The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-04-15
Bill Nye on Comets.

Bridge MhlSt cIuD tnlS afternoon.
Il
Bill Nye on Comets.
Uil Nyc. the famous American hui
morist, who died II years ago, wrote
the following article Tor the San Fran
cisco ArgOnaut III 1885. OF course
what Bill said of comets in general
then. applies to Halley's comet nOwD
The comet is kind OF astronomi-
cal parody ON the planet. Comets
look some like planets but they are
thinner and do not hurt So hard when
they hit anybody as Il planet does.
The comet was so callc dbccausc IL
| had hair on II. | believe, but OF late
/ years the bald-headed comet is givinS
just as good satisfaction everywhere.
The characteristic feature of the
/ comet are: \ nucleus. a ncbulous
4 lieLt or coma. and usually a luminous
train or tail worn high. Some times
several tails are observed on one com
I ct, but this occurs only In flush times.
When | was young | used to think
| would like To be 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 II good time, but now can
see where | was wrong. Comets also
/ have their troubles, their perihelions,
their hyperbolas, and their parabolas.
\ little over 900 years ago 1yco Brahe
discovered that comets were eXtrane-
Gus to our atmosphere. and since then
times have improved. | can see that
trade is steadier, and potatoes run
less to tops than they did before.
Soon after that they discovered thdt
comets all had more or less periodi-
city. Nobody knows how they get it,
All the astronomers had been watch.
ing them day and night and didn't
know when they We're exposed, but
there was no time To talk and argue
over the question There were 200
It was an exciting time.
Comets sometimes live To great
age. This shows that the night air
is not so injurious 10 the health as
many people would have us believe
The great comet of 1860 is supposed
to have been the one that was noticed
about the time of Caesars dean. Il
B. C.; and still, when II appeared in
Newton's time. 1900 years after its
first grand farewell tour, Ike said that
IT was very well preserved indeed, and
ties in good shape.
\ late writer on astronomy said
that the substance of the nebulosity,
and the tail Is of almost iucOncciv-
able tenuity He said this. and then
death came to his relief
do not fully agree with the emf
nent authority, though he may be
right Much fear has been the result
of the comets appearance ever since
the world began and il Is as good a
thing to worry about as anything
comet without Frightening il away We
would find that we could walk through
1t anywhere as We could through the
glare OF a torchlght procession We
should so live that we will not be ASA.
amad 10 look "A comet in the eye, how
ever. Let us pay mp our newspaper
subscription and lead such lives that
when the comet strikes We viii be
ready.
some worry good Geal about tie
chances for big comet 10 plow into
the sun some dark. RAINY night and
mus bust up The whole uniycese
wish that was ~ hed tc vorry bout.
If any responsible man will agree To
pay my taxes and funeral expenses
VIII agree ~ DO his worrying about
tle comets traslng int the nosom
of the sun and knocking It's daylight
olt
There is much in the great Held Oi
. astronomy that is discoura sing to the
sayint who hasn't the time or Ineau
: To rummage around through the heav
, ems. ii times | am almost hopeless
and feel like saying to the great
yeaIniul, hungry world. 'Grope on
forever. DO not ask me for another
scientific fact. Find il out yourself
, Hunt up your own new-laid planets
and let me have rest. Never ask
care of the newborn world, while you
liz. I'm hat and rapk nnt