The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-12-28
BIG M


st. Louis Globe-Democrat: A gigan-
tic comet, o~utclassing in size and bril-
liancy all those seen in modern times,
including Halley's, is speeding through
the solar system toward the sun AT the
approximate rate of 1,134.246 miles a
day. The comet will be a thing of
glory in the northwestern sky lex
spring. probably remaining visible for
three months. 1t will be at its best in
June.
To illustrate the size of this new
member of the solar system, recall the
fact Halley's comet. which held the
center of the stellar stage in 1910,
much to the CONSERVATION of southern
negroes. was seen through the great
telescopes eight months before perihel-
ion. Father Martin S. Brennan. astron-
o~mer-priest. suggests perihelion is a
planets closest approach to the sun.
The new comet was seen fourteen
llOlllS DFlOlt 'lAhVAipH Vi ia
months earlier than Halley's was seen
or sought for. Not so with the new
comet, which will o vie with
operate, polical and other stars of the
news prints.
This comet projected itself without
the aid of a publicity agent. 1t appear
ed on the Photographic plate at the end
of Prof. Max VOLTS telescope at
Heidelberg one evening last April. DR..
Max thought it a new asteroid and was
about to add it to the large collection
of those small planets already listed
among the astronomical exhibits; but
a second and third observation showed
the stranger to be an eccentric actor
a member of the cometary school n
of enormous size. 1t was then m
thing like $50, 900 900 miles distant. DR..
Wolf reported the comet officially, and
ii was listed as Comet B, 1916, but will
go down in popular history as VOLTS
comet.
Computations made at discovery by
Father Brennan and his copeers
throughout the country indicate VOLTS
comet was at a greater distance than
that of any other comet on record
when first seen in remote space, which
is another fact to emphasize its mon
ster size. VOLTS comet will have a
period of fifty years after 1917-you
might see it again in 1867. perhaps.
Prof. Edward E. Barnard, who
sweeps the windy heavens with the
great Yerkes telescope, photographed
the new comet three days before Prof.
Wolf. but. failed to report it. "A vic
tory for the Germans" as Father Bren-
nan puts it.
Father Brennan, whose advance in
formation on Halley's comet was prov
en- by after facts to be completely &C
curate ~preducted for the Globe-Demo-
crat that the southern negroes will
need no rabbits feet or other charms,
this time, to fend them from the
comets baneful influence, because the
newcomer will not slam the earth with
its tail like Halley's comet. At perihel-
ion, June II, 1917, Wolfe's comet, ap-
proximately, will be f34, 000. 900 miles
distant from the sun. II will be behind
the sun-or in opposition to the earth
September 16.
For the benefit of the pessimistic,
Father Brennan said, lit might be well
to inform them that the prospect of the
earth getting hit at any time by a
comet is as remote as the baseball PEN
nant coming to a st. Louis team in
midwinter.
;. "A child shooting a toy gun at the
milky way is as likely to knock down
a star as a comet is likely to damage
the EARTH" said the priest.
AS comets become visibly elongated
as they approach the sun, it is impos-
sible to predict the length of the
comets tail or other details as to ap-
pearance other than it will be an amaz-
ing spectacle.
The comet will be seen at its be! | in
the northwestern sky, according to
Father Brennan, brightly dimned
against the constellation Pegasus.
Comets wear away with age, said the
priest. That was the reason Halley's
comet was so dim. On its return in
1885, 1t, may not be visible, but the
new comet will, no doubt be a fiery
spectacle for generations to come"