Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-03-18
COMET SHAKE
IS DUE JUNE rs
Expert Sees No Danger of
Collision, HOlUeUer.

LONDON. March 1S.-There's big and
erratic comet hurting itself toward the
earth at several hundreds of miles a
minute In excess of the speed limit.
But it probably won't end the world
Its unusual for comets that are COM
ing right at us not to have the Grim
inal intention of snufing out the unem-
ployment problem. the Irish problem, the
tax question. prohibition troubles and
the like once and for all-with bang.
But this is an unusual comet.
In the first place, it's named Pons-
Winnicke. 1t has no right to be med
ding in our affairs. anyway. It has
been reappearing every five and three
quarter years, and it ought to go Gid
ing by a few million miles away. But
it's an erratic monster and the attraction
Of Jupiter has been giving it a mis-
guided orbit of late
Hence it's swerving from its normal
orbit at terrific rate and is due in our
midst on June %.
COMES DANGEROUSLY
CLOSE.
Its orbit, then. will almost intersec4
that of the earth" says DR.. Crimmelin.
one of the worlds foremost astronomists.
But the chances of a collision are not
great.
IF the actual date Of intersection Ia
June % there will be a collision. The
world will not be wiped out, but there
will be the biggest shower Of metsors
ever seen and possibly some damage
and casualties"
There seems to be some Ifs about q.
despite the fact that the schools teach
that astronomy is an exact science. Also
there are differences of opinion.
My belief" says Sir Richard Greg
DRY, editor Of Nature, a leading scientific
organ, lis that some day the world wit
come to an end by collision with some
body hurting through space at q ters
rife speed.
IF the head Of -winnecks hits
the earth, the continuous combustion Of
thousands of meteorites might set the
world on fire.
81 do not think. however, there il
much chance of this happening on June
20. There is about as much chance Of
the world coming to an end in this man
ner as there is of random shot from q
rifle hitting a bird in full flight
SHOWER OF
METEORS.
IF, however, this very remote event
occurred, there would first be a tremen.
dOus shower of shooting stars, many
of which might penetrate through the
earths atmosphere and reach the earths
surface. collision with the head of
the comet would thus lead to celestial
bombardment which would have incalcu-
liable effects.
Usually the earth's atmosphere acts
as a torpedoner and prevents most solid
bodies from outer space from reaching
the surface of the earth They are con-
sumed as they rush through the air
with a velocity of 10000 miles an hour,
and merely give rise to the appearance
of shooting star"
But Sir Richard thinks Wen only get
playful f1irt of the comets tail.
A comets tail, he adds, is an infinitely
more perfect vacuum than can be OBJ
tanned by known scientific methods In
any laboratory.
And there comes the best surprise of
all.
A comets tail is made up of gases,
very rare gases, So rare, in fact, that
it is estimated that if the tail of comet
could be compressed to the density of
ordinary air it would be a volume that
would comfortably fit into an ordinary
pillbox.