Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1910-08-26
POINTERS ON COMETS
interesting Facts That Were IN.
earthed by Bill Nye.
HIS STUDY OF SKY SCIENCE.

THE Humorist's Researches Shed a
Flood Of Brilliant Light Upon the
Peculiar TrsIts Of the "Astronomioal
Parodlos on the Planets."
The famous American humorlst, Bnl
Nye, wrote the following article on the
traits Of comets for the San Francisco
Argonaut, IN which It was published
a number Of years ago;
The comet " a kind OF astronomical
parody on the planet Comets look
some like planets, but they nre thin
ner and do not hurt 30 hard when they
hit anybody as a planet does. The
comet was 80 called because II had
aair on It | believe. but OF late years
the baldheaded N is giving just
as good satisfaction everywhere.
The characteristic features Of the
comet are a nucleus. a nebulous light
or coma and usually a luminous train
or tail high. Sometimes several
tails are observed on one comet, but
this occurs only IN flush times.
When ! was young I used to think
I would like to be a comet in the sky,
up above the world so high. With
hothlng to do but loaf around and play
with the little new laid planets and
have a good time, but now 1 can see
where ! vas wrong. Comets also
have their troubles. their perihelions,
their h%yperbolas and their p~arabolas. A
little over 800 years ago Tycho Brahe
discovered that comets were extrane-
BUS to u atmosphere. and since then
times have improved. can see that
trade is steadler and potatoes run less
70 tops than they did before.
Soon after that they discovered that
comets oil had more or less periodlcI-
~. Nobody knows how they get It
An the astronomers had been watch
ing them day and night and didn't
know when they were exposed, but
there was no time to talk and argue
over the question. There were 200 or
800 comets all down with It at once.
It was an exciting time.
Comets sometimes live to a great
age. This shows that the night air is
not so injurious to the health as many
people would have US believe. The
great comet Of 1880 is supposed to
have been the Ons that was noticed
about the time of Caesars death. A
b. T., and still when It appeared In
Newton's time, LOO years after its
arst grand farewell tour, Ike said that
e was very well preserved indeed and
seemed to have retained all its facul-
ties in good shape.
A late writer on astronomy said that
the substance Of the nebulosity and
the tail Is OF almost uncomfortable
tenuity. He said this, and Their death
came to his relief.
Another writer says OF the comet and
its tail that ''tha curvature Of the lat
Ter and the acceleration OF the periodic
time in the case of Encke's comet In.
dicate their being affected by a resist
ing medium which has never been OBJ
served to have the slightest influence
on the planetary periods"
l do not fully agree with the emf
1ent authority, though be may be
right Much fear has been the result
OF the comets appearance ever since
the world began, and 1t is as good a
thing to worry about as anything l
know Of. II we could get close to a
comet without frightening It away we
would hnd that we could walk through
Il anywhere as we could through the
glare Of a torchlight procession. We
should 30 i've that we will not be
ashGmed to look a comet in the eye,
however. Let rs pay up our newspa.
per subscription and lead such lives
that when the comet strikes we will be
ready.
Some worry q good deal about the
chances for a big comet to pillow into
the sun some dark. rainy night and
thus bust mp the whole universe. I
wish that was all I had to worry
abOut-the comets crashing into the
sun and knocking its daylights out.
There Is much in the great field OF
astronomy that Is discouraging TO the
savant who hasn't the time or means
TO rummage through the heavens. At
times ! am almost hopeless and feel
like saying to the great y~earnful. hun.
cry world;
-GrOpe on forever. Do not ask me
for another scientific fact. Find It out
yourself. Hunt up your own new laid
planets and let me have a rest. Never
ask me again to sit up all night and
take care OF the newborn world while
you lie IN bed and reck not"