Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-27

and Mercury transit the sun because they
are solid bodies surrounded by an at
mosphere. But as a comets head Is
practically an atmosphere the only enect
would be a brightness of the sun as II
passed across it and an apparent en-
largement of the size of the sun because
the head of the comet would act as
magnifying lens.
But the sun was no brighter Wednes-
day and the sun was the same size.
You are in error. The sun was very
much brighter the day the comet trans
mitted, and photographs taken tuesday
and Wednesday and Thursday under ex-
actly the same mechanical conditions
show the sun larger Wednesday and
Thursday than Tuesday. l do not mean
to say that the actual size of the sun
was increased. When you look at an
object through magnifying glass 1t Is
the image which is made larger, not the
actual object.
Then it is possible that the great sun
spots found on the sun Wednesday were
only magnification of small spots that
were there before?
Precisely But additionally these spots
were due to the passage of the comet be-
tween the earth and sun. Ii, as De-
lfeve, the sun is really the focal point or
the energy Of the entire solar system. ana
this energy is not radiant but convergent,
any body, even of tenuOus gas, passing
around the sun would cut of part OF this
convergent energy and so cast a shadow
or sun spot on the sun.
Wait minute That would mean that
the energy of the sun does not come from
it internally, but that it is directed to 1t
externally from all directions in the solar
system.
Exactly. The solar system is the unit
Of which the sun is only a part, II Is the
eccentric focal point Of energy of the en-
tire system.
But that would upset your theory
of comets tails being only transmitted
| sunlight. since if the sun is only a
point of conveyance it is not sphere OF
radiance and then comets heads would
always point toward the sun instead Of
away from it, as we know they do
Not at all. The convergent energy IS
transformed into radiant energy from
contact with the sun focus. l use the
phrase convergent energy. but l really
think it's motion is spiral, not unlike some
of the spiral nebulae.
But would not we see it 1t night?
No. Part Of the solar rays are Invisible
even as sunlight. The vibrations of the
rays below the red are too long and slow
for us to see those above the violet too
short and rapid for sight. That does not
mean that they are not there.
The Visitor Of 1909.
How does it happen that you are so
| sure of the appearances that you assert
you have seen in connection with Hal
ley's comet when other astronomers have
Oe0n SO confused ON Tie pilelIoAhSHd.
For the reason that, SO to express IT,
I had a dress rehearsal last year. In
May, 1909. DR.. Brooks of Geneva. n. z,
found comet in the Great Square Of Pc
gasus apparently of large size and very
near the earth. I did not locate the
head for two days, but found the tail
of this comet three hours before the
head was found. I followed the phe-
| nomena associated with this comet Of
| May, 1909. for nearly month and saw
many things which were then given
slight credit. 1 saw the tail Of this
comet sweep across the sky just after
| midnight May q. as it passed between
the earth and sun, noted the strange
! cariation Of weather at that time, the
earth tremors, the tornadoes, the mag
netic fiuctuation, the appearance of the
tail in the daylight, the great fan rays
| being visible and seen by many in New
York, and all Of these and other phe-
| nomena I recorded in a carefully kept
| series Of note books. / made drawings
| of the appearance of the clouds and sky.
Just as Halley's comet has been seen by
| few, SO few saw the comet Of last May.
| Those that did and had the phenomena
pointed out to them understood
All these things, with their true ex-
| PLANTATION, were printed at the time in
| Golfers Weekly, and 1 can at any time
produce my original notebooks and draw
| ings.
| Every statement 1 have made or print
| ed about the comet has been verified by
| fact 1t may not be amiss to recall that
| I'm the chorus of alarm Wednesday, May
| 49, | said there would be no display or
| anything to excite any one that night.