CABLE NEWS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13739, 21 May 1910, Page 9

CABLE NEWS.

Referring to the failure of Observatories to nick up the nucleus of tho comet during its transit of the sun on Thursday, Mr Skey said that there was nothing surprising* in the fact that no record was obtained. In 1858 a star ef the first magnitude could be seen shining through the nucleus, and therefore one could hardly expect to pick tip the nucleus when the sun formed the background. There were some reniarkablv large spots on the sun on tbe day of the transit, and one might have thought that the comet would be picked up when crossing these dark-looking spots. Tho spots, however, aro really white, and only show dark by comparison with the rest of the disc. It was quite possible that some of the large telescopes had observed the transit, bqt the probability pf any New Zealand telescope revealing the presence of the nucleus on the disc was a remote one.

"An attempt was made at the Canterbury College Observatory to ascertain whether there was any abnormal electrical activity, in the atmosphere. Tho instruments," however,, did not record anything of an unusual character. The comet should bo seep in the sky at sundown, but the brightness of tho moon will probably reduce its brilliancy considerably.