The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1910-04-27
HALLEY'S COMET
One Million Times Larger Than
The Earth-.fineSt Spectacle
Expect May | AT Five
O'Clock A. M.

Size - 1000, 900 times larger than the
earth.
Speed-M Millions upon millions of
miles day.
Characterize comet is composed of
three parts-the nucleus, the head and
tail. The head is of the same comp
osition as the tail, only denser. The
head is SO trans parent that stars can be
seen shining through it. Nothing is
known of the composition of the nnc-
leus.
The Tail--It is composed Of gas and
minute PARTICLES of metal not unlike
dust. Should the tail be long enough
when, on May 18th, the comet cuts
Though the plane of the earth, to reach
he>earth, the effect would be a fine
display of luminous vapor.
Time of Passage-Between 1880 and
$40 on the evening of May 18th, the
comet passes between the sun and the
earth, AS the sun sets in West Virginia
on that date at 7:07 P. M, (World AL
mdudClt IL OC WlAhCoSCu ~ eAfAS
state. but might be seen from California,
Hawaii, the Philippines and Japan, al
though it may be possible that at that
time It will not be able to be seen even
with telescope.
Distance-At the time the comet pass
es through the plane of the earth it will
be 70, $50, 900 miles from the sun and
14,64O, 900 miles from the earth, and
the tail, which always streames away
from the sun, would have to be more than
14,64O, 600 miles long to envelope the
earth, and it may not be that long. The
comet reaches its nearest point to the
sun about he middle of April.
Collision mpossible-While the or
bits OF the earth and the comet cross
each other, they are not in the same
plane, In other words, it is not grade
crossing" Thus, no collision of the
earth and the comet is possible.
The Best Views-The best views of
the comet for the general public will be
from the middle of April to the first
week or so of May, when it will be
seen with the naked eye just before
dawn a little south of where the sun
rises and just little distance above the
horizon; and again for couple of weeks
after may IS, when IT will appear just
axter sunset, little south of west and
considerable height above the horizon.
Finest Spectacle-The most interest
ing spectacle is expected to be afforded
on May l, when the comet nears Venus.
distance from The earth and every one
will be able to note their relative sizes.
To see the comet then. one will have to
be up before o'clock in the morning
In fast only the early risers will see the
comet before it passes between the earth
and the sun.
Once Nearer-In 1885 Hally's comet
came within 100000 miles of the earth.
AS it did not then pass between the sun
and the earth, the tail was pointed in
another direction. The tail always
points away from the sun.
No Dauger-Eminent astronomers say
there is no danger. 1t is not known
or certain if, when the comet passes
between the earth and the sun, the tail
will be long enough to reach and en-
velope the earth. A California chemist
claims to have discovered cyanogen gas
Ia deadly poison) in its tail. Prof.
F,ost, of the Yerkes observatory, says:
"The density of the tail of the comet is
about the density of the vacuum in an
electric bulb, and there cannot possibly
be enough poisonous gas in it to hurt a
fly"