The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-18

Delugc OG Settlers 60 Astronomers SHOWS
That suadrcsaa Are IN TeTT0r.

Delngc OT Settlers 60 Astronomers SHOWS
That RsuRar~sa Are IN Terrier.
CHICAGO. April I7.-Preparations TO
take five pictures simultaneously Of
HalIey's comet have been made by Prof.
Y. +. Barnard at Yerkea Observatory.
williams Bay. Wis. The Bruce photo
graphic telescope has been equipped
especially with three extra lenses for the
purpose.
The photograph which was developed
yesterday at the observatory il the first
which has been made since the return Of
the comet. II shows the comet twenty
three degrees above the horizon and with
the luminosity Of a star Of the nth magnl-
tude. The Indications are that Il will
show a tail twenty degrees long when IL
approaches the earth.
Alarm at the approaching immersion
OF the earth in the comets tail - shown
by the daily deluge Il letters received by
the scientists at Nerkes Observatory.
Prof Barnard said
some Of these letters show the writer's to
be really terrified at the prOspe"t Most
OF the letters show complete Ignorance a.
TO what comet really - tine writer saw
the moon rise last week and was thrown into
panic
A. a matter offact no one can say exactly
what he effect will he The logical -uppozi-
tion u that the gas Of the comets tail 10 -
aTtenuated that the earth'- rnvelops Of
atmosphere vii pass through u like . ball
without being p.n~i rated by %
We are doing our best 10 sllay the terror-
Of ali whO apply to ~ for - ~ fy'ie that
great many people are Ua the point II losing
their reason over the prospect The matter
In thai respect has a serious aspect
The passage will begin about : O'Clock on
the evening Of Nav -. and - 10 take twenty
four hours. supDo~ug that the tail Of the
comet l. nearly fifteen million miles thick
Compu' ationS show that the earth passed
thrOu GA the tail Of The comet % 1887 without
any one being aware Of u until the fast vas
est abltshed wears later by astronomer
figuring out the astral wanderers orbit.
This - the most solid fact We have to go On
and u II ceTfai rea--uring
WASHINGTON. April I7-Ths Hydro
graphic Office of the Navy Department
has published a special chart giving
the path through the sky aud other inter
e~ting information about Halley's comet.
There n n probability the chart says
that ON MAY ~ tho comet will pass he
tween the earth and the sun. producing
q transit Of II across the suns disk The
transit should occur het ween fourteen and
date. As the transit Of tho comet across
the suns disk ON May N will bs visible
in the Pacific u ~ urgently requested
that all BhipGnaeters favored with a clear
sky make an effort 10 discover the com
et's image on the suns disk
Shipmasters who view the comet are
requested to forward % the Hydrographic
OfiCe Information as Ia the bright ness
Of the comet a. compared with neighbor-
ing stars, the angular length Of the tail.
comparing the length with the angular
distance between bright stars near u.
its form and color.
The chart contains tables showing that
on April ~ tho comet will be about III
OOO.OOO miles from the earth. This dis
tAnce will gradually diminish until Nav
~. when the comet will he nearest 20 the
earth. about l3OOO.OOO miles. After that
date the comet will rapidly leave the
earth On May 70 u will 10 sO.OOO ODO
miles distant. and disappear from view
early in June.