Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-21
POINTERS ON COMETS.
Interesting Facts That Were Unearth-
ed by Bill Nye.


Inc fanio.-H --.-........ -.,.anOrist. BIZ
Nye, wrote the following article on the
traits of comets for the San Francisco
ArSonaut, in which it was published
number of years ago:
The comet IS a kind of astronomer
parody on the planet Comets loci
some like planets. but they are thin
ner and do not hurt so hard when they
hit anybody as planet does. The
comet was so called because it had
hair on it. | believe. but of late years
the baldheaded comet is giving just
as good satisfaction everywhere
The characteristic features OF the
comet are a nucleus. nebulous light
or coma and usually luminous train
or tail worn high Sometimes several
tails are observed on one comet, but
this occurs only in flush times.
When | was young l used TO think
1 would like 10 be q comet in the sky.
up above the world so high. with
nothing to do but loaf around and play
with the little new laid planets and
have good time, but now l can see
where I was wrong. Comets also
have their troubles. their perihelions.
their hyperbolas and their parade A
little over 800 years ago TychO Brahe
discovered that comets were eXtrane,
Gus to our atmosphere. and since then
times have improved. l can see that
trade is steadier. and potatoes run less
to tops than they did before.
Soon after that they discovered that
comets all had more or less periodici-
ty. Nobody knows how they get it
All the astronomers had been watch
ing them day and night and didn't
know when they were exposed, but
there was no time to talk and argue
over the question. There were 200 or
800 comets all down with 1t at once.
1t was an exciting time.
Comets sometimes live to a great
age This shows that the night air Is
not so injurious to the health as many
people would have US believe The
great comet of 1850 is supposed to
have been the one that was noticed
bout the time of Caesars death, A
b. c., and still when it appeared in
Newton's time, LOO years after its
first grand farewell tour, Ike said that
seemed to have retained all it's facul-
ties in good shape.
A late writer on astronomy said that
the substance of the nebulosity and
the tail is of almost inconceivable
He said this, and then death
came to his relief.
Another writer says of the comet and
It's tail that the curvature of the lat
ter and the acceleration of the periodic
time in the case of Encke's comet in
licate their being affected by q resist
ing medium which has never been OBJ
served to have the slightest influence
IN the planetary periods"
1 do not fully agree with the emf
lent authority. though he may be
light. Much fear has been the result
If the comets appearance ever since
he world began, and it is as good a
hing to worry about as anything
know of. If we could get close to a
comet without frightening it away we
would find that we could walk through
t anywhere as we could through the
glare of a torchlight procession. We
should so live that we will not be
to look a comet in the eye,
however. Let US pay up our newspa-
per subscription and lead such lives
hat when the comet strikes we will be
-eady.
Some worry a good deal about the
chances for a big comet to plow into
he sun some dark. rainy night and
.hus bust up the whole universe.
wish that was all 1 had to worry
lbout-the comets crashing into the
Jun and knocking it's daylights out.
There is much in the great field of
that is discouraging to the
'avant who hasn't the time or means
o rummage through the heavens. At
lines / am almost hopeless and feel
ike saying to the great, yearnful, hun
Try world:
"Grope on forever. Do not ask me
or another scientific fact Find it out
Yourself. Hunt up your own new laid
planets and let me have a rest. Never
Isk me again to sit up all night and
axe care of the newborn world while |
Il. ~ I>16 v,6 <oI-