and that Is the reason for the delay. Il
may be- tventy-four hours. more Or less
there h no means of telling
Ono theory that received attention
from the NeEkes Observatory astronomers
was that the comets tail had mot with
an accident II was surmissd by Chisi
'omprtar Oliver J lee that tbs tai
mi ght have encountered community
II mataorites IN its broad sweep Of tbs
heavens and heon broken ~ knottsd
Our computations arr unquestionahiv
,ocurate- he aid. -Of course We are
low convinced that the curvature theory
. the right one
Between the hours ~ II and / TO-DAY
! strange spectrum WIS observed in thu
sky a shQrt distances above N,
,orizon. There were curious patches
unidentified with anything ever sssn
lere before. but bearing a resemblance
a sun dogs. u Was quite distinct from
he suns halo The whole star 81 tbs
watched the phenomenon
Until IL disappeared. but no one oo1li
make any explanation for its appearance
'ther than possible effect 81 the comet
CHICAGO. May IA telephone mes-
age was received ats tonight from
isrkes Observatory saying that tho
str1nomers saw the comet to-day and
rere further bewildered by an appari.
ION across the face Of the sun about noon.
broad spectrum extending across and
considerable distance 10 each side OF
he sun challenged the attention Of tbs
basTvers
Prof. =. 3. Frost who first sighted the
decla red that 10 had never
efore witnessed its like Prof & Z
amard agreed The spectrum. which
for about half an hour. was
topic for interest and oonjecture.
San FEANcIsCo. May lb-Diroctor
ampbell Of Lick Observatory to-day
ave out the following statement
The earth didn't pass through the tai
Halley's comet up 10 daylight On ths
Dntrary before the moon bad set the tail
az visible in the eastern sky az least it1
agrees in length and perhaps 100 degrees
-The doubt a. 10 liz length arises from
10 fact that the bright background OF