FOUR COMETS

Evening Star, Issue 25895, 12 September 1946, Page 6

FOUR COMETS

SOUTHERN SKY SPECTACLE 9NE 86DN CLOSE ENOUGH FDR BRILLIANT DISPLAY (Pj A.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 12. Four comets may be expected in the southern sky this month, says the director of the Carter Observatory, Mr I. L. Thomsen. The most important is the Galcobini-Ziuner comet, which has been in the Northern Hemisphere and ,is travelling rapidly southward. It last appeared in 1933, passing so close that the earth passed through the dust it leaves behind, and a brilliant display of meteors appeared at the rate of 400 a-minute.

This year it. will be passing still closer, and it is likely that an even more brilliant display will be seen, but it is doubtful if much of this will be seen in' the Southern Hemisphere, Certainly local observers will not be able to see the magnificent spectacle which is expected in the northern skies.

The. comet should be brightest on the night of October 9, when it would be in the eastern sky. On August 7, Mr A. T. Jones, of Timaru, observed a new body, which was called the Comet Jones. This had been under continuous observation, and although still only visible through a telescope, was brightening, and had a faint tail. Its future movements were uncertain.

While following photographically the progress of Comet Jones, Mr D. C. Berry, of Dunedin, found a much fainter object near it, which appears to be a comet travelling much faster than the Comet Jones, but no confirmation of its exact nature has yet been made It has , been noticed .to have an unusual motion, and nothing can be , decided until its path in space can be determined.

A cable from Canberra reports the discovery of Comet Johnson, which is fainter than either of the other two, and is moving fairly slowly. It is situated in the northern sky in the early evening, but is invisible to the naked eye.