Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-17
.HARKEN To TALE
Of COMETS TAIL
Weatherman WoIIaber After Data
on Way HaIIey's Apnendage
Looks from the Earth
WE BUMP 1T TOMORROW!
World Will Glide Through Trailer
of Sky Wanderer Without
Feeling Shock
WE BUMP 1T TOMORROW!

A. B. Wollaber, in charge of the Los
Angeles weather bureau. is preparing
to make extended observations of the
phenomena expected to manifest itself
when the earth passes through the tail
of Haley . cUnlet tomorrow night
Mr.. Wollaber, as becomes a govern
ment official, makes no predictions. He
anticipates no trouble of any sort. He
does, however, expect an unusual celes-
tial display, and he asks all persons
who note anything unusual to com
municate the facts which fall under
their observation to him and, through
his office, to Washington.
The weather bureaus intense conser-
Vatism is shown in the official state
ment given out by the weatherman
yesterday and which does not even take
1t for granted that the earth will en-
counter the comets tail. The state
ment follows:
If the earth should pass through
the tail of Halley's comet, as as
tronomers expect it will on the 18th
of this month, an opportunity of
kind that has not previously occurred
in the history of the weather bureau
will be afforded for the study of
certain meteorological phenomena.
Special and complete observations
will be taken at the local office of
the weather bureau on May II, Is
and 49, and it is especially desired
that persons noting any unusual
atmospheric conditions on the dates
mentioned communicate the same to
the local office.
Information relative to the follow
ing meteorological phenomena is de-
sired:
l. Auroral displays-Auroras serve
as indicators of the electrical state
of the outer atmosphere, and as this
state possibly may be affected by
the tail of the comet as we pass
through it, auroras should be
watched for at that time. The loca-
ton, color, shape, extent and other
features as well as the time of ap-
pearance, changes and disappear
ance should be carefully noted.
g. Meteoric trails-The number,
times of appearance, length of dura-
tion and directions and lengths of
visible paths of meteors should be
noted in all three nights, but espe-
cially on the night of the 18th.
3. Bishops ring - This curious
dust" halo was seen around the
sun after the eruptions both of
Krakatoa and Mont Pelee, and con-
ceivably might also follow the
passage of the earth through the
tail of a comet. 1t therefore should
be carefully looked for on the days
specified, and occasionally, for some
days thereafter.
4. Color of the sun and sky-BOth
the general color Of the sky and the
color of the sun depend on the dust
and other contents of the atmos-
phere, and should be carefully noted
on the given dates.
5. Twilight henomena-Twilight
colors, their distribution and order
of changes depend largely on the
dust in the atmosphere, and conse-
quently these are phenomena that
need to be observed on the dates
indicated.
6. Luminous clouds-Neither the
material of these clouds nor the
cause of their light is definitely
known. They seem to belong to
very high atmosphere, and therefore
should be looked for at night in
connection with our transit across
the comets tail.
These clouds are cirrus-like in ap-
pearance, but may be distinguished
from true cirrus by the fact that
they are brighter than the back
ground of the clear nocturnal sky
During the fore part of the night
ern horizon.
Zodiacal light-From work re-
Gently done at Lick and at the
Mount Wilson observatories it
seems probable that the zodiacal
light is causel by the reflection of
solar light from dust in and near the
plane of the ecliptic. If so, then
a change might be expected in it at
the time of the comets near ap-
proach to the earth, and therefore
the extent and brilliancy and other
features of the zodiacal light as
they appear at that time should be
carefully noted.
General phenomena - Solar and
lunar halos and coronas, and all
other appearances that may seem
useful and unusual, should be re-
ported.
We have a particularly good field
here in Southern California for OBJ
serving the several phenomena
noted above, with the exception Of
the aurora, and it is the hope of
the local officials that those known
to take a special interest in things
meteorological will make a special
effort to cooperate with the bureau
on this occasion as in the past.