Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-05-03
professor Tubbs on HaIley's Comet.

Il q
Tubbs Of Bates College gave his lectur
"Among the Stars" which might almo
be- termed unique among lectures,
New Hall, and those who heard him di
not fail to be present when, last Frida
evening, he lectured at the same plaC
ON Halley's comet-thoughi 1t would we
have repaid great many who were nc
there IL they had attended.
Halley's comet, said Professor Tubbi
has aroused more interest than an
other body in the heavens, and much Q
the present interest is justified by tn
fact that during the last week in May
| will appear in the evening sky, with
head fully as large as the face of the full
moon, though not of the same brilliancy
and with tail sixty times rs long as tn
diameter of the moons face.
The comet is now $4,000, 900 miles dis
tant from the earth, and the two bodie
are approaching each other in their re
spective orbits so that they get neare
together by about forty miles eacl
second.
A comet ia no rare phenomenon
Practically any day of the year tn
astronomer may point his telescope at
comet. Halley's comet is of special in
terest because of the nearness Of it's ap
proach TO Us and its apparent magnitude
in the heavens, and the regularity OF III
appearances.
Professor Tubbs then illustrated tn,
movements of the earth and the come
by two intersecting loops of wire, ont
two inches in diameter and approximate
ly circular representing the earth's orbi
around the sun, and the other, an ellipst
of considerable eccentricity, 80 inches II
its larger diameter, representing the or
bit of the comet At the outside ex
IRENE of its orbit the comet is 5000, 600,
coo miles from the sun, away out be
You'd Neptune, the most distant member
of our solar system. The speed of the
comet varies in different parts OF its
orbit. It's average rate of travel is three
miles per second. To travel around the
orbit of the comet an express train
would require 10000 years; the time re.
CURED for the circuit by the comet
varies, but is on the average about "a
years.
The orbit of the comet is not in the
same plane as the orbits of the planets,
said Professor Tubbs, and he then pro-
ceeded to explain why it varies in the
time of making it's orbit. AS it makes
it's way through our solar system, ii
each time approaches the several worlds
which constitute that system at different
angles and distances. Each one of these
worlds pulls upon the comet by the at
traction of its mass, and has tendency
to divert 1t somewhat from its course,
and either quicken or retard its motion,
according to its situation. In order for
astronomers to reckon the orbit of the
planet exactly, and the time of its re-
appearance, they must know the weight
of each of these bodies and just the
amount of pull it exerts upon the comet.
1t thus becomes very complex problem.
The comet was last seen in MAY, 1885.
The astronomers calculated according to
the best of our still imperfect methods,
and reckoued that it would again reach
its nearest point to the sun on the 18th
of April this year. In fact 1t reached
that point on the Goth Of April. The
astronomers had reckoned that it would
complete its circuit in 27,lS0 days. In
fact it took it PISS days. When the
first calculation was made, hundred
aud fifty years ago, it was wrong by
about month. Now, by our still i'm
perfect methods, VIC have reduced the
error to three days.
To show how far distant from any
other part of the universe except our
solar system the comet is, Professor
Tubbs used as an illustration that II the
orbit ia represented by the wire
ellipss which he held, with long
diameter of thirty-six inches, the nearest
star would be four miles away, and the
pole star would be over forty miles.
By means Of a diagram the relative
positions of the earth and the comet
were shown. The best time to see the
comet in the morning is during the COM
ing week. 1t is little north Of Venus,
rising about two hours ahead of the sun,
and may be seen with the naked eye if
the sky is clear. After it passes between
us and the sun about three weeks later,
it will be visible In the evening sky, and
will be striking spectacle.
The tail of comet always points
away from the sun. This is because the
matter of which it is composed is driven
back by the energy emauating from the
sun, as girl with loose hair going up to
pow erful dynamo will have the hair all
driven backward by the electrical force.
The tailor the "tresses," as the Greeks
more appropriately termed it-of a
comet, is composed of fine dust. A new
set of tresses are given off from Haley
comet about every twenty minutes, and
driven off into space.
Turning to the question OF what a
comet really is, Professor Tubbs referred
to the superstitious and absurd ideas
which have prevailed regarding comets,
and the fact that men had suffered from
their fears, and had even committed sui
eide, and would probably do 80 again
this year, because OF the appearance of
comet. A comet, he said, Is sand
bank, with the sand widely scattered. 1t
is composed of small masses of matter,
so widely separated that we may see the
stars directly through the comets
head.
In taking up the question of what
would happen If the earth should strike
a comet, Professor Tubbs took occasion
to express his opinion fOrcibly regard
ing those newspapers which for the SAX Q
of sensation scare ignorant people with
their forecasts of what might happen.
We have struck many comet. The re-
suit is seen in an unusual number of
shooting stars" which are almost with
out exception converted to fine dust in
the atmosphere before they reach tho
surface of the earth.
have been asked many times, said
Professor Tubbs, IL the comet would
stop the earth. In answer to that give
this comparison, much exaggerating the
influence of the comet. Let the earth be
by cannon ball weighing a
ton and moving rapidly. The comet
would be represented by charge OF fine
bird shot fired against it.
When the earth and the comet reach
the right points in their orbits, little
later, we shall be only about fourteen
million miles from the comet, and We
shall 60 through the tail, providing the
tail is long enough. 1t is true, as has
been said, that the spectroscope, direct
ed to the tail of the comet, shows the
characteristic lines of cyanogen gas, a
deadly poison. So it does If directed at
an arc light, and there is just as much
danger from one as from the other.
A reasonable estimate of the amount
of matter We shall pick up in passing
through the tail of the comet is one
pound, and If it could be gathered into
one mass, q man could easily put 1t in
his pocket.
In closing, Professor Tubbs said that
comets are the bits left over from the
creation, travelling through space, and
THAR destiny ia IN he torn tn pieces and