The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-20

lHseArth and tail did not meet this morn
INK
sU this meeting IL delayed until To-
NIGH, then there can ~ htrls doubt that
the earth will not pass through the tail
A. all, but vii pass 10 the south side Of e.
Til. reason for this is simple Th'
q iaas behind the plane Of the comets
orbit the comets orhital plans makes an
angie u eighteen degrees with the earth's
erwtal plane, the retardation OF the tai
thrt,iorr draws Il away from the plane IN
viii, h the earth b. moving and the earth
will n,.- south Of il The observed pos-
tom of the tail thus morning was appre-
rt,5Iy further north than that Of yesterday
morning
PRINCETON. y. J.. May ~ That astron-
o,p.rs an over tho world we're mistaken
IN regard to the action ot the tail oi
Vsl'ev's cotnst l,Came apparent 10 Prot
Henry Norris Russell IT the department
If astronomy at Princeton University az
lAN to-day Al t'st hour he noticed
IN the eastern sky the rand Of light which
has indicated the tail IT the comet Tor
some time past. only ~ nov appeared "
ta curved moro than Was expected From
this Prof Russell decidsd that the earth
had not vet passed through the tai NJ the
comet. a.. wgS anticipated. and this iudg-
rnsut he confirmed by CLOSER observation
The nucleus ot the comet passed between
the earth and tho sim un schedule time
lsst evening. but the curvature m the tai
kent II from swishing the earth at the
expected time
Prof Russell explained that since the
vslocity II the tail is the same - that II
the comet It follows that the end ~ the t1L
de.criblng q grettsr arc, will arrive
later than the hstd unless the comet ~
moving IN a straight lane,
LAcchsus Daniel. Princetons noted
comet Under. slso had noticed the curved
streak m the say The observations ol
his colleagues were corroborated to-day
hv Prof r. = Dugan, another member
Of the Astronomical fac ilty here, who had
also observed last nj ghts phenomena
from his home
Prof Rns-ells ststemeai. gwen out tins
forenoon "a a. follows.
AT 3o'clock this morning tho sky was
brilliantly clear without trace ~ moon
hight or dawn Tho comets tai MAS
oonspicuous N the east Ss hand at light
eight degrees vide and quite straight
about a. bright As the faInter branch o
the Milky Way between CyEnus and
.Aouila. It, central line nas~si about md
'wav between the star Alpha and Gamma
PeRass and rs end vaa lost IN the MilAl
Way IN Aqnls
40 trace Il II could no detected ls
ycnd The MiIky Way. and no ilhnlinatioi
could be- seen m ihe western sky m spite
II careful search under very isyorlbl'
conditions The 1odmral Light vas yisIhl'
m the southeast. ssIs rated from Tn
comet tai by dark interval abou
ten degrees m bre}dth
The tail Wa at-pa rrntly between tNo
and three times ~ wide a. ~ the morning
of ruesdry May u n - nal Width
has not changed II must still have h"'t
fully nne-third a. Tar from us "n the
morning OF the 18th a. u was two day'
before, vhich would make IN" tim" o
the earths paSssge through u come ~
the morning of the ,Uth. " This u th'
case the central line Vt tho tail wher'
no elrth's orbit cuts i Is al'oui i,bp."O
miles hehind the prUl'ngstluu - the in'
,~lnmg the I'm aud the Cuuct, and th'
Line from the comet n this point. wnicl
may be taken roughly - the line IT th
tail makes an angie ~ about tw"ni'
degrees with tho line just m"ntlon''1
The tail Il viewed from e plint o'ltslde u
rlane would appslr strongly curved. 90
vac the ctse with this cunet when .
.,,,ttd -. -, ..f.reeaad IN fglS