Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-19
Astronomers, Fooled by the Curve, Miss CalCula-
tions as Completely as the Famous Casey
Did When at Bat
QUESTION: WHERE is TAIL AND COMET NOW?
PaieSeak OF Light Visible in Eastern Sky This Morning
d. Same. as Yesterday, and as for the Head of the
Thing, It's Gone.

aEounSAWilson. Gal, May 10.
ezsswas.a s.announced at the Car
negte observatory today the
comet passed the sun last ev-
ening and the earth is likely to
enter the tail at any moment.
MAY PASS TONIGHT.
Princeton, N. j., May 1e.-Professor
Russell of the astronomical depart
nent of Princeton university, In a
signed statement to the Associated
Press today, declared that, basine his
calculations on the width of the
Comets tail early today, as compared
with previous mornings, the earth was
not near enough to pass through the
tail of the comet this morning, but
would very likely do so some time to-
night.
VIII Pass south.
johannesburg, May 19.-According to
observations at the Transvaal observa-
tory the earth had not traversed the
tail of the comet at dawn today The
tail was still north of the elliptic, and
at the observatory is was thought prob
able the earth would pass considera-
bly, south of it.
Where Science Stubbed it's Toe.
Williams Bay, Wis. May 19-Shat-
tering all scientific calculations and
completely puzzIlng the learned-as=
tronomers who declare they made
sure of the unprecedented phenomena
With repeated observations here be-
u l. hi crIn
ing tail of Halley's comet appeared
in the eastern sky today at the time
when the worlds comet authorities
had agreed it would be in the west.
All Agree They Saw 1t.
Such eminent astronomers as
Mitchell of Columbia university, New
York, Frost, head of the Yerkes OBJ
servatory staff and Barnard of the
university of Chicago, witnessed the
startling fan of light in the east and
all agree it. was the comets tail. No
adequate explanation, however, is
forthcoming.
Explained I'm Three Ways.
Professors Mitchell, Frost and Bar
nard say that anyone of three expla-
nations may be right:
The curvature Of the comets tail
that Frost discovered and noted by
Professor Barnard Tuesday night,
may have developed to a wholly un-
expected degree. while the head of
the comet has passed the earth on
schedule.
Like Borelli's comet in 1903 Hal
ley's comet may have ceased it's tail
making activity, cutting off the glow
ing fan that is now puzzling the sci
entists.
1t is possible all. calculations are
wrong and the comet has not yet
passed the earth.
Seen All Night.
AS nearly as could be computed,
the period of appearance of the COM
cts tail in the east extended from
1898 o'clock Wednesday night to
3:20 this morning. 1t was plainly
visible at time when the astrono-
mers were confident the earth would
have passed completely through the
tall
Makes Statement.
After leaving his telescope at day
break, Professor Frost issued the |
following statement:
Greater than all theories and all !
computions are facts. And the fact |
is the tail of Halley's comet has been !,
appearing in the east in practically
the same position as it appeared yes
terday morning. There is no ques-
ton about that. The tail which glow
ed from the horizon close to the |
milky way from before midnight un-
til dawn has not yet passed across the |
earth. That is a certainty. In ad-
dition, it is also certain there is ma
terial diminution in the size of this |
tail as compared with the tail of the |
day before.
Head Must Have Passed.
1--WE are confident calculations for
the passage of the head of the comet |
between the sun and earth are cor
rect. Unquestioned astronomical
authorities, working independently
of each other in all parts of the
world, arrived at these calculations.
which have been corrected in detail
ever since the comet passed Venus
May 2.
Cannot Explain 1t Now.
1--WE are also confident the head of
the comet made the transit as per
schedule. Bat the mystery of the ap-
pearance of the tail in the east this
morning is a great puzzle It can