Imperial Valley press., 1914-12-29
LATE ASTRONOMICAL
SIGHTS REVIEWED
(By Frederic j. Haskin)

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cause of the unusual astronomical
events which have been recorded, each
Of which has greatly augmented the
public interest in astronomy as a pop
ular science. Four eclipses; the dis
covery of new comets; the reappear-
ances of old ones; the discovery of
9 new satellite of the unusual velocity
of nebulae; the transit of Mercury,
and greater details regarding the ply
sical conditions of the planet Mars
are a few of the occurrences which
have given rise to unusual interest
in star gazing within the past few
months.
The superstitious believe that COM
cts are in some undefinable way close
ly connected with earthly wars. AS
tronomers smile over this, as they do
over any reference to the influence
of the planet Mars over human bat
ties, but it is rather a strange CO.
incidence that so many comets have
become simultaneous with the
greatest conflict upon the earth. The
first Of these is known as the Krit-
Finger comet, named after the dis
coverer who first observed it on
March 20 at Bothwamp, Germany. 1t
was observed from Washington, D..
c., on March 30, and throughout this
country within three days. It's path
was announced few days later and
it become visible to observers in all
parts of the United States during the
summer. While it was not bright
enough to be conspicuous at any time,
it was an object of interest to those
having telescope means of observa
tion for months.
A Russian astronomer named Flat
insky announced the discovery, of .
new comet at Mitau on May II. This
comet was not long within our range
of vision. 1t was BRIGHTEST on May
"a and by July had passed out of
sight. The Zlatinsky comet has an
interest to amateurs because it was
visible to the naked eye of close
observer and was studied consider
ably by the astronomical classes of
some of the state universities.
Professor Leon Campbell of the
Harvard station at Arequipa, Peru,
located another comet on September
Is, which became telescopically Wis
ible in the southwestern United States
on September 25. 1t WAS first OBJ
served in this country upon that date
by Professor Haggerty of Las Cru
ces, N. NJ, and by the observatories
i'll California about the same time.
In addition to these new comets
which have been well advertised and
deserved by many amateurs and lay
men as well as astronomers, num-
Der of others previously discovered
have been visible at different periods
of the year. The one of greatest
Importance is the Encke comet tone
of the twenty periodic comets known
to the world) which has reappeared
this year and will be visible several
months, though inconspicuous. This
comet has the shortest time of revolu
ton of any known. 1t has also for
some period seemed to show progress
slve shortening, which has been
.ascribed to resisting medium per
haps in the vicinity of the sun.
Delevans comet, discovered Decem
ber II, 1913, has been observable for
nearly all the year and will be Wis
ible for few weeks longer, so that
there has not been a month of 1914
In which some comet could not have
been diScerned in the heavens. The
Delevan comet was visible to the ma
ked eye throughout the summer and
was an interesting feature of the
northeastern sky in the early morn
ings. 1t has two branches or tails,
the south tail being broad and diff
fused while the one toward the north
is so striking in its appearance as to
call forth much speculation upon the
part of astronomers. Professor Bar
nard of the Yerkes observatory be-
lieves them to be of totally different
chemical composition. Professor w.
w. Cassel of Wytheville, Md, claims
to have discovered small star plain
ly visible through the tails.
No celestial body is more interest
ing to the observer than the comet,
the purpose and plan of which is yet
shrouded in obscurity. Some have
called it an imperfectly formed star
and others a star which has been per-
feet and fulfilled a certain mission
and is now decomposing. Either of
these suppositions may be aided by
the fact that the periodic comets are
generally followed by meteoric show
ers upon some part of the earth. As
tronomers believe that these showers
are really atomic fragments of the