The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-03-30
THERE'S NO DEADLY
GAS IN COMET stall
PROF. HAROLD JACOBY.
World-renowned Astronomer and
Chemist Sees Nothing Dangerous
in Coming of Phenomenon.

NEW YORK, March 30.-By means
of that wonderful instrument. the
spectroscope. the astronomers al the
Yerkes observatory at William Bay,
Wis, have determined that certain
bands about the head of Halley's
comet, which Is now rapidly approach
ing the earth. are composed OF cyan
ogen gas.
AS that gas is a deadly poison. lot
OF folks have become excited about
what is liable to happen to the dwell
lers OF the earth II this globe becomes
enveloped in q cloud OF the poison on
May IS.
There's no use getting into a panic
of fear over this, however, II Prof.
Harold Jacoby of Columbia university
knows what he is talking about. and
he ought to, for he Is one Of the great
est astronomers of the age.
He says that because there are In
dications Of cyanogen gas at the head
of the comet. there is no reason to
believe that there is any of the dead
ly stuff In the comets tail, and no one
believes that the earth will hit the
head of the comet, though many as
tronomers figure that we will pass
through the tail and be three hours
doing so.
There is no sign of cyanogen gas
In the tail OF the comet" said Prof
Jacoby, land | do not think there is
any cause for fear of it."
Even II cyanogen did exist in the
tall Prof. Jacoby said. II would be
In such small quantity that we would
not notice It, Here are his words on
that point:
THE head of Halley's comet will
be 100000 miles away from the
earth when our globe crosses through
its tail So. on May Is. We'll not be
nearer than 100000 miles of the
comet itself.
IF you stop to consider that this
distance Is so times that OF the earth
from the moon you will reason that
any cyanogen at the head of the
comet would not affect us. and there
must be very little II any of 1t at the
point of the tail which we will en-.
counter. If there is, IL will be so thin
ned out by our atmosphere that We
would not be affected"
DR.. w. c. Brown, chief chemist OF
the National Carbon Co, and we'll
known scientist, tells what cyanogen
Is. grain of its potassium salt on
the tongue Will cause instant death.
II Is a compound of carbon and nitro
gen and can be obtained by heating
dry cyanide of mercury in hard glass
tubes. In it's natural state II Is blush
gas and smells something like al
monds.
DR.. Brown said: "Cyanogen gas
may be at the head of the comet, but
doubt II II Is In the tail. Even IL
it were 1t would be so thin in that
part Of the tail which the earth VIII
pass through that no harm would
come on this planet"
Dr. Brown said that the fumes OF
caustic potash or soda would neu-
tralize cyanogen gas in the air.
It is wonderful that science can tell
exactly what gas floats on and around
star millions and millions OF miles
away The spectroscope, by which
the gas, cyanogen, was discovered In
the head or nucleus Of Halley's comet,
is an instrument which the astrono-
mers have slowly developed since
about 1914 1t admits through a mar
row slit the rays of light sent out by
luminous celestial bodies 4 Rays OF
light, or radiations as the astrono-
mers call them, are sent off from the
sun, or a star. or a comet. In the form
OF waves OF different lengths. When
these light waves pass through the
spectroscope. the instrument separ-
ates them so that a wave OF one
length comes to focus at point
different to that Of any other wave.
This latter fact has enabled the as
tronomeYs after long and careful
study and as a result OF many ex-
periments and discoveries. to analyze
the rays, by color, so that they know
that one ray of light from certain
star means that that body Is compos-
ed largely of iron, while another ray
means that It has hydrogen gas in
it's atmosphere. BY the spectroscope
the scientists have established, to
their own satisfaction at least, that
the intensely hot atmosphere of the
sun contains sodium, carbon, iron and
other substances also found on this
earth.
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