The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1910-03-11

IIalley's comet has been traced back
definitely to the year II, b. c. Chinese
astronomers recorded that visitation
and subsequent ones. Some authori-
ties trace it back to 500 years b. c..
On its return this year it was dis
covered almost exactly in the region
of space where eminent mathematic-
ians had computed it's position. At
that time it was over 800, 000. 600 miles
from the sun. That was in .Septem-
Der. At midnight on December !, it
was on the meridian, a few degrees
south Of exactly overhead. 1t APP
preached the earth to within 1875, 900
600 miles, but comet and earth are
separating now owing to contrary
orbital motions. 1t is rapidly APP
proching the sun and March path Will
be exactly on opposite side OF the sun
from the earth. as YOU Will note in
the diagram showing positions and
dates April goth it will swing out
in the morning sky. then appearant-
~ back toward the sun. but in reality
swinging in to pass between sun and
earth, about May 18th. 1t will be in
visible for a short time before AMI
after this vent. and then will appear
in the evening sky, and slowly vanish
ing will return again to the point of
its aDpelion. several hundred millions
OF miles beyond the orbit OF Neptune,
whence our sun would be a glow
worm light in a cOsmic night.
\ little westward Of directly over
mead about eight o'clock in the even
ing. if YOU care to look, YOU will no.
tice a little cluster Of stars. the
Plciades. only a few degreese west IS
the ruddy star. Mars, AMI about half
way down the sky is a star of yellow
ish hue. Saturn. these mark almost
exactly the comets path in January.
High in the northeast is the Big
Dippcr. Everybody knows some
thing about the Dipper. Notice
the star At the Iend in the handle
Mar. ana notice Nesting closely to
il a ~comranion of much lesser light;
Alcor. You may have to look sharply
&" soc it. for the ancient Arabians ac-
countcG ii a Test of eycsight to dis
cover H. Richard A.. Proctor SAYS
tiHt me distance separating those
stars - - great that the orbit Of the
gree, comet or 1911 would only span
-, c-fnurth of IL. The comet of 1911
Ea,' an crltt six times As great as
HHl'E'~ cono1 This means that YOU
could p''r" f~Nenty-four HALEY comet
orr its cil so end and have a chain
h4r'iy l.ng enou2h to connect these
two stars Sc orbit of Halley's
CON Of Is }ctr orn th~i~ty-fNc ana forty
thousand mil'!ors of miles.
INicc q ALE utu ncnes: the inch
world rc}lcscrt tho distance Of The
cif'h from the san. and the mile. tho
distance II would take the suns lieht
ia travel in a wear: y light wear: as II
= termed technically. And yet. there
IRE stars so remote. it is affirmed.
t}eir li"ht would not reach us in a
T. nd years.
Won 'e'ful, is it not? But listen 70
thi, from an astronomer who stands
mons the first in this country today.
Prof .Edgar Iarkin Of Mount Lowe
observatory, says that the thousands
Of stars We see by natural vision may
be east aside As negligible in comput-
ing tn sun and world material in
the Universe.
Please don't Vorry about what IL
Going 10 happen from this visitation
Of Iialley's comet. There is "jirectiv-
ity in matter" and all Is held
by leash of law.
Get In the attitude OF mind Emer-
son was when an enthusiastic re-
lieionist declared the world would
speedily end on a given date. The
grea transcenlentalist reflected a mo-
ment and said. .WelI 7 puess 7 can
get along without II.