The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-03-25
BLAZING COMET
TO Be SEEN MAY 10
Earth Will Plunge Into Tail of It
Scientists Say, Don't
Get Scared"

On May Is many earth beings vii
witness sight the like OF which has
never before been seen OF men, at least
since men have kept a written history
OF events. On that day for over three
hours we shall be viewing the SUI
through the great blazing head of n
comet.
OF sudden our earth, swinging
through space at $4,000 miles per hour
will plunge into the tail OF Halleys
comet. close To the neck of il. The
tail will have been whipped against
rs at its own speed Of $4,000 miles an
hour. Thus this globe will dive
through the luminous haze at total
speed of 10000 miles per hour, AZ
miles per second. the earth entirely
!hlmersing herself In the celestial mist
IN less than three minutes, yet so thick
is the tail at the point of perforation-
100000 miles-that we shall be nearly
three hours and half passing through
What will happen? No two scien.
lists agree In detail. They are, how
ever, practically certain there will be
no harm done to any creature of the
earth, save the harm which fear does
Bat the superstitious are almost GER
tain to be stricken with mortal terror
during that three hours.
Awe-InspirIne Display.
For those three hours will show 10
men the most sublime, awe-inspiring
display of heavenly fireworks this
earth has witnessed since space roared
with the primordlal flames of creation
the astronomers say.
But, the chances are 1t will be moth
Ing but light-terrific, but harmless
For our sunlight during those 205 min
utes will be filtered through the
comets head or nucleus (the head
will be eclipsing the SUM and that
head will have just come from a bath
In the very flames of the sun. This
gaseous head, 81 times as big as our
earth AMI only 100000 miles away
Ca mere step compared even with the
distance 10 the sniO, will be boiling,
tuning, exploding, blasting, in titanic
commissions of heat after Its recent
experience.
And it is through such lens our
sunlight must come filtered for three
hours and half May Is.
We did, indeed, have one slight pre-
vious experience with the tail OF a
comet. On June 80, 1861. We shipped
through part OF the tail OF Tebbets
comet But it was mere wisp OF tail
Just a thread at the extreme end Of
the tails 24,000. 900 miles of length
II hair a scant 5000 miles thick.
Astronomers Experience.
Yet. for the experience OF seeing
that hair severed the French astrono-
mer Liais journeyed to Rio de Janeiro
aud set up his instruments.
The moment came. Suddenly Liais
saw the sky turn like blood at midday.
Then there was a rapid plunge into a
lurid, phosphorescent yellow and
almost instantly the sky darkened 10
a coppery green, as II tornado were
approaching. The next instant, be
fore the observer could realize 1t, the
sun shone serenely again, the earth
minute for passing through the 5000
miie-thicls hair YVES up. and Liais
hacked his instruments and went
home.
Well be in Halley's comets tail
ever three hours. Will the effect be
proportionately awful?
Scientists all over the earth are
warning people to be prepared TO-
strange sights, but not to be fright
eaed. For. as the saying goes, the
whole 62.90O.000 miles OF its tail. cot
densed, might he packed In trunk.
Says Andre. director OF the Lyons
observatory: You must not be aston
:ehed IL IL shows al aspect as strange
and stranger than anything ever seen
before
What effect the adventure will have
upon the earth is disputed. Comets
are little understood. There are in
struments which partially show their
composition. but beyond those known
facts each scientist has a different ex'
PLANTATION.
A recent theory is that the comet
nucleus or head is simply an enormous
gas lens. and what appears to be a
tail is, IN reality. only the pencil oil
conce ntrated sunlight such as pro
ceeds from an ordinary searchlight
outside OF this pencil we can see Its
length. But once In II, we would OBJ
serve only an increase in the heat and
brilliancy of the sunlight,
Much Speculation.
Under this theory the only effect
that will be noticed May Is Will Do
trat the sunshine will fairly burn a
person. But I'm the shade It should be
fairly comfortable.
If the comets tai is of gas, at least
he gas is much diluted. Some observ-
ers fear the deadly cyanogen gas.
which. IL thick. would stifie all breath
ing things at once, Diluted, sucn a
gas might turn tho whole world very
sick to It's stomach for two or three
hours.
Some predict . display of electrical
phenomena, tremendous but harmless
as the aurora borealis. Deslandres, =
Frenchman. says the tail is made ur
OF cathode rays, which, touching our