The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-06-01
Pointers ON COMETS
Interesting Facts That Were Un-
earthed by Bill Nye.
HIS STUDY OF SKY SCIENCE.

The Humorist's Researches Shed a
Flood Of Brilliant Light Upon the
Peculiar Traits of the Astronomical
Parodies on the Planets"
The famous American humorist. Bill
Nye. wrnre the following article on the
traits Of comets for the San Francisco
Argonaui, In which 1t was published
q number of years ago:
The comet Is kind of astronomical
parody ~ the planet. Comets look
some like planets. but they are thin:
hit anybody as planet does. The
Gomez WAS so called because II had
hair IN IL believe. but of late years
the baidheaded comet Is giving just
as good satisfaction everywhere.
The characteristic features of the
comet are a nucleus. a nebulous light
or coma aud usually Il luminous train
or tail worn high Sometimes several
tails are observed on one comet. but
this occurs only In flush times.
When was young used to think
] would like to be comet in the sky.
up above the world so high, with
nothing to do but loafaaround and play
with the little new laid planets and
have a good time, but now | can see
where / was wrong. Comets also
have their troubles. their perhellons,
their hyperbOlas and their parabolas. A
little over 300 years ago Tycho Brahe
discovered that comets were eytrane-
Gus to our atmosphere. and since then
times have improved. can see that
trade Is sieadier and potatoes run less
to tops than they did before.
Soon after that they discovered that
comets all had more or less peyiodici'
ty Nobody knows how they get it.
All the astronomers had been watch
ing them day and night and didn't
know when they were exposed. but
there was no time to talk and argue
over the question. There were 200 or
300 comets all down with 1t at once.
II was an exciting time.
COmets sometimes live to great
age. This shows that the night air is
not so injurious to the health as many
people : luld have us believe. The
great comet of 1850 is supposed TO
have been the one that was noticed
about the time of Caesars death. A
b. o.. and still when 1t appeared In
Newtons time, LOO years after its
first grand farewell tour. Ike said that
II was very well preserved indeed and
seemed 10 have retained all its facul-
ties in good shape.
A late writer on astronomy said that
the substance of the nebuosity and
the tail * OF almost inconceivable
came TO his relief.
Another writer says OF the comet and
its tail that "the curvature of the lat
ter and the acceleration of the periodic
time in The Ease of Enckes comet in.
dictate their being affected by IA resist.
ing medium which uas never been oh.
served to have the slightest influence
on the planetary periods"
! do not fully agree with the emf
men authority. though he may be
righr. Much fear has been the result
of the comets appearance ever since
the world began, aud II is as good a
thing to worry about as anything
know OF IL we could get close to a
comet without Frightening It away we
would lind that we could walk through
t.r 0 th.a
glare OF torchlight procession We
should so live that we will not be
ashamed 10 look a comet 10 the eye
however Let us pay up our newspa
pei subscription and lead such lives
that when the comet strikes we will b.
ready
Some very good deal about the
chances for 3 big comel TO plow intO
the sun same dark. rainy night and
thus Gusi up the whole universe. l
wish ihai was all ~ mad to worry
alout tn. comets crashing INTO the
ST. and shocking its daylights out.
There Is much in the great field of
astronomy that Is dis,ouraging to the
sa,anl who hasn't the time or means
to iunilnaYe through the heavens AT
times ! anl almost hopeless and feel
like saying to the great. yenrnful. hun
gry world
"Grope 20 forever Do not usk me
for another scientific fact. Find II out
yourself Hunt up yo,ir own new laid
planets ard let me have II rest. Never
r<.l- .,I ~t..l,t "a
take care VI the newborn world while
you lie In bed and rcck not
Poeketed the Silver.