WHO FIRST SIGHTED THE COMET?

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 98, 25 April 1917, Page 10

WHO FIRST SIGHTED THE COMET?

VARIOUS CLAIMANTS.

Whenever a new comet comes into view it is tho unvarying custom in tbe astronomical world to name it after the fortunato person who fjrst discovers it. Thus Halley's comet, Wolfe's comet, etc. The comet which is at present to be seen in _the eastern heavens, and which was apparently first reported by Dr. Hector, of tho Wellington Philosophical Society, raises an interesting controversy. Who saw it first? There appears to bo thrive claimants to the honour—Dr. Hector, Mr. Barltrop (engineer of the steamer Kaitoa;, and a Mr. H. C. M'Leod (an 'enginedriver of Melbourne). Tho point to decido is whether ,Mio comet wilT be the Hector comet, the Barltrop comet, or tho M'Leod comet. i

Commenting on Mr. M'Leod's claim, a Melbourne paper .says:—"lt is a curious fact that whilst we have an observatory, one of whose special^ functions is supposed to be to keep a vigilant Watch on tho firmament throughout tho night—(a costly telescope is provided for the purpose)—it has been loft to a locomotive driver with the naked eyo to discover a new comet. Mr.' M. C. M'Leod, engine driver, of Queens-avenue, Ascot Vale, had this interesting experience a little before -dawn (16th inst.) Whilst driving a train from Melbourne to Forn Tree Gully his attention was attracted by what appeared at casual sight to be a flashing of electric light along the wires adjacent to tho lino. On-looking- "further afield" he saw that the light was reflected by an unusually large and brilliant comet in tho east, just above the point of sunrise. The morning was chilly' and beautifully clear. Mr. M'Leod, in conversation later with a representative of the Age, said ho,was positive- he had made no mistake. He was no astronomer, ho said, but one did not need to be an astronomer to' tell a comet of that sort when one saw it. Its head and long, milky-like tail, slightly widening towards the tip, and pointing towards sunrise, were unmistakable. Ho and his fireman were immensely interested in the sight, and had it in full view from 5.30 until after 6 o'clock. They had no idea that they were making a discovery at the time. Later he gathered that tho Observatory folk had not noticed tho phenomenon, uid that quickened his interest. He described to the observatory through tho telephone what he had seen.

Comete, according to authority, may be broadly/ classified into two kinds, viz. :—Comete vieibls to tho naked eye, and "telescopic" comets, which can only be seen with the aid of a telescope. Of the former type, only from 20 to 30 usually appear in one century. Several "telescopic" comets, however, may be observed in the course of a single year. There are over a score of well-known periodio comets whose periodicity has been decided either by observation showing that tho notion is in an elliptic and not' in a parabolic orbit, or' by observation of tho comet at more than ono. return. •: These come within the category of the. "expected" comets, and none is due just now. T^here are, however, many other of theso conglomerations of matter, undergoing their very gradual dissipation into space, whoso acquaintance science:many be.called upon at any moment to make. Their motion not being in an elliptic orbit, they may come once, and never return. There aro cases also in which comets havo. passed near the planet Jupiter, and thus changed the orbit entirely. Further, owing to unavoidable errors of observation to which, owing to their diffused nature, the nuclei of ,oomets aro liable, and "scientific, accidents" in space, the declared periodicity of recognised comets is not always to be relied upon. The comet may, therefore, be a new and "unexpected" comet, oi\ an old "expected" comet whoso periodicity has been misjudged or has varied.