The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-05-17
Doing Lofty Tumbling To-
day Some Several Mil
lion Miles Away.
DANGER REMOTE,
SAY THE SKY-SHARPS
Aerial Fireworks and Some Illu-
mination Only Features on
Program.

About seven million miles on into
space HalIey's comet Is performing ali
sorts Of lofty tumbling today. and Is
hurTyfng toward old mother earth at
the rate Of some 5,000,0o9 miles every
tWenty-fOur hours. That is the nearest
point OF the comets tail is 100000 miles
away, and that point viii be wrapped
about the earth by tomorrow evening.
At the Naval Observatory, IN tI-s
midst OF telescopes Spectroscopesr antt
other queer looking instruments. PTO1-
-Asaph Hall, and his corps Of scientists,
spent several hours with the comet this
morning, charting its way through the
sea Of atmosphere According 10 Prof.
Hall, the tail Of the comet viii hit the
eaTth " Wednesday evening. ana earJh-
lings VIII be hOUndeTinE about IN the al
most total vaCCum that forms the tail
the better part Of Wednesday night
But the sky-sharps say there is no
cause for apprehension The nOxious
vapors OF the tail, il II possesses any
heavy wrapping Of atmosphere and be-
yOnd a few aerial fireworks and some
Illumination Of the sky the comet viii
slide BY without extraordinary incident
Comets Tai
According to the observations al the
Naval Observatory the comet this morn
ing was possessed Of a caudaI appenda ge
that scattered itself for some @ or SO de-
grees along the heavenly way This
mems All@L NLle Ls-ll OF ELle F-SLLDE IS now
some . .0000o0 miles long
As the scientists watched. the tail
was first visible. A fan shaped ray Of
light climbed up over the horizon short
y after O'Clock this morning broad
ening and expanding as II arose until
when II ClrCled lazily into sort OF rain
bow against the dark sky the flaming
ball that marks the head and body Of
the heavenly WandereT hove into sight
According to tOday's observations,
-
some million miles OF the comets tail
But the composition Of the tail. from
sPectrorcope readings, has been deter
mined 70 be almost a vacuum, caused
BY the rapid fight OF the comet
through space This tail the sky
sharps estimate, contains less than 4
matter to the cubic yard That is why
the scientists are not worrying about
the contact Of the tail with the earth.
Tan Condensed.
IF you could take a cubic mile Of the
comets tail, and Condeuse il to its
solid dimensions said Professor Hall
today. you would lose It There would
not be enough Of it to notice
II you want TO see the comet tornor-
row night about 1870 OF Il O'Clock is the
time for YOU 70 get cut your telescope
or field glasses. or opera glasses Be
cause at that time II VIII be visible to
the naked eye Dn Friday night, the
comet VIII De ElEIlt On a me Win the
sun, about sunset, and VIII be invisible
except 70 the astronomers.
On Saturday and Sunday nights, just
after the sun goes down, VIII be the
best times Of all TO see the comet. It
VIII appear these evenings Just south Of
the point in the western sky. where
the sun sinks behind the horizon II
viii be brightest on these evenings, and
viii then steadily grow DINNER Unti'
IL Is driven out Of sight by e new moon
about June = Three days after
there viii be no comet-f0r the earth
SupeTstitiOns Feared.
Many governments IN far corners OF
tie earth are keeping an anxious look
out for the appearance OF Haley's
comet not because they fear any injury
from the flaming visitor, but in fear
thar its effect on the ignorant masses OF
people wiII lead 70 upTisings and revOIu-
ton
Among the less enlightened the ap-
pearanCe Of an unusual celestial body
has always been taken as sign Of an
Upheaval Of some sort DemaEOEueS
take advantage Of the occasion 70 incite
the people 10 rebellion and Oftentimes
chaos follows.
The greatest apprehension exists in
exists N the province OF Human. The
people have slread~ been wrought I'D to
q nigh pitch OF eye -tenent because Of
the famine and resulting rice riots.
Ihere Is besides a marked anti-fOreign
feeling which NAV mean disaster 10
Americans and others IN China fl the
crisis is brought about By the comets
appearance
IN other parts o. the world. aIso Asia
and ATrlca5 where there is stiI much
SUPERSTITION government officials are
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