The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-17

close together as to seem one; but, o
| how far apart they are. In the replen-
dent constellation of Orion there Is one
star which breaks up into six stars when
| the telescope is turned that way In this
same great constellation there is a mist
of nebulae that looks like soft down lost
from an angels wing. 1t is apparently
small; but it Is 2000, 000, 600 000, 100000 times
! larger than our sun. But what do we
know of two quintillions? The figures
| only bewilder us.
I wish | had the space to write of the
distant stars whose light requires 1000
years to reach us; of the black stars that
float in space, and of the stars that come
into the field of our telescopes and llnger
little while, then depart forever |
should like to describe the detailed phe-
nomena attending the destruction of sew
eral stars, as astronomers have seen
them. but | must turn to the closing
thoughts of this paper.
COMETS.
The word comet comes from Greek
word that means long hair and com
cts are so called because of the long
hair-like light that streams from the
comets head. Comets are of all sizes.
Some of them are so small that few
miles would measure the diameter of the
nucleus, while others are enormous be-
| yOnQ Dtlltl. iHuttu Tic Colllct VI iclA hnu
head nearly 100000 miles in diameter
and a tail 1S2,0OO,O 600 miles in length. 1t
may be seen in our heavens In about
5000 years from now. You may recognize
it, should you see 1t, by the fan-like shape
of its fiery tall 1t will be a glorious
spectacle.
There are as many comets in the heav-
ems as fish in the sea- said Kepler. 1t
has been estimated that in our solar sys-
| 4 4. l1,e - o1sf.a-
cts. We see but few of them because
some are so small and others so remote
from the earth; then. some are above the
horizon during the day. the suns light
obscuring them.
Solar comets, like planets, often have
| their definite orbits. If a comet pursue
an eliptical orbit we can easily deter
mine the date of its return. But If the
orbit be parabolic or hyperbolic. instead
OF elliptic, the date of their coming back
TO us is uncertain. Indeed they may
never visit us again. Comets that belong
to other systems with unreasonable
orbits may sometimes invade the sphere
| of our own planets and, passing through
our domain. may never return, some gi-
gantic star holding the leash upon them
| 1t Is possible for the comets of our solar
system to get so far away from theii
center as to yield to the charms of some
star other than our sun; with the new
sun they may coquette for while and
then, being off with the last love. they
may follow for while the fortunes OF
new starry-lover, and thus they may
change their companions forever.
| There are comets whose orbital curves
are well known; therefore the dates Of
their return are easily calculated The
comet of 1874 will appear in our sky
again on schedule time, but you and
will not see 1t, for the date win be the
year 101,s44 One hundred years before
the comet of 1874 was seen there appeared
one which will not be seen again till the
year 122.6S3 The comet of 1911 will re-
turn in about 5000 years
A comet appeared in 1858. In June Of