Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1910-04-14
RETURN OF HALLeWs COMET.
Why Earth owellsrs Need Not Fear
lts Long Tail.

tronOny at Harvard university. This
comet. named for Edmund HALEY.
who discovered H. In 1852. calculated
i-s orbit identified Il as having APP
peared IN 1881. 1907 and 1852. and
predicted that II would reappear in
1858. win be- visible 10 the naked eye
in the latter part Of April and in May
aud June OF this year. II was last
visible from the earth in 1885, when
q presented a spectacular appear
ance.
Win the did Of diagrams Professor
Pickering shows that the comet has
q very elongated ellipse for lt5 orbit.
and in the one year 1910 Will move
farther than It did during the twenty
years from 1858 10 1873 On March
! it was 100000 miles from the
earth It's distance Is diminishing,
and viii continue 10 diminish until
May 90 when II viii pass the earth
only li,3O0.OOO miles away.
This" says Professor Pickering,
us an unusually small distance IN the
planetary world, and nearer TO US
than any heavenly body ever comes.
excepting the little asterold Eros.
which on rare occasions approaches
Within l3 100000 miles.
Iae chances for a fine appearance
Of the comet would seem to be az
good this year as in 1885 and 1886.
according TO Professor Pickering. |
Then the nearest approach was to
point about l75OOOOO miles from the
% This distance" says the pro
iysr2r rs therefore not very differ
emf from that OF the present year.
HI.b enc added advantage that In 1895
che comet was very well situated for
observation, being far to the north
and a q large angular distance from
che sun On the other hand, in the
present year the approach occurs az.
ter perihelion whom comets usually
present a much finer appearance than
they do prior to that event
During the early part Of this year
.hr comet has been 70 the left of
he SUM- as seen from the earth. AL
hgugh readily visible In small tel
scope says Professor Pickering. 1T
20 doubtful II owing to it's small an
,uhr distance from the sun. Il will
le visible to the naked eye In this
portion OF It's orbit IN March OF this
.car Dc VIII disappear, even IN the
most powerful telescope. as 1t passes
behind the sun. but will reappear in
he early pare OF April to the right
y o. That Is to say. IL will be Wis.
1lo before sunrise II will now be
ear pcrihcliou, and should possess a
ah pointing away from the sun.
hlch tail later IN the month. may
Visible 90 the naked eye. and per
'ps be- a conspicuous object"
The earth viii cut It's way through
Ie tall OF the comet, exceeding is.
'1 200 miles IN longth. but PROFESSOR
gkgrug assures us that mo danger :
hatever Is anticipated as the same 5
sent occurred twice during the last
intury and astronomers did not ey-
a lind It out until after lt was over. B
bout May 20 the comet win again q
come visible Ia the evening sky. Z
win then appear to move with 3
seat rapidity among the stars from k
ght 20 night aud will be well stu. 4
ga for observation. q
The moon, says the professor. 3
san be full ON the tweuty.third. and 4
ter that date win not interfere much q
.tb cur seeing Il 70 advantage At
out this time lt will undoubtedly r
pear ut rs best" Il Is expected d
at Il win be impossible to follow 3
e. comet ugtil early In t9tt. when e
VIII Jade away into the vast un 3
own and will not return to the
Son OF the human eye until 1885.
While this comet has been ldenti-
q as a member Of our system for
er 5000 years writes Professor
'keriug certain characteristics Of
orbit lead us to believe that it has
su With as az least ten or perhaps
times as Ions as that According
all accounts, Il was magnificent
eet az tUe tIue 60 the Norman
lquest in 1855 It's head was equal
the nill moon tn size. and its tail
re0sod TO a wonderful length. Al. IL
81 every historian and writer OF ~
time bears witness 20 IFS splen. M
+. and e is plainly shown on tho
estry worked by Queen Mathilda
her ladies'. and now 10 be seen
payeux France William employ.
e as sign TO encourage his fol- 4
ers and Il is said to have iuspir, 4
such terror in the hearts OF the a.
ON Harold and his men that its
senee may really have somewhat
'cted English history. IL was also