Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-20
YERKES ASTRONOMERS
WERE DUMBFOUNDED
At COMETS ANTICS
Celestial Traveller UpSetS All
Calculations by Displaying
Its Tail in the East This
Morning
THREE EXPLANATIONS
POSSIBLE, SAY SCIENTISTS
CBy the Associated Press)

PRINCETON. n. J.. May S.-Prof.
Henry Norris Russell. OF the astronomI-
cal department OF Princeton university,
In a signed statement to the Associated
Press today, declared that, basing his
calculations on the width OF the comet :
tail early today, as compared Win pre-
vious mornings. the earth was not neal
enough TO pass through the tail OF thS
comet this morning. but very likely II
will do some time tonight, probably on
the morning OF the Nth
YERKES OBSERVERS PUZZLED.
WILLIAMS BAY. Wis, May S-Set-
ting at variance all scientific figures and
predictions and dumbfOunding the as
trunomers at Yerkes observatory here'
the tail OF Halley's comet was plainly
visible in the east just before daybreak
today The astronomers have no ex-
PLANTATION TO prOffer for the unprecedented
phenomena
Professors Barnard and Frost declare,
therefore. that the earth has not passed
through the tail Of the comet, as has
been universally believed.
Prof. s. A. Mitchell, OF Columbia uni
versity, Prof. Edwin b. Frost, head OF
the Yerkes observatory staff. and Prof..
Edward Barnard. OF the University OF
CHICAGO. say that any one of the follow
ing three explanations may be right;
POSSIBLE ENPLATlONS-
1 The curvature Of the comets tail
first discovered and noted by Prof Bar
nard on Tuesday night. may have de-
veIoped TO a wholly unexpected degree,
while the head OF the comet has passed
the earth on schedule
:. Like Borrelia's comet of 1903, Hal
lev's comet may have ceased its tail
making activity. cutting of the glowing
fan that is now pulling the scientists.
a IL is possible that all calculations
are wrong and that the comet has not
yet passed the earth
A. nearly as could be computed, the
perfod of the appearance OF the COM
cts tail in the east extended from 1888
o'clock wednesday night TO $50 O'Clock
this morning. 1t was still plainly Visiole
AZ a time when the astronomers were
confident the earth would have passed
completely through the tail
After leaving his telescope at day
break. Prof. Frost issued the following
statement:
PROF. FROST TALKS
Greater than all the theories and all
tha combinations are the facts. And
the fact Is that the tail OF HALEY
comet has been appearing in the east
IN practically the same position as IL
appeared yesterday. There is no question
about that The tail which glowed from
the horizon close to the milky way from
before midnight until dawn has not yet
passed across the earth. That is a GER
tafnty. In addition. it is also certain
that there is no material dimunition in
the size OF this tail as compared with
the tail OF the day before.
We are confident that the calculations
for the passage Of the head Of the COM
ct between the sun and the earth are
correct Unauestioned astronomical ex-
perts working Independently of each
other in all parts OF the world, arrived
at these calculations, which have been
correct IN detail ever since the comet
passed Venus on May 2
we are also confident that the head
of the comet made the transit as per
schedule. But the mystery of the 'ap-
pearance of the tail in the east this
morning is the great puzzle II cannot
be explained satisfactorily at this time. .
A brilliant moon during the night
proved TO be a serious handicap TO the
scientists behind the batteries OF cam
eras and telescopes trained on the sky.
At this time. certain observations
were made that may be OF Importance
in addlng TO scientific comet lore There
was CONDENSATION Or the scientists,
however, in a spectacular exhibition of
aurora lights and in some meteoric
phenomena The scientists said they
believed there existed no direct con-
nection between the aurora borealis and
the comet