Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-22

ferries now acknowledged to be much in
doubt about For instance, such as the
shifting of the tails of most comets,
| a common phenomenon as observed by
us could be readily accounted for by
the separation of the suns rays by the
solid part or nucleus which would act
the same as if an opaque substance
were inserted in the central portion oil
a lens.
EXPLAINS TAILS DIRECTION
Gwen more perplexing phenomenon
would be explained in the now unsatis-
factory accounting for the tail always
pointing away from the sun. Under
the present accepted theory the end
of the tail must travel farther and fas-
ter than the head and it dos not seem
to be consistent with known facts gov
erning the motion of bodies through
sDace to believe the sun on the ono
hand exerts a repulsive force which
drives the finer particles away from
the head. and on the other hand would
allow them to move latterly at the same
rate or at a greater rate than the head.
1.-THE annarent curvature of the tail
might also be attributed to light re-
fraction. Objects as observed through
orr atmosphere and which cast their
/ light through it obliquely have their
rays detected and the nearer the hori-
zon the greater the distortion. Thus
the curved appearance of the comets
tail as it lies low in the sky could be
explained.
"A certain amount of repulsive force
exerted hv the sun as the comet rnshes
around its orbit may drive the gases
away from the head in streamer fash
ion, but 1t is inferred these hug COM
paratively close to the head and that
/ the cyanogen and other gases as
shown by the spectrum to be present in
the tail do not extend to its outer con-
fines, or anywhere near so. Therefore
at the point of the earth's transit
through the tail it could be truly said
this object of which we have been so
much in dread is really nothing but
sunlight.
1.-THE reason we did not see the tail
of the comet at the appointed time
when we were supposed to pass through
may be explained by the fact of our
line of vision having been brought par
allel with the rays of light, and when
we have passed to a position again
where our vision crosses them, the
tail will appear as brilliant as before,
TAIL Is CONE OF LIGHT
"Tn carrying out the foregoing, to
more exactly represent the matter, the
tail instead of being a solid shaft of
| light would be a hollow shaft or cone
Z
the darker area being caused by the
| denseness of the central portion of the
comets head cutting out some of the
| light rays.
"The reported appearance of the tail
| still in the eastern sky when 1t was due
in the west may have been caused by
DETECTION of the rays entering our at
mosphere or by the pressure on them
exerted by the reflected light of
| the earth But aside from this men
ton which may be considered compar-
| atively logical in the greater immn-
sity of the tail we are allowed to be-
| lieve we passed through the tail on
schedule time and that we will find
this unjustly censured tail to be very
regular in its behavior as 1t gradually
| disappears from our view on its Jour-
ney toward it's outward destination in
space.
"By accepting the version outlined.
this brilliant object which has inhabited
our morning sky for several weeks
past and which will continue to inhabit
our evening sky for some weeks more
and which has caused all sorts of emo
tions from those of mere curiosity and
wonderment to deepest awe and con-
sternation among the human beings
of the EARTH would seem to be nothing
| more harmful than any welcome ray
of sunlight which might penetrate the
! gloom of a sick room in soma tenement
! house or find it's way into the dark
recess of a dungeon to gladden. the
heart Of some unfortunate there who
has heard nothing Of our comet In
his ignorance he has not suffered the
fear which has afflicted so many Of his
more fortunate fellow creatures who
in their freedom to roam the earth have
| become terror stricken at the same
cause which bears JOY to their less
! fortunate brother in the dungeon"