The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-06-23
METEORIC SHOWER JUNE 27
Fro mthe Swish of the 2,00O,OOO-Mile
Tail of a Comet.

little local brief in the journal OF this
universe, which a physicist believes
to have some limit even though one
astronomer now conceit@ it to be a
thousand times larger than we
thought it, might read like this:
"On June q the tiny planet. Earth
is expecting to see sparks (metoric
showers) from the swish of the 2,0OO,-
0OO-mile tail of the comet, Pons- Win
necke, which will just miss hitting
earth by only II million miles"
Though we are now certain of the
exact nature of these hairy stars, as
tronomers believe comets are made up
OF small particles, very far from each
other, surrounded by masses of gas,
explains bulletin from the Washing
ton, D. C. headquarters of the Ma
tional Geographic Society.
"The main body of comet varies
from a few hundred to few thous-
and miles in diameter, and its tail,
which makes it as spectacular among
heavenly bodies as the tail CT the
reacock makes him in the bird world,
measures from few million to more
than a hundred million miles in
length.
Tail Turns From Sun.
"The tails cf comets have some pc
culiar characteristics. They always
turn away from the sun, and they in
crease and decrease with astonishing
rapidity, the sun evidently causing
them to lenghten enormously. Though
its volume is very great, the actual
mass Of comet s very email. Scien-
lists tell us that the average density
of a comet is but a fraction Of that
of the air near the earth's surface,
and that the density of the extremity
of the tail is, of course, very much
less.
"This is evident from the fact that
these bodies, which are so much larg-
er in volume than the planets, are de-
Aecting from their orbits by the plan
cts, which are not even disturbed
enough by their appearance for any
when a comet passes through Jupi-
ter's satellite system in 1886 not a
observation to be taken of it. Even
the moon veered from its course, but
the comet totally changed its orbit as
result of the M gnetic force exert
ed. That the substance of comets and
their tails is much rarefied is furthec
apparent because even the faintest OF
the visible stars can be seen through
them.
,"Work associated with the behavior
and the nature Of comets and their
orbits is yet in its infancy, and the
knowledge that the spectro:cope re-
veals regarding their composition IS
confusing It seems to say that they
are made of hydrocarbon vapor which
shines b. its own light, but part of
their light must be reflected sunlight
as the brllliancy Cf comet increases
as it approaches the sun and dimin-
isheS as it passes away.
Jupiter a Siren for Comets.
"The idea that comets are wander
ers in space has long ago been given
up. Now we know that they belong
to our solar system, but their orbits
that they sometimes require hundreds
of thousands of years to complete a
revolution. Occasionally the facina-
ting Jupiter will lure one of the
shooting stars from its straight and
narrow path. Like the folish moth
it will revolve around the greater
light and apparently for brief while
become a part of our SYSTEM, only to
pursue its own way after discovering
the vanity of its affection. When the
comet chances. TO cross the orbit OF
the earth we experience meteoric
shower. This is what we are told is
to happen to US as the result of the
visit of Pons- -Winnecke.
Sometimes Jupiter reduces them
entirely to subsection and they stay
on with that planet as part of its
numerous and expansive family. They
then circulate in ellipitical orbits
around their conqueror and gradually
dissipate their substance along their
tails until theiy become entirely invis-
ible.
How Tails Stand Wear and Tear.
"The tail of a comet in all its
gorgeousness is not mere append
age. If it We're, it would not long
stand the wear and tear that hurtling
through space would give such a thin
mass of matter, nor could it be tipped
from one side to the other as is the
case when the body passes in the
neighborhood of the sun. 1t must be
wanda loroa1, Of fiSSinatinp yanOr