The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1910-01-23
HALLEY'S COMET
WAS VISIBLE IN
CITY LAST NIGHT
MANY PEOPLE OBSERVED TT ON
WESTERN HORIZON BETWEEN
FIVE AND six O'CLOCK.
While 1t Was Barely Visible With the
Naked Eye, Those Who Used Tele-
scopes Got Good View of the Strange
Visitor-Will Be Seen Plainly Later.

Halley's comet was visible in Bruins
wick late yesterday afternoon. 1t was
first discovered by people connected
with the quarantine station, VINO used
telescopes, and as soon as they were
sure. it was the comet, telephone
messages were sent to the city and
many people hasteued TO set look at
tie peculiar visitor, which has not
appeared in the last seventy-fve
years.
The comet was visible on the wes-
tern horizon between $40 and 600
o'clock last night, disappearing be
yond the horizon about 6.15 O'Clock.
1t was not seen at its best owing to
the fact that it has not yet reached
that stage in it's ellipsis which places
it nearest to the earth. The comet
is approaching the earth at the rate
of 100000 miles day and is now
passing from the constellation of
Aries into Pisces and at the end of
the month will set about 8 p. m.
The comet as seen last night, looked
like an elongated mass of trailing
light or nebulae, it's movement being
barely discernible to the naked eye.
The comet will be seen in its entirety
about the middle of May, after which
it will gradually recede from view
again to start on its long journey
of seventy-five years around the sun.
Halley's comet has not been seen
since 1885, when it created such con-
sternation among the superstitious
people of this republic and Europe,
and many considered that it portended
a bad omen. Previous to 1885 the
comet made it's usual appearance ev-
cry seyenty-five years, having been
seen in the years 1856, 1881, 1907, 1882
and 1859. 1t was in the year 1000
A. D., when it was first noticed among
the heavenly bodies but no record was
kept of 1t until 1856. At that time
numerous theories were advanced by
astronomers as to its origin.
1t was in the year 1862 when Ed
mund HALEY, the son of London
sCapmaker and an English astronomers
of note, advanced the theory that this
comet and numerous others, which
made its appearance during that year
was the same that had been reappear-
ing during the period of years since
1856, when the first record was kept
of it. After much research a num-
Der of othersioted astronomers agreed
with him, and that Halley's theory
Is correct is established by its re-
appearance every seventy-five years as
also it's similarity.
There are only thirty of these com
cts visible to the naked eye appear
ing every century and Halley's is con-
sidered the most brilliant both in
brilliancy and size. So wonderful a
phenomenon is one of these brilliant
comets in the sky that they are al
ways acc cmpanied by a superstitiouS
dread among the ignorant people, and
before science had accounted for the
appearance of these curious bodies
they occasioned the greatest terror
they were thought to indicate the
rGpid approach Of the end Of the
earth. Even yet speculation as tc
what would happen should the earth
meet a comet is rife, hut less fear Is
manifested owing TO the knowledge OF
many people Of these strange kite
like bodies of the heavens. Of all the
comets with periods less than eighty
years, Halley's is the only one which
moves with retrograde mction-that
is, in the direction opposite to the
motions of all the planets about the
sun.
Theories have been advanced by a
number of scientists that this comet
which sometimes makes its appear
-ance the latter Part Of the year IRE
ceding the one in which it is predictef
to appear, is the "Star of Bethlehem.
the star the shepherds saw and by
the light of which the Wise Men were
guided to the lowly manger in Beth'e-
hem of Judea, where the Saviour was
horn. This theory is advanced by the
fact that Biblical history says it was
of greater brilliancy than any stay
ever seen and that 1t was stranger
in the heavens Halley's comet, ac-
cording to records kept of it, has sew
eral times during the last four cen
turies, attained it's greatest brilliahcy
during the Christmas period. His
tory also has it that Alexander the
Great was born on night when one
of these great luminary bodies had
reached its zenith 10 the people Of th'
earth, and It will he recalled that
,,yben this stranger was seen that a