The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-17


PhSsosrspAsd with Chs 70 iaeh Bruce telescope Of
pablishin9 thsss great h~s Of his. az Ear
reaching importance % the scientino
world. His TREND EdWard Haley urged
HIM On prepare the great work which hAs
since besn called abe Principal and
HALEY put his hand In his own pocket
TO dsfray tho eost a publication. 10
appeared In print In ies7.
Haley. who was thirteen years New
toa's junior. was horn I'm iese. Ths son
of wen 10 do pArents. he Ind opportunity
20 follow HE suiAmtiflo kkinRs. and at the
early are % - no went 10 SC. HelenA
TO observe no soufhsgn skies. After
tho appearance % The brilliant comet
IN Iesa he became .interseted In thess
strange objs5ts aa4. ssssO@sssS = sse
way pointed cut by Newton. hs pub
lisk~d in IJos. while profeasor az Oxford.
thu orbits Of not has than twenty-tour
oozaets. This was done - he tells. 'aftsr
q prodisious announe q labor for tho
Enaalssmatics AZ the time vas not very
far advanced. and the arr Of calculating
very alow. OF thee twenty-sour comets
Haley noticed that three had orbits
These we're ne comet observed BY
Appian in issi. that observed by Keplsr
IN isO7 and ths ccmse Of iee3. The tnter-
val from issi % ieo1 10 ssvsaty -six years.
the merit time ssvsnty-hve. was this
too big q discrepancy for thssams cometf
N the comet wers acted on only by the
s.,n. then the various psrsods must bs
identical 90 the very day and hour.
- NaH
60 that the planets line jupiter and
Saturn might secessfMse o. rsaArd sne
motlon Of the comnss, and by . shrewd
Euams. having In 10 the sl~msnt Of insparA-
ton. no predicted that tho coSSst would
cone TO rsviqis the earth at the end OF
the year ITss or thu beginning Of iJse.
Being proud d his nationality he called
upon candid p0sssftty 10 go that this
prediction was aTua made by an Eng
liahman.' Ne died in iTs2. well past four
score yearp.
subsequently, u vPs shown by Clair
ant. who had tho advantage Of new
methods % oalculAti0a. that the comet
would be clussss 70 ths sun On April II.
iTSa. Il vas discovered On Christmas
Day. ITss. and passsd ths sun juss one
meath ahsad 81 thu prssiictpd time. One
nsosssh astray e. q Scsg1sy % seventy
ave years WOuld bs m the same ratio
a. fths Twentissh- Century Limited On .
trip from chicAeo could pull into New
YORK juss ose minute end twelve ssconds
away from schedule tlmei
PAST APvEARANcEs og HALLES's coAakT.
The arrival % mo comet. accordiDg
20 Haley q predictioa. aroused the greatest
enthusiasm not simply because 10 brought
a APPENDED visitor 10 the sly bat becanso
II aid the foundation % enact astronomy
and showed tins wonderful accuracy %
prediction. since that time a. the needs
Of astronomy became more and more
advanced mathematics proGresssd 20
meet these needs auA u h safe 90 say
that most VI the IMPROVEMENTS In mathe-
maaics were Called forth BY the demands
of Investigating prolsIsms In astronomy.
Al the preasnt day with the reanenents
% modern scieDcs u 10 possible TO trace
the records Of HaIiey'a comet hack through
the centuries. and u has been found that
the Comet was 0bserved every three
a,larteru % q century. generally ~ q
RorReona spectacle IN ne sky hack with
out a break 20 the year n y. c. The
r.cOrtis are absolutely authentic. Com
oIsts accounts Of tho two appearances
before this have not a. yet been found.
hut IN 7sO D. e. tho cosnet vas again oh
served. How much further back We
have no inforunaticp.
Thus fOr over 7.0oo years this same
comet has been revisiting the earth at
periodic inservals. Thisshould be enough
20 interest even the most careless. What
A marvellous ssndy modern astronomy
ia In thus beine abIe 30 look back for
Thousands of years into the past Il
n interesting 70 note that sons Of the
most valuable and accurate records OF
tho early Appearances OF HaIlsy's comet
were found among the Chinese writings.
ruE CALCULATION % TEE PERSISTENT AP-
PekRKscH.
The interest In the comet did not die
out With tho condemnation of Halloyis pre-
dIctton. The comet appeared in Isas
ana came closest 10 the sun On November
"a The comet waa SOMEWHAT unfavorAbly
olao.A In In uEbit 20 tAnt time 20 be we'll
sen. and Il die noe appear a. gorgeous
a anectacle as In ITso. In tho latter year
,-hsu at In maximum Il had . TAIL 80
derreea in length. slrStchlnG more than
haN way from ths horizon 90 the point
overload. This fact tnUse not bs for
COTTON in predIctips the slss Of the comet
In tho ysars Isss-ss the portion Of the
, oou,ee m the any Was ussAenrod BY num-
- o,l,-.rveFu on many different daaea.