Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-02-02

But Astronomers Say the Collision
70 Will Do No Damage.


calculations Of its course, while in
the neighborhood of the earth aud
the sun, give the startling result that
it will probably strike the earth on
the 1Ssh Of May, in the forenoon.
But 1t will be rather q swish than
blow, since 1t will be dealt h.; the
tail of the comet at a distance Of
more than $4,000, 900 miles from its
head.
The comet at that time will be In
Nhe act OF crossing the face Of the sun
sSon it's retreat from perihelon, and
the earth will be somewhat in the
position Of an unlucky fly which has
got in the way Of the tail Of an ex-
cited horse whirling round it's tying
post
Let us say at once that no serious
consequences are to be apprehended
If 1t were the head Of the comet that
met the earth it might BIZ a differ
ent story but the tail Is composed
only Of gases and electrified particles,
and the chances are that If the an
ticipated collision occurs (and Father
Searle, who has made the calcula-
tion, and other astronomers, think it
extremely ltkely), we may be totally
unaware Of what Is happening unless
certain scientific observations render
the result apparent.
At distance Of 100000 miles
ha No hot
of the tail must be In q very attenu-
}, ,ated state, and while the atmosphere
may be filled with the gaseous parti-
cles, 1t Is probable that there will be
no visible evidence Of their presence
certainly not on our side Of the
earth-and most likely not even on
the other side, where night will pre-
vail.
That other side will, of course, be
screened from the direct effects of
the encounter, but since the tail will
extend away to unknown millions Of
miles beyond the earth, and since the
latter will be in The midst Of 1t, the
night might be expected to show
some evidence Of the presence Of the
electrified Bosom sweeping through
the sky and passing giganticallv over
the earth
Look Ont for Magnetic Storm.
One effect which might easily be
expected Is some kind OF electric dis
turbance in the atmosphere in the ma
ture of magnetic storm. like those
that attend great displays OF the Au-
rora Borealis. The particles on the
comets tail are believed to be driven
away from the direction Of the sun
by streams Of negatively electrified
ions emanating from the solar dis
turbanceS. Such ions encounter the
earth more or less at all times, pro-
ducing a negative charge in the up
per air, but when they are attended
by the gaseous particles of comets
tail the total effect Of their introduce
tion into the earth's atmosphere may
be something unexpected.
The cometa,y gases are mostly hy-
drogen and various kinds Of carbonic
compounds, The precise nature and
proportions Of which vary with differ
ent comets. Prof. Pickering is quot
ed as saying that among th8 gases
probably existing in the tail OF Hal
ley's comet, acetylene will be includ-
ed. But, in fact, almost nothing is
yet known Of the actual composition
OF this comet since nj tho tiua of ;t,.
last previous visit, in 1885, the spec
troScOpe had not yet been invented.
and astronomers were ignorant of
the nature of the substances compos-
ing such bodies. 1t is probable that
1T will be only a little hydrogen and
various carbonic gases that will be
introduced on this occasion into the
air, and those in quantities so mi
mute (relativcly) that we who have
D TO breathe them, after they have sunk
yto our level in the atmosphere, will
notice no effects whatever.
Still, the whole subject is a mat
ter Of conjecture, since such an OK
periencc is almost without precedent.
and the scientific observations made
at the time will possess the highest
possible interest. This expected en-
counter is a realization Of dream
that has often occupied the imagina-
ton OF writers, both literary and
scientific. The possible chemical ef-
fects Of the Introduction Of comet
airy gases into the atmosphere has
frequently been guessed at, and the
tremendous depletion Of such effects