THE COMET'S TAIL.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13738, 20 May 1910, Page 7

THE COMET'S TAIL.

TRANSIT INVISIBLE LOCALLY;

Though there was no ocular demonstration of the fact, scientists assure us that last evening the earth commenced to bore its way through tho tail of Halley's comet. This interesting event has.been awaited with intense interest in scientific circles, and with some curiosity, mingled with trepidation, in circles not scientific. Prior to the earth's embarkation on this unique trip, the comet paid its longdue visit to Jupiter, and added to its fame by establishing a new astronomical record. In scientific language, the nucleus of (the comet Inade a transit of the sun; in popular phrasa, it passed between the Earth and tho sun in the line of vision.

j The transit was timed to take place between 1.25 and 2.52 p.m., and during that momentous space the big telescopes of tho world would be pointing their muzzles at King Sol. It is always the case in astronomical observations that some localities are more favoured than others as far as the conditions are concerned under which the observations are made. In Christchurch, unfortunately, tho conditions were not favourable to success ; being achieved. The telescope at the | Canterbury College was pointed at the sun, but on the reflected disc there was no sign of the transit. There were several circumstances which might explain the lack of success. Thc sky was rather hazy during tho afternoon, and light clouds kept up an almost continuous drift across the sun. This would offer an almost insuperable obstacle to successful observation. Added to this, it has to be taken into consideration that the head of thc comet is so tenuous that it could not. even under the most favourable conditions, make a very distinctive object when in front of the brightest body in the heavens. The telescope revealed the presence of several large sun spots, but nothing which could be taken for tno nucleus of the comet.

Mr Frank Hitchings, of Sydenham, who is an enthusiastic student of astronomy, made a series of observations, but he had to report much the. same result, or lack of result, as that of the College Observatory. On Wednesday Mr Hitchings had a look at-the sun, and found on the disc twelve sun spots. In the first group there were two spots ranging about 30,000 miles, and one about 20,000 miles. In another group there were nine spots, ranging about 6000 miles each. Yesterday he could only find the three large spots. There was a mist in front of the sun, and this must have obscured the remaining group of spots. Whether the comet's tail was responsible for the presence of thc mist or not Mr Hitchings was not prepared to say, but he was rather inclined to believe that that was the case. It was also possible that tho haze which was observed last evening was caused by the earth entering on its trip through the comet's tail.

According to scientific calculation, the earth was enveloped in the comet's tail early last evening. There was no Indication of tho contact, which ona could fisitively say was due to the comet, he evening was as the afternoon had been —there were fleecy clouds on the sky and an all-pervading haze in the atmosphere. It is an open question whether the haze is to be connected with the comet, and an answer will only be arrived at when it has been ascertained whether the haze has been general or not. The earth would be enveloped in the comet's tail within three- minutes of the first contact, and therefore the haze, if attributable to the comet, should be practically spread ovor the whole world.

Tho journey through the comet's tail was to occupy from twelve to fourteen hours.. It is anticipated that the . instruments at the Magnetic Observatory will record phenomena attributable to the peculiar circumstances, and the